I call Missy my wonder dog.

 

The call came out of nowhere. At 9 am on October 10, my Missy, a rescued blonde cocker spaniel, lost the use of her hind legs. Overnight she went from being a Michael Jordan tracker to being a paraplegic. We had 24 hours to decide if surgery was a viable option.

 

Missy is the kind of soul that jumps steps three at a time. She ran where others walked. She jumped where others jumped. She lived for a ride in the car where she would sit shotgun on the front console. Her will and determination could encourage a sleepy adult to come downstairs in the middle of the night when she fashioned a necessary gift.

 

We now had 24 hours to match a medical miracle to our baby girl Missy. We were hoping that an MRI would show a herniated disc, easier to fix and with a better chance of her walking again. The results showed damage over a period of time, she had just been quietly compensating.

 

A team of doctors said the surgery may or may not restore her ability to walk. She is a fighter and we had to give her a fighting chance. On October 11, she was prepped for surgery. She came out of surgery well, but there was still no promise of normality. Just the promise that there will be a new normal reality.

 

From Missy and this period of convalescence we have learned a lot about how to face our challenges. Maybe you too can learn to face your challenges:

 

Four months later we have all learned. We have learned to be thankful for a neurosurgeon dog, physical therapist, oncologist, laser acupuncture, and the aquatic treadmill. What I am most grateful for is this dog with a heart, will and attitude of steel.

 

1. Deal with problems quickly

We had to quickly decide if surgery would be a viable option. We get expert opinion as quickly as possible and move forward. Somehow we were lucky that medical reality dictated a quick decision. The takeaway lesson is that regardless of the challenge or situation, moving forward is always a positive.

 

2. assume the best

If I could speak for Missy, I think she always assumed the best. The day after surgery she tried to walk. Even when she couldn’t walk without help, she still assumed that she could. Surgery has been followed by physical therapy including laser acupuncture and hydrotherapy. Every additional two minutes that she spends on the water treadmill, I hug her like the first moon landing. When people roll their eyes at this story, I roll my eyes at their lack of faith. From the beginning I assumed that if she gave her every advantage, the best would happen.

 

3. listen to your inner voice

My voice and his inner voice didn’t always speak in unison. My voice said, you can’t use your hind legs, wait until I get a towel to put under your belly. His voice said: I will crawl where I have to go. My voice said, you need to be confined until you regain the use of your legs. His voice said, I can drag my hind legs to get where I want to go. Finally, I heard OUR inner voice: a combination of my caution and her optimism.

 

4. Live your life by your standards. . . mostly

We made three ramps for him to use because he was not allowed to use steps early in his convalescence. Since he has improved in “leaps” he chooses the steps over the ramp. She insists that she can make a ladder herself, and if they don’t take care of her, she’d be jumping in the car. My job in life is to constantly alter her expectations.

 

5. Reluctantly adapt

As she progressed, she was allowed to negotiate the steps by herself, on a leash, doing them one by one. A huge improvement from having to walk up and down the steps every day. After a few weeks, she seems to have reluctantly agreed to the terms. Even in her world, not every mountain is worth dying for.

 

6. fight continuously

My girl is a survivor. Since the first day of her postoperative period she has fought for all the successes. First, the neurosurgeon told us that she may not walk again; she may not have control over her bodily functions. She struggled not to be confined, she struggled to walk, she struggled to walk alone, and she struggles with me every day to have as normal a life as possible.

 

7.accept realities

This is a challenge for both of you. We see different realities. She sees where she was for most of her life and asks why not? I think about where she was on October 10 and I don’t think anymore. So my reality gives her a little more freedom each day, and her reality gives her less freedom than before 10/10, and more freedom than I ever dreamed she would have.

 

After his surgery I was blown away by the amazement of people who would give a 12 year old dog, this surgery, this therapy, the best hand of minds and hands medicine to offer. I knew I had to give it every chance I could identify and afford. And he has given me back my old Missy, almost, and a renewed belief that anything is possible.

 

With special thanks to my Moshe, Metropolitan Vet Hospital, Dr. Axlund and Dancing Paws Animal Wellness.