9 Months and Still Going Strong!
Well, today is my birthday, and as I sit here pondering the fact that I’ve made it through another exciting year, I realize that one of the best things that’s happened so far is the fact that I still have my companion Nikki by my side (She’s actually laying at my feet at the moment, but that’s close enough I think) even though the “experts” had told us that there was little chance that would be the case.
![2010-10-22_16-22-52_647[1]](http://nikkitherott.tripawds.com/files/2010/10/20101022_162252_6471.jpg)
Nikki has been doing pretty well, although she is slowing down somewhat on the stairs. She’s pretty much regained all of her old habits, and has even picked up a few new ones.
![2010-10-22_16-36-00_496[1]](http://nikkitherott.tripawds.com/files/2010/10/20101022_163600_4961.jpg)
Now that she’s on 3 legs, she has decided that it is MY job to bend down to her when I get home and present my face so she can lick it. If I don’t do this immediately when I walk in the door, she will follow me and paw at me until I give her my face. This has only started in the last 3 weeks, but it has become a ritual every single time I walk through the door. She’s also taken to sleeping on the floor on my side of the bed as close to the bed as she can get (As opposed to in her very comfortable dog bed) and then making sure that I pet her first thing when I wake up. Basically she’s letting me know that she’s the boss and that I am well trained.
All in all on the medical front we’re still very pleased with her progress. She had her check-up and blood test last week and still no signs of mets or cancer, so we’re extremely thankful for that.
So, another “no news” update, but in this case no news most certainly is the best news!
October 22nd, 2010 at 15:46
No news is good news. Hoppy Birthday Nikki! 🙂
October 22nd, 2010 at 16:34
Happy happy birthday, Nikki!
Isn’t it funny how quickly a one-time quirky behaviour becomes a die-hard ritual!
Hope you had a remarkable day.
Carmen, Catie and Riley
P.S. Every Tripawd needs a well trained pawrent 🙂
October 22nd, 2010 at 16:40
Happy 9 months Nikki. I must say that 9 months is a little long to get your human properly trained- but sounds like you are on the right track now. Keep up the good work!
And on the ‘C’ front- nothing to report is really, really good news.
Karen and the pugapalooza
October 22nd, 2010 at 17:53
no news is great news – congrats on nine months, here’s to many more!! ice cream and cheese for everyone…and nikki make sure someone hand feeds it to you..
gayle & charon
October 25th, 2010 at 11:44
that’s great news to hear. i was given your website by someone on tripaws. my 11 year old rottie was just diagnosed with osteosarcoma. at this point, out options are limited, we either 1, amputate her leg or 2, wait for it to break, and be forced to make a decision i have been dreading for 2 days now. if anyone can help me, i need some direction…do i amputate her leg? she’s in great health and she thinks she’s a young spring chicken. i want her to be pain free and have as much quality of life. she’s my baby girl and i want the best for her. any words of advice would be greatly appreciated.
October 25th, 2010 at 12:01
Hello Nicolek;
Please take a moment and read through Nikki’s story from the beginning. You’ll find a lot of ups and downs, but what you’ll also find is that we were in exactly the same place last year, and while I’m not really a religious person, I THANK GOD that we made the choice to amputate her leg, because she’s still with us, and she’s still my babydog.
People who aren’t dog people don’t really understand what it means to have that special bond with a dog, and not every dog is one you have that bond with, but when you do encounter it, there’s nothing that can or should get in the way of doing what’s right. Many vets will tell you that 11 years old is good for a Rottie, but I have to tell you, if it’s *just* the cancer that is holding her back, you should attack this as agressively as you possibly can.
October 27th, 2010 at 10:32
Wait, was it YOUR birthday Ted, or Nikkis? Hahah, I think it was YOURS and none of these silly humans got it!
I’m so darn smart!
Congratulations to you AND Nikki for a great nine months. We were just thinking about you guys the other day and wondering how you’re all doing. We can’t wait to see you when we come back to Colorado in Spring!
December 9th, 2010 at 22:31
Hi guys! I don’t browse the blogs much, I usually read the forums. However, I do have a blog for my tripawd Ranger, who is a rottie mix. I have Ranger because my rottie/shep mix Sadie had osteosarcoma and had her right front leg amputated back in February. Unfortunately, after chemotherapy to prevent metastasis, she ended up with a tumor in her hind leg and we lost her in October. Ranger got hit by a car and ended up with a foster family in California after his amputation. Because his foster mom started a blog for him on Tripawds.com, I ended up adopting the best dog ever! (OK, that’s just my opinion) Anyway, I think there’s nothing better than being the well trained human of an awesome dog! Check out Ranger’s blog, and I wish you and Nikki, and the rest of the pack the very best.
P.S. I got it all along that it was your birthday, not Nikki’s 🙂