Month: March 2010

Well, figure it is about time for an update on Ginger – I can’t believe it has been over 2 weeks since we posted!  Ginger has healed very well.  Her fur is growing, her scar looks amazing, and we are very happy with how all of that turned out.  She has finally finished all of the antibiotics! Yeah!

We have also gotten the pathology report from the vet.  Ginger has been diagnosed with Osteosarcoma.  The vet said that we caught it early and she is hopeful that Ginger can beat the odds.  We are now scheduled for our first oncology appointment next Monday.  Turns out that the practice we are going to has an ongoing cancer research project specifically for Golden Retrievers.  Lucky for us, it is close to home as well!

Ginger is doing terrifically.  She is back to herself.  She is interested in running around, and chewing on the cardboard tubes and pieces of wood she finds, chasing her frisbee – which she never brings back – and barking at the dog in the yard behind our fence!  She has very few down moments, where she “just doesn’t want to” get up, or go out, or meet someone at the door.  We’ve done some walks in the neighborhood, and she does great.

So, why wouldn’t Monday’s appointment be just as good???  The power of positive thinking… 🙂

Good afternoon all.  Well, it’s been 19 days now since surgery.  Things seem to have settled down. Ginger still has a bit of an infection that shows in what has been draining out of her for 18 days now!  She is on her second round of antibiotics. This round more potent.  Today has been our first day without drainage and can I say it’s about darn time!  Since Ginger has come home she has not been alone at all.  Between days off for both Gingers Mom and Dad and our poor son having the disadvantage of having his college break last week, we have been able to have someone home with Ginger 24/7. The main reason for the constant supervision is Gingers total hatred for that darn lampshade she would have had to wear.  Put that darn thing on Ginger and she gets the deer in the headlight look and will not move.  If I could get her to balance on her one rear leg and then put that lampshade on her, she would stay balanced on that leg indefinitely!  She just totally freezes up so the lampshade was not an option.  And Ginger is a little lady and likes to keep clean so she would definitely lick if we left her alone.  It has been 18 days of sleeping on the air mattress on the floor and spending all our time with her.   The things we do for our pets!  But she is worth it. It is for certain she is handling this better then we humans are!  🙂

Ginger still amazes me.  If I went thru 10% of what she did, I’d be still in bed, whining about my bad luck.  Ginger is walking around, living each day to it’s fullest.  We sure can learn from our pets.  I am going to steal Lincoln’s line (Lincoln the Golden tripawd) and say that we are gonna make this a Ginger summer.  She deserves it.

We are still waiting for the results of her leg biopsy and next Tuesday she gets her remaining stitches out, so we still have a long way to go. Like it is said here, we are living one day at a time.

Have a great day all.

Well, our 2 weeks are up…

Most of the posts I have read say the first 2 weeks of the recovery are the worst, with lots of ups and downs.  We sure have had our ups,  but not too many downs!  Ginger continues to do well though the drains are still draining.  Her stitches will come out Thursday, and we’re hoping for a prompt end to the drainage so that we can stop the constant vigilence that we are all so tired of.

This is night one without pain meds, and she seems to be doing fine…so far.

Ginger is loving her outdoor time.  She still rolls around in the bit of snow that is left, and loves to drag Dad all over the yard.  She loves her treats, but will not eat her regular food.  🙁  We bought some food that looks like treats, and that seems to be working for now.  🙂