denali-tplo surgery 4 weeks post op

well, i'm just going to stop apologizing for not posting new blogs when i say i will. haha. the time just seems to fly. so to catch you up on the last couple weeks...our girl is finally on the mend and doing well! her 2-week check-up went well although her incision was irritated upon arrival. i figured it was due to the fact that she knocked the car gate over and then proceeded to jump over the back seat (although she got stuck halfway over the seat)..all while i was driving down the interstate. so 2 more weeks of antibiotics and having to wear the cone of shame and we're back to healthy!

the surgeon said she looked good walking around and that everything else checked out fine. we go back in a couple weeks for follow-up x-rays and check-up. we've been doing exercises and going for short walks. denali is not crazy about the exercises and usually just lays down in the middle of them; but she is loving being back outside and exploring (and barking and trying to chase things, etc.). she doesn't seem to be limping near as much so i think she's figuring out how to work her new bionic leg. she walks somewhat bow-legged (probably due to the surgeon shaving and rotating her shin bone!), but that seems to be straightening out. her hair is also growing back so she doesn't look so naked. ha!

overall, she's a happy girl and seems to really be on the mend. she's supposed to be confined for another few weeks, but instead of crating her, we've just been closing her off in her little living room pen. i made her a nice comfy living quarters with lots of blankets, her bed, toys, etc. and she just gets up on the one couch that's not turned around. haha, oh well.

sorry for the poor photo quality, but it's faster to just take new pics with my phone and upload them.

see my hair growing back?!

you can barely see the top of her incision...do you like the annoyed look she's giving me? ;) 

standing! we're working to get her to put more weight on that leg.

denali-tplo surgery 1 week post op

I'm actually blogging at 1.5 weeks post op because I was so busy this weekend (sitting around with denali). I think our girl is officially on the mend. This picture proves my point:

Denali destroying her small living quarters. She's also been throwing her toy around and barking at us to play. She's getting up   on the couch whenever we're in the room, mostly because she's sick of being on the floor is my assumption. Oh, and she's a little rebel. She's been putting more and more weight on her leg and seems to be walking around easier. She's still limping quite a bit but that's to be expected I'm sure for the next couple months. Her hair is also starting to grow back so she doesn't look quite so silly. Surprisingly she's been leaving her incision alone so it's healing nicely and I don't have to put the cone of shame on her. She stays in her crate while we're gone and actually seems quite content in there. 

We started massage and stretching and while she's not crazy about me messing with her leg, she tolerates it. She still hates the icing but will allow the frozen corn on her leg for 5 minutes while she licks peanut butter out of her kong toy.

We head back to the vet this Thursday for her 2 week check and hopefully he'll tell us all is good and we haven't let her be too active. It's hard to contain a big, active doggie! He'll check her out and then go into more detail about her rehab for the next 6 weeks. I'm hoping he'll tell us we don't have to keep her confined anymore but my hopes aren't that high. We shall see.

Of course we're having a beautiful end to the summer here-70s and sunny. As Luke says, Denali is a momma's girl so we cheated and spent some time laying out in the sun over the weekend.

Well, enough for now...I'll update again after our appointment this week. Thanks for keeping our girl in your thoughts!

(let me out!)

denali-tplo surgery day 3 post op

Well, we made it to milestone 1...the end of day 3 post op. Denali will still be on her pain meds for another couple days and her antibiotics for another week or so. She is in good spirits today and spent most of the day resting. The docs say to keep them off their feet for the first 3 days and I was a little worried she was up and walking around too much. Maybe that's why she's taking it easy today. I took a sick day to stay home with her and will go into work for a bit tomorrow. I think she'll be ok. Her leg looks better to me today. The bruising doesn't look as bad and the swelling seems to have gone down some. Her incision still looks good and she's surprisingly not licking it. Thank goodness because I hate those cones. Denali was pretty happy to be outside for brief periods of time today. She tried to take off to chase some birds out of our tree (a favorite past time). Good thing I had her in a sling so I could contain her. Silly doggie.
So now we don't have to be as cautious about letting her move around. However, she still has to be confined to a small space and can only go out on on leash for potty breaks for the next 2 weeks. Well, we're 3 days in, so technically 11 more days. After that, we go back in to meet with the surgeon about her rehab program (exercises, stretching and massage at home) and it's another 6-8 weeks before her bone should be healed completely and she can get back to walking. Looking forward to that day...
Day 3 post op pics:

denali-tplo surgery day 2 post op

They call the first 3 days post op the inflammatory/pain phase. Awesome. However, on day 2, our Denali came back to us. No more spacey doggie! She was super excited to wake up this morning (in our bed of course...don't tell her surgeon but she was NOT going to sleep on the nice comfy bed we set up for her on the floor). She also climbed up on the couch today before we could stop her. Stinker. She's not whining at all and is continuing to put a little weight on her leg. We're still using the sling to hold her steady while she's standing and walking but she could probably manage on her own. I think she got used to the injury and using 3 legs that this isn't a big deal to her. Her leg is bruising quite nicely now and it's a deep red color. Her incision looks good though and no leakage. Denali does NOT like the ice packs on her leg and does anything she can to get away from me. Luke had to keep her company and hold her still while I iced tonight. She's a little stir crazy today but as long as one of us is sitting in her little pen with her, she's okay. So we've been taking turns sitting with her so we could stretch our legs. I've never been so unproductive on a weekend. ha! Some day 2 post op pics:

denali-tplo surgery day 1 post op

We brought Denali in on Friday, 8/24/12 for her surgery. She made it through anesthesia just fine, the surgery was "textbook" and went really well according to the surgeon tech. We got to pick her up on Saturday morning. She was pretty looped up on drugs, which was weird to see. They also shaved a ton of her back/leg/etc. We weren't expecting to see so much hair gone, but it'll grow back. There was a bandage on her leg in case the sutures leaked a little. They actually did sutures on the inside that eventually dissolve. This way, we won't have to go back in to have them removed and she won't be as tempted to lick at them. 

She sort of seemed happy to see us but then laid down on the floor and had to be coaxed into getting up to go to the car. However, with the help from a sling, she was already putting weight on her leg! The tech said that was a good sign. She couldn't quite figure out the backseat of the car so this was most of the drive home:

Poor baby!! We made it in and tried to just make her as comfortable as possible. It was hard to see her in pain and she spent time whining today. However, once she was able to go to the bathroom, she seemed in better spirits. Oh, and as long as both Luke and I were sitting with her on the floor, no more whining. :) Of course, she has no issues with eating. A lot of dogs will lose their appetite post surgery, but not Denali. She's up for any kind of treats and scraps you want to pass her way.

The surgery she had is: Tibial-Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO) and is the common surgery done with this type of injury. Basically they shaved her tibia (shin bone) to make it level (instead of at a slant like it is in dogs), rotated it then attached everything back together with a metal plate and screws. This allows dogs faster recovery time and they are able to get back to daily activities without long term effects or a need to be on meds forever. So in a few months, she'll be back to running and jumping and playing (fingers crossed!). Unfortunately, they say that 30-50% of dogs end up with the same injury in the other leg, sometimes quickly after recovering from the first surgery. We are praying this is not the case, but aware of the chance. So this is day 1 post op:

denali-cranial cruciate ligament tear

Well, we decided to go ahead with surgery for what we suspected what a cranial cruciate ligament tear in Denali's right back leg. Our poor girl has been limping for a couple of months, off and on. She was playing in the backyard with another doggie a few months ago and since then, hasn't quite been herself. After a visit to her vet, she suggested rest for 6 weeks to see if the injury would heal on its own or to make an appointment with the surgeon. Well, for those of you who have met our crazy girl, you know that she does not "rest" well. Like her mommy, she's a runner and she's not happy when I leave her home.
Then, a couple weeks ago, she decided to sprint around the backyard and hasn't really been putting weight on her leg since then. She's mastered getting around on 3 legs and standing on her toes on the injured leg. And of course, she still wants to keep going...
So, we scheduled a consult with a board certified doggie surgeon to see the extent of the damage. Sure enough, he suspected a full tear in the cranial cruciate ligament (basically the acl). Her knee was "drawering" as they call it (easily moving back and forth because of the lack of ligament holding the femur and tibia together). So surgery it is...

2 years..

well, not only were we taking a fertility treatment break, i guess i was taking a blogging break as well. oops. it's amazing that over 2 months have gone by since my last post. it's also hard to believe that it's already june. particularly hard to believe given the fall-like weather we've been having. grrr. the month of may was slightly deceiving since we actually had nice weather. true seattlites always say that july 5th is the start of summer out here, so here's to pants and sweatshirts for a few more weeks. blah.
unfortunately no new news on the baby front. i had actually been doing okay with letting go a little. then we hit the 2 year mark. no [known] fertility issues and yet here we are, 25 months into ttc (trying to conceive) without even the slightest hint of a positive pregnancy test. it's mind boggling (or as luke quotes, "mind bottling"). needless to say, it was a slightly emotional milestone; one that i most likely just thought too much about. but all the same, it sucks. i'm at a loss these days. i was randomly looking up something the other day which led me to fertility something or another which led me to statistics that quoted how you're considered "infertile" if you aren't successful after ttc for a year. boo. i also read percentages and it was something like 85% of couples get preggo within a year (um, not us) and 91% of couples get preggo within 3 years...hmm, hopefully us.
anyway, like most of my emotions, it's a rollercoaster and i'm feeling better now...
on a more positive note, luke and i celebrated our THIRD anniversary last month! it's amazing how quickly the last 3 years have gone by. i made a promise to him (and myself) to not let another year fly by, only focusing on a baby. it's a little saddening to realize that most of the year was spent focusing on that. definitely needing more balance in my life..


well, here's to a more positive year. 
pun intended.

iui #3 fail

well, it was worth a try (or 3)...another negative test. i actually had less of an emotional reaction this time around then the last 2 so that's good. i really have no idea what i will feel when i actually get a positive pregnancy test. ha!
not too much else to say at this moment, except that we're taking a break from fertility testing and treatment for a while. you know, just let nature take its course.
i just wanted to thank you for the emails, cards and thoughts/prayers you've been sending. it means a lot. :) i didn't intend for that to happen when i started blogging about infertility, i just wanted an outlet. but, it's much appreciated all the same.
so in the mean time, i'm going to try to focus more on the positive aspects of not having children (yet). like all the freedom we have, the traveling, the wild vegas nights..oh wait...
i still plan to update any thoughts i have on the topic and will of course, keep you all up to date (i know you check my blog for updates all the time). so in closing, a couple quotes from a little book on the shelf here next to me..."love strong and hope always."

iui #3

just to keep you updated...we went ahead and did a third iui last week. so.........will keep you posted if it's successful. third time's a charm perhaps??
here's to hoping!

iui #2 fail (thank God for best friends)

so it's another negative test and failed iui cycle. i guess it just goes to show that everything can look perfect but still not give you the result you were hoping for. we're debating taking a break from treatments or trying for the ol' third time's a charm...

despite the disappointing end to the weekend, i just want to say what great friends i have. unbeknownst to me, they put together a box that arrived on my doorstep last week. a book on gaining control of emotions (definitely will come in handy), a journal (in case there are things i dont know the whole world to know while blogging), a framed photo of the 5 of us at stacey's wedding last summer (although i actually look pregnant in the pic! maybe i should've only had one of the cupcakes that night...), candy (including swedish fish that were consumed in all of about 30 minutes), and sweet, funny and meaningful letters from each girl. i had to put the letter down until my eyes cleared up from crying (where is that book on emotions?!). it meant the world to me and reminded me that true friends do last a lifetime. i love these girls.

2.16.12

hard to believe it's been 4 years since i got to hear grandpa curt greet me in the voice i will never forget..."hello....erin!" missing him more as each year passes...


unforgettable

iui #2

well, we did our second iui this past wednesday. everything looked really good. i went in for an ultrasound the sunday prior to the iui and my RE (reproductive endocrinologist-"fertility doctor") joined. usually it's just the assistants who perform the ultrasound, but she happened to be in that day. she counted 5 good looking follicles (what they call the eggs before they mature and burst through). she seemed pretty excited that i had that many. so here's to being cautiously optimistic this time around...
i've always thought that when it happens, i'll somehow know right from the beginning. i know that's a silly thought because some women experience nothing through the first few months. and it's frustrating because sometimes i think i feel symptoms that are really just in my head. or maybe it's just gas. but that's a whole other topic.
we haven't decided if we're going to do a third iui (should we need to, of course...remember, cautiously optimistic..). i guess we'll just see when the time comes.
until then, i'm going to spend the next 10 days putting together the bed for our guest room i [stupidly] bought from ikea. only 8 gajillion pieces and pos directions.
anyway...hope everyone has a great week! 

iui #1 fail

well, iui #1 was a fail. boo. a couple people asked if i had heard back about the iui, but it's the same waiting game when you're trying naturally...basically i either get a positive pregnancy test or every girl's favorite friend comes to visit. so right on schedule, it was the latter. frustrating of course, but we've already moved on and decided to try another round of iui. it'll probably be scheduled in about a week and a half, so we'll keep you posted. :)
in the mean time, we survived the worst winter storm in years...6 inches of snow, ice, freezing rain, slush, another couple inches of snow, more ice and 4 days off for me! i painted, hung out with hubby and snuggled with my puppy. we only lost power for about 36 hours, but it definitely got cold in our house. we spent the night at my parents new washington house since they happened to purchase a generator. and now we're back to rain...looking forward to our next trip somewhere that sees the sun for more than a day at a time...
well, i hope everyone's new year is off to a good start and here's to lucky number 2!

iui #1

iui=intrauterine insemination..basically they take a sample (hopefully it was luke's, like it indicated on the bottle) and inject it right into my uterus...pretty cool!


so we jumped right into treatment this month and had an iui this past wednesday. i go between having really positive feelings and really negative feelings. of the couples we know who have gone this route, we don't know any who it's actually worked out for. so that's a bummer. but i guess, you just never know...


so for the next 2 weeks, i'm remaining cautiously optimistic. because that's what my mother told me to do and at the end of the day, i know, deep down, that my mother is always right.

letting go..

well, since i said i was going to start blogging more, i should actually, well, blog more. so what it comes down to is...they haven't found anything "wrong". luke's good, i'm good, we're all good in the uh, fertile department. so why after 21 months of taking my temp (every morning at 6:00..yep, even on my days off), peeing on ovulation sticks (too graphic for ya?) and timing things accordingly (even more graphic? you got it!) are we still not PG?! that's the answer i had been searching for. i wanted that answer. i wanted there to be a reason so we could fix that reason and move on with this whole process. don't get me wrong, i'm ecstatic that they haven't found anything wrong. but in a way, that makes it even more frustrating. so if nothing is wrong, then why am i not holding a little one in my arms right now?


so this is where i needed to let go. to stop thinking about it all so much. much easier said than done though, let me tell ya. even when i've taken time off from charting, it's still in the back of my mind. even when we've visited with friends, and celebrated holidays, and traveled around europe, it's been on my mind...


maybe it was because we passed the year mark or more likely, the 1.5 year mark..i dont' know, it's gotten a little easier. although if you asked luke, he'll probably say this month was just as bad as month 8. i'm pretty sure month 8 was when i had to excuse myself to go cry in the bathroom when i found out i was going to be an aunt again. no doubt i was so happy for them, but it was overwhelming. that's a whole other (apologetic) blog post though. i guess the expectation was set. i don't consider myself a debbie downer, but when you see so many negatives (no pun intended), i guess you just come to expect that the next month will not be any different. and as we're approaching the 2 year mark, it's become a common feeling that this month is out too. maybe you just become numb after a while.


anyway, back to my whole point of letting things go and being more positive..i guess it comes down to this: i'm trying. i don't cry every month like i had been. i don't leave the room when someone else announces their pregnancy. i don't throw my computer out the window when i read another facebook post (ok, i never actually did that, but i came close). you see, i'm trying...


and in this "waiting period", i have my hubby and my family and my sweet denali to turn my attention to. thank you all for your support and prayers and well wishes along the way.

a new year...

so it's a(nother) new year...where did 2011 go?! i swear, the older i get, the faster the years seem to go. this year in particular just flew by. i decided i would like to stay the age 30. it sounds cool. 31 doesn't seem as exciting to me. i guess part of me wants to take 2011 back. take my year 30 back. 


don't get me wrong, i have some awesome memories from last year. an amazing trip to europe. celebrating a milestone birthday. seeing my college girls for a crazy weekend in dc. fun summer trip home to florida. second wedding anniversary. seeing another one of my best friends get married. fourth anniversary at my job. denali joined our fam. awesome thanksgiving home in florida with everyone, including meeting my niece for the first time. nice relaxing christmas at home...all, in all, i can't complain that much. ;)


onto having a re-do of this year...i spent way too much time being emotional. haha, quite possibly an understatement, but true none the less. i got wrapped up in thinking i actually have control over all parts of my life. and i've finally realized i don't. there, i said it.


i mean, it shouldn't be that hard to get knocked up, right?! fast forward 21 months and still no bebe. seriously?! this waiting thing was not in my life plan. so for the last 21 months, my life has felt incomplete and filled with sadness. as i mentioned already, i've had some wonderful things happen this year. but definitely an underlying feeling of sadness. so, it's a new year and i've decided to (try my best to) have a more positive attitude. i've also decided that i want to blog about it a little. i mean, i'm not going to start posting stats about my egg reserve or the number of ovulation test sticks i've gone through or all the times i've had to put my legs in stirrups...right, i'll stop there.


i started this blog with the intent to keep my family and friends updated on my life since you are all so far away. i've missed blogging and know that it's been put on the back burner for the last year due to my mind being preoccupied.


so feel free to follow along (or not) on our journey..with the hope that someday i, too, will get to post that silly little facebook status.