Monday, October 21, 2013

THE PRESSURE IS OFF

We are a few weeks removed from our UM-Columbia vet visit. We took a few days to rest and then I started some rehab with Marley. Walking up hills. Exhausting but good for us. On those walks I had time to think and make decisions. One of the decisions I made was about Marley's future.
 

Marley is officially semi-retired. I will enter her in trials here and there for fun and because I love to run with her. I had put so much pressure on myself to push Marley farther than anyone thought we could go. When she started showing signs of failure physically, I just couldn't see past my goals...I wanted to continue to prove people wrong about her. I couldn't see that she was physically struggling, she was hurting, all I could see was MY dreams dying. I couldn't see her trying to please me despite her pain.



 



 

As one vet told me right after Marley was diagnosed with bilateral HD 'it will always be a push and pull with Marley'. Some times I will be pushing her to exercise, to let me do her stretches and other times I will be pulling her back in, trying to reign her in. Marley has been feeling good the last week or so. Active, playing and back to full on chase and wrestling with KK. Watching her so happy and carefree makes me dream about what could have been. But it was not to be.

 
True to her name, Marley is back on rest as she ripped one of her pads almost off. It's wrapped and the vet wants it to stay on for a week....I'm sure that will happen.


I will always have my dreams for Marley and they may remain just that...dreams.



Wednesday, October 9, 2013

LAST MINUTE DECISION

Marley and I went to the University of Missouri's Veterinary Hospital in Columbia on Sunday. She had a 1pm appointment on Monday. I went into the appointment with the full intent on having a Total Hip Replacement on Marley's left hip. I had prepared myself, was ready for the rehab...


We had a great 4th year vet student. We went over Marley's history and he did his exam. I had to laugh when he came back in to ask me something that he knew his supervising vet was going to ask him. I'm unfortunately not new to going to vet schools and their procedures. This makes #4. I could hear the student present Marley and could hear them discussing her agility.


The supervising vet came in and talked with us and did an exam on Marley. Pain was elicited on both hips when extended. She has good muscle mass but has a minimal decrease on the left. Then he asked me if I had achieved everything I wanted with Marley in agility. Tears immediately filled my eyes and I fought hard to keep them from falling. I told him I hadn't, but I was ok to retire her, that I don't want her to be in pain.


The vet went over 2 choices. The first is to medically manage her. Which would be getting about 2 pounds off her (she's an ideal weight now but he wants her on the skinny side), keeping her active (2/3 low impact exercise (swimming, walking up hills), 1/3 high impact exercise (minimal agility!)), and managing her pain.


Our other option is a Total Hip Replacement. They could do the surgery the next day, she would be hospitalized for 2 nights and then would be sent home. I would have specific instructions regarding her activity. We would have to return in 8 weeks to the vet school for follow up. He discussed how she would probably need to have the other hip replaced and they could do that 3 months after the first hip. He went over all the complications of a THR and what would need to be done if she had one of those complications. He said if she had the THR she would be back in agility within 6 months with no restrictions.


He laid all the information out and then asked what I wanted to do. There was no pressure to do the THR, just what I wanted to do. I said I want to see one more set of Xrays but I was leaning towards a THR. They said they thought that was a good idea. I signed the consents and left for some lunch.


They called while I was at lunch and told me to come back. The new Xrays revealed some progression of the HD and a new bone spur on the left. When the new Xrays were compared to the ones I had brought with me from 2 years ago, there just wasn't a whole lot of difference. As I stood there looking at those Xrays, I changed my mind. I said I wanted to medically manage her. They were totally supportive of my decision. They took the time to go back over everything with me. Although we dodged the bullet this visit, it is inevitable that we will be back within a few years and we will walk out with a THR.


Friday, October 4, 2013

TIME TO FACE THE MUSIC

The orthopedic appointment that I have been putting off since Marley's bilateral hip dysplasia diagnosis is upon me. We go Monday. I should know late Monday afternoon if Marley will require surgery now or if we can put it off until later.

I have cried thousands of tears since her diagnosis in April 2009. We have overcome so many obstacles but this is one obstacle we cannot overcome. The time has come to make a decision.

And I have made my decision. Marley will receive whatever she needs. I owe it to her. She has been by my side and has done what I've asked of her in agility and rally and that dreaded obedience. She has endured so much both physically and psychologically. And she has done it in true Marley style...big blue eyes and that precious head tilt.

But the reality is that hip dysplasia will end her agility career.