Week 1

We had intended to post progress more often, but it has been a whirlwind or roller coaster so far. Here is our summary of Aspen’s first week:

Thursday

According to the surgeon, the operation itself was very uneventful. When they checked in with us late in the day, Aspen was alert and even up for a little snack or two.

Friday

Aspen spent the day at the hospital. Since we would be picking her up on a Saturday, we stopped by in the afternoon to go over discharge instructions and other information with the surgeon before she left for the weekend.

We did see Aspen as well, and were thrilled when she got on her feet – with no problem – the instant she saw us! She was at least as happy to see us as we were to see her, but thankfully, she was still sedated enough that leaving wasn’t too hard. By the time we said our goodbyes, she was already snoring.

Saturday

Homecoming day. Everything had gone smoothly so far, and we felt confident that we had done the best prep work in human-canine history. We were about to be humbled!

• We picked Aspen up in a car with a low entry to make it easy for her to get in. That it also had a very low roof did not occur to us until she got in the car and bumped her head.
• The network of yoga mats we had set up throughout the house turned out not to be very clever, and had little in common with where she actually needed mats…
• Whenever we tried to get her outside, she was so disoriented she couldn’t even make it halfway. The six steps she needed to go down to get to the front yard seemed absolutely impossible.
• In the evening, she started panting and went on doing so no matter what we tried. In the end, we were so frazzled that we called the hospital to ask them what we should do. Thankfully, they talked us off the ledge and told us to hold on and be patient.

Sunday

Suddenly, everything turned around. That morning, Aspen simply decided she had to go outside. With minimal help, she went down the steps into the front yard and both peed and pooped. We’d read on Tripawds what a big moment this was to people, but it wasn’t until then that we really understood. She made two more trips outside that day, and there was light at the end of the tunnel.

Monday

After sleeping through the night, Aspen had a day close to the same as her pre-three-leggedness. Regular meals, several trips outside, often begging for treats, and boredom when we didn’t pay enough attention to her. Sure, there were no walks or trips to the dog park, but we’d take this anytime.

Tuesday

While there was hardly any swelling left around the incision, Aspen still enjoyed ice packs or resting on the front porch in the fresh air. She’s always preferred cold to heat, and trying to put a hot compress on her wound was not popular at all.

Wednesday

Completing the first weekly cycle after the operation, we know how lucky we are that Aspen is so resilient. She’s handled this a hundred times better than we have, and the change from our lowest low this past Saturday has been amazing.

We know there will be tough times ahead, but Aspen has been an inspiration and such a trooper. Giving up is clearly not an option to her, so it won’t be for us either