When It Rains, It Pours

I have the best followers.  You’ve all been so kind and supportive following the death of my beloved dog, Maleah.  Her death followed three weeks of declining health where I was constantly on alert, worrying, and tending to her physical needs.  When she passed, I took a deep breath and relaxed—finally.  I didn’t have to worry any more.  It was over.

Only it wasn’t.  Not by a long shot.  One week after she died, her mate, my big male Malamute, Jack, developed a serious condition, which has since become life-threatening.  A tumor appeared, literally overnight, at the top of his left front leg.  It’s like his body is sprouting another leg or something.  It took a whole day to get in to see his vet.  I agreed when they suggested it be surgically removed, but they couldn’t schedule him in until six days later. 

The next day, I called them back and asked them to bump up his surgery because the tumor was growing, exponentially.  So they moved it up to Tuesday, then Monday.  I’ve been a basket case of nerves since last week.  His tumor is now a bursting bloody mess.  I have to wipe it down, disinfect, and spray Bactine on it every 30 minutes or so.  Bandaging it rips the skin from the surface, so right now, it’s an exposed blob.  He’s wearing a cone so he can’t lick it, but he’s in pain, and I just can’t take it anymore, all the crying, the worrying, wondering if he’s gonna make it. 

I simply don’t have it in me to write much more than this pathetic post.  I’m at my wits end.  I hope to get back to writing and commenting soon, but that’s not gonna happen this week.  His recovery will require my attention.  But at least, I hope he’ll be on the road to recovery.  I’ll try to update this post with a progress report or two following his operation.

For now though, I just want to say how much I appreciated your kind words, virtual hugs, and prayers last week.  I hate to say I need them one more time, but I do.  I really, really do.  I just can't live without this big, silly creature, and I can't stand for him to live one more day in pain.  Thank you.

CONDITION UPDATE:

After a tortuous wait with lots of whining (Jack, not me,) Jack finally had his surgery.  The surgical assistant came and took him away, and all the while, Jack screamed like he was being drawn and quartered.  I think this is a result of a bad experience he had after breaking his other leg (which later abscessed) a year or so before we adopted him.  He has a significant fear of hospitals.  But he sailed through his procedure with no adverse affects from the anesthesia.  

He had a sizable chunk of the tissue on his upper front left leg taken off, just in case the tumor was cancerous, which in all likelihood it was.  Now it's a wait-and-see scenario.  He's still whining non-stop as I try to manage his pain, but he's a helluva lot better than he was a few days ago.  Thank you all for your additional prayers and kind thoughts.  It's helped make this horrible experience that much more bearable.  God bless!