On December 8th, I brought BHRR’s Potter back in to see the Vet. The decision was to try and close up his 3+”gaping surgical site with buttons(6 of them) and I continue to just be so impressed plus touched by the incredible quality of care that Potter has been receiving. Not only would the Vet not bill me for the procedure; he also gave me extra antibiotics to continue Potter on his course of meds for another 2 weeks. The Vet told me that this was his contribution towards Potter’s rehab and our program. We are humbled yet again by all the kindness that has been shown to the animals under our care. AND those buttons are an extremely resourceful idea and they are sooooooooooooo working!!!!! 🙂 They provide just enough room for some tension on Potter’s stump when he sits or lies down while at the same time, is holding the wound site together enough to continue to promote healing. The Vet did say that Potter is healing even slower than he would like to see but he is healing and we are on the right track!!! I cannot add enough exclamation points to this blog!!!! 😀 While Potter is still not eating or drinking great overall; he had a fantastic meal recently plus three weeks to the date that his leg was amputated; this past Friday; he actually wanted to play a bit! WOOHOOOOOO! On Saturday, he also showed some ‘spunk’ and wanted to play again a bit. Potter’s Path has been a very difficult one to date for him and while many have said how great of a job we have been doing with him; it is truly Potter that has the most toughest of one to travel. For me, re-arranging my work schedules with Clients, Rescue etc., staying up around the clock as needed, tending to his amputation area; ensuring that he is getting all that he needs when he needs it and lots of support, love and cuddles has been a true honour. I feel blessed to be here for Potter and with every groan or moan of discomfort he makes; I try to stay strong on the inside and say ‘he is alive and healing slowly but still healing’….’he is alive and still here and fighting the biggest battle ever and whatever he needs, we are going to give it to him’ and ‘as long as Potter wants to fight; we are going to fight with him’…and..and…and…and…and that is nothing for me to do. It is Potter that is doing the hardest part and whatever we can do to ease this path he has to travel; we are going to do it. As much as Sean tries to assist AND he never gives himself enough credit; Potter is reluctant to be tended to by him; so Sean has picked up some of the slack I have had to let go on a few other things to give Potter as much as he needs. With Potter’s amputation, it has been a true ‘test’ of how far he has come with his temperament since he first came to us in July of 2009. This is the dog that would try and grab at you in putting a collar or leash on him or to put him in a crate and doing nails was like WWIII and now, I can get him to lie gently on his side all by myself and tend to his amputation area. I have to clean that area up to 5 times a day and I can manually give him his antibiotics(something that I would not have even attempted back in July) as due to his lack of eating well; it is the only way to get them inside of him and gosh, this dog has come a long way and I well know why he was the way he was(complete lack of socialization and training and yes, some abuse); and truly while the home treated him so badly might not feel he is a loss to them HE is a HUGE HUGE HUGE gain in our lives. When I come home from work or just from putting the kids on the bus, he whole back end wiggles so much that he loses his balance he is just that happy to see me, his little sideways twists and turns as he expresses himself; the full body wag in excitement and those eyes….OMG! Those eyes! Potter’s eyes are so full of expression and the black….so black. I keep telling people ‘do not look into the eyes’ of many of the dogs here or with those they have adopted as they need to keep up the NILIF; especially in the beginning of the animals in their home; for you will be lost and for me that is Potter 😛 Sigh…those eyes of his are just the deepest, darkest pool of emotions that he has of yet to fully unleash and let me in but I see them and he allows me to see more and more as time goes on. I hope that everyone that has supported Potter but has not yet had the deepest of pleasures of meeting him; will. He is that ‘neat’ of a boy and while sometimes, I have sat down and looked at him and wondered if he understands why we have done what we have done in trying to save his life and give him the best chance possible of living the best of lives ever; I think I ‘feel’ his answer. No matter how bad things have gotten for Potter over these past 3 weeks; he has had a ‘gleam’ in his eyes and it is that gleam that tells me that he is not leaving this earth without giving everything he has to this battle against Cancer. AND no matter if Potter lives another 8 days, 8 weeks or 8 years; my promise to him is that I am not leaving his side. After losing Jaxson; I am just that much more protective of Potter and I wish I could promise Potter that I won’t fail him as I feel that I did with Jaxson in not being able to save Jaxson in the end. 😥 I have posted new slides of Potter #18 – #21 and I have updated his Potter’s Path page with pictures post-surgery from November 30th & December 8th, 2009. I am also going to post a couple of pictures below, so that people can truly see why BHRR exists and that every penny you donate goes right to the animals to allow us to continue to help these amazing creatures live a life they are deserving and have the right to live. I have BHRR’s Potter scheduled to go back to the Vet this Wednesday December 23rd just to see what he thinks as we head into the Holiday Season. As good as I feel about where things are slowly heading; I really would like to get my Vet’s view on Potter’s healing progress too. For the first time since he leg was amputated, I am feeling truly positive that Potter is finally on the right track.

November 30th, 2009 – 10 days post-amputation(staples added) & December 8th, 2009 – 18 days post-amputation(buttons added)