It has been about nine months since this whole thing started. Back in September of 2008, my mom came home from work and noticed that I wasn't feeling well. She was right. My back end was feeling kinda funny and it made me nervous. When I get like that I tend to drool a lot. This is what tipped her off. She thought maybe that I needed a jaunt outside so off we went. Going out and smelling stuff usually calmed me down but not that day. Things went from bad to worse. I went from being able to walk, to walking completely uncoordinated, to tipping over to my right side, to being lame over the course of a day. I was very scared then and so was my family. My mom just cried and cried and my dad just didn't know what to do. I was rushed to my vet and he knew what the problem was. It had something to do with my back and I needed help right away. An appointment was made for me the next with a surgeon. What a nice man and what a kind heart. He said that I had to have an MRI done to figure out what the exact problem was. He said if we didn't act soon, that I was probably going to be completely paralyzed from the hips down. My mom and dad couldn't bear that thought and were desperate. I was scheduled for the MRI that next day. The doc said that while I was knocked out getting my scan done he was going to call my dad to let him know about what the options were. He could even operate if need be by keeping me knocked out. EEk! I was scared.
Well, the morning came and my dad dropped me off at the vet's where they whisked me away. The quicker the better. I didn't like seeing my dad so upset. During the scan, they found the problem. It was my disc. It was ruptured and it was pressing on my spine. This was the problem. The doc called my dad and told him the bad news. It was the worst he had seen. Even worse news. He'd have to perform a hemilaminectomy to correct the problem. This means they clear out the area that was pressing on my spine. My dad couldn't stand to lose his best friend so he opted for the surgery. All went well and I made it through just fine.
Recovery was hard. I absolutely hate hate hate being away from home. It is just the worst thing ever. I cry a lot and my appetite just goes away. I do much better when I have my family around. I had to spend a couple of days at the hospital before they let me leave. I was very uncomfortable. Because of the surgey and the swelling, I was still just a lame as ever. I couldn't deal with it. My vet said that this was going to happen and things would improve over time. He was right. As the days wore on, I found that I could sleep better, eat and drink better, and get up a little bit better. It was really tough on my dad because I needed lots of help getting around at first. As I started to feel more like myself, I was a little bit happier.
It took a couple of months to recover from surgery. Each week was a little bit better than the last. I started to get feeling back. It was a slow process. VERY slow. I went from being completely lame to being able to walk a couple of steps on my own. I am still very weak on my back end. It is hard to support myself when I walk unassisted. I usually just end up sitting until someone helps. This isn't to much a lifestyle change for me. I was always a big fan a resting. I only when out to do my business and to go on my daily walk. After that, I'm all about my bed.
Since I reached a plateau in my recovery, my mom and dad thought that I needed a wheelchair to help me walk again. It is really the best thing ever. They got it from eddieswheels.com. I was scared to get in it at first. I don't like weird things in my house, but I started to get used to it. I couldn't go around the block when I first started in it, now I am running with it on. I even outwalk my buddy Benny and my mom. It's great exercise and I love going everywhere now. It lets me live my doggie rockstar lifestyle again.
This is a really long post so I will end it for the day. Until then, have a great day. Love your furry friends.
Love, Winston
p.s. walk your dog. they will thank you for it.
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