The Makeover

As we all know, it's almost the end of the year -- How can that be? Its been a long year but it’s gone by in a flash. A lot of things that I wanted to get done, I haven't and I have to accept that. There's always next year to do better, right?  

~A wreath making class a few weeks ago~

However, one thing that was on that "to do list," was getting Noodle groomed. It was put off for several reasons mostly because I wanted him to be at his best physically. With acupuncture and cold laser and a massage every couple of weeks, and a small area around the amputation finally healed, he was finally at his best. 

I didn't want just any groomer. I needed one that could accommodate Noodle's "handicap" of not being able to stand the whole time. So, I asked on a Facebook page and there was one that came recommended for a number of reasons. "Sandi" had a tri-pod and totally understood the limitations they have and as the shop owner she had no problem with spending the extra time Noodle would need. 

~Noodle before~

Finally the day of the appointment came -- I'll add that Sandi put us on her cancellation list and got us in pretty quickly. And fast forward to the big reveal and all I could say is "WoW!!" and then I said WoW again. What a difference.

~Noodle after - WoW!!~

Everyone at the shop treated Noodle like a rock-star and they could not have been more accommodating, any more friendly (to the both of us) and could not have made Noodle any more handsome - and made a bit cold too which is why he's wearing a coat and a tee-shirt. 

We are the groomer's newest fans and given their Facebook post that's below, I think they're Noodle's too! 

Recharging - Again

I am going to start this post by saying that I am feeling much better. Time has not exactly been a healer for me. Which is why I decided what I really wanted and needed to do was just to get away for a couple of days.  

~Our girl Ree during a conversational snow fall~ 

My longtime friend in Lancaster Pennsylvania who is a "shut in," was feeling very lonely and she needed some cheering up too, so I decided to go and see her. The "boutique-y shopping village" where I love to stay, and have stayed previously, was totally booked. So, after an extensive search of Airbnb's and hotels around Lancaster, I ended up in the town of Ephrata, (where??) -- about 10 miles from my friend and totally unfamiliar to me. A quick research on the area said that one of its claim to fame is that it's home to America's first communal religious society, the Ephrata Cloister.  

But it was really good to see my friend! I took her out for breakfast and our entire visit was great therapy for both of us. And this may sound trivial, but what also helped was the two nights spent at the Hampton Inn in Ephrata. The panoramic view from my room, especially at night, made me feel like I was overlooking a big city, rather than one that has a population of about 13,000. I loved it.  Watching the night lights from where I slept, was both relaxing and recharging. I'll also add that I when I checked in I was told I was "Guest of the Day," which gave me a parking space very near the front door of the hotel, and little bag of snacks ---a fun little charge for my inner batteries. 

The view of the town of Ephrata from my room during the day wasn't bad either! 

My visit to Pennsylvania also had an added bonus, when I finally got to meet a long time blogging friend who lives in York, which is on my way home. We've wanted to meet for a long time, but the timing has never worked out. This time it did. Longtime dog-bloggers may know Phyllis at "NAK's Khorner - Khome on By"   I truly felt like I was meeting a friend I already knew, instead of one I was meeting for the first time. I could not have enjoyed our visit any more than I did and I so wish our visit could have lasted longer. I look forward to the next time we can get together. It was the perfect ending to the weekend.  

~A fun, thoughtful and perfect gift from Phyllis and Willow~

On the home-front, new boy Jack-Jack is totally settled in. He's been given the nickname of "Pony" because well, he's the size of one and having 2 dogs with the name of Jack is a bit confusing for the two. He is eating his meals, but treats are not his forte, making me question even more his genetic heritage -- I don't recall ever having a Golden Retriever that didn't love an extra treat or two or three. But Jack-Jack, or Pony is really a nice boy. There's a fun and playful side to him, and when you pet him, he leans into you and always lets out a big sigh. He also has these soulful eyes that are really a window to his gentle soul.

So onward I go through the holidays with the hope my batteries stay charged for awhile, along with my gratitude and thanks for your support and cheering us on! 

~Two little holiday gifts from two kind friends~

Jack-Jack Arrives at Golden Pines

 As the world and life passes me by so quickly, of course there are still dogs coming into both rescues that we volunteer with, that need a place to go. I was asked a couple of weeks ago about taking in a 7 year old boy named Jack-Jack. His owners were returning or moving to the Philippines and were living in a hotel. After being given away and returned after just one day, and the rescue being given a story that just didn't make sense, Jack Jack really needed a place to go where he would be safe. So, I agreed to take him .... temporarily. 

So, meet 7 year old, Jack-Jack. I think he has to be one of the tallest Golden Retrievers that we've ever had. From the top of his head to the floor, he is about 35 inches tall. He is dwarfing the other dogs -- I can only imagine what he'd look like standing next to Todd! 

Jack Jack fit in easily and I was both happy and relieved that he was getting along with everyone. But he was not without a few concerns those first days he was here. The first one being a pretty bad case of gastroenteritis -- Probably caused by all the changes he'd been going through. So of course a trip to the vet was put on the agenda. 

~At the vet and not feeling so well~

Added to all that Jack Jack refused to eat anything. This went on for about 4 days. We were told Jack Jack was allergic to chicken, so that limited some of the choices to tempt him with. I tried everything from tripe (ugh!), to canned cat food, melted cheese and even cheese from a can. He turned his nose up at all of it. But I was undeterred and kept at it, and finally found a food combination that he would and could eat. 

I think that finding a food he would eat and the trip to the vet was a turning point, because he did start to seem like he was feeling better and he was not nearly as tentative about things as he had been.  The vet also addressed a skin infection and we did a thorough check up too. 

~Jack Jack is a big tall boy - weighing in at almost 114 pounds!~

As I mentioned, Jack Jack was supposed to just be with us temporarily until another foster home could be found. But because he'd taken a bit to settle in, and is doing pretty well with our dogs, we've decided to foster him and help him onto his next chapter --- Whatever that may be!  

~Welcome Jack Jack!!~

Blogging Mojo

Hello Friends! Thank you to those who have reached out behind the scenes to check on how we're doing. As always, life is passing me by at its breakneck pace with more than enough to write about. But when I try to, the words don't come. Someone said the best cure for that is to just start reading, and then my own words will return. So, I've been doing just that. Now lets see if the words will come for this post. 

~Our View of Comet A-3 in mid-October~

I will say that Todd became my inspiration for writing, his antics, energy and fun spirit filled not only our house but our lives too and gave me plenty to write about. With that energy sadly gone it has been hard to not focus on that. The energy of our household has definitely changed and has now taken on a quieter pace. At least most of the time. But I began this blog to have a record of ALL the dogs that have come and gone in our lives. A place where I can remember them, and tell you, my readers about them. I want that to continue. 

So, lets start easy and start with Noodle. I've been taking Noodle for acupuncture, cold laser and a massage every other week. This is to help with his mobility and to reduce the inflammation and pain that he may be experiencing. I think it's all helping. And it's helped that he has gained much needed weight, that has totally changed his appearance as you can see in the photo below.

There was however a bit of unwelcome drama (from a vet tech) at Noodle's previous vets office that had me finding a new vet for him. Who was better than the vet our dogs and cats see? So, Noodle met Mobile Vet a couple of weeks ago -- We took x-rays of his back leg to make sure that there's no sign of cancer, and to get an idea of its condition. It was sent to a specialist who said:

That stifle appears to have nearly end stage osteoarthritis which I would suspect is due to a chronic CCL tear. I think given the arthritic changes, surgical intervention (e.g. TPLO) would probably not end in significant improvement. Poor pup. 

With that, I think we've done all we can for Noodle, and just need to stay on the course of treatment and care that we're on with him. 

And speaking of "courses..." Yesterday, Saturday, the rescue had their 3K Walk. Noodle was one of the dogs the rescue highlighted and we took him so people could meet him. The weather was perfect and it was fun to share Noodle with everyone there and share his story. We also loved the chance to see and catch up with our longtime rescue friends - Dog people are truly among the best of people, as are you, my blogging friends! ❤❤

The Arrival and Departure of Wiggles

As Carl was getting ready to leave on a 2 week trip, we were asked to take a hospice girl for Lab Rescue, named Wiggles. 

At almost 15 years old, Wiggles was being returned to the rescue because her owners are going to the UK to take a clock repair class - That by the way is offered throughout the year. But the bottom line is they didn't want to take her with them, or wait to take the course. You just can't make this up. And yes, I'm afraid I'm totally judging. 

~Introducing Wiggles~

The owners were insistent about returning Wiggles to the rescue, and so she was taken to a temporary foster home until arrangements could be made to bring her to my side of the Potomac. I received the below text from her temporary foster home that broke all of our hearts for Wiggles. 

Needless to say, Wiggles didn't do so well in her new surroundings. She wasn't eating, hardly getting up from her bed, and seemed totally disconnected. Again, our hearts all broke for her, because all that Wiggles had known for so many years was gone. The temporary foster home did all they could to reassure her, and it worked. After a few days, she began eating again, and getting up and exploring. It was a relief! But we did worry that at almost 15 years old, how she'd handle yet another change. 

~A new collar and new start for Wiggles~

We soon found out. On August 22nd, I met Wiggles for the first time. She was exactly what I thought she would be. Gentle, sweet, endearing, and in need of reassurance. Our first few days didn't go so well -- She was fine with all our dogs, but the change in her surroundings really did leave her unsure. 

~Meeting Wiggles~

I didn't know what Wiggles story was going to be. I'd agreed to take her with the plan that she was going to remain with us for the rest of her life. It was what all of us involved in this chapter thought too. But with 'healthy enough' test results, the rescues medical coordinator made Wiggles available for adoption. 

~At the vet with Wiggles~

Given her age, I never thought someone would be interested in adopting Wiggles. And it had been my plan to keep her. But with a lot going on peripherally, I never got the chance to say I'd wanted her to stay. 

But stay, Wiggles did not. Surprisingly someone wanted to adopt this almost 15 year old girl. A retired gentleman, who lost his wife about 2 years ago, and his 16 year old Lab just a few weeks ago wanted to. Try as hard as I could to talk him out of Wiggles, he was determined to come and meet her. His grandson stays with him on weekends, and he wanted to come too.  And so we met them last Saturday. 

Of course I liked Retired man. He said more than once that he wanted someone to keep him company and to care for, and that's exactly what Wiggles needed too. I couldn't deny it, they were meant to be together. And so Wiggles was adopted. They are a perfect match -- and it was a perfect way and day to celebrate Wiggles on her 15th birthday. 🎈

Twenty One Days

It has already been twenty one days since Todd left us. I'm still having those moments where I feel a wave of grief over his loss. I think that the hardest part has been that he was gone so quickly and so unexpectedly. Our 13 years together was over before I knew it. But isn't that what we always say? 

~Todd's first day with us 6-24-2011~

However, my heart and soul are full of gratitude that we were lucky enough to have Todd as part of our lives. Thank you all for sharing his loss with me. Your comments, e-mails, cards, flowers and even homemade peach jam from a local friend all lifted my heart and spirits in so many ways. 

And a very special thank you, to you blogging friends for letting me share Todd's antics with you too! What a fun and spirted character Todd was - Todd with his big personality brought us so much joy and laughter!! He was truly the star of our household. He was everything and so much more that I wanted in a dog when we decided on a puppy that was not going to be a Golden Retriever. And maybe, just maybe, I'll do it again with another terrier. It's way too quiet at our house, and I'm sure the 3 neighbors we have miss Todd's barking too. We'll see what the cosmos has in store. 

~Todd - 2016~

Carl was out of town when we lost Todd, and that left me as single-dog-Mom for 2 weeks. Taking care of everything at home and getting to work, was, well, a lot of work. It was good to be busy and was even therapeutic. But at the end of those first days, when the day was over, and we'd all go to bed, in the quiet moments of course I'd think of Todd and how much I loved and missed him. I'll always miss him.

So, it's now twenty-one days since Todd left and life is somehow settling into a new routine without him. But his spirit lives on in all the memories he left us with. He'll always be part of this place I call Golden Pines. Which in this moment, lets me know that we're going to be okay. ❤

~Our happy place and last fun trip - Tennessee - August 2024~

Tucked into a card from a friend. 

A Heartbreaking Loss in August

It has been over a month since I last posted. August was so many things on so many levels of busy to relaxing and recharging. So, of course there is a lot of news that I want to tell you about. But first I want to tell you the sad and heartbreaking news that we lost Todd on Friday. I am devastated and so many other things. 

Todd's loss came totally unexpected, and has been consuming and overwhelming for me. Carl is out of town, so it has also been a lonely and sad time. I will tell you more about what happened in another post, but for now I'll tell you that it began with an infected lump, that quickly turned into sepsis - Something I had no idea could occur in as short as 6 hours. 

With time by myself, I can't help but reflect on our 13 years together, and looking at so many of Todd's photos and "remembering when...." We had fun together. We had so many more good days than not so good ones. Todd's big personality and fun spirit filled every corner of our home with smiles, joy, laughter, eye rolls and headshaking too -- Yes, of course there was a bit of frustration at times when his feistiness and that terrier independence and stubbornness would prevail over what I'd asked of him. But it was who he was, and he was truly the star of our household.  I'm already missing all his Scottie antics and so much more ... Like the sound of him running through the house, the barking (and barking) at everything that he felt was important enough to warrant his attention. I'm going to miss the noises he'd make when I'd give him a massage, his sleeping next to me, being under my feet at the computer, the look in his eyes that truly was a window to his strong heart and soul ...  seeing and watching his unbridled enthusiasm and joy and his smile ... so many things that I cannot possibly list .... So many moments that are now memories and are a part of me, and Todd too. 💔

The Final Report is in

THE FINAL PATHOLOGY REPORT for Noodle has been returned -- I'll begin with saying that just prior to the surgery to amputate his leg, an oncologist looked at Noodle's x-rays and suggested that the cancer may be in his knee joint, and was not osteosarcoma (bone cancer) like we had thought. This gave us something to hope for. 

And those hopes were raised when the preliminary biopsy report made no mention of bone cancer, but  instead, mentioned synovial cell sarcoma -- I'd never heard of it, so I looked it up. 

**Synovial cell sarcoma, also known as joint cancer, is a soft tissue cancer that affects a dog's joints. The best treatment for synovial cell sarcoma in dogs is amputation of the affected limb. The surgery must be wide and deep to remove all of the tumor tissue, and a large margin of healthy tissue should be removed around the visible mass. In some cases, amputation may be the only way to be curative.

With that, all we could do was wait for the final report. And the final report confirmed what we were all hoping for, that Noodle's cancer was confined to his knee joint - With clear and extended margins from the amputation with no signs that it metastasized, and no signs of osteosarcoma, we are confident that Noodle's surgery has been curative. 

It was truly the best news. I cannot express the relief and gratitude I am feeling - That feeling of gratitude also extends to the rescue for their deciding to do the amputation surgery when we were so unsure of what the outcome would be. It has, without a doubt, given Noodle a bright future. 

What I've Learned from Noodle

We are now 2 weeks and 3 days post surgery for Noodle. It's unfortunate that we cannot say his recovery has been uneventful, because it has not been. I'll be honest, it has been exhausting and stressful, at least for his caretakers. I've never cared for a dog that had an amputation, so I wasn't sure what to expect or exactly what to do. But I quickly learned and found out. 

Here's what I have learned.

       ⚫ That a lot of draining, even from a small area of a surgery site is a reason to take off work and be at the vet's office when they open. A culture was done, and Noodle was put on an antibiotic (Baytril) which knocked out the infection. The stitches were removed this past Tuesday, and everything has healed as it should. 

        ⚫ I've learned that keeping that IV pole from about 10 years ago was a good thing to do because we needed it for the bag of IV fluids we used to flush/clean the infected area of Noodle's surgery site. 

       ⚫ That having a lot of extra dog towels for a wound that's draining is a good thing, even if they take up a lot of room. 

       ⚫ I have been reminded during Noodle's initial recovery that a perk of working in a dental office is that you can order sleeves of gauze at a fraction the cost, and the doctor lets you just take a box of gloves to have at home. 

       ⚫ The value of taking a strength training class has paid off - Lifting Noodle to get him outside and inside has been made easier because of them - At least I think they have.  

         ⚫ The big new comfy bed that we just got has been perfect for Noodle to sleep and recover on, and is easy for him to get onto and off of - He loves it and Ree agrees!! (Thank you Jean!) 

        ⚫ I've learned that getting a prescription for codeine for a dog is practically impossible in my county in Virginia. Most pharmacies don't carry it. It cannot be called or faxed in, it has to be a handwritten prescription. And one pharmacist wouldn't even consider filling the prescription at all because the written prescription had no last name on it for Noodle -- Even though I pointed out Noodle is a dog. It was very frustrating! But I will add that Noodle did just fine without the codeine. We simply increased the amount of gabapentin he is given. 

        ⚫ Through all of this, I've also learned what a sweet boy Noodle is. He has been so good during his recovery. He has never once objected when I was cleaning the infected area of his surgery site that I know was achy and tender. 

Finally, with the ups and downs, as worn out as I was, without a doubt, it has been totally worth it! Noodle is getting stronger every day. He has learned how to re-balance himself which makes him much steadier on his feet. I know Noodle is feeling better too. And now we wait for the final pathology report that should come in a few days, which will tell us what the next step in Noodle's journey will be. 

At the Top of Our June Pile

Here we are at the end of June. And, as always it has been quite a month that is now behind us. 

I don't think I even have to say that there is a lot going on behind the scenes. But for this post, I'll focus on what's at the top of our pile for the month of June, that at the moment is Noodle. 

He's had several vet appointment over the last few weeks. We've had x-rays and an ultrasound done to assess his leg to help decide a direction. 

The more detailed x-rays and an ultrasound did give us some good news, in that the cancer did not appear to have spread into his chest or other areas. 

That brought on the discussion of the benefits and risks of surgery to amputate Noodle's leg. I'll add that the vet did say that she didn't think euthanasia would be a bad consideration either. She added this because osteosarcoma or bone cancer with and even without amputation has a 4-5 month prognosis. Those that have the amputation surgery and get chemo afterwards have a little longer--maybe a year. The benefits for just doing the surgery would be that Noodle would ambulate better/more comfortably and hopefully be pain free. However, the expected recovery for him would be a little more difficult only in that he has lost muscle in his other leg. The downside of course was the cost and the question of could or should the Rescue's funds be put towards a dog with a better prognosis?  Those were all things that the Board of the rescue needed to discuss, consider and decide. Honestly, I didn't know what the best decision was, which is why I would of course support the Rescue's decision, whatever it would be. It was a tough decision. 

The Board of the rescue discussed and voted to go ahead with the surgery, without chemo, and give Noodle that chance to live pain-free for the time he has left. Noodle had surgery this past Thursday to amputate his leg. Of course everything is being biopsied and an oncologist has given us hope that maybe the cancer Noodle had was confined to the knee joint and was not osteosarcoma and would or could be curative. We'll find out this week when the test results are returned. 

All that aside, the surgery went as well as it could have given the condition of Noodle's leg, his atrophied muscles and his overall body condition -- it made cutting through the bone, nerves, etc., a bit of a challenge and so it meant the surgery took a little longer. Getting his body temp to regulate afterwards was also a little challenging because he has so little body fat. 

By about 5 o'clock, Noodle was awake and doing well and ready to be picked up. We'd been dealing with a power-outage from the night before, and thankfully the power came back on as I was leaving to pick Noodle up - YAY!! I was happy for us and so grateful that Noodle got to come home to a cool house. 

So far, Noodle has been a good post op patient. Even though he wasn't using his amputated leg to stand, he knew how to balance himself with it, and of course now, he is having to learn to rebalance himself without it. He needs a lot of help, but that's what we're here for -- And this morning it was good to see that he'd gotten up on his feet by himself. Progress!

So, today is day 3 of his recovery, and there is another level of healing that we've moved up to: The cone of shame because Noodle won't leave the surgery site alone - Something I was expecting and ready for. 

Noodle is such a sweet boy and this is all part of his healing journey and a story that I'm grateful gives him a chance at a good and pain free life for however long that may be. 

Dreams that Cannot Be

Thank you all for cheering and welcoming "Noodle the 'doodle." 

I will start this post by saying that we've been fostering since about 1999 - And each new foster always brings on hopes and dreams for them. More times than I can count, those hopes and dreams for them have been exceeded. The latest of course being Iva who truly found the best family to call her very own. 

~Iva, sporting a short summer cut~

On the flip side of that is that sometimes, the reality is, there are dreams that cannot be. Unfortunately it appears to be the case with Noodle. A vet visit on Friday that included x-rays shows that his leg that we thought was re-injured and atrophied is unfortunately bone cancer. The cancer appears to be only in his leg and not spread into his chest, which is the good news.  

~At the Vet~

We're not sure what the options are - the vet is going to ask other colleagues their thoughts as we wait for the results of his bloodwork. We've started Noodle on pain management that will help him, no matter what treatment is decided for him. 

I do have to be honest, it's hard to be hopeful at this moment -- Because I'm feeling a whole range of emotions from sadness and heartbreak to a bit of anger at the previous owner and vets for not being more proactive about Noodle's condition. 

~On the way home~

But as I was reminded yesterday, that changed last week when Noodle found his way to the rescue, and to us too. We've cared for 4 dogs that I can recall that had bone cancer -- Cougar, Chip, Hannah, Shelby -- So we know the care that's needed. I'm guessing the cosmos knew that when it brought Noodle to us. 

~I do love Noodle's smile~