The Good and The Bad

Yes readers, it has been a few weeks since I wrote anything.  Nothing new has really happened.  We all survived Thanksgiving in Philadelphia away from our loved ones.  It was very hard, reading about all the turkey and shopping going on.  Thanksgiving has by far always been my favorite holiday, up until about a year ago my whole extended family always got together.  Aunts, great Aunts, Uncles and great Uncles, cousins, grandparents, god parents and anyone else that didn't have a place to go found their way to our house.  It was nothing it cook 3 or 4 turkeys, to play Euchre the night before and drink like crazy, and then wake up for Monkey Tails (yes that is what we call the delicious pull apart bread that became a morning tradition), eat a bunch of food, maybe play more cards all in anticipation for the first store to open for Black Friday shopping.  Everyone asks, why, how can you go out in all that madness. Well let me tell you, there is nothing like it.  We have had a blast, every year, just being together.  So if you are looking for a good time, join us girls some year on black friday, I promise - you won't regret it.

Back to the Big D, his recovery has been going very well, up until about 5 days ago.  He had a 6 week post op visit today, and well there was good news and bad news.  I started to notice the limp, the same limp I noticed last spring before I left for Toronto.  I thought maybe he was stiff from laying around.  We had made it to doing 10 minute walks two times per day, he seemed to be getting stronger.  But there it was, the limp, the toe touching the lameness- only this time it was his left leg.  Yes that's right the other leg, the non operative leg, the "good" leg.  The odds were against us.  I guess it was not a matter of if, but when, only when came way too soon.  After all he is only 6 weeks post op from the first ACL surgery.  That's right, the first because my suspcions were confirmed today by Dr. Dobbins, he has ruptured the ACL in his "other" leg.  That is the bad news... he is going to need the same surgery, all over again and sooner rather than later.  I knew this would be a possibility, all the articles said most dogs rupture the second leg after the first leg.  No one really knows why, is it genetic?  Are certain dogs predisposed or breeds?  Does the over compensation for the surgical side make the "good" leg go bad?  There is no answer, but the fact is out there- 65% of surgeries performed by vets are ACL repairs, 40% of dogs that tear one ACL go on to tear the other.  Odds go up for large and overweight dogs.  (I keep saying ACL, that is the nurse in me- the correct term in dogs is CCL or Cranial Cruciate Ligament, which is the same thing as an ACL in humans)

Those of you that know me, know at this point I am bawling in the vets office.  She wants to wait a few weeks to do surgery on the other side to let his right leg heal.  Good.  but not too long= BAD.  My life, my work schedule for the next few months is crazy, how can will I fit the time in so I can spend time at home with him.  What ever happens, it is another chunk of change from our check book, that really was not anticipated at this time.  Even the vet said, it usually doesn't happen this soon.  I am hoping we can wait it out until mid January when I have at least 3 weeks that I will be home, and maybe win the lottery by then... We go back in 2 weeks to see Dr. Dobbins, and see what she says at that time.  These are the moments I miss my family and friends most, I miss having someone around that could help us out so I didn't have to worry about Kurt home alone while I am traveling, I miss just the support of someone to give me a big hug and say it will be ok.  Life throws you lemons.... I am ready for some Tequila!