I'm going to schedule Pooh Bear's surgery (gulp) (updated)

[JackieMaya]

I got a message from the rescue shelter's director, and she said that the surgeon (who she said is the best orthopedic doctor in the midwest) recommended the head and neck excision surgery (FHO) for Pooh Bear, and the shelter will pay for the surgery and that I can go ahead and schedule the surgery.

So tomorrow I'm going to call their vet clinic (where Pooh Bear got x-rayed the last time) and schedule his surgery. GULP! I'm very nervous about the surgery, and I'm going to feel so bad for Pooh Bear, because I know he'll be in pain after the surgery. With this surgery, the dogs are supposed to get lots of exercise afterwards, so the aftercare will be a lot easier for a young, active dog like Pooh Bear. But I'm sure he'll be sore, and I'll feel bad making him move around if he doesn't want to. :(

The rescue shelter director also thanked me for wanting to keep Pooh Bear through all of this. I suppose a lot of people would have sent him back because he's "defective." Returning Pooh Bear never even entered my mind!

It's good I didn't quit smoking yet, because I'll need them when he gets his surgery!

[Crystal]

Oh I love the goal to quit smoking, what a great idea.

Pooh Bear will be fine. He may be sore for a while, but his life will be so much better afterwards. I know you will take such great care of him and he will know how much you love him and you are only doing what is best for him. Good Luck.

[pollysmith]

Best wishes and prayers for you and Pooh Bear for a successful surgery and quick recovery! :)

[xavierandrea]

Double ditto

[JackieMaya]

Pooh Bear is scheduled for FHO surgery on May 12. I'll bring him in in the morning and he'll stay overnight, and I'll pick him up the next day after 10:00. I just know I'm going to be an absolute wreck!

I'm going to have to clear out the area by the back door downstairs (which I never use) so that I can take him outside without him having to go up the stairs (unless they tell me to have him go up stairs). I have exercise equipment back there now, so I'll just have to move it around so that we can get out the back door. With the FHO surgery, they want the dog to get lots of exercise after surgery, so maybe they'll want him to do stairs, but probably not at first.

And I like the idea of saving the money I would have spent on cigarettes and donating it to the shelter I adopted my kids from. I'll probably quit smoking around September. I should be about done with my liquid diet by then.

[Crystal]

Ah come on, think of all the money you will spend between now and september and how some doggy could really use that money. You could help some other dog that needs suregry so that his family won't have to return him for lack of funds.

Guilt Trip.

[JackieMaya]

I would quit smoking now, but I don't want to be giving up food (literally) AND smoking at the same time. I want to succeed at both the weight loss and quitting smoking.

[Crystal]

Ok, well I'll stop trying to guilt trip you now. My husband says he is going to take up smoking so he can lose weight. I promised I would give him a good kick in the butt if he did.

[Guest Anonymous]

aww JM your such a good momoy for keeping him.. we all know you would never return him.. :) i will be thinking of Bear on teh 12th.. try not to get to stressed out before then!

[JackieMaya]

hate to change the subject, did you start your liquid diet yet?

The liquid diet is going great! I lost 10 pounds my first week, and 1-1/2 pounds so far this week (and I have 2 more days to go). And I haven't even been perfect on the diet yet! I need to :drinking: more water and had to give up the bars (because I ate all the bars for the week in one day) and switch to soynuts.

[nadooshkinz]

[quote name='JackieMaya']

hate to change the subject, did you start your liquid diet yet?

The liquid diet is going great! I lost 10 pounds my first week, and 1-1/2 pounds so far this week (and I have 2 more days to go). And I haven't even been perfect on the diet yet! I need to :drinking: more water and had to give up the bars (because I ate all the bars for the week in one day) and switch to soynuts.
:o give me this magical diet you speak of! I'm really packing on the pounds.. was actually going to start an all vegetable diet tommorow, not really much of a sacrifice, since I'm a vegetarian! :lol:

[JackieMaya]

It's a very expensive diet, and not for someone who just needs to lose 10 or 20 pounds.

It's the Optifast diet, which is a medically-supervised liquid diet. I drink 5 Optifast chocolate drinks and eat an ounce of soynuts per day, and I'll be doing this for about 5 months! It's definitely not a diet for everybody! And it costs $3,000.

And by the way, I lost another 1-1/2 pounds, so that's 3 pounds this week: a total of 13 pounds since April 14!