Thank you Sally.  Unfortunately, i only have 400mg and 300mg capsules of gaba.  I’ve thought about going down to the 400 only but I’m adqraidn rhaqt may be too little.  

So i haven’t done a full update on the past week yet.  

Ophelia had her right front leg amputated on Tuesday.  She received her first treatment of chemotherapy on Wednesday.  Her leg was sent to ELIAS in Kansas City where they will develop a vaccine from the tumor on that leg which will be injected into her in about three weeks.  She will receive one more chemo treatment before then. 

I wish that i could post the video that i took of me picking her up because it has brought people to tears. It certainly does me every time that i watch it.   She comes through the door on three legs while being helped by two vet techs.  As soon as she sees me there is an immediate charge of energy that you see on her demeanor.  She begins to walk faster so that she can get to me and her tail wags. I was so proud of how strong and brave she that she was.  

i saw with her all evening that first night. She didn’t do much but sleep but she would wake up immediately any time that i left her side.  She woke me up at 4 am because she wanted to go outside where it is a bit cooler in the mornings and where she likes to watch squirrels on the trees.  We both fell back asleep on the patio.  The rest of that day was pretty uneventful.  She had a couple of visitors, including my ex wife who still has Ophelia in her care part time.  

I ended up taking her to the ER because she wasn’t peeing.  That’s still an issue because she’s only peed with the assistance of a a bladder relaxant which also knocked her out for almost all of yesterday.  I think that she just isn’t comfortable with the balance that she needs to squat and pee.  I’m really hoping that she figures it out soon and that this doesn’t become a bigger issue. 

Yesterday morning i left her laying in the middle of the yard for about 2 minutes to go get her a bowl of water.  When i came outside, she had gotten herself up and managed to walk to the other side of the yard all on her own. 

Today, which is day three of being home, i decided to let her do a little more without my help.  She’s walked all around the yard, managed to go up two steps on my patio, and even managed to climb into her chair on the patio.  That wiped her out so she’s currently sleeping next to me as i write this. 

Other than relieving herself peeing and the other, things seem to be ahead of where i could have possibly hoped them to be at this point.  Her strength and resilience has been absolutely amazing to me.  

Thank you. Same to you.  I actually had a little more time than i have the past couple of weeks and read through your entire experience.  So gut wrenching and amazing at the same time. 

Thanks again everyone. Yes, that video brings tears to my eyes every time that i watch it. 

jerry - the urinary relaxant is called Prazosin.  I’ve only had to give it to her the one time.  She FINALLY peed in her own about 90 minutes ago.  

The incision is looking good.  No issues. There is some fluid building up but i was warned that this would occur and that it would resolve in a week or so.  

And yes, I’ve tried to be more hands off today. I already mentioned that she walked across the yard, and also navigated a couple of steps on the patio this morning.  This evening she tripped and fell on my kitchen floor.  I think that she got her foot caught under the rug that i put down on my tile. She just out her head down for a few minutes and didn’t want to get back up.  I was able to coax her to try again and she was fine. 

A little later, someone set off a firecracker somewhere in my neighborhood.  Ophelia is terrified of loud booms like that or thunder.  It’s so bad that I’ve actually taken her to Vail the past three years to get her away from the city.  We had plans to do that again this year but obviously that didn’t work out.  Anyway, she jumped up and literally sprinted into the house.  She had to navigate all three steps on my patio to get inside.  She did it so fast that I didn’t even have a chance to get up and try to help her.  So this was pretty impressive.  

Her appetite is not great.  She eats just a little of the food that i make for her.  She will eat a few treats throughout the day, but isn’t all that interested in those either.  Not too worried about this yet.  She has never been a big eater, especially considering she weighs (weighed) 130 lbs.  

now she’s wiped out and sleeping on the couch.  She insisted getting up there into her normal spot where she has a bed.  I’ll make her get down before i go to sleep though.  

I took this video two days before her amputation.  As you can see, she wasn’t really bothered by her right leg where the tumor was.  Seeing her healthy, while a blessing, made it hard for me to accept that she had to have the surgery. 

That cart in these videos was her sister, Lola’s a heeler). Lola had an inoperable herniated disc, a pin in a broken knee cap, and her hip joint surgically removed, so had no use of her back legs for the last 18 months of her life.  She passed away about 15 months ago.  I have reminded people who have asked me if i will be okay taking care of Ophelia with only three legs that Lola only had two.  AND she had a horrible seizure disorder that caused her to have grand mal seizures if she was not medicated properly.  She was in rough shape at the end of her life, but still managed to be happy.  She’s also the reason that i learned the importance of pet health insurance, which i didn’t have until some of her issues had become pre-existing conditions.  Lol.