Good Tidings

Hello everyone...things are going well on our end. The snow has fallen and is great when it's soft, but the wind and rain made it crusty. I keep it shoveled and salted and clyde wants to play in it. The wind made the snow dirty and clyde just always loved to eat it, but i tell him no..and give him ice cubes instead. Molly & Clyde have been wearing their christmas collars with bells on and enjoying the sound that it makes.

Clyde is loving the fireplace and lays as close as he possibly can to it. I snuggled with them the other night, because for some reason he was very whiny. I woke up on one of their beds and they were on the floor, not sure what happened their. I removed the pen on tuesday and hopefully we can get some exercise in the back yard with the new snow that is coming.

I setup clyde's swim therapy for Jan 3rd in lee ma. at fitter critters, and cannot wait to get going on this. I will take pictures and get them up for all to see. I hope this finds everyone Happy,Healthy and ready for christmas.

Love from Clyde, Molly and me

No Rod week

Well things have been good on our end. Clyde has done very well with the removal of the rod, and we look forward to Jan when we can start swim therapy. I talked with Dr. McCarthy and he thought the xray looked good and to give clyde another week and than I can start a little more exercise.

The holes are filling in nicely and I have been letting clyde out of his pen to hang with us in the living room. I also removed his head gear and he was quite estatic about that....yeah mom I sure do love ya for that. He would like to lay outside since our weather has been in the 60's during the day, but i tell him to be patient were almost their.

Dr. McCarthy said he will be a new dog by spring, and I agree. He also said he didn't think he needed to see him again, and that i could take him to Northeast Vet before we start swim therapy. I am thankful for all of you who supported us through this journey and wish you all many blessings.
Love Clyde, Molly & Jo

Giving Thanks

Tuesday started as a good day, until 5 pm when clyde would not put weight on his rod leg. He was not acting himself and seemed to be in a lot of pain. I tried to call deerfield and get him in to see Dr. McCarthy, but no appt. until the following wed. I decided to call another speciality hospital in Latham NY, and they could see me at 2pm on wednesday. My neighbor alysha helped me load him and off we went.

They took Xrays and Dr. Stanclift was so nice she showed me them and went over what she was seeing. Their was progressive healing of the fracture, but the proximal pin was loose. They could not just tighten it, they would have to remove and put in a larger pin. The Dr. said I could leave it until Dr. McCarthy could see him in a week or her suggestion would be to remove the rod. I decided to go with my gut and remove since we were now at 15 weeks. Clyde did great and he is on restriction until the holes close up. That means he is limited to the side lawn for his potty runs, and I had to put up the pen again, and he wears a soft sided head cone.

I am keeping the legs clean and will talk with deerfield monday to make sure they got the new xrays, and proceed with an appointment in about 2 weeks. I felt confident and secure with Dr. stanclift and believe i made the right decision. He is bearing weight on both legs, and that makes me feel good. Hope everyone enjoyed their turkey day! God Bless everyone!

In the Midst of Sadness

We are saddened by the loss of a Dear friend, second mom and one of Clyde's biggest supporters.
Julie Soldato even though she was going through sickness herself, made time to come to his benefit and almost everyday ask me how he was. We will forever hold her in our hearts.

Clyde has been doing great, no more meds as of sunday night, YEAH! We take walks around the back yard and he loves to go out on the side facing the school and just lay or bark at the kids. I'm back he says to them all, can't get rid of me. I ran into some of the teachers asking how he was doing, they missed him greating them every morning. He is loving having the freedom of the downstairs part of the house. He loves to lay on the mat in the bathroom when I take a shower, and I am so happy he wants to do that.

Hunting season is on and we always have a group at 5:30 am in the kitchen having coffee or breakfast, and their is clyde right their in the mix. He loves having company. His pads and skin are all looking good again. I have been giving Molly & Clyde apple slices no seeds, and carrots for snacks and they just love it. I bought some real marrow bones from pretty paws and boy oh boy did that go over great. Thanks kath!

Clyde will be going back to pittsfield for an xray on the 19th of Dec, possibly sooner and then we can determine if the rod can be removed for good. This will be the best Christmas ever! But for now we want to wish everyone many blessings on this thanksgiving season.

God Bless! Clyde, Jo & Molly

Sunshine Does a Body Good

Well Clyde has been enjoying the sunny weather we have had with a little sun bathing. He has full access of the downstairs and just loves being out of his pen. Clyde has done very well when I take him outback to get a little more walking in. Clyde is still on his antiobiotic, but removed him from the pain medicine on sunday afternoon. I started Clyde on Nupro which has Glucosamine and Vitamins and Calcium supplement all in one. He seems to like the gravy taste and I add a little low fat yogurt and he loves it.

I bought molly a squacking duck since Clyde has his bear and oh was that fun to watch. If you guessed it, I went and bought 2 more ducks, and I am usually sewing one. Clyde is so gentle with his toys and Molly rips them apart. This has been great to watch, and he does not overdue it.

Tears came to my eyes the other day when i went to take a shower and as Clyde always did every morning, lay on the bathroom rug. He hasn't wanted to do that for 3 months, so yes it is the little things that bring me joy. Well we have 5 more weeks and maybe we won't need all of them, and we will be able to remove the rod. Everyday I see him getting better and know we are moving closer to our Goal.

God Bless... from Clyde, Jo and molly.

Not what we had Planned

Well today was the day Clyde was to go to deerfield since wednesday's appt got moved. My sister in law bonnie helped me load clyde around 8 am for the 1 1/2 hr drive. Clyde was good, slept some and when we got their he was glad to get out and releave himself. He was so proud walking into the vets office, where we laid on the rug and waited for the Dr. to see us. We had a good talk with Dr. McCarthy and he seemed to think they would remove the rod and than do the hernia surgery which they had forgot about all while he was under.

Bonnie and I left Clyde and started back home, did some grocery shopping and returned to our original starting place. We were not their long, bonnie helped bring in the groceries and than said to call her if I get any news. It wasn't long and the phone rang and Dr. McCarthy was telling me Clyde was not ready for the rod to be removed, probably about 4 more weeks, but the good news was he couldn't find the hernia and maybe when they previously had pushed it back up scare tissue could be preventing it from showing. He has never heard of a hernia healing itself, but would not be doing a surgery as of today. He did discuss some other issue's that clyde is dealing with some skin condition and we discussed food and being put back on antibiotics to clear the skin up. Poor Clyde is stressed and his body has been through alot, never before the accident did he have a skin condition. They trimmed his toenails and asked if I wanted to pick him up tonight, i said i would and Bonnie came to meet me and go back. Bonnie arrived and said the weather is not so nice and temperature changing fast, so I decided to go as originally planned fri morning.

We will not be able to start swimming as soon as we would have liked, but we can give him more exercise around the house and yard, but not to overdue it. We will get over this hurdle and when the time is right we will remove the rod. I will now start adding more vitamin and mineral supplements to his food, along with the glucosamine and bone meal. Continue to keep the prayers coming, and remember we can only go forward from here. God Bless! Jo & Clyde

HAPPY DAY

Clyde had a great day today, he hung out with me in the kitchen while I made meatloafs and apple pies. He is such a good boy and just loves being with us all again. He loves to lay by the fireplace, just like he used to do last winter. Today was so beautiful out, he laid on a rug by the side door with the sun shining in on him.

My 83 year old dad actually helped me change clydes bandage the other night, because of all clydes walking it was not looking so hot. Wednesday we head for Deerfield, and yes it has been 12 weeks, cannot believe it. Soon we will be able to start swimming and I can't wait to see how he does. He is such a good boy and molly has done well with clyde coming back into the fold.

I have been sleeping on the couch, as to be fair since both dogs want to get into bed with me, and well clyde is not ready for that yet. When he is really tired he goes back into his pen and spreads out and starts snoring.
For now God Bless to everyone! Love Clyde, Jo and Molly.

So..........Proud

Clyde has had 2 awesome days. It has been amazing to see him get around, and really enjoy being amongst us again. He likes to lay by the wood stove, one of his favorite places. He is doing so well going outside to pee & poop without the help of the strap. He got a special treat the last 2 nights, a T-Bone steak bone, and oh did he enjoy that. Molly is doing great having him back into the family fold, and my dad & I both cried we were so....Happy.

He is very alert, just like he used to be. He has the most handsome look, and his hearing and sniffer is back on target. Today when he went out, he wanted to lay down in the grass, but it was rainy. I follow behind him, but he is doing so well without me. I put some aloe from my plant on his wound areas to help in less scar damage.

We have only 7 days to go and Dr. McCarthy I believe is going to be very happy when Clyde walks by himself into Deerfield vets office. I thank everyone who continues to keep us in your prayers, and Clyde and I send you all our Love.

Great Acts Of Kindness

Well everyone has been busy getting ready for Clyde's benefit, which was on sunday at the Itam Lodge in pittsfield. It was a wonderful day with great food, music played by some high school buddies and desserts galore. The chinese auction was awesome, some beautiful baskets and restaurant gift certificates and oh so much to bid on. Joan and her staff at Itam did a wonderful job. Everyone was enjoying themselves with conversation, 2 lab puppies to give you kisses and keep the kids entertained. For those of you who have never been to the Itam Lodge, it has a spectacular view of pontusac lake, and sunday was sunny & bright and absolutely a beautiful day. Everyone was asking about Clyde and the love that was shown was truly heartwarming.

The 50/50 raffle was over $1000 and 80 percent of the tickets had clydes name on it, and the ticket pulled was a lady who works at OTB in New Lebanon, and my dad sold her the ticket. The funny thing is her daughter who graduated high school this yr, won the scholarship that is in my moms name. How weird is that? Tammy was very surprised and happy when my dad presented her the money.

Today was a great day for Clyde, he went outside without the help of the strap and he did great. He is loving to come into the living room and be close to my dad and molly. Alisha came over and we changed his bandage, and he had a chance to lick his toes and than really did not want me to put a new bandage back on, can't blame him for that. My sister and brother in law randy left at 4:30 am to drive back to colorado. My sis came with a horse for my cousin and a 1/2 beef and 2 lab puppies. One was sold after one of the workers at the restaurant fell in love with the yellow male lab, named bullet. He is the minature version of Clyde, when clyde was a puppy.

Again I thank everyone who came, helped, donated. Clyde is a very lucky doggie.
God Bless! love from Clyde, Molly and me

Rooted in Reality

I stop to think back about the Day of the accident, and know Clyde and I would not have come this far without the help of so many people and prayers. I know I would not have made it through this journey, not ordeal without it. Clyde continues to improve everyday and has had an absolute wonderful attitude through it all. I give the praise to the lord and to Clyde who have shown me just what true love can do.

Clyde had a great day today full of energy and playfulness. The one spot on his rod leg which has taken the longest to heal, is finally starting to close up. All I need to do is keep Clyde from licking at it, and opening it up again. Clyde continues to want to walk around the outside of his pen first and then go outside, all without the help of the strap for support. I think tomorrow i will move his pen closer to the living room.

I look forward to sunday and thanking those in person, who came to the event. God Bless everyone who reads this, and thank you from the bottom of Clyde and Mines heart.

Faith Gives Me Strength

Clyde was not too excited about the WD food, but he did get the first bowl down. I started to mix it into his other food, and that seemed to help him want to get it down. He has done very well with putting more weight on his rod leg. Even though he has muscle loss, Clyde has good strength. I do still assist him, but not alot, more for just his comfort. Yes Clyde is spoiled and at almost every wimper I am their for his every need. It might be harder for me to seperate, than it will be for him, but we will see what happens.

We tried on Saturday to change the bandage, but to no Avail Clyde was fussy. Well come to find out that he had to releave himself, so maybe that is why, but i think at this point he is just tired of the leg being wrapped. I am continuing to keep mixing the WD into his other food, until I think the poop looks firm enough.

Sunday we were successful on the bandage change and I even let Clyde have a lick or 2 at his toes, before I cleaned and rewrapped it. Clyde has been eating and starting to get back to a schedule, which will be nice. When we go outside he definately is showing to me he wants to be playful again. I have noticed in the house he wants to come into the living room with us, so he trys to go around the outside of his pen versus heading out the door to go pee. This is week 10 and it is hard to believe how well Clyde is doing in his recovery. He is getting bored and does not want to be left alone for any period of time.

Monday was successful in a solid poop, Yeah! Clyde is very playful and loves attention and if he hears the backdoor open, he immediately gets himself up and looks in that direction and whines until he sees who it is. His sleep has been great, even a snore now and then. My friend Brenda and her husband came by to give us a huge doggie care package and gift certificates to her restaurant to use at the event this sunday for our chinese raffle. They were so awesome to do this for Clyde and Me. All I can say is Blessings, Blessings and more Blessings. Kathleen came by today and we went over some things for sunday. Kathleen is an Angel of God, who's Heart is so Huge, and she is always helping others.

Days Of Rest

Well Clydes tummy is still not right, and his stools are just not what they should be. I called today to see about getting him on something, and they gave me a prescription for Metronidazole. They also suggested i go even blander on the food, and I started him on WD. I also called my Dr. and asked for a stronger prescription to get over this strep and bronchitis that I have. Together we will get better. Clyde has had a great appetite, so at least this is good. I think maybe he was stressed from everything since wednesday's visit and the bandage change and the guys delivering the chair, which Clyde thought he was going somewhere.

We should be doing a bandage change on sunday, since this one needs some help. He has showed me improvement everyday in his ability to get up and move about. Clyde definately is letting everyone on the outside know he is back. He has been gettting good rest too, snoring and getting into that deep sleep that will continue to help him heal. One more bump in the road, but this too shall pass and we will gain momentum for the homestretch.

I look forward to a beautiful weekend and a solid.......

Working On Our Insides

Well today was a better day for both Clyde and me. Clyde's tummy is not acting up and causing him distress as it has in the last few days. I also am beginning to feel like a human again, with strength and energy. Clyde ate and drank well today and around 2:45 had a better #2. I still will keep him on the hamburg & rice or Turkey & rice for a few more days.

I had Alisha come to help with the bandage change around 3:30, which turned out to be a good time since he had just gone outside and releaved himself. His bandage had lots of padding, and as I got into it more realized they had used tape directly on his skin again. As most of us would know not a good thing for Clyde. We had a bit of difficulty keeping him still, and I used a warm wash cloth with soap to help ease the tape off. It took a lot longer to get everything done, but we finally did and he ate and fell asleep. The leg looked good and his sores and drainage tract were gone since we no longer have the splint on. Everyday is a better day and I see improvement in clyde. When we go outside he is acting like his old self again, barking more at the kids at the school or the cars going by, basically letting everyone know he is back. Clyde has been more playful too, almost like feeling his oats to say.

He loves when people come and wants to be petted and show them all how he can stand on his own. I rearranged the space dividing the dining & living room a little so he can see into where we are, and i think he is getting jealous and wants to be with us. Clyde also can see molly when she gets onto the pull out bed and this is something he used to do also. I wish i could let him come closer, but i am afraid he would want to jump up on the bed.

We go back to Deerfield nov 4th and I might have to leave him so they can address his hernia at that time. Well i knew it would be sooner or later, and I know we will get thru that too.
Mike and Sarah came by to see Clyde and to borrow the soft sided cone since their yellow lab just had knee surgery. Things are going well for their dog, and maybe next spring we will all be taking the dogs swimming in the brook. All good things to look forward too in the coming year.

Have a Blessed Day and remember yesterday is gone, and tomorrow is a new day.

My Treasure

Clyde slept okay saturday night, but i on the other hand did not. Clyde has had an appetite even though his tummy has not been good. I continue to give him hamburger & rice which seems to have stopped the bad gas he has had since wed. What sometimes we might think to be impossible turns out to be possible. What i mean by this is that i was not sure i would be able to handle all of this, but with the lord on my side and the help of many you can achieve anything. I continue to stay positive in my journey with Clyde on the road to recovery. My daily prayers to the lord are answered in watching clyde recover. Even though their is muscle loss, clyde continues to pull himself up, which gives me strength. I must not forget to mention molly who now sleeps next to me on the pull out couch downstairs so to be near Clyde. Molly has been a very good girl through all of this, and is very vocal in letting everyone know she deserves attention too. Molly is trained now to bring me her marrow bone, so i can fill with peanut butter. I don't believe we will be doing stairs this year, so i guess i will be the fire tender for the cold nights ahead.

Today Bonnie was to help with bandage change, but Clyde was not having any part of it, come to find out he had to go #2, which he hadn't done since 3:30 pm saturday. Clyde still has some diarhea, so i have not been giving him the bone supplements. We did however get to trim his toenails, which i haven't done for at least a month or more. Clyde usually was so active running, that he wore them down naturally. Clyde ate a good dinner and it is almost 9 pm so I am hoping he will start to rest. I know tomorrow will be a better day for my Brown eyed boy.

Hope everyone has a blessed week!

At Ease

Well we had a few restless nights due to Clydes tummy not feeling so well. I continued to give him yogurt and hamburger & rice to which resulted in calming down that upset tummy. Clyde has done well with getting up and adapting to how the legs are feeling. I think he is doing very well and today we had a poop, Yeah! I finally went to the Dr's myself to find out i had strep and bronchitas, so antibiotics for me now. I can already start to feel the difference. The irritations on his rod leg seem to be healing since they shortened the rod and moved the pin.

Clyde is so good with our routine after potty, he lifts his leg while laying down so mom can clean and dry and put desitin to prevent chaffing. We made an appointment for Nov 4th which will be the 12th week, and they will remove the rest of the rod. Today we will change the bandage on the splint leg which no longer has the splint, but the bandage will give him support still.

We always have at least 3 pack rat sales here at the house, but decided not to do one this Columbus Day. My kindergarden teacher contacted me to donate some items for our sale in the spring to help with Clydes surgery bills. People never cease to amaze me with the generosity being put forth to us. Our spaghetti supper is coming up Oct 25th 12-5 pm and I believe we will have a great turn out. I look forward to the weeks ahead and getting Clyde to the point of swim therapy which will help those muscles get strong again.

Clyde, Molly and I send our love and thanks to everyone....God Bless!

Praise God

Tuesday was a good day for Clyde. Glad that he has been getting good sleep, to prepare for wednesday's doctors appointment. I have my neighbor Alysha helping with Clydes transport to Deerfield for his 8 week checkup. Clydes appointment is at 9:30 Am, so we plan on having him loaded by 8:oo Am. It was a good thing we gave ourselves sometime to get their, due to construction and busy traffic. Clyde as usual when he knows we are going somewhere gets so anxious and we can hardly keep him from jumping into the vehicle. We arrived at 9:40 let Clyde pee and was on time for Dr. McCarthy who came into the waiting room around 10 Am.

Dr. McCarthy took Clyde to prepare him for Xrays, which means they had to sedate him first. They removed all but 2 pins and attached a smaller rod. The rod leg had 5 pins total at the start of the process. Dr. McCarthy also removed the splint, but kept the leg wrapped to still give some support. The rod leg is actually the better of the 2 legs, so they want him to get more flexability on the splint leg, before they remove all parts of the rod. As we knew he would have muscle apathy, but otherwise Dr. McCarthy believes Clyde is doing well at this point. We will go back at week 12, which will be Nov 4th. Due to the sedation medicine Clyde had lots of discomfort all through the night and most of it was spent outside. He is whinning alot which I am sure is the combination of upset stomach and discomfort from now having to use his legs more himself.

Today I made hamburg and rice for Clyde to help with his tummy being upset. He is resting a little better today and know this will improve over the next few days. For all that he has been through he has been such a trooper. I again thank God for helping me to cope with all of this. I know i can never repay Bonnie, kath, Christi, Holly, Alysha and My Dad for all the support they have given Clyde and Me through this journey. I also need to thank so many others that have continued to keep us both in their prayers.

We love you all......God Bless you Angels!

Catch Up

Well Clyde has been doing well, but I on the other hand have been under the weather and had just enough energy to take care of Clyde. The last Blog was tuesday, and alot has happened since then. I did finally talk to Dr. McCarthy and he is looking forward to seeing Clyde this wednesday. He believes we might be able to remove all the pins on the rod leg and possibly the splint. He thinks if we remove the splint we would just keep it wrapped for support, which we would leave for 2 weeks with a change or two.

Clyde has many visitors that stop in too see how he is doing. Clyde is also getting his bark back and again acting like his old self. If we go outside in his pen area he has to bark at the cars or the kids he sees, letting them all know the Clyde Man is back. His tail is so cute it wiggles when he gets excited to see someone or has to go out. Clydes appetite has been great through all of this, and his hair is coming in nicely. I had alysha come friday and help me change the bandage since it was not the best wrap job i have done. Things went smoothly and Clyde did great.

Saturday i still did not feel well, but mustered through the day. My great niece alesha had her homecoming dance and was i was to meet her at the school at 10 pm so she could spend the night. Clyde was very excited to see her, and had lots of kisses to give her. I still did not feel good, my throat was very sore. I went to bed after a few conversations with alesha and awoke in the morning to let Clyde & Molly out. Clyde is getting back to our normal schedule, which will be good for all of us.

Alesha helped me make a good breakfast for everyone. Bonnie was coming to help change Clydes bandage again, and we were going to cut his nails. Well we got the bandage changed, but with a little bit of a struggle. I thank bonnie for always having the calmness for the 2 of us. I will be very glad to not have to change the bandages anymore, and I am sure Clyde will be ecstatic that their will be no more picking and prodding going on. Clyde has become very spoiled, so this might become a problem for me, when it is time to separate from each other. I do look forward to hopefully soon taking him for swimming therapy.

I am accepting of what lies ahead as long as I continue to have God by my side.

The Pride Of the Angels

Clyde had a very good night after the 2 Ace pills, he even had some snoring going on. He awoke at 5:30 Am and was hungry and thirsty. I had tried to give him some water from my hand to his tongue since the Ace made him have a very dry throat. Clyde had a good relief at 8:30 Am and then was very awake all day. I noticed on the rod leg over the spikes their did not seem to be enough padding, and I had to add some more tape. Clyde has been very fidgity today and I believe the bottom of the rod leg is irritating him.

I still have not heard back from Dr. McCarthy, and since it is after 7:oo Pm I believe i will not hear until wednesday, which is week #7. The leg by now should be healing and not have any irritation going on. I continue to pray that all is well, and hope that pittsfield was right when they believed nothing was infected. I will if need be take Clyde back to Deerfield before our Oct 7th appointment. All the Angels have been on our side, so I cannot become weak now, we must journey forward. God continues to give me the strength I need to continue on this course with my Boy Clyde.

Clydes Club

Well as you all know we gave clyde an Ace relaxer pill, but it did not work. He slept thru the night and was wide awake at 5:30 Am to eat & drink. We went pee and than 8:30 Am came and well he had some relief. I had decided to contact my neighbor Alysha to see if she would help with Clydes bandage change today. To no avail she did not answer, but called me around 12:oo Am and said she would. I gave 2 pills this time at 2:oo Pm and almost 2 hrs later it was working, and Clyde was getting very sleepy. I got all my items ready and started to remove the old bandages, and found that they had put tape directly on his leg and on top of the pressure wounds. As you can all image I was livid and realized this is why Clyde did not want to have anyone touch his leg to change anything. I took warm soapy water and gently removed the tape, each time telling Clyde I was sorry for this. We were successful in getting it all cleaned and changed.

Alysha left and Clyde has been on and off sleeping. I have a feeling he will be out for most of the night. I don't believe we will have to use Ace again. I hope to hear from Dr. McCarthy about the rod leg tomorrow, and what he thinks we should do. I again thank everyone in Clydes Club who continues to give us the support we have needed.

God Bless you All! In God We Trust.

We're in This Together

Well sleep was good for all. I see Clyde getting back on his regular sleeping schedule. Bonnie came to help change Clydes bandage last night, and well it did not go so well. We have to get him just right so he lays on the rod leg, and he was having no part of that. Clyde was strong before this and well he seems to have gotten alot of that back. Poor Bonnie has to lay on the floor and put her arms thru his front legs to keep him from getting up. We finally decided not to stress him, and said we would shoot for tomorrow.

Clyde ate well and rested and had a good potty at 12:oo Am, so I thought todays bandage try would go well. I decided to give him Ace which is a relaxer, but that did not work either. Probably for his size should have given him 2 pills, but will try something with holly for tomorrow and if not he will have to go to the vets office and be sedated. He was always so good before with the bandage changes, but cannot blame him if he is sick of it by now. We gave him kisses and I gave him his dinner and now he's groggy. Oh well 1/2 hr is what I was told it would take, but maybe it takes longer. Anyways the Title is appropriate, since all parties involved have to do this together.

Tomorrow is the start of week seven, so keep up the prayers, I can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Restful Saturday

Clyde had a good night slept most of it. I was not feeling so hot and I think both him and Molly knew this and let me sleep until 5:30 Am when it was time for pee and breakfast. I thanked them both with hugs & kisses. Clyde & Molly slept most of the afternoon, and i wanted to, but their must have been something in my cough drops that prevented me from sleep.

Bonnie is coming over to help with Clydes bandage change tonight, and now I feel like I could take a nap. I guess i should make some coffee so I stay awake. Clyde just had good results at 5:40 pm, so this might make the bandage change go smoother. Clyde was almost running to get back inside after his great results, I think he is feeling much better. The rod leg has almost stopped bleeding, and he does not like me cleaning it, but we have made an agreement. I just tell him i will not use head gear if he promises to not lick it, and so far it has worked. I think it will be another good sleep night for all of us. See ya all sunday..Hope your day was good.

Slow Down, Smell The Roses

I remember hearing this alot or even sometimes reading the Title of todays Blog, but never really took the time to appreciate what it meant. I have had to slow down for at least six weeks and concentrate on Clyde's recovery, and in this time have reflected on my life. I can say I do not have any regrets for anything that I have done so far. Clyde has been so wonderful through all of this, that spending this much day to day time with him has been very precious. It reminds me of the time I was able to spend with my Mom during her last weeks with us. I know she has guided me to do the best I can for Clyde, and also gives me the strength to keep going even when I feel so........ worn out. My Motto is if Clyde can do it so can I.

Clyde had a good night and around 11:oo Am he had a King Kong Poop. This reminds me of the alka seltzer commercial...plop plop fizz fizz, Oh what a relief it is. Alysha came just after this to keep him company so i could take Molly for her checkup. He was so excited to see me when I got back. Clyde and Molly got a special treat the edible nylabone roast beef flavor. It was a beautiful day so i left the windows open for him to get fresh air, this way he could sleep better. I decided to buy the soft side cone to keep Clyde from licking at his leg, but it needs to be clear so dogs can see. Clyde did not like the muzzle i had either, so we made an agreement he would promise to leave it alone...only if I give him more nylabones. Boy he is one smart dog sometimes. We pray for a great night and a wonderful saturday.

Catch up

Something happened to what i wrote on monday, and nothing saved to the post. My friend Lori left on Monday, sorry to see her go. Clyde did very well eating and drinking and sleeping which is usual after a bandage day. We had only one poop today which was around 7 pm.

Tuesday came and the bottom half of the rod leg was bleeding which it had been almost closed up accept for some redness from clyde licking at it. I called the Vets office in Pittsfield and made an appointment for 4 pm and explained the situation. Christi patch came to help me load him, and we put his new harness on that she bought for him. I swear he just loves to go to the Vets, he was so excited. Usually when we get their i like to wait with him in the car until they are ready for him. I wish i had mats kinda like the red carpet to give him better grip on those slippery floors. They came to get us a little after 4:oo pm, and put us in an exam room where we waited for almost 40 minutes, not so nice. I was trying to keep him still since we had no blanket and the floors in the exam room are slippery when you are compromised like Clyde. He laid over my legs which prevented me from getting Christi who was in the waiting room. Dr. Reynolds came in and preceded to ask me questions, I don't think he was having the best day.... thats all I will say. We decided to leave Clyde and they would sedate him and do Xrays to see what was up. I was told I would probably be able to pick him up before 8 pm. Dr. Reynolds picked up Clyde and off they went. I made an appointment for Mollys Checkup for Friday and home we went. I prayed on the way home and more when i got home that all would be okay. I received the call at 6:30 that I could pick him up around 7 pm and Dr. Reynolds was much nicer sounding. He explained that the Xrays looked like everything was healing nicely, and one of the pins on the top part of the rod leg was loose, so they removed it. He also said the bottom part could be an irritation from the wire used. He did not believe this was caused by infection. He told me to keep up what I was doing and that after this round of antibiotics was done, he would not need them anymore. He told me to clean the pins everyday, which i was, but this time with warm soap and water. I had been using Hibiclens and ear cleaners to get close to the pins, a wash cloth is just good for the leg itself. I called Christy to see if she could help me again and she said ready when you are.

Off we went to bring him home. Clyde was still groggy from the sedation, but he did okay getting to the car. As soon as we got him out of the car at home he made a deposit, which was kinda not so nice, but knew this was from what they had given him to put him out. I brought him inside to new clean bedding where he was glad to be. He slept off and on, but again was very thirsty so we did many pee runs that night.

Wednesday turned out to be a better day, i cleaned the pins and than put a wrap so he could not get to it. It definately was bleeding, so good thing i stayed on top of it and kept it clean. The top pin looks good. He had an appetite, which is a good sign, and overall was a blessed day.

Having Gladness

Today started early again with Clyde having to go pee about every 2 hrs or so. He has been very thirsty lately and this way all the meds he has been on are working their way out of his system. He had #2 at about 8:30 Am and was frisky again. He has wanted to play ball in his pen, which is just me rolling or tossing the ball. Everyday I see him improving and getting better.

Today was the first day i was able to be outside for long periods of time. It was an absolute beautiful day and we had windows and the side door open so Clyde could get some sun. I also took him out many times to stretch his legs or pee or eat grass. I was able to weed and take down the garden fencing and stakes. My friend Lori mowed all the lawns today and she loved it.
Molly got to play lots of ball today and sun bathed in the dirt in the yard.

Lori helped me to change his bandage and got first hand experience of just how this process works. It had very little drainage this time, so each day he gets better and better. Bonnie came back from her weekend and made me a wrap to put over Clydes rod leg since things are healing, he is wanting to lick more. The Cone they give you from the Vets is very clumsy in the little pen he has. Kathleen gave me another head gear, but this too is just not right for a dog in his condition. I say thank you to everyone for all their support, I would not be able to do this with out everyones help. I thank my dad also he has been so wonderful through this whole ordeal.

Good night from Clyde and me.

Grateful For What We Have

Today started off busy, Clyde has been thirsty, probably since we had to turn on the heat, since it has been so cold at night. What goes in must come out, so this means he went pee alot. Clyde ate around 4:00 Am and than slept for 2 hrs, when than he had a #2. I definately see Clyde feeling better, as he likes to stand now to eat his food. maybe it's the weather too, but he is frisky. I continued him on his antiobiotic for another week at least, since he still has a small amount of drainage on the splint leg.

The pad is healing nicely on the rod leg, so he is walking beautifully, and without hesitation. lori arrived from buffalo last night, and we had a great meal and good conversation. This morning we took Molly swimming and a little hike to visit my moms gravesite. It looks to be the start of a beautiful fall day. Clyde is wanting his treat of peanut butter, so i will go for now.

Today I thank the Lord for being grateful for what he has given me, which is Clyde recovering so well.

Beautiful Day

Today started several times for Clyde, he was thirsty and had to pee alot. He ate at 4:30 Am and he slept until about 6:30 Am. Bonnie was coming at 9:00 Am so we could change bandages, before she left for women's weekend in Lake George. I unfortunately was to be going also but with Clydes recovery chose to pass this year. I do have a friend coming from Colorado today to stay the weekend. Lori is in Buffalo visiting her family their and was suppose to go with me for the weekend. Oh well this is far more important, since the homestretch is getting closer.

Clyde went poop right before bonnie came so i knew it would be a relaxed bandage change. He was definately glad to get this done and was rewarded with some treats. I changed his bedding and he snuggled into his pillow and fell asleep. It is a beautiful day inside & out, and now i must take a shower so as i can feel better about myself.

Todays Living faith says she stood at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears. Water for the feet, a kiss and oil for his head and ointment for his feet. How appropriate this Devotional is for today.

5 Weeks Today

Today was a great day, not so pretty outside, but comfortable. We started at 4:30 Am where Clyde ate & drank well. We than crashed for about 2 hours, to awake and Clyde needing to go pee. We got fresh air and than Clyde was ready for his peanut butter and marrow bone treat.
Molly myself and Clyde slept off and on all day... A lazy one it was. I did laundry and dishes while the two of them slept more. Clyde was very hungry today, which is a good sign.

Last night Bonnie came to help hold Clyde while i changed his bandage, quite an experience. It is funny what the body feels like while staying in a certain postion for long periods of time, ask Bonnie how she feels. I am always quite amazed every time we do this, how the healing process works, when everything seems to be going in the right direction.

We finally had a poop around 6:30 Pm, about an hour after Clyde ate dinner. He crashed so perfect time for me to get the grays out of my hair and take a shower. I know how he feels if i don't keep him clean on a regular basis, yucky. All in All today was a celebration of Clyde getting closer to his full recovery. Thank you God for keeping us in the palm of your hand.

Fundraiser For Clyde

We will be having a Spaghetti Dinner at the Itam Lodge on October 25th from 12-5pm. Tickets will be $10 and can be purchased through Pretty Paws or at the Door. Their is a Bank Account setup under Clyde's Courage & Recovery C/O Berkshire Bank at the Elm Street location. This weekend is Woofstock in the Park, and Pretty Paws has a Booth their so please feel free to Check it all out.

Today is another great Day, started off well with Clyde having a great poop at 1:50 Am, along with a pee. Now sleep for a couple of hours and than eat at 4:30 Am, what an appetite he has, so amazing. Today he wanted to situp while he ate, like this alot. We went back to sleep until about 7:00 Am, where at this time i gave him peanut butter in a marrow bone, and I made coffee. he drank very well so far and had a great pee at about 9:00 Am. I used sandwhich baggies for protection on both back feet, and liked it. He seems to want to put his rod leg down when we have his pad protected. Tonight bonnie will help me change bandage on splint leg, since some of the padding has shifted.

5th week since surgery

We woke as usual at 4:30 am, Clyde was hungry and than thank god it was time for #2. Remember he had not gone since sat at 12:00 am, so this is good. Out we went with very little light, and he did alot of twisting and turning until it came, guess he had to find just the right spot. He again practically ran back inside, glad i was awake. We no sooner got into the house and into the crib, and Clyde was ready to go again. I ran quickly to clean up the poop, so as to not step in it when we went back for more. This time he did another poop and also went pee, oh what a relief it is. Clyde fell asleep and awoke around 7:oo am bright eyed and well not bushy tailed, but oh so cute that little tail is. I changed the bandage on the pad of the rod leg and gave him the treat that Bonnie bought for him, which was an edible nylabone bacon flavor. I went to give molly a treat also, and he had that treat devoured in no time at all. I was searching under his fleece blanket or his pillow and nope for sure it was eaten up. I have to watch him getting too fat, since he is not active right now, also keeping an eye on molly too.

Decided to hold off calling and setting up an appointment for an Xray for now, think maybe it is the pad. Bonnie feels this is probably the case also. Glad to have anothers point of view, since sometimes with lack of sleep comes clarity. I had a shower this morning, so again it's going to be a great day.

Today's thought... What's the point of knowing the truth rather than living in ignorance. Do we all believe that their is hope in this world?

The Lord's day

Jesus knew in the depth of his being that he was loved by God, and that made all the difference. I suspect the same is true for my Clyde. Today we awoke at 4:30 Am and Clyde ate well and drank plenty of water. Unfortunately no #2 since 12:oo noon yesterday, and i always worry about that. Clyde had those big brown eyes again today and i knew it would all be alright.

Bonnie came today at 4:oo pm to help me with the bandage change. Clyde was a little squirmy, but can you blame him. I felt like i had butter fingers today and the wrap was not in my favor.
We found the same amount of discharge, and that the bandages had shifted some, but all in all i believe it is getting better. I decided to clean around the rods, especially up top, since it seemed to be a little crusty. A husband & wife who are regulars at the race track on saturdays, gave me an aloe plant for Clyde. I used some of this today on those areas i had been cleaning. Bonnie changed the bandage on the rod paw, and it looks better also. We gave Clyde some new bedding and he ate & drank and took a nap.

No cooking tonight, just ordered pizza and hope to get a good nights sleep. I will call pittsfield Vet in the morning so i can get Clyde in for an Xray on the rod leg. Lets all say a little prayer that we don't find anything loose. God Bless everyone who has supported Clyde and I in this process. Kudos to all the staff at both Vets offices, you are all awesome doing this everday to make a difference.

Beautiful Saturday

We woke to a little bit of rain, but could tell by the air it was going to be a much warmer day than what we had been having. Everyone slept well, and 4:30 Am came and Clyde ate & drank great. We went out to pee and got some fresh air and blood circulating. No problem so far today with the rod leg. Clyde fell back asleep til about 7:oo Am and this is when i massaged his legs and hips and put desitin in the area's of his inner thighs and also applied more Boudreau's butt paste to the pad on the rod leg. He loves all the attention and gives lots of kisses and even tries to wrap one leg around your neck when leaning into him, as if to give you a hug. When i remove myself from his pen area, it is now time to give molly some love, as she needs it too. Yesterday when i took clyde out to poop, i noticed when we came back inside molly had one of the balls that was in his pen, as i was to figure out while we were outside she snuck into his pen and took the ball and got back on the other side of the chair divider before we got back. Molly watches every move the two of us make and does not want to miss out on anything.

Hoping we have relief of number 2 soon, but i did notice last pee he did not want to put pressure on that leg. I was hoping that it was the pad instead of a part of the rod being loose. Tonight i work at the track, so Bonnie will spend sometime with Clyde. Thanks to her i have been able to finish the season and to my patrons who have been so wonderful to me. I am making cookies and brownies to give to some of my favorites as this is the last night until next year. If i do not see his rod leg improve over the weekend, i will setup an Xray monday at pittsfield. Well pretty much on schedule Clyde went #2 at 11:30 Am, he always feels better after that. I than proceeded to give him a little food with organic beef broth and off to sleep he went. Hope the rest of the day goes as well.

Clydes night

Well my boy slept very well, almost to the point i was concerned. He had not gone poop since wednesday at noon time, but yet had gone pee many times during the day and also ate and drank well. I as a doting mom took his temp, normal and he was almost comatose in sleep. I always compare how molly feels when i think he is too hot or his nose is too dry. I finally said that he had 2 rough days with the exam for the hernia, and his bandage change and just needed the rest he so deserved.

I woke up at 4:30 and gave Clyde and Molly their breakfast, and than Clyde got his antibiotics, and off to sleep he went until about 7:oo Am. He woke with those big brown eyes so bright & cheery and i just new it was to be the start of a great day. 8:oo Am came and Clyde was ready to go do his business. I prepared him with his bootie that bonnie designed out of yellow dish gloves, so his bandaged foot stays dry. I put my baby wipes in my pocket and off we went and had great results. Clyde practically ran back to the door, you have to be on your toes when he is ready to go. I felt so happy as did he too and i treated him to peanut butter in his marrow bone. He fell fast asleep after that until about 9:oo am.

Today i was to call pittsfield vets office to setup an Xray of the rod leg to see if one of the metal pieces have come loose. Dr. McCarthy thought this is why he is not putting pressure on that leg, since their is no drainage now and the leg looks awesome. As the Doc says it would be if we had a pebble in our shoe. I did notice that one of the pads was torn away, maybe because it was so dry he licked it off. I have treated it with Boudreau's Butt paste and put a sock over his paw so he will leave this alone. I can't say this is the reason, but he has been putting more wait on that leg, as he used to before. This morning at 8:oo Am their did not seem to be any problem bearing wait, so i have not put in the call as of yet. I will continue to monitor him as usual, and look forward to 2 more weeks before another exam and possibly shortening his rod. It is hard to believe but yesterday was one month from his surgery, WOW.

Clydes recovery

Well lots have changed for Clyde, we have had Holly coming every 3 days to change bandages at home. Sleep for me has been spuratic, as when Clyde sleeps i try too also. Clyde was almost weened off of pain medications, but I have had to start one again since clyde seems to be uncomfortable after his 3 week checkup with Dr. McCarthy on thursday sept 3rd. What we thought was fluid buildup, turned out to be a hernia, which is seen after a tramatic accident. We discussed the possibility of later for surgery versus sooner, so we could get him thru this recovery cycle. We changed his antiobiotics 3 times, and the newest one is Baytril, which was due to the culture results. We have noticed less drainage on both legs, which is a good sign. Unfortunately he does not want to put alot of pressure on the rod leg as he once was, which sucks because that is the better of the 2 legs.

Clyde is like a race horse when we are getting ready to go to the Vets office, which is the only time the rod leg seems not to bother him. When you pick up his leash, you better be able to move fast. I have never seen a dog so excited to go to the Doctors before, maybe he just wants to ride. Christi Patch has helped me with his loading in the vehicle, and when she has not been available my sister in law bonnie has been their to help. This would not happen without their help. kathleen kazura, owner of Pretty Paws has also been a huge support for me and Clyde. Kath has sent booties for his paws, vet wrap and even disinfecting wash. Kath has a huge heart for dogs and we are so.......glad to have them all in our lives.

August 20 -- Holly came over last night and took a look at Clyde. We needed to make a few adjustments to his cast. She suggested that I have the one dressing changed at the vet. So I took Clyde over to Pittsfield Vet to have his dressings changed. They were a little bit knarly and they were glad I brought him in. They suggested I bring him every couple of days for a while to have them changed. He is manuvering better every day good pees and poops.

August 19 -- Clyde is home and adjusting. He wants to be able to do all the things he could do before and its a bit hard to keep him settled. I was up a lot with him during the night, as you can imagine, but things will iron themselves out. I have someone coming to check his dressings etc, her name is Holly and she was a vet tech down at Angell Memorial Vet Hospital in Boston. I think that will be helpful. So things are falling into place. She will be over tonite to take a look and see what we need. But he is doing fine. I'll keep you posted.

August 18 -- CLYDE IS COMING HOME!!! It is hard to believe, just a week ago he was having surgery and now I am going to be able to bring him home! He is doing so well and I am so excited to get him home. I am gathering all my supplies from everyone exercise pens, blankets, getting the spot ready so I can keep him quiet for the next few weeks. Now that will be a trick. I am so grateful to everyone, all the doctors in Deerfield, all the doctors at the Animal ER, my family; everyone's prayers and help have meant everything. So I am off to pick up my boy. Bonnie is going with me and this ride will be much different than the first one.

August 12, 2009

Heard from the hospital this morning. Dr. McCarthy has left for vacation and his colleague told me that Clyde was doing well. Although he seemed a bit depressed and had not eaten. My brother and I went to visit him this evening and he ate for me again and was happy to see me. The technicians tell me what a wonderful dog he is and how it spite of all he has been through how very sweet he is. Each day seems to be more encouraging than the next. I will continue to go over and visit after work, so that he will eat a little more each day.

August 11, 2009 I spoke with Clyde's surgeon Dr. McCarthy this morning. He evaluated him and they changed all his dressing and bathed him and all the wounds. He feels that he should address the issue with his tail first, and that if he can tolerate that surgery then we can move on the the next. When I spoke with him again in the afternoon he told me that he had done the surgery on his tail and that he tolerated that very well. There were no problems with his heart and because of that they performed the other surgery on his leg and ankle. His ankle was a very complicated one but they were able to repair the damage. Dr. McCarthy did not feel it necessary to surgically repair his pelvis at this time, and feels he may be able to heal without the surgery. Which is such good news.

8/11/09 pm -- My sister-in-law Bonnie and I went to visit Clyde tonite he was still a little groggy from the anesthesia, but was happy to see me. They said he had not eaten today, but when I went into his crate, he did eat some kibble for me, I was so glad. When Bonnie and I left he was resting comfortably. I felt so encouraged and hopeful.

Saturday, August 8, 2009 started like any other day. I took Clyde and Molly for a swim and run and we played. There was going to be a lot of trucks going up and down the road to the gravel bed that day, so we were up and out early. Late in the afternoon when all the traffic was gone I put on their fence collars and let them out into the yard. Clyde somehow saw/heard the truck and took off across the yard and found the weakest part of the fence he had been testing, and went through. I was in the house and heard the screams. I came out and he was lying on the ground and as I went to him, he was trying to crawl towards me. With the help of my neighbor across the street we got him in the car and took him immediately to the Animal ER in Pittsfield. They got him in and started working on him. He was pretty banged up, his back legs were broken, his ankle broken, his tail severed, and his pelvis fractured. They stabilized him and bandaged and cleaned all his wounds. Took xrays and ultrasounds, started iv fluids and antibiotics. The doctor told me it would be a long haul but that his injuries could be fixed. They assured me that he was not suffering, he would be in pain but that could be eased with medication, they would know better in 24 to 36 hours if there were internal injuries that would make his recovery more difficult. It was an emotionally and physically draining day. My baby was hurt so badly and there was no way for me to make it better, all I could do was kiss him and pet his head. I know he knew I was there because he was trying so hard to wag his tail. I checked on him later that evening and went home with a heavy heart, praying that he would be better in the morning. On Sunday, August 9, I went to visit him and he was a bit better he ate some food for me. Dr. Looney reported that his urine showed no signs of blood and this was a good thing, this indicated that there were not internal injuries. Our first glimmer of hope. He did have a bit of a heart arithmia, but she indicated that was normal for such trauma. She was very helpful in giving us recommendations for hospitals that could take him to perform the surgery he would need to recover. I decided on Veterinary Speciality and Emergency Hospital in South Deerfield, MA. It was only a little over an hour from Pittsfield. So on Monday, August 10, we loaded Clyde in the back of my truck and off we traveled to South Deerfield. It was such a stressful ride, we were worried about jostling him with his injuries, we knew in the back of our mind that any type of transport of an animal in this condition is touchy, but this was the only option. We left at 10:00 from Pittsfield and arrived in South Deerfield at about 11:15 am. They put him on a guerny and off he went. I cannot tell you the feeling of seeing my baby wheeled away to some back room and not knowing what was happening to him. About 2 1/2 hours later they came out and told me what they were doing, and would be doing over the next 24 hours. The surgeon was not in, so he would not see Clyde until Tuesday, and I would not talk to him until then. After filling out all the appropriate paperwork, and there was lots of it. I was able to say good bye and we headed home. I left with a heavy heart, but knew he was in the best place possible.