As of 11:30 AM on Monday January 13th, we ONLY needed another $135 in donations to make the surgery deposit for her leg amputation. $141 in donations came in!!!!! OMG! OMG! I was welling up with tears and just wanted to fall to my knees in sheer relief and appreciation TO all that helped make this happen!!! TY! TY! TY!

I have to update her angel below, yet, really wanted to get an update posted and, will get that updated ASAP 🙂 ….I was making small posts on the Ottawa Great Dane Group as well as on Twitter where I could throughout the day on Monday, yet, by the time I went to bed Monday night, I had hoped and wished to make a detailed blog post on her personal blog…….yet, I did not get home with her until close to midnight – I was off work at KAH at 6 PM and stayed with her until close to 6:20 pm yet, she was not close to being stable – her body temp was barely 36 degrees(THANK you again Brian for visiting and, helping to lift her so, that I could get more blankets etc., under neathe her!) and, just as with her spay, she was having a really hard time coming out of the anesthetic….something for when that right matched forever loving home finds her when she is ready to be placed up for adoption to note…..

I left her there for a few more hours, got together with two friends from the Vet world and after, dinner and in reviewing some cases etc., THANK you Dr. Zak for offering to come back with me to KAH to load her up to get her home. I WAS so grateful!!! It was icy and the extra hands was so appreciated.

She wagged her tail before I left her and, she wagged her tail when she saw me again. Her body temp by the time I took her home was 38.6 and she had had another dose of buprenorphine at 8 PM and I took home two more injections to give to her throughout the night(one dose was to be for 1 AM and, she was in such pain, I injected her at 12:42 AM) and, the other was to be given around 7 AM(yet, she was ok until 8:48 AM).

She had a rough ride home. 🙁 🙁 Thank you Sean for meeting me at the end of the laneway  – with the ice the car just cannot make it – with the truck and helping me to transport her into the home. She stayed with me in the masterbedroom that night and, Sean took the rest of the dogs with him and, slept on the main area on the couch! LOVE that man!

Understandably, she had a very large pee from being on fluids all day, and, it went right through the pee pad etc., yet, cleaned her up and, it was a long night for she was so uncomfortable and, I comforted her where I could and, I will always remember Dr. Liston telling me when, he did his first leg amputation for me, that something almost magical can happen in the middle of the night…..the dogs that have amputations make a ‘turn’ and it is such an obvious one….either good or bad, yet, it is so apparent….and, I waited and monitored and watched and watched some more and, I took a cloth and wet it and made sure her membranes and tongue were wet(they can get all pasty – in humans also), monitored her vitals and, sure enough…the closer it came to the sun to rise, there was a ‘change’……

By the time, I gave her her second injection, she was not in as much pain(the fentanyl patch would not be kicking in until late Tuesday afternoon as it takes 24 hours), and, when noon hit, she was up and ‘at’ her. Just incredible!!!! She ate a small bit of gastro food and drank some water and, kept me company all cozied up on blankets while I showered for work and, then came to hang at KAH for the day for two reasons. One, to have a good experience – all her Vet visits have not be sooooooo pleasant to date – x-rays, spay, leg amputation – and two, to keep my eye on her.

She was loved on and spoiled(I call her my ‘rotten baby’ as she is so spoiled by many!) and given treats and she ate some more gastro throughout the day and evening(she was holding out for the pizza that one of the staff was eating though!) and drank more….she finally had a small concentrated pee for me and, before I took her home, she had another small pee. No BM’s yet, but, that is not abnormal.

As I type this blog post, she has MADE it past the 24 hour milestone mark!!! YES! YES! Her incision looks great! It was a bit inflammed yesterday post-surgery(have some photo’s to post) yet, all marveled at how amazing it looked Tuesday. She is taking her meds, reluctantly yet, we are working through that….she even took some treats from the Male Vet at KAH! HUGE HUGE HUGE! Still timid and unsure of strangers and she looks towards me for guidance and direction and I encourage her ‘let’s make a friend’ and let them offer her treats, they passively ignore and, it is treated as no big deal. 🙂

On my way home, she had a short visit with a BHRR approved Volunteer – THANK you! – and, they could not believe that her amputation was only Monday. 🙂 That leg had so been holding her back, it is only forward looking now!

We move on to the next milestone of 36 hours!

I have to be so honest, I was so internally a wreck on Monday throughout her surgery. A Client that was at KAH tonight when BHRR’s Bloom was brought in with her gas bloat said how calm and focused and rationale I was for she would be freaking and, I said not much freaks me out yet, inside, I worry…. 😉

Before I keep typing a Gwennie novel….on to some photo’s! I even have some of her amputated leg…and, two of my fellow staff members took a video of it as yes, it twitched and pulsed for some time after it was amputated. The one video sent my way did not actually end up being received. I will ask again. One day, I hope to tape a full pexy surgical procedure and add it to the article I put together and one, day, I would like to do the same for an amputation. Graphic and detailed for many, yet, would be posted in the educational section of this website.

Her final bills are going to be close to $5,000 if not more, AND, still seeking bakers for her ‘BREAKING BILLS BAKING’ Online Auction coming up fast! 🙂  PLEASE EMAIL

BHRR’s Angel Noelle – Sedated and after being prepped for surgery – January 13th, 2014

BHRR’s Angel Noelle – Prep #2 photo and After Leg Amputation in surgical suite – January 13th, 2014

BHRR`s Angel Noelle – After Leg Amputation in surgical suite & then in Post-Op Recovery from right front leg amputation