Post-Surgery Puppy

Jul 11, 2012 by Lauren

Thank you for all your kind thoughts, prayers and well-wishes regarding Bella’s second ACL surgery.  It’s been a really stressful time for all of us.  This injury and subsequent surgery could not have happened at a worse/more busy time for our family and it’s been pretty tough on everyone.

 

As a small thank you, here are some pictures of the “Queen B”

 

 

 

I left this photo at almost full-size so that you could see the nice camouflage bedding.  Just kidding.  I left it large so you could all see what’s wrong with this picture.

 

Notice the neon yellow leg bandage? Can you read what is printed all over it?  “No Chew.”   They do know that dogs can’t read, right?

 

In the words of Bill Engvall, “here’s your sign.”

 

 

One last picture, just because I think it’s interesting…

 

So they had to shave her leg, obviously, for the surgery…but if you look at the right side of the picture you can really see how thick that fur actually is.  Holy hell!  No wonder she’s been shedding non-stop!  I was completely amazed by that!

 

One last thing before I forget…MANY MANY MANY thanks to Dr. Joel Jess and the staff at Pekin Veterinary Clinic for all their work with Bella (and with us).  They are our favorite people we wish we didn’t have to see. 😉  Seriously though, they are all amazing and friendly, not to mention provide wonderful care for our 4-legged baby.  🙂  We love them!

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We’re Baaaaaaaaaack!

Jul 3, 2012 by Lauren

Vacation is over, soooooo…get ready for some new blog posts, people!  Woot woot!

 

I have a vacation post coming up in the next few days but in the meantime…it’s possible that I’m losing my mind.

 

WTF was I thinking going on a week-long vacation (which, BTW once it hits 108 degrees, it is no longer a vacation.) 2 weeks before hosting a stupidly huge birthday party for G$ at our house?  Did I not learn my lesson after the housewarming party?  Apparently not.  Stupid, stupid, stupid.

 

So, of course, I come home and unload the Snobmobile of all our life’s possessions…only to realize that I have now made a huge mess, which is one more thing to clean up before the birthday bash.  Stupid, stupid, stupid.

 

I need to learn to better manage my stress levels.  Starting with not booking something EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND of the summer.  Literally.  This is our schedule from June-August

Sunnen Lake for a week

Graham’s party at home

Niece’s birthday party in Chicago

Cousin’s wedding in STL/Cards vs. Cubs game

AGR Reunion in Springfield

Cards game in STL

I go to Myrtle Beach, then come home and Adam goes to Canada for a week

 

I hate to sound spoiled or whiney, especially since all of these are FUN trips/events.  But, it’s a lot.  There’s no down time.  Our neighbor has a pool and we’ve been twice.  I doubt we’ll make it two more times this summer.  Where has the time gone?

 

Before you start thinking I really am complaining about nothing, the morning after we came home from Sunnen Lake, Bella came home from the kennel and was thrilled to be back…so thrilled that she jumped off the porch and blew out the ACL on her “good”  leg.  Surgery is next Tuesday.  Due to our ridiculous schedule, the vet had a hell of a time even getting us on the books.  But when your dog can’t walk…things have to be done quickly.  So now I have two babies, neither of whom walk very well, a party in 5 days for which virtually none of the important work is done, and I’m sitting here writing a blog post…stupid, stupid, stupid.

 

P.S. If you miss the more upbeat posts, Lake pictures are coming soon!

 

 

 

 

 

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Life’s a Menace: Part Two

Mar 20, 2012 by Lauren

So where we left off, Bella’s surgery was over and she was extra pathetic, even in her inflatable collar/cone.

 

Of course, the very same week that Bella came home, G$ decided it was time to start crawling.  Of course we were excited, it just wasn’t the best timing.  Go figure, one finally starts to sleep, one starts waking up, one finally can’t move so much, the other decides it’s time to start moving more.  I sat there watching him crawl for the first time thinking oh my gosh, he’s so smart (not biased at all of course), look at him go…and sure enough he faceplanted into a toy truck and shit his pants.  Welcome to my life. 🙂

 

Mid-week I was scheduled to have a Mary Kay party at my house for my mom.  About 2:30 that day, I realized I’d been so busy prepping for the party that I hadn’t eaten lunch.  Bella had been so clingy since her surgery that I was nervous to leave her, but Subway is only 10 miles away.  For whatever reason, going straight to Subway and back got G$ off his schedule and into total meltdown mode, and nothing would get him to go to sleep.  As I was rocking him to try to calm him down, I noticed that there was a little blood on Bella’s leg.  Sure enough, in the 20 minutes that we were gone, she pulled out four of her staples.  Greaaaaaaaaaaaat.

 

I couldn’t take her to the vet because the party was starting in a few hours, so I had to call Adam out of work to take her in himself.  He was not pleased, to put it mildly, but he did it.  Two and a half hours later, they were back with new staples and a couple extra ones.  In the midst of all the chaos, I didn’t have enough food, my babysitter had to leave because her friend was in the ICU, Mom was running late, it was a nightmare.  We managed to have the party without any more accidents or injuries, so that was a good thing.

 

Last, but not least, we were a day away from Bella’s staples coming out and her cone coming off…and she saw a rabbit in the yard.  It was like she’d been shot out of a cannon.  I haven’t seen that dog move that fast in years, literally, YEARS.  I was so amazed that I just stood there watching her for a second, thinking how great a job the vet did on her surgery and then it hit me…surgery…SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!!!!!!!  I don’t know what we would’ve done if her internal stitches would’ve ruptured and we’d had to go through the surgery AGAIN.  Adam probably would’ve killed us both.  Luckily, the vet said she is fine and is doing great in her therapy.

 

Now that Bella’s saga is (hopefully) over,  I can start blogging about the other project (as if I need another one) I’ve been working on…renovating our rental house.  Project is an understatement…

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