Today was the big day! At 9 am I took Walley to Dr. Tufaro's clinic for the surgery I talked about in my last post. It was really hard this morning for both Elwyn and me to take Walley in for a surgical procedure that we were not mentally prepared for. Walley, on the other hand was really cheerful this morning ( completely unaware of what was going to be done to him, of course for his own good!). Elwyn petted Walley and talked to him for a long time before he left to work, comforting him that all was going to be well and he would come home soon! After Elwyn left, I gave Walley his prescribed medication ( Flagyl) for diarrhea. Actually, since last night Walley has not had any episodes of diarrhea and this morning his stool was normally formed. ( Thank God!) Giving Walley tablets by mouth is quite a challenge for me. He spat the tablet out the first time I gave it to him and the tablet lost the top coating making the medicine bitter. Then, of course, it just became more difficult for him to swallow it without making a fuss. I finally managed to make it go through his food pipe and gave him some sweetened water to prevent bitterness in his mouth. Because we had to keep him fasting from last night I could not give him the medication with food ( which would have been a lot more easier and he would not even know there was medicine in his food). Anyway, after the medicine ordeal, I made him sit on the couch and he kept his chin on my lap so I petted him for a while consoling him that he would be completely fine after the surgery. But then I broke into tears looking at him. Walley was so sweet! He licked my tears off and put his paw on my hand first and then on my face. It was mostly him comforting me rather than me comforting him! When I told Elwyn later about this melting moment, even he was overwhelmed. A dog is such a special animal- they are the best companions man could ever ask for!
At 8:30 am, I walked Walley to the Clinic. His enthusiasm and energy was really my driving force today. I dropped him off with the Doctor's assistant who told me that they would call and let us know when to pick him up. We were expecting to pick up Walley from the clinic at around 6 pm. At 2 pm, anxious as I was, I called up the clinic to find out how Walley was doing after the surgery. It was such a relief to hear that his surgery went on well and that he was slowly coming out of the Anesthesia. I was told that Walley would be ready to go home around 6:30 pm. Both Elwyn and I could not wait until 6pm to pick up Walley. I got a phone call around 6:20pm letting me know that Walley would be ready to come home at 7 pm. I left home right away and began walking to the Clinic so I could be there well in time to bring our munchkin back home. When I got there though, plans changed slightly. The Doctor felt it better if Walley would stay in the clinic tonight as the bleeding from his ear had not yet stopped after the surgery. When I was walking to the clinic, I was very excited to bring Walley home today but then even I felt it was a wise decision to keep him in the Doctor's care overnight so he could be monitored better. I, however, could not just come back home so easily. I asked the Doctor's assistant if I could take a quick look at Walley before I left the clinic. She told me I could see him for a couple of minutes. So I walked in to see how our munchkin was doing. I don't even know how to describe the moment when I saw him. I felt sad and happy at the same time. Mixed feelings, I guess! Walley was still drowsy, disoriented and lying down when I saw him. He had a tightly wrapped bandage around his head and ears and he was wearing an e-collar to prevent him from scratching or shaking his head and ears. But when he saw me, he immediately sat up straight and made crying sounds. I could tell from his look, he was hoping I would take him back home with me. Although he was in so much pain, he was happy to see me. I consoled him, made him lie down and talked to him for some time. I told him that I would come back tomorrow to take him home with me. I couldn't stay with him much longer ( I knew that I would cry if I had stayed for another minute). I petted him quickly on his nose once again and left the ward quietly. He is in good and safe hands and that's a good enough reassurance for me!
I walked back home slightly dejected that I could not bring Walley back with me. But then, I knew keeping him with the Doctors for one more night would only be better for him and us. When I told Elwyn that Walley was not going to come home today, even he was upset but then even he wants the best for Walley. So we comforted each other that Walley would come back home soon enough and our little family would be rocking again! Elwyn and I can't wait for Walley to come home tomorrow and see a pleasant surprise we have in store for him. We know Walley loves balloons!! So, this morning after I dropped off Walley at the Clinic, I stopped at a store to get two "Get Well Soon" balloons and decorate his crate at home. We are sure when he comes home tomorrow, he will be really cheerful especially when he sees the fancy balloons. Walley is such a unique breed!! He is always so strong, steady and calm. Even today, after the surgery, God alone knows how much pain he was in, but there was no complaining from him. He was so calm when I saw him despite what he was endearing. His strength has changed both mine and Elwyn's life completely. He's just truly amazing! Our brave Walley has yet again proven to be a super-dog! Hats off to him.
So, tomorrow is another big day for us! We can't wait for Walley's homecoming after undergoing his first (and hopefully last) surgery and General Anesthesia experience. I will blog more about Walley after he comes home tomorrow.
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