Nikki is Officially a Tripawd!
Wow!
We got the call that we could pick Nikki up around 7:15pm.. We had a pretty intense, but quick snowstorm here this afternoon and the roads were icy, so we had to take it very easy.. I was having a difficult time driving just because all I could think about was getting Nikki home….
Well, we got to Banfield and met with Dr. Pyne. She spent a lot of time explaining to us how the surgery really couldn’t have gone better, and how she was sending the leg out for pathology on the cancer, but that it just looked like everything was caught in time and we should be relieved about that.. Then she started explaining about how no matter how many pictures of 3-legged dogs we looked at, and no matter how many people we’ve talked to about it, when you see your baby come out of the room you’re just not going to be prepared… Well, she was SO right…… I was convinced that we did the wrong thing just as soon as I heard her crying and saw her being carried through the door…… I know that’s the wrong thing to feel, but it’s very hard to look at what we’ve done to her. (yeah, I know, it will all be better soon, and we should remember that we saved her life)
Anyway, here’s a picture of Nikki on the cart ready to get loaded into the Tahoe:
And here she is on the bed in the front room, where we’re going to spend the night:
I suspect it’s going to be a long night, but the great thing about that is now that we’re done with this part, this is just the first night in many, many, many more……
Thanks again for everyone’s comments and messages. They are really appreciated, and while I don’t take the time to respond to each of them, please know that both Mary and I really do appreciate all the support we’ve gotten here.
January 19th, 2010 at 20:56
The next two weeks will probably be hard for all but things do get so much better and soon your Nikkie will be up and running, playing and enjoying her life again. Please don’t feel like you did the wrong thing, she is out of the pain of cancer. Be strong for your girl and just shower her with love, things will improve soon.
Jo Ann & Tasha
January 19th, 2010 at 21:01
Its good to get them home.
Remember the first couple of weeks have been at least bumpy for most of us. Don’t get discouraged- you did the right thing!!!
Once she is over the pain from the surgery she will find herself pain free- and that is wonderful.
Karen and the pug girls
January 19th, 2010 at 21:33
For me the sight of him wasn’t so bad (somehow), maybe because Yoda got to have a big ol’ bandage, yeah that probably was easier than seeing that incision. But the crying (or ‘vocalizing’) was very hard to take. He very rarely ever whined/cried normally and of course the first thing you think is, “Oh no, he’s in pain.” But vets and tripawd pawrents alike assured me that this wasn’t necessarily the case. The meds that are keeping him from being painful are the more likely cause. It certainly seemed to be the case for Yoda, that the meds were making him feel weird, as he did not react when I pressed gently on the incision area, as the orthopedic surgeon showed me. The vocalizing only lasted a couple days after I had him home. Felt like much longer of course, but it does pass.
Hang in there Nikki! Rest up and tell your people/person to rest lots too!!
January 19th, 2010 at 22:31
Just know that the first few days can be pretty rough since they’re heavily sedated to minimize the pain. The first couple of weeks are pretty rough too and it’s easy to 2nd guess your decison on the surgery. But it’s like after the 2 week mark, things turn around dramatically and before you know it, your baby is bouncing back to life as the puppy dog she once was – all pain free. I couldn’t be more thankful that we ended up doing the surgery – after lots of agonizing and painful heartache over the decision. Nikki will do just great – you wait and see!
January 20th, 2010 at 00:12
Lookin’ good there Nikki! We’re glad you’re home and happy to hear everything went well. Best wishes for a speedy, complete recovery.
January 20th, 2010 at 05:35
So glad that Nikki is finally home!!! 🙂 My husband and I were also so devastated when we brought Jake home after surgery. We also thought we were so prepared emotionally for how he would look. He was zonked out from pain meds and anesthesia… and had a pressure bandage wrapped around his chest (front leg tripawd). It made his chest look so tiny… My husband had to carry him into the house from the car… and lied him down on his doggie bed in the TV room. We both sat on the floor next to Jake and cried… Wolfie didn’t leave his brother’s side for the next couple of days. but the very next day, when we took Jake out to go do his peeps and poops, using a sling to help him balance… He seemed so much better, and we felt better about everything… especially when he did his first pee! We just knew things would start getting better from that point on! Of course, later that evening, he did his first poop… and we helped him balance again, while he did it… He thought it was weird at first, but quickly got used to it.
Jake had a great appetite that next day… so that was also another good sign. He got plenty of new toys over the next couple of weeks, and he loved that… After a few days, he figured out how to hold his rawhide bone with his one leg and chew… another good sign! He got tired very quickly after hopping around, but that was to be expected. He was recovering from a big surgery, on lots of pain meds and getting used to balancing on his remaining 3 legs. I was worried about every single thing… but luckily my vet was always there to address my concerns.
Two weeks after his surgery he got his staples removed, and the very next day he was able to go swimming in the pool with Wolfie. He was soooo happy!! He had problems balancing in the pool, so we had a belt around him to help. But soon after, he received a wonderful present from a wonderful Tripawds member (Toto’s Mom)… a brand new K9 float coat, and that helped him balance and swim, and make it easy for us to help in and out of the pool. We have tons of picturs and videos of him swimming on his blog at http://jakesjourney.tripawds.com
I took about 1.5 weeks off from work to stay home with him while he recovered… I hated it when I had to return to work, but was so glad that I was able to spend all that extra time with him.
Be prepared for alot of ups and downs the first 2 weeks, as Nikki (and you) get used to living with 3 legs… Sending you lots of good wishes for Nikki’s speedy recovery!!!
Angel Jake’s Mom
January 20th, 2010 at 07:14
We bet it’s sooo good to have Nikki home! It was hard to see Holly at first – I get very squeemish and was really scared about how she’d look. It amazed me how quickly she adapted (she is also a right rear amp) – dogs are amazing that way! Shower her with love, and she and you will make it through the next few weeks. We’re all here cheering you on!
Holly and Holly’s mom