Lacey

(disclaimer- this is a very long post)

This is my baby girl- who is not such a baby anymore!  Anyone who knows me- knows about Lacey.

So proper with her little paws tucked under.

Look at those big eyes!

Mischevious pup

This is one of my favorites "Chicken?  What Chicken? "

This week marks a very special time-for the Rogers family- but to understand it- I have to tell you the story.

We got Lacey a month after we got married.  I kept asking Rick if we could get a dog- and he surprised me when I got home from work one night with her.  It was love at first site.  She was my friend from day one- and really helped me when I was homesick for my family. Lacey was my furbaby from the word go.- she was my child.  My first born. 

Everything was perfect with her- yes she did gain a little weight here and there- and she is fluffy...but not really any health conditions to speak of.  We took really good care of her and she slept with us every night.  The couch was her domain- and she "sat pretty" and "smiled"- "danced around for food"- among other things.

Fast forward 5 years- We found out we were expecting a baby in January of 2007.  Lacey could sense something was different about me- I couldn't put my finger on it- but she seemed to be more clingy than usual-and she was all over Baby Zach's toys.

Doesn't she look excited?

One day in August - I got a frightening phone call while I was at work.  Rick told me that he was taking Lacey to the vet- something was very wrong with her- he thought she was having a stroke.  We have a vets office down the road from us so he took her there.  He called me back and told me that she was ok that they had given her a shot- but that they really didn't know what happened.  That night she had another "attack" and from there started a vicious cycle of severe pain attacks all throughout the day and night- and we had no idea what was wrong with her. - she looked like she was having a seizure or a stroke- and she would be in so much pain.  I would have to give her pain meds and musle relaxer to calm her down. 

Then she started having trouble walking. It was just a little limp at first.  We took her to the vet back and forth- and to make a long story a little shorter- after numerous vet visits and lots of dollars- we found out she was suffering from IVDD- which is a disease that causes the discs in her back to calcify- causing pressure on the spine and severe pain.  We were told that even if she had surgery her chances of success were so slim because she had been having the symptoms for a couple of months.  So Rick did lots of  research and we decided that we would try Acupuncture treatment.

All of this is happening the last few months of my pregnancy- and we are so worried for my little girl.  We take her to weekly acupuncture treatments- and she just keeps getting worse.  All we can do is manage the pain- and I at this point I am thinking- Zach are you even going to have the chance to meet Lacey?  We are feeling more guilty by the day...because we know she is suffering.  At one of her treatments- I start having strong contractions- and guess what- time to go to the hospital!

Within days of bringing Zach home- Lacey loses complete use of her legs.  She is paralyzed.  We continue with the acupuncture treatments- throughout the month until November 7th.  The pain attacks continue- and she just keeps going down hill.  Lacey loses her spark- and now- just exists.

November 7th, 2007.  That was the day that I was told that I needed to put Lacey to sleep.  The vet told me that there was nothing else she could do- that she can't save them all.  That our only choices where to either get her a cart (wheelchair) or put her down.   Even with a wheelchair the vet said that her quality of life would be terrible. (turns out she was wrong about that too- which I would learn later)  I sat there for 15 minutes- tears streaming- (of course she tells me all of this at the beginning of the treatment).

I took my furbaby and put her in the car.  I could hardly see to drive.  I looked over at my little girl- and I said- "I am not giving up on you!  If you are willing to fight- then so am I!!!"  With a new determination I drove home- and immediately got online to start researching once again.  Back to square one. Rick tells me that night-" you have thirty days to turn her around.  If she doesn't start to get better- then we will have to have her put to sleep because it is not fair to her to live like this."  I took it as a challenge.

I came to this website- The Dodger's List.  http://www.dodgerslist.com/  It is a website that is dedicated to helping people with their dogs that have back problems.  There are people that work round the clock to monitor the message boards and help people just like me.  They do this because they CARE.  I feel that God sent me to this site because I posted my story- and within hours- I had a group of people ready and willing to walk me step by step through the process of what would become her recovery.

I put her on crate rest- which I was advised by the ladies from the Dodger's List- her new home as of Nov. 8, 2007 was a playpen.  Since she couldn't walk- and I didn't want her to try- I carried her out to potty and even held her up while she went.  Gave her meds every 4-6 hours- round the clock- and tended to her day and night.   It actually worked out really well with having a new baby.  I was on maternity leave and  I just looked at it as taking care of  2 babies :)  We continued meds to heal her back- and slowly started seeing signs of improvement. 

My poor baby

Our new family 1st Christmas

I had to go back to work on January 7th.- and we could see that she was getting better.  Rick took over taking care of her during the day.  I believe with all of my heart that God had a plan and it is no accident that all of this happened and my maternity leave allowed me to be at home with her 24/7 to help her recover.  It wasn't her time to go- and if we would have listened to 2 vets- she would not be with us now.

To spare all of the details- we celebrated with every little improvement.  You can read her blog at http://profiles.yahoo.com/blog/ITDZLFKWJ6CDV6HB742MRTZHEE  for all the details. 

But now I come to the reason we celebrate this week.  The week of February 22, 2008- Lacey walks.  Slow steps at first- but by the end of the week she is walking and is no longer content being in the playpen. She was like- let me out MOM!   She was on crate rest for 3 months.  With Dodger's list answering my every post-encouraging me not to give up- celebrating every improvement with me-  and with God's help- she was healed.  I am so thankful that she is still with us.  Yes she is fluffy...but she is still here. 

This week marks TWO years since she started to walk again.

We still have to watch her.  She no longer sleeps with us- and only occasionally do I let her sit on the couch with me- and I watch her like a hawk.  She did lose a little coordination and movement in her leg- a result of the neuro damage that was done the weeks that we had no idea what was wrong with her.  But she runs and barks with the best of them- and people that see her now would never guess what this little girl has been through...God is good!

Now you know why we refer to her as our "Miracle Dog"!

Lacey helping Zach open his presents last Christmas... :)