This past week and a half has been a complete roller coaster of emotion…it’s only been ten days, but it feels like it’s been three weeks! I won’t say it’s been the longest 10 days of my life (that would be too dramatic -and I AM trying to keep things in perspective here).
So, before anyone jumps to any conclusions:
– No, I am not sick or dying.
– Gratefully, I still have my family (and friends).
-To the best of my knowledge, none of my family or friends are sick or dying.
-I have not fallen victim of a natural disaster (or zombie apocalypse). Whew!
This post is almost exclusively about my dog, Sarah. She’s been a great companion and furbaby for almost nine years (my longest roommate aside from my brother and my longest “love relationship” to date – ha).
Last Thursday, Sarah fell on my hardwood floors (trying to turn quickly when she heard the crinkle of the treat bag, go figure). She hit the floor pretty hard but got up and acted like normal, so I didn’t think much of it. Later that day, she was limping a little. The vet thought she might have pulled a muscle, so we got some meds and went home to rest. On Friday, she started walking “drunk” with her back legs (it’s called cross-walking). and after another visit, my vet recommended an emergency meeting with a neurologist in Dallas.
Monday morning, we visited with the neurologist at the Center for Veterinary Specialist Care and they had an MRI done. The results came back and were NOT what I was expecting! Instead of a pinched nerve or slipped disc, it was a tumor. A spinal tumor, attached to her back left leg nerve socket. Apparently, the fall had caused the tumor to bleed, creating more pressure on her spinal cord (hence the trouble walking).
On Wednesday, Sarah had surgery to remove the spinal tumor. Here’s a pic of her the morning of. 
She nuzzled up to me and caught a few zzz’s while waiting in her crate… After a 6 hr surgery, I got an update that they were able to remove a lot of the tumor, but not all (because it was so attached to nerves). That means that Sarah will have to start radiation in a few weeks. The surgeon also had to cut a nerve to remove as much of the tumor as she did, so Sarah will have limited use of her back left leg for awhile. Hopefully the nerves around it will re-route and take over for the snipped one in time. Until then, my big girl has got a long recovery ahead. Lots of rest (and plenty of help from me to move around).
Right now, I’m just waiting for her to be released from the pet hospital (hopefully tomorrow), but until I have the green light to take her home, it’s kind of a waiting game…
Do I know how crazy it sounds to go to such great lengths to keep a dog? Yes. But she’s one of the two “kids” I’ve got, and I just wouldn’t feel right about not doing anything I can. Thankfully, I have a very generous, selfless, and supportive family who has offered to help in numerous ways – I’m pretty blessed that they’re pet lovers too, so they understand.
If you’re into praying for pups, I would love to have prayers for her recovery. So many of my Instagram have already been so encouraging, and I can’t express how much that means to me. (If you don’t follow me already, my handle is @kandim)
I have called sweet Sarah a lot of things over the years: #fatgirl #sarahbear #babyface #mama… But I’d like to add two more: #fighter and #survivor. She’s been a real trooper, and I have faith that God is taking care of her, even through these crazy 10 days and in the months ahead.
P.S. – If you ARE the praying kind (especially for doggie things), I’m sure my family would appreciate a few extra prayers. In the midst of all this craziness with Sarah (between her diagnosis and surgery), we had to put to sleep my parents’ dog, Dirk, who had been fighting cancer for about 10 months. We love our pets like family, so it’s been a pretty tough week all around.
I’ll probably continue posting on Sarah’s progress, so if you’re interested, check back! Thanks everyone!
{photo left: Sarah, post-surgery, and VERY excited that I came to see her}
