You Can’t Keep a Good Dog Down

I was surprised by the number of people who said they would pray for my dog, and delighted with their effectiveness. Bill’s surgery went well. The mass was completely "encapsulated", so it hadn't wrapped around anything else and was pretty easy to get out (at least that's what the folks at the vet’s said—not like I was there—I don't want to give the impression that this is a first-person account and that I've taken up veterinary surgery in my spare time). They said that a dog’s “wrist” (that’s what I call it anyway) is not a place where fatty tumors usually develop, but they're more hopeful that's what it was rather than the Big C. We'll know more in a week or two when the lab results come back. I'm still worried for Bill, but not as much as I was.

When I picked him up after the surgery, he was limping but not zombie-like as I'd expected. As an act of faith in his longevity, I had had them clean his teeth while he was anesthesized. One molar was cracked and had to be pulled. The poor creature. That morning he had joyfully jumped into the car thinking of nothing but a nice ride. I can’t imagine his sense of betrayal when he awoke to a bandaged and painful wrist, a missing tooth, and sore gums. For me it was another $270 in unplanned expenses in a financial train wreck of a quarter. Lordy...

Bill limped around for a couple days. Slo-mo, but not bad at all for what he’d been through. During that time Murray kept trying to get him to play. Murray loves to incite—he'll bark or generally run around—trying to get Bill or me or anyone handy to play with him or chase him. If Murray were a kid, he would definitely be Class Clown. He tried his usual antics with Bill, who was havin' none of it and would just lie there as Murray barked at him. Part of their normal routine is that Bill won't let Murray have any toys, although I think Murray just goes along with it as part of their script. A couple times Murray went so far as to do the unthinkable and PICK UP A TOY RIGHT IN FRONT OF BILL. Oh my, THAT got Bill onto his feet, even in his semi-ambulatory state! Murray would drop the toy immediately, and then Bill would lie down again—so Murray’s mission wasn’t fully accomplished. But talk about dog psychology! Who needs television?

As of this evening Bill is no longer limping, and he's back in the fray of playing, protecting the toys from Murray, and exhibiting full energy. It will be another week or so before the lab report is back. It hangs like a little cloud, but I try to be positive and think about those faithful prayer warriors who are in Bill’s corner, favoring the miracle of good outcomes. So far, so good.