I'm a hero!

On Friday, Baasje and I had to stop at a stoplight on our way to the hospital.
All of a sudden there was this guy knocking on the window, claiming he’s bought the car and that baasje needs to get out. Baasje told him to get lost and that it’s our car.
At the next stoplight, that weirdo was there again and suddenly he just opened the door!! He probably wanted to steal the car but not with me!! I gave him my meanest growl, that gave baasje the chance, to pull the door close and lock them.

We then went to the hospital and as soon as we were back home, baasje drove to the police to report it. They assured him that the car is really ours and that nothing illegal was going on. One never knows. The police also said that they probably wanted to steal the car. Baasje and vrouwtje now say, that I’m a hero because I scared that guy away :D

Saturday I had to go to the vet as well but Sunday I had the day off. It was nice not getting injections. I even didn’t need to take the painkillers anymore! Now I “only” take the antibiotics and that stuff, that calms me down. I’m also taking fish oil every day, and I will have to for the rest of my life. But it doesn’t taste so bad so that’s alright.

I’m doing much better now. When I’m not drugged, I can actually run around – often on three legs. Vrouwtje then always tells me, that I can’t run a marathon just yet. I even figured out, how to jump up and down the bed and couch without problems! Vrouwtje and baasje always want me to be careful, though.

Baasje goes outside with me now more than once. But he has to carry me down and up the stairs and we never stay longer than 5 minutes. I also have to stay on the leash so when I see my friends, I can’t just run off.

Sometimes I play with my toys or have pillow fights with vrouwtje. But not so often, and never really for long because I’m not yet up to my old self and sometimes even get sad, if I can’t play the way I want to. As you know, I have a lot of energy but right now I don’t really have any way to get rid of it. I even broke my favorite ball, tore it in little pieces.
Normally I throw it in the air, catch it and run around the room with it like a maniac. But I can’t do that now, which is very frustrating. Luckily, baasje and vrouwtje understand that. I think vrouwtje even want to see, if she can find another ball just like it.

On Monday the vet tried to clean my wounds without sedating me. But it didn’t work, it still hurts too much so that I really didn’t want them to be anywhere near. So now we need to go this week every day as well to the vet. I like going there but I never like how I feel, when I come back home. But the infections are much better so hopefully by the end of the week they’ll be fully healed so that on Saturday the vet can tell us, I don’t have to go every day anymore.

Getting my wounds cleaned at the vet.

One place on my leg that is infected. It used to look much worse.

The trips to the vet every day have one advantage:
I’m not afraid to drive in a car anymore and now even get in immediately (whereas just two weeks ago, I turned around and ran home, as soon as I saw we’re going to the car.)

The week so far

On Monday that balloon with fluid on my leg was so painful, I didn’t want anyone to touch me. I also have several infections on my legs, where the metal had rubbed the flesh open. My owners were worried, so Baasje decided to stay home and go to the vet with me asap.

When the vet wanted to clean everything, it took 4 people yet they still couldn’t hold me down. In the end the vet had no other choice but to give me an injection, which knocked me out. He and his assistant then started to clean the metal and the wounds. Sometimes I still felt it, so you can image how painful it was when I was fully conscious!

Baasje and vrouwtje stayed with me the whole time. At some point vrouwtje started to feel nauseous because she hated seeing me in so much pain. It took about an hour to clean everything. The vet said that this could have been avoided, if the clinic would have bandaged my leg from the beginning on. But as they didn’t, I know have to see the vet every day. This means I’m getting at least two injections every day – one to knock me out and one to wake me up again. I also have to take antibiotics, on top of all the other medication I already have to take. But at least I come back home every day with my leg properly bandaged, and it's a different color every day!
Baasje had to speak to his boss because he needs to leave work earlier every day for the appointments. That’s really not good but luckily his boss said he can make up the hours later. But of course that can’t go on for too long.
The visits to the vet every day also mean that baasje and vrouwtje have to pay a whole lot more then they would have needed to. Without the infection they would have been able to adjust and stretch my leg every day. But because it hurts me too much, they cannot do so.

Baasje called the clinic as he thinks they need to take responsibility for those unnecessary extra costs. They proposed to take care of me for 10 days, free of charge. Vrouwtje and baasje don’t feel good about that. They don’t wanna be without me for so long and they also don’t trust the clinic enough. Vrouwtje thinks they didn’t give me enough to eat because I was so hungry when I was back home. I was also not washed after the surgery. They keep wondering how they would get me back after 10 days, if the clinic already failed to take proper care of me the first time.
So now baasje wants to try to speak to the doctor there again, and maybe propose to provide the medication I will need the coming months, free of charge. I wonder if the clinic will do that.

I’m starting more and more, to get the hang out of living with that thing on my leg. I know can even sit on my butt. I’m also managing to jump on the bed! First time I did that, it scared the hell out of vrouwtje…

Yesterday I made baasje and vrouwtje very happy.
Vrouwtje played with me with a little paper airplane, that baasje had made for her the day before. After it had crashed into my water bowl and was too wet to still fly, she asked baasje, if he could make a new one. He made a big one and when vrouwtje had it fly towards me, I grabbed it and started biting the nose off. My owners were very surprised because I had not shown any interest in such things since my surgery.

They then gave me my squeaky toys and I started playing with it. Vrouwtje was so happy about that, she was jumping up and down on the sofa! So I kept “entertaining” them for a while. I wonder how long it will take until all the squeaking starts getting on their nerves. ;)

This morning vrouwtje forgot to close the living room door, when she left for work. So I killed time today by going through the garbage bag. But my owners didn’t get mad about it. They take it at another sign that I’m feeling better and they hope, I will continue to improve.

Update

My first night at home was tough. I woke up every 4-5 hours because of the pain. Then I got painkillers and was able to sleep again for a few hours.

At 3:30am Baasje helped me into the bed, so I could sleep next to vrouwtje. But because I layed on baasjes side, he had no room anymore so he went to sleep on the sofa. At six I was awake again - it was a short night for all of us.

I slept a lot throughout the day, very likely because of the medications I have to take. Baasje and vrouwtje also let me be without the fennel, as long as they are around and can make sure, I won't lick or bit by leg. But they say that it will have to be put back on whenever they are not there.

Later on Saturday Baasje and vrouwtje took me outside. I was so excited!! I kept pulling on the leash because I couldn't wait to get to the park. But baasje put the leash very short and I had to stay on it the whole time. That's not what I'm used to but at least I could do my business outside. After just 5 minutes we went back already as I'm not allowed to run around much.

In the evening vrouwtje washed me a bit. That felt good because I smelled like hospital and was dirty from the surgery still. I can't take a shower for as long as I have that thing on my leg so the next months the washing glove will have to do.

The night from Saturday to Sunday was much better. I was awake during the night but only once. I fell asleep soon again and didn't need painkillers until the morning.

Today I wasn't allowed outside because I need to rest. I have a soft bubble on my leg, just above my heal. Baasje and vrouwtje were worried, so they called the vet. He said it's fluid and normal. As long as it is soft and I don't have a fever, it is ok. Tomorrow I need to go to the vet anyways for the first adjustment so he can check it out.

I was more active today already, walked around in the apartment and even tried to be as active as always. But that doesn't work and my owners always tell me no if I try too much. Sometimes I get restless and don't really know what to with myself. I don't feel good enough to play with my toys yet. As I seem to get frustrated and sad by that, baasje put them away for now. But mainly I still sleep a lot, luckily I have figured out already how to lay or sit the best.

Tomorrow vrouwtje and baasje have to go to work again and I know they are worried about my being alone. But they have moved every furniture against the walls so that I have enough space to walk around without problems.

A tough little guy

Well, yesterday (Thursday, Oct 09th 2008), I've had surgery.

Baasje brought me to the clinic in Antwerpen. The operation took about 5 hours and I had to stay the night. The doctor wanted to call baasje later but because of two emergencies he must have forgotten. Late in the evening vrouwtje spoke to someone else at the clinic and she told her, that I was doing very well, considering that I've just had major surgery. They told her that we now need to hope, that I won't get a fever and get well through the night.

During the surgery they broke my left leg, then put that thing with the screws on. So I basically have several holes in my leg with screws through it. It is so not funny :(

It has to remain there for 60 days, during which I will have to go to the vet several times so he can adjust the screws. After that it will still stay on my leg for another 6 weeks without being adjusted. So I will have to live with it for 3,5 months.

Baasje and vrouwtje had to pay a lot of money for the surgery. My insurance should pay back most of what they had to pay now but there is a limit for each insurance year - and I already reached it :( So baasje and vrouwtje will probably not get anything back for when the screws will be removed again. That sucks but they say I'm worth being in debt and having to hold off any other spendings.

Vrouwtje and baasje missed me terribly, it was too quiet and there was no one who annoyed them, who came cuddling with vrouwtje after baasje had already gotten out of bed. No one who stands next to the bathtube while they take a shower, no Rocco face at the window when they left in the morning.

Later today vrouwtje called the clinic and they told her, that I can go home!! Vrouwtje was so happy, people at her new work must have thought she is crazy! Baasje had a day off so he came to get me. I was so happy to see him, I peed myself!! When we were finally back home, it didnt take long and vrouwtje came home as well. When I heard her, I barked and jump off the sofa! Not really smart, considering that thing on my leg... But I'm in pain and I'm drugged - so I'm not really thinking clearly.

Baasje and vrouwtje take really good care of me. It hurts them to see me in pain but they are also very proud of me for being such a tough, little guy.

It's all a bit difficult. I don't know how to sit or lay because my legs hurt and that thing is always in the way. I also have a sort of funnel around my neck, so that I can't bit my leg. I look weird... and I have to run around with that thing for all those weeks as well! I can't go outside much because walking is difficult, getting down and up to the 2nd floor even more so. So now I'm allowed to pee on the newspaper again, just like when I was younger. It is weird, though and I held it for as long as I could!

I'm very hungry and thirsty. Just this evening I ate 4 times as much as I normally do! I could eat even more but baasje and vrouwtje think it would be too much. But I didn't eat in two days so its no surprise that I'm hungry. Everything is now in the living room because the kitchen is just not big enough for me and my funnel.

Anyone who wants to know more or even wants to visit - write or call baasje and vrouwtje. I just got my last medication for today, so soon I will be all high and sleepy again.

I need surgery :(

Today baasje came home earlier from work and took me to the vet to get my leg checked out. It costs my owners 500 Euro – and for that we didn’t even get good news…

First, they sedated me. Then the doctor took 5 x-rays of my back legs. Once done, they gave me another shot to wake me up again. I had no clue, where I was!!

Then the doctor told baasje, that my left leg is 7 cm shorter then my right leg! That is something very rare, (which might be why half the clinic came to have a look). This explains, why I have so much pain.

So now I will need to go to a clinic in Antwerp (Belgium) to have surgery!! They will put a screw in my leg, which they will use to stretch it over the next coming weeks. The vet said I need to have this surgery soon because otherwise I will get more problems and pain in the future.

When we came home, I was still kinda out of it and walked to vrouwtje with a sad, confused faced. Since I normally jump when I come inside, she knew something was up.
Baasje then told her and she was very sad. She sat next to me on the couch but I was still half knocked out. So I slept until 9 pm, just then I slowly started to feel myself again.

Now baasje and vrouwtje are busy trying to find a way to pay for the surgery. My insurance will pay part of it back, but they won’t pay ahead. Kinda stupid, of you ask me.
My owners really want me to have the surgery as soon as possible because they don’t want me to be in pain any longer.

I think they actually feel guilty because they didn’t see it before but the vet said they couldn’t because I automatically made up for the shortness of one leg with my hips. Not sure how that works but it must be possible, otherwise I think I would have fallen over, right.

At the moment I’m getting pain killers every day. I will also have to take another medication for the rest of my life.

Well, I hope you wish me luck that that surgery won’t be too expensive for baasje and vrouwtje to effort, so that I can get everything over and done with soon!

Here you can see the difference between my legs. Weird, huh...

My left leg should look like my right leg, the one bone should be straight, not bended.