Hey pooches and people: They have a new super-duper laser treatment at Holistic Vet in Oakland where I get my back surgery rehab. The laser is so strong, I have to wear special eye protection, and so do the people! It’s the best spa treatment ever, especially after a hard workout.
Today my family added a new aspect to my rehab regimen…slipper aromatherapy. I highly recommend it. I find it extremely relaxing; it puts me right into the healing zone. When I want an even stronger dose, I can insert my entire snout into the slipper.
Maybe once I recover, I’ll come up with a line of aromatherapy for dogs…I can think of a few more things I’d like to smell. But for now, slippers will do.
Woof. And Wag.
Pooches, over the past month, having experienced a serious back injury, rear leg paralysis, and surgery, I’ve needed some inspiration.
Luckily that very thing appeared on my Facebook feed. The post had actually been sent to a friend of mine, but for some reason there it was…a video of Chance, a survivor dog, disabled AND living life to the fullest. His video helped me see that I’ll be able to live a full, interesting, doggy life again, even if things are different. If you’re an e-mail reader, click into the blog so you can watch the video. It will definitely make your day.
Pooches and People,
You may have noticed I haven’t been barking into the dogosphere for a while. I’d rate this month four paws down and a tail between the legs.
This is the scoop: I herniated a disc in my back, which compressed my spinal cord and my two back legs became paralyzed. I like to think of myself as sporty spice, so you can imagine how shocked I was when I just keeled over and couldn’t stand.
Since you’ve heard from me last, I had spine surgery. I was in the hospital for a week…then I came home to three weeks of strict rest with no movement except for “stand therapy.” I was put in a stand, and tried to hold it. At first it was really hard because I couldn’t feel my rear left leg and my right was weak, too. But gradually I was able to hold myself in place.
Luckily, I had my own therapy dog during this time. My friend, Ruby, would come over to the house, pee on my grass to get me interested, come in and kiss me, and she even let me smell her back side (oh, my God, it was heaven). Once I could chew my bone again, she even came over and chewed a bone right by my bed.
Then, early this week, I went back to the surgeon and he said I could try to walk around on carpet a few times each day.
But the most awesome day so far was on Thursday when I went to Holistic Veterinary Care to meet my Rehab Vet and start rehab therapy.
Dr. Whitlock spent 1-1/2 hours with me, checking out my status, teaching my mom how to do physical therapy with me at home, and I even got to do a few activities. I was so relieved to do something interesting! I’ve already felt a lot of improvement in my rear legs since Thursday. It’s amazing. And next week, I start on the underwater treadmill.
My goal, pooches, is to be fully mobile again soon. Visualize me running through the fields.
Wow and woof, that’s all the news I have to bark about. It’s been challenging for a busy fur lady like me to be on bed rest. But going through this really makes me appreciate love and friends, and the simple things in life.