Luci

Since we have been here, Luci always seems to need to break up the two black labs - Lily and Newly - whenever they are playing/wrestling. Since I wasn't outside with them - my dad typically lets the dogs out in the morning - I am not really sure what happened, but I woke up to a very loud "yip" on Saturday morning. Luci came in from outside limping. Because she didn't seem to be in too bad of shape, we decided to wait it out and not take her to the emergency vet. We medicated her with a few aspirins, thinking she probably just twisted or tweaked something. However, by Monday morning, she was still not any better and I made an appointment to take her in.

When I was sitting in the vets office, I noticed she had a toe nail that was crooked and I couldn't help but think "Oh, great news!" I totally had myself convinced that was the problem, but couldn't help but feel bad that I had missed it entirely before - I thought I had been doing a good job checking out her leg/foot/hip. Finally, once we went back the doctor assured me the nail was NOT the problem. "Ah, crap!" But she thinks it could be a hairline fracture in her leg. "Poor dog!" Not great news, but I think that is better that having an acl tear. To be safe, she suggested we do an xray and tells me the treatment is anti-inflammatorys, pain meds and keeping her off it for a while. "No problem!"

Well, this is where my optimism changes. When she comes back from the xray, she tells me that it is not a hairline fracture - instead it is a ccl tear - which is the human version of the acl! "$&@*!" And better still - they don't do the surgery in town. We have to take her to Portland to a specialist. (For those of you who have known us for a while, you know we have all ready walked down this path with Coco, our chocolate lab.)

I met with the specialist today. He was great! He used English that I could understand and explained the whole process with pictures - yuck!!! - and all. I feel really good about the care she will be getting. (And yes, I know she isn't a person, but our dogs are a part of our family - like our first babies - so it was important for me to be comfortable and like her surgeon.)

I won't go into the details of the surgery because really, they turned my stomach - but I will say that Luci is having surgery on Saturday. I am hestitant to do so than because Addie and I will be in Vegas seeing Charlie, but the next available time wasn't until next Thursday and I didn't feel comfortable waiting that long based on the surgeon's explanation. I am lucky in that my mom will be able to take Luci -those two have always been pretty chumy anyway.

Please keep my poor, sweet, hound dog in your thoughts this weekend. She is in for a very long and painful surgery and not to mention recovery!