Two are better than one; for if one falls, the other can- pick him up

Rowdy's mama here. I know you all feel as I do, that the Dogster/Catster community is just plain AWESOME. We have met some of the best hoomans in the world here. Little did I know that when I joined (and then Meatball & Sausage bought us "Plus") that I would need you all as I have and you have answered the call for help in so many generous ways. I am grateful that I can come here and share my sorrows and joys and also share in yours. I wish I didn't need you all so much so I could be more of a giver, but things keep cropping up and I have become overwhelmed. I needed this place when I first found you because I had lost my beloved "children" (Max -Trixie's brofur went missing in Sept '06, then the fire in Feb '07 and I lost Trixie, Daisy and Chance). Max and Trixie were fursibs kitties whose mommy Tabitha I had lost also. Daisy and Chance where mommy & son--I lost Chance's daddy --Shadow-- about 3 years earlier while walking in a wooded area to a cougar or something. We had been walking there for 4 years and never had seen or heard any wild animals. I have read where so many of you have lost babies and the sting of guilt haunts you--I know that guilt--and just when I thought I had learned from all my mistakes--along came Rowdy. Lack of knowledge and money kept me trying to heal Rowdy's back in the least expensive way and I have paid the price. While the operation would have cost the same no matter what, now I must hear Rowdy drag his little back paws across the floor, his toe nails little nubs. I watch him run and see his back legs go out from under him and he slids on his hinney--but he always gets back up and runs again. His relentless spirit inspires me, but the guilt of not getting him the surgery sooner haunts me. I do hold in my heart that he is not completely crippled and am grateful for that because so many other pups have lost so much from this kind of injury. Their triumphant stories and their hoomans always makes me smile. And I know Rowdy's story had brought a smile or two also, because he can run--wobbly as it is--while he is running to the right, his hinney will go to the left, and it is funny to watch--however bittersweet--but he is running and running hard. He is as happy as he has ever been despite it all. Abandoned at birth, malnutritioned to the point he had a skin infection and lost all his hair, yet when I met him he bounced (literally) and barked and played like the world had welcomed him with open arms. He came into our home like he had always lived here. The world was his, and he claimed it and he still does. I have never had a furbaby who wasn't amazing in some way and Rowdy's spirit is amazing to me--I wish I were more like him.
Now I am to go for a biopsy to check for cancer in my right breast. I have already had surgery for cancer in the left breast and while everything turned out okay the first time, I do not relish going thru it again. I didn't have kemo the first time, and will be so grateful, should it be cancer, that I will not have to go thru kemo this time-that is my biggest worry--the surgery and the radiation is not so hard to bare--the not knowing is worse. I should know by Thurs if it is.
What amazes me, is how many of you are now going thru the same trial at different stages of the situation. I pray for you for strength. I have heard and felt your prayers for us and there is no doubt in my mind that we all have a bond--even if we have never spoke. If you are a part of the D/C family, then we are family indeed.
I'm hoping that in heaven, we will have a really cool club house where we can all meet, when we're not out oooohing and awwwwing at the wonders of heaven and heavenly things, and hug and show off our babies to one another and laugh and look into the eyes of those who have prayed for us, directly and indirectly.
Other things have come into my life as stressors now too and I am overwhelmed. I find it hard to have the energy to thank each person for the pressie or prayer, but know that I am now forever touched by your love and thoughtfulness--and I know many of you also breath a silent prayer, thou' you do not contact me--I know because so many times that is what I do. It isn't easy to write when you have lost a baby because it brings to mind all the pain of my own loses, as I am sure it does for all of us--all of us have lost, all of us have made mistakes, all of us have felt guilt and all of us labor daily to get thu' the rough patches. How so so many of you have inspired me and made me jealous, because, like Rowdy, you still keep bouncin with joy.
Thank you all for being you and being here for me in big and small ways, it all counts.
If you are going thru' a trial and need just a ear to hear, pmail me. I won't know how to fix it, but I can understand and most likely say "I know, I've been there too. You are not alone."
I love you all with all my heart,
Mama Kim & the Rowdy Gang

Freedom has boundries

Freedom isn't free, is it? There are always rules and boundries that we must adhere to in order fur freedom to work--seems like an oxymoron; but all things being equal, we'll take the boundries to have the freedom--

I have some new freedoms. Mama put up some fencing stuff in the front yard, now she leaves the door open and I can go in and out as I please. I love the front yard cuz there are less stairs I have to climb and it's flat so I can run and not make mama worry (she let's me run again--mostly cuz she has no choice!). The back yard slopes down and there are many stairs to get to the ground and it is too hard on my back to walk all those stairs. When I am out there, the mama tries to carry me or make me go down the small steps, but the small steps go by my auntie's little pool and if any one is in there I don't like to go near it. When mama tries to carry me up the big stairs, I run away from her and run up the stairs before she can catch me--I like doing things on my own (the mama gets furustrated cuz I do that, but I thinks it's funny BOL)--I'm really hating this having to have the mama help me all the time. So mama put the fencing up and now I can have some freedoms--but I can't get to the road to bark at efurry thing that passes by any more--poo.

There is a nice grassy area out front and the mama comes and plays with me there. I love to chase my ball and mama will throw it fur me, but not too far--she wants me to get some xercise and hopefully build up my back legs.

I still drag my back paws and don't put as much weight on them as the mama would like, but the mama says we needs to be patient and hope that I will be back to normal some day. Yet, we are grateful I can get around on my own--things could have worked out a lot different! She still tries to do my therapy xercises--but I'm not very cooperative, but I do like the massages.

Me and Scooter (she's a beagle who also had a ruptured disk--thankfully her rupture was the upper back, so she is healing much better than me) are hoping to start a group fur doggies with back problems when things calm down. If you or anyone you know has had to have back surgery and has back problems, pmail me and we will start a list so we can invite you to join as soon as we figure it all out.

A big hug to you all and wishes fur health, happiness & FREEDOM
LUVS Rowdy & the Rowdy Gang

still overwhelmed

We been trying hard to get around to all the thankies--but there are so many to thank fur so many reasons--pressies, donations, puppals, my grouppage, POPs fur me and Chloe and Elvis, furends joining Round up Rowdys Helpers--it's amazing!

We are indebted to each of you and hope if you efur need us, give us a whistle--we luvs praying fur all furs--if somefur needs to talk--pmail us--we'll be there.

I doing better--the mama took off my leash the other day to let me have a little freedom to roam--MISTAKE!! I took off running in circles ofur ofur and ofur again--the mama's yelling "stop"--my hinney going in the opposite direction--skidding, hopping, and going again--the mama and the auntie couldn't help but laugh--she finally got me and brought me in the house so I could calm down--OMD-that was so much fun that the mama could see I was smiling--and panting--and smiling. She was glad I had fun, but it worried her. I still not got full control ofur my back legs, but obviously, some--BOL--mama a little less letting me off the leash again. Poo! But like auntie and mama say--quality of life--I slept good that night--running is what I like best! and it felt good.

Me & Chloe & Elvis thanks efurry one fur all the support. Chloe is all better and we are doing anofur round of eye drops fur Elvis--whatefur is going on is not going away--the medicine seems to help, but when we stop it comes back--after this bout if it don't work, we gotta take him back to the dogter--so a prayer fur him is much preciated.

Our Luvs Always to all in Dogster/Catster town and the good furs who started this wonderfur place.
Rowdy, Chloe, Elvis, Priscilla, LisaMarie, my mama and my auntie.

Angels are among us

http://www.dogster.com/group/Round_up_rowdys_helpers-16489
Some furs put this page together fur me--the mama is drippin water efurry where!

OMD--I Dog of the Day!!!

My mama 'bout to faint! Not me--look how cute I am--who could resist me BOL!!!
Seriously--thank you. I am humbled and very overwhelmed. Thank you all fur the pressies and the prayers and the offers and donations of help. I wish we could remember how we found Dogster (I'm sure it was when mama was hoping to find me a sisfur and we just happened upon all of you) What a blessing all of you have been to us.
The mama finds it hard to hear about all the sadness, but she is glad to be able to send prayers and luvs because she understands that pain all too well and all of you have helped her get through her sadness and feels honored when she can help with just a word of love like she has gotten here. A place where no one will efur say "it's just an animal" cuz we all know better--we furbabies be the icing on the cake of love and our hoomans are the platter on which the cake is supported.--And there are no better hoomans then the dogster/catster hoomans. We will get back to all as soon as we can, right now my little boy Dexter is shooting her with an air gun and driving her nuts--that's our little boy--
Thank you furm our floppy pointy ears to the tippy tips of our tippy toes--with heart full and overflowing--
(P.S. I got to sleep with mama on the bed fur the first time since my surgery--it is a good day indeed!)

I'm HQ Approved!!!!

Happy almost summer!! HQ has approved my fundraiser--Thank you Thank you Thank you--and many thanks to Sausage, Meatball and Max fur sticking by us through all this-XXXX & pOOts--There are already 4 donations and I cannot thank them enough--Blessings Blessings Blessings!!!! And Blessings to all you prayer warriors out there too!

I'm slowly getting better. Boy, I'd really like to take off and run--I try but I always got this dang leash on that holds me back! I been trying to lift my leg to do my weewees--I got it up there a couple of times BOL--I also lifting my legs to walk over short things much better instead of dragging them--that made the mama happy!! I must be getting more feeling in my legs cuz I gettin' even worse at letting the mama do my exercises--don't like my paws played with!!!!BOL I don't get as tired out and make the mama take me out 3 or 4 times in the morning fur I finally will get tired. She puts the leash handle ofur my head and the leash strap under my hips, making a kinda loop so she can hold up my hips and still have a handle to keep me safe -- my mama is little like me, so it works good fur her--but boy does she have a rein on me! Chloe will get in may pen and sleep with me sometimes--I like that!
Woofs, Wiggles & Wuv to you all!!!! Rowdy & my furmily

Doing better

I doin' a little bit better efurry day--The mama thinken too good. I was naughty--when the mama was distracted I took off running--I fell 3 times for mama could catch me--she was not happy--I thought I did pritty good! I had to go to my crate. Now the mama keeps me on da leash so I can't run--darn--she didn't think I could do that BOL--luckily I didn't hurt myself.
I got my stitches out last Thursday--Mama says I look better cuz da staples made me look like Frankenstein's dog BOL--I healed up real good and using my legs lots better I still get my feet tangled and fall, but I not draggin' my calves no more and use my paws the right way more. When I sniffin things, the mama will fix my feet right and help me to stand. She tries to get me to do my physical therapy, but it's just so annoying.
The mama says we be so blessed to have all the wonderful prayers & thoughts of our furends---awwww furiends. Well, I gonna get my nap now. Me & Chloe went out and did all our busynesses and had our treats and now I worned out
bbiiiggg puppy hugs

Oww---

We tho't we'd add a little to my story here--On 4/20 at 11pm, even tho' I wasn't sposed to be doing much moving cuz of my back, but I wanted to chase the kitty! Boy am I sorry I did that. I hurt my back so bad I couldn't use my back legs--So mama and auntie drove me 2 hours to UCDAVIS at 1am by 8am (Tues 4/21) I was in surgery and had to stay in the hosibitle til the 29th.
I doing good still- I moving my thighs more and feeling stronger and I even stood on my back paw the right way once!!! The smallest of achievments is so xciting to the mama!!!--but I still draggin' my calves and paws and I get tired easy--plus we have pourin' rain so I come in all muddy with leaves hangin off my hinney BOL
Kisses & Hinney wiggles to all our furends!!!!!

Update on my surgery

It was so nice to see my page with all the thoughts and prayers from my dogster/catster furends. My candle page is so beautiful. I wishen I could give each fur a hug--especially all da other furs needing prayers like me. The mama says we is just blessed to have found dogster/catster. We are so glad to have furends to share with.
I got home on Wednesday night at 10:30pm. It was a long drive home, but worth efurry mile. My little boy Dylan was here too. I was so glad to see him. He was very worried about me and the mama said he asked about me efurry day.
My surgery went good--says the vet--my incision goes all da way just below my shoulder blades to just above my haunches--with my long back it looks very big and is all stapled up. The vet (surgeon) says nothing was actually broken, but my disc was ruptured and caused lots of trauma to my spinal cord. I not having any pain, but I still very tired a lot. I still not using my back legs right, but I can move my hips and pull up so I mostly just draggin my calf area and my paws. Mama thinks I look pitiful, but I get around--even thou' I not suppossed to do too much yet. I keep trying to go sniff stuff when the mama takes me potty and the mama stops me--poo!
I gotta be in a pen. I getting used to it, but I in the livingroom and the mama and Chloe come lay with me when I need company. So far I being good and only have to be in my crate when the mama not home. My pen is bigger and open so I trying to stay good cuz that crate is little compared to having the whole world to play inBOL.
I had a really nice vet student named Pearl. She fed me chicken by hand efurry hour. Her spoiled me and I just fell in wuv with her. I would get so excited to see her--the mama says she was happy I bonded with her cuz it made her feel good I had such good care from this very nice person. Pearl wants to be a vet for wildlife that get injured. She gonna be a good vet.
It will probably be a least a couple more weeks fur I can really use my back legs, but the vets' says I will walk good again, it is just gonna take time to get efurry thing workin. The mama has to do physical therapy wit me--bol-I give her a hard time. I nibble at her fingers when she does it. She waits til I really tired then she massages my legs and moves them like riding a bicycle (would that be a Hello Kitty one?) and she has to move my paws up cuz I keep wanting them to go back and so I gotta change that.
Again, we just thank efurry fur for all the wuvs and prayers--the mama says it really helped her to keep "the faith"!--thanks fur helping my mama--I wuvs her so much. I was so excited to see her the vet student Heather could hardly hold me when I saw mama there to take me home. I was so glad to see Chloe & Auntie Sue. I licked and licked and licked them both.
So licks and licks and licks to efurry one at dogster/catster too.

where there is love, there is hope

Well, here I am again with back problems--my mommy says it's no fair cuz I had such a hard start in life--I say no fair too--but we are lucky to all be together and that things are not worse. So we are grateful for what we have.

We are very grateful for all our puppals and kittiefriends here at Dogster. Not only cuz so many are gonna help with my surgery costs, but cuz they have made all of us feel special and welcomed and help my mommy with her sadness--this has been a great place to find a laugh when you need one--or get a laugh!

I gettin' lots of the POTP lovin's--we know they work cuz of all the furbabies that have been helped. We feeling efurthing is gonna work out okay dokay indeed!

Well, I'll tell ya, I am feeling pritty pitifull right now. I want to jump and play, but then it hurts. The mama keeps telling me "NO" and "Lay down" and "you'll go in the crate!"--boy am I gettin' tired of that! I sure will be glad when I can play again and the mama quits hovering over me like one of those-uh-hovering thingys.

We wishes we could send efurryone a little bit of our hearts so they could feel our love efurry time they opened the envelope. We thinks God himself helped us find Dogster/Caster cuz he knew we needed to be here :)