Had my Surgery!

Mommy decided that it was worth a shot to try and make me whole again, so I had a TTA done on October 2nd. I am amazed at how good I feel! I was able to walk out of the clinic using all 4 legs. Just had my staples removed yesterday and Dr Bartsch says I have excellent range of motion and healing is going quite well. My next TTA will be done in December, and I am actually looking forward to it! Can you believe it? Just think, next spring I may be able to run again.
Mommy is so happy because she can feel hope again (whatever that means) All I know is I am glad they didn't give up on me, I have a lot of things to do yet. First on my list is catching a squirrel. After that, I guess going hunting with Jack would be pretty nice. The world is my oyster, I can do anything with my new legs!! Yeah!

Update time

It's been a long time! Just to catch up, after my surgery I finally recovered inMarch. I could RUN! I have never felt so great! Mommy took me out to the big pond and I ran across it and chased birds, and felt like a dog again.(mommy cried)
Then in July I started feeling bad again. Mommy took me back to the U of M and Dr Conzemius said I had tears in my knee ligaments. He and his student really hurt me pulling on my legs! Then mommy took me to see Dr Bartsch for acupuncture and they decided together to try some conservative care with me. So I sit around the house all day long now. Mommy takes me out for a few short walks and some days I go swimming. She takes me in the car so I can stick my head out and see other life forms. I hurt all the time, and I am crabby.
I heard mommy on the phone making an appointment for me to see another Orthopedic surgeon named Dr Caywood. He is supposed to be a specialist in a TTA surgery. Have no idea, but I heard bone and cutting; not liking this idea much at all. I'm pretty bored, but they give me lots of new toys and me and mommy are learning new tricks that I can do without having to get up. Boy, I never knew she was this creative!
Crazy mommy is taking me to an animal communicator because she wants me to tell her through this lady whether I want to go through more surgeries or not. She thinks maybe I would be happier at the Bridge with Henry and Barkley; but she wants me to say. Some days I agree with her, and some days I want to hang around and see whats next.
Time will tell.....

Seriously, Mom, NO MORE DOGS!

Ok, I overheard mom and dad talking and MY mom was saying she wanted Dylan to live with us forever! Hmmmm...I DON'T THINK SO.
So now I have to make it my mission to show her that 4 dogs under the same roof is way too much. I make sure to growl at ALL 3 of the others when I can, I try to eat EVERYONES food, and I do NOT let that woman out of my sight! I slipped up and went to sniff Harvick once and she had that Dylan in her lap so fast- I nearly broke my neck trying to get on her lap, too. I don't understand why she thinks he should live here, she needs her time to take care of me in my post-surgery state. I need lots of massage and treats, I need her attention. Sure, Jack and Panda live here, but they know their place. Panda can fit on moms lap with me, so she's cool. My plan worked to keep Jack away from mommy, you should see him!! He actually jumps on the furniture if I am laying on the floor, just to get around me but not go near me; I have to chuckle inside, he's scared to death of me. I have bit him 3 times in his whole life! What a drama queen!
Besides, Jack worships daddy, and when he's home he's with daddy.
Don't get me wrong, I like the kid well enough, but I am just starting to feel better, and I want mommy to be available to play and walk. I feel like she's just been my nurse for so long-I'm ready for us to get out and start having fun like we used to! I can't wait until spring so we can hit the parks again.We used to do one different city,county or state park each week, before I went lame. It was SO awesome!
Dylan should have his own family, after everything he's been through, he of all dogs deserves to have a family of his own to love him and worship him and give lots of time and attention. I think he's going to turn out to be a rally cool guy when he grows up, he's got a great energy about him and his outlook is always sunny.
But he cannot live here.I will not have it. She is mine, all mine.

The Happy Visitor with the Sad Story

Today has been a really good day! Dylan came to stay with us and he likes to play, but I have to be gentle with him because his back end still hurts a bit. Mommy says NO ROLLING ON DYLAN! Rolling -On is my FAVORITE game!! Me and Jack really LOVE Dylan, but Panda is being a witch. She follows Dylan around and growls at him. If he looks at her she snaps at him; she can be so weird. Mommy follows all of us around and makes sure we don't hurt Dylan, she says he's had a really rough life. I guess he was found in a dumpster where garbage goes when he was a little baby, and someone hurt him bad because he couldn't use his back legs at all; but now he runs around and stuff, but if I start to roll on him he cries so I stop. He is having Physical Therapy just like me, only he goes to a different place. I hope we can find him a really good forever home where he will get lots of love and can live with the same family forever!! He's a really cool little dude, I wish he could stay here, but mommy says we aren't good for each other because neither of us will settle down when we are supposed to be healing. I feel like we have something in common, yet, I count my blessings more after knowing him;I couldn't imagine ANY human I know EVER hurting me or my friends. I can bite mommy, chew up her stuff, knock over water glasses with my tail, and dig up the yard, and she doesn't even really yell too much. When she does, LOOK OUT! I just laugh at her and wag my tail. Sometimes mommy is laughing while yelling at me, which really confuses me, but don't tell her; I'd rather have her yell than do to me what someone did to Dylan.
I was going to write about how much better I've been feeling after my surgery, but I feel that would be completely selfish. I decided I wanted to write about meeting a very special little baby who has already in his 12 weeks of life, faced so much hardship and risen above it. You should see how trusting he is of the humans! He laid right on his back on mommy's lap and fell asleep! I am amazed at how eager he is to learn to live with humans, how much fun he gets out of life, and how brave he is coming here, not knowing what would happen to him, yet he entered our house with his head and tail up and smiling!!
I want to remember this day forever, because soon Dylan will go to his new home and he may forget me, but I will never forget my friend, our brave warrior, Dylan. I pray for the best home ever for you, my friend.-Wilson

It's Been a Long Road

Well, For 5 1/2 months mom has been fighting with various vets and today I came home from surgery. I got to stay at the U of M for 3 days; it's a really nice place; I LOVE future Dr. Emilee W.!!!! She is my bestest human friend ever!!
Dr. C did arthroscopy in both my elbows; removed a small bone fragment from my left and debrided a small amount of bad cartilage out, on the right one he removed a big bone fragment, had to "scoop" out ALL my cartilage(it was really really bad) and cut my ulna bone. It hurts really bad, but sometimes I forget (the drugs really help) and I try to jump on mommy. She NEVER used to yell like that before!!! Jeez!
It sure is good to be home!! I was really mad at Jack and Panda so I growled at them when I came home, but now I'm not so mad anymore. It's hard to be myself when I hurt so bad. I (and mommy) are SOOO DARN MAD at Connie for her irresponsible breeding practices and we blame her for me being in pain all the time.
Dr. C hopes I'll be running again by March, but he said that before he looked in my legs, and I think maybe he was being too positive because mommy cried.
Mommy keeps me drugged most of the time, and sits with me and holds ice bags on my legs. She is telling everyone she's getting me some tattoos, because they shaved all my hair in front, except my paws, looks like a reverse-human suit or something.
I have to rest now, I can feel the pills kicking in, just wanted to record my stay at the U of M. I would recommend them to anyone- they are professional, caring, and very very knowledgable. I'm glad we finally found Dr Bartsch and she got us to go there. She is also the Dr who does my acupuncture, so I'll see her soon. Me and Mommy love her, too. She gives mommy lots of information on herbs and special things she can do to make me feel better without taking too many synthetic drugs.(mommy does NOT like drugs) All day long I get some of the craziest stuff put in my food(she thinks I don't know) it doesn't taste bad so I eat it, it makes mommy happy, and I have to cut her some slack once in a while; besides, it really does make me feel better!!! Without the tummy ache!!!! Oh my, I am sooo sleepy.......

Got the Bad? News

We got a letter back 2 days ago from U of M. Mommy read it 3 times, and started shaking. Then she did what she does best, she made postings reaching out for information and advice, she went to Barnes and Noble and bought books, she called my breeder, she called friends and family, she stayed busy, busy, busy.Then she took me to the fairgrounds and we walked. She was very quiet, but I liked it, I could stop and sniff for a looong time and she didn't say"Wilson, lets go" like she usually does. She doesn't understand that I am only 9 months old so I can't read real fast right now, so I have to take a long time to read the "newspaper" tree trunks, weeds, etc.
Oh! the news was that I have mild hip dysplasia, mild osteoarthritis in my elbows, and FCP. All I know is I get my rub downs for lots longer and mommy makes Jack go to bed with Daddy so she and I have special time together. She scared me the first night after the letter, she just laid down by me, put her hands on my face and cried. I don't like it when mommy cries, I licked and licked her face and she just would not stop!! Women!!
Today we got a video from Grandpa Joe that he made of me on my graduation day from puppy kindergarten. He added Henry(i remember him, he crossed the bridge awhile after I came here, and it had barkley(who I never met but his name makes mommy cry) During the whole tape it plays "Thank you for being a friend" which REALLY made mommy cry, I'm like "mommy!! Look how good I did! Look at me running around the ring, I was NOT afraid of that tunnel!" and she just hugs me and cries. Wow, whats a pup to do ? I climbed up in my chair outside and looked in the window at her, that made her laugh, ok, good, maybe she feels better now. Maybe tonight I'll fluff in bed, that always makes her laugh, too!! I always look down at my tail like a squirrel(yum!) is going to jump out!!
Tonight she made me new food from Honest Kitchen, and she put oil in it and yummy!! Daddy and the boy are being really nice to me for some reason, I can't quite put my finger on it, but I sure do enjoy it!! Even Daddy's friend Armando came over today and let me jump on him!
Mommy and him keep trading a big bucket; mommy puts homemade cinnamon cookies and daddy gives it to Armando, and them Armando brings it back with some really awesome smelling stuff you put into tortillas, they never let me taste it, but it sure smells good!! Tomorrow mommy will be baking cookies!! Sometimes she drops stuff!! I will make sure I get in the kitchen first so I can lay right in front of her!!
Mommy washed the "truck blankets" today, I bet we're going up north this weekend!! I'm gonna be a happy dog!! I hope there is some water in the pond so I can go swimming!! Mommy says I have to get off teh computer now because I lay on the wood floor and she wants me on something softer, she always has to be right next to me, too, you now how those humans are!!

My day at University of Minnesota

Hey, diary, I know I haven't been on for awhile, but I have been having some issues with my legs not working right. My mommy took me to 3 different veterinarians and each one treated me for a different thing. My mommy has been a wreck so our new Dr. sent us to the U of M for a consultation. On Friday morning we got in the car and drove to the cities and went to a REALLY big animal hospital. I was so excited I didn't even limp, actually I drug mommy around like a sled dog!!
They put us in a room and we met a Dr. Zach who pulled my legs and touched my body all over with a little hammer-thingy, and then another Dr came in a did the same and then they took me with to see yet another Dr. We walked up and down the hall and then they brought me back to mommy and said a few things like possible Osteoarthritis, mildly dysplastic(mommy helped me with the spelling). I could see mommys fae got really weird so I laid down on her feet and tried to make her feel better.
Then they took me to another part of the hospital called Radiology. I got to sit on the couch with mommy!!!HaHA!!I always get to do stuff like that when she has that funny face on!!!
A really nice man took me to another room and they gave me a shot and the next thing I knew I was back at the couch with mommy. I heard them tell her they took fluid samples from my joints(thats why my knees hurt so bad) and they did more xrays.(I have already had xrays taken from my head down my spine to my tail!!) They showed mommy the xrays on the computer and told her they were going to run a lot more tests and show ALL they xrays to a really famous Dr who does shoulder and elbow replacements(he invented it). Mommys funny face brightened a bit.I was too weird feeling to care much, though.
We stopped and got me more Rimadyl and mommy paid for everything, saying somethng about she could be making payments on a bmw??Whatever that is?
We walked to the car and that is all I remember till we got home. Daddy came out and carried me into the house and I fell asleep on the couch and didn't wake up until morning!
Now my mommy walks around smiling because she says they are going to finally figure out why I hurt so much when I walk and she can fix me now. She promised. Well, so much for the BMW!! I think she likes me better anyway...
I'll get back to ya soon, diary!!!

August 12, 2008

Whew! I've been a busy boy for the last week!! Mom and Dad took me and Jack to a family party on a lake this weekend and I rode in a pontoon boat!! It was like the best thing ever!! Like being in a car with my head out the window but on my favorite thing, WATER!!! I got to swim and even Jack jumped in the lake and swam for the first time.Mom and Dad and everyone laughed so hard at him because he's just a baby and he swims funny, but the little guy did it!!
It was so cool, everyone petted me and there were little people there that drop lots of food on the ground!! The little boys let me play with their rc boats, and I went frog hunting with them and my mom.She's an expert frog hunter; she said when she was a little girl her dad paid her for frogs to use for fishing. I think they are gross!! I sure didn't like the taste of them, and they jump fast! Ick!! But my mom had fun so I pretended to enjoy myself.
There was one lady who didn't like me wagging my wet tail around her so I pretty much ran right to her every time I came out of the lake. Sometimes I can be so mean.But my leg was hurting a bit and I didn't want to be the only uncomfortable one there. Mom gave me my Rimadyl and I took a nap.
That helped a lot. Then there were fireworks, which scare me a bit; but I just glued myself to mommys leg and that helped.
Me and Jack slept all the way home, like 2 hours, and we went right to bed when we got home.
Panda couldn't go because she fights with other dogs and there were 2 other dogs there .I'm sure she enjoyed the peace and quiet at home with the cats.She's been pretty crabby since Jack came to live here. Mommy says it's because she was old and she grew up with 2 older dogs but they are gone now.To heaven; and mommy says Panda misses them and isn't good at making new friends. She really hated me at first but now she hangs out with me. Mommy says it's because I am such a good boy that Panda doesn't worry about me stepping on her anymore because she sees how careful I am now. The bigger I get the more I look out for her.She 's pretty cool once you get to know her.She and I gang up on Jack now. When I'm done chasing him Panda takes over.Like a tag team. We keep him moving as much as possible so he stays out of mommys hair.Mommy is so tired since Jack came. She told her friend it's like having a new baby.She always says I was so easy and smart so she thought it would be easy with him, too. But he's a bit more wild than me.
He had to go to the Dr today for his shots and his microchip.Mommy says the microchip helps us come home if we get lost. She told me she had a dog missing once for 3 years and got it back because of the chip.It was 100 miles away from where she lost her.
I have been walking more, which is nice, and I got to play with Gracie.I missed her so much!!She is so beautiful and so fun!!SHe looks like a tiger with her stripes; mom says shes a boxer.I think she's so awesome!
The rest of the week is going to be boring, but we get to take jack up to the cabin this weekend!!! I am so excited!! Jack is going to have sooo much fun!! We have 2 lakes and a stream to play in and lots and lots of woods!! I got to play with a porcupine last time I was up there!!!We haven't been since Jack came because mommy said he was too young and couldn't go till he came to his name. He does that really good now, so we get to go!! I always have soo much fun! And we always stop and get yummy food that mommy says is really bad for us; but it's a special treat to go up north and the food comes out of a window!!!
We're also going to go visit Jacks sister Darcy at her new home; mommys friend. Oh yeah, 2 of them!!Eww......

August 4,2008

Today is day 5 of medicine for my Lymes. Mommy was hysterical trying to get a Dr. to give me a test, but no one would, until she found Dr. Becky, who hugged me a lot and gave mommy doxycycline to give me.I lOVE taking pills!! Mommy wraps them in cheese and thinks I don't know; but as soon as I hear the cheese wrapper come off, I KNOW I get my pills. Pand and Jack get cheese, too, which is not really fair, but someday they'll have to take pills and I'll get extra cheese. Dr Becky makes me take 8 pills a day-that amounts to a LOT of cheese!!
Back to the pills, I FEEL SOOO GOOD! I can run again! I can go out and play in the yard and my leg doesn't hurt anymore. Mommy and Daddy take all of us for longer walks now. Pretty soon I'll be able to go back to the wetlands and run and swim like before my leg started hurting.
Harvick had to go to the Dr today because he had accidents on Chris' bed so he has to take pills, too. I watched mommy give him his pills, poor Harvick didn't get any cheese! Mommy just opened his mouth and threw it in! Poor cats, they never get to have any fun! Of the 2 cats I like Harvick the best, he doesn't hiss and stick his claws in me like Kittie does.She's mean.But mommy likes her because she "had a rough life" before coming here; so mommy gives her special attention, which I don't like.I like ALL mommys attention on me!
Me and Jack played around a lot today, the boy Chris wrapped me in a blanket and laughed at me while Jack bounced around barking. I love it that Chris plays with me sometimes, I always try the tail-wag to get his attention, and rub up to him, but he always says"go lay down".Mommy says he's just a crabby teenager. He's Harvicks boy, and Harvick loves him.
Today I played and at noon mommy made me,J Jack, and Panda the yummy stuff from the can! She made us chicken and broccolli for dinner, Jack tried stealing some from me but I growl at him so he stays away. Jack is such a pest sometimes. Also he gets me in trouble whenever he cries and I'm around him. Just 'cause I'm so big everyone forgets that I'm a puppy, too.
Max came over to my yard to play today, he's what mommy calls a "rescue". He's my best friend on the block. He jumps in my pool but won't lay down, I think he's having a hard time adjusting to relaxation and fun. He tells me his old home was not so nice. They cut his tail off with a door or something. Max is sooo sweet, I can't believe anyone would hurt him!! I will always protect him. He has a really cool fish pond in his yard and sometimes he lets me play in it!!
Mommy won't let me play "rough" because of my hurt leg; but she lets Max come over because he's calmer. She has kept me away from my girlfriend Gracie for 3 weeks!! Every time I look out the window I see Gracie sitting in her yard staring over here; I hope she knows I miss her as much as she misses me; but Mommy says me and Gracie play too hard. She's gonna let me go over to Gracie's Wednesday, when I've been on my meds a week. I'm so excited!! Gracie has the coolest toys, and her mommy and daddy let me walk right in their house anytime I want.
Well, today was pretty dull, mommy says it's a "gray" day. She wasn't very fun today, just was on the phone and typing stuff. She has to plan daddy's golf trip for next year; I love it when daddy goes on vacation because me and mommy get to go do really fun stuff!! Mommy has maps of all the state parks and takes me to a new one every month. She's taking me up north to go camping next month; I hope Jack and Panda don't go too.
I'm gonna sign off now, I smell BBQ Ribs cooking, gotta get "THE LOOK" going!!!!