14
December
2010
Abbey has been home for four days (five days post-surgery) and she is going AMAZING!!!! Thank you all for your support and words of wisdom…it really helped 🙂 She doesn’t even notice that she’s down to three legs! The very first morning back she was using the stairs (three of them) by herself to go to the bathroom on her own. I’m sure it helped a lot that she had some “practice” at this (for the past two months she has only been using three legs…the third, “dead” leg was useless). I’m so proud of her at how she came through this with shining colors and couldn’t have a care in the world. My husband and I can’t stop telling each other how amazed we are at how “normal” she is already, at how well she is getting around all on her own. There’s no stopping this girl!
I had posted previously that I was nervous about how I would react when I first saw her at the hospital and I shocked myself…the missing limb did not bother me. I was so happy to see her and bring her home (and thrilled that she was ok, of course) that I did not even care about the missing leg and the pretty gnarly scar/staples she she was rocking. Maybe it’s because I had a few months to come to terms with the fact the she’d never been a four-legged dog ever again; maybe it’s because I saw how ok she was with the whole situation that I knew I should be ok with it too; whatever the reason, I am at peace with the situation. Of course it’s not what I wanted for her, nobody wants this, but after what we’ve ben through the past few months, I am so happy that the amputation is over with and that life is returning to normal for her 🙂 She’s doing so well that I hope to bring her (and her little sister) to see Santa this weekend…she hasn’t missed a photo-op with Santa in her life!
Again, thank you all for your kind words and support 🙂
Posted under Uncategorized Tags: amputation, Great Dane, Post-surgery
10
December
2010
The hospital called this morning to check in and the tech said that Abbey is doing wonderful!!! When she got there this morning she said that Abbey was standing up in her pen all by herself looking around for some attention…that’s my girl 🙂 I cannot wait to pick her up this afternoon…I am so excited to have her back home. I miss my babies terribly when they are away from me 🙁
I must admit, I am slighty nervous about how I may react when I first see her…she won’t look exactly like the Abbey I remember. I wonder, will I get used to her missing a limb right away or will it take me some time? When I think about it, it does not bother me, but when I see her…will it be a different story?
All I know is that she made it through the surgery with flying colors and is already up and moving around! Life is looking up for my little girl. I can’t wait to see her in a few hours 🙂
Posted under Uncategorized Tags: amputation, Great Dane, Harlequin, surgery
7
December
2010
Abbey is a 4 year old Harlequin Great Dane and she’s having her left hind leg amputated on Thursday (December 9, 2010). She had a spinal cord stroke (FCEM) back in August and she has since regained the use of her right hind leg and bladder/bowels (thanks to much physical therapy) but the left leg never returned and she never regained feeling/nerve funciton in it. Due to lack of use, the leg has sort of fused solid…straight and un-bendable like a metal rod. The neurologist and orthopedic surgeon all said that amputation is the best option for her, seeing as how the leg is not functioning now anyway and she is just hobbling around on the other three (the “dead” leg just gets in her way). Amputation will get the “bad” leg out of her way and let her return to a normal life. I am happy that the leg is going in the sense that it will finally be out of her way and not hinder her anymore, but at the same time I am still sad for her. Sad that this had to happen to her, sad that she will only have 3 legs and life will be more challenging for her. Her wonderful spirit and love for life is still the same that it always was and the “lose” of leg that she has already suffered has not affected her (thank God), I know that the amputation will bother me more than it will bother her and I am working on that. Here’s hoping that all goes well on Thursday and she recovers quickly…her 7 month old sister (also a Great Dane) is going to be lost without her playmate while Abbey recovers!!!
Posted under Uncategorized Tags: amputation, Great Dane, Harlequin, stroke