The last day of therapy...

AP here:
For about a year and a half now Tonka and I have gotten in the truck every Tuesday morning and made our way to Bestgate Rd. in Annapolis. There we would spend an hour with two of the smartest and nicest people, Diana Huey and Chris Fritsch. These two ladies have been his rehab specialists every step of the way with his neurological issues doing cold laser and nerve glides with him and putting his rib back in place when it would pop out. They have never given up on him and researched and brainstormed all the way till now trying to figure out and help him walk again.
We would pull in the parking lot and I would back up the truck in a strategic space that allowed the back end to dip down just a bit to make getting him up and down the ramp easier. There was a space of time where he could not help me at all. Those days he wore his help em up harness and I would pull right up to the door and Diana would come out and help me lift him and carry him in.
Everyone there has always made him feel so comfortable and loved (kinda like Norm from Cheers). The other specialty staffs were always giving him treats and hugs and he loved rolling through the lobby to "see" everyone. This Tuesday started out no different as Chris and Diana came out to the truck to help get him up and into his wheels and we headed in for therapy.

Happy Boy!

I'm not sure what made me make the decision but I told them going in that this would be his last session. I think in the back of my mind I know the time is really getting short and I want all his "lasts" to be happy ones.

That is killing me you know "the lasts" -everything I do suddenly has a time-stamp on it as something we will never do again.

So the word went around the facility and Dr. Roa (who is an amazing surgeon and an equally amazing person) popped in on the therapy session to say goodbye. He chatted with Tonka for awhile and scratched his ears and his chin and I know Tonka appreciated it as much as I did.

When therapy was done we rolled out the door and his friends were there to say goodbye.

 

Lots of Love

Gloria and Sonia  had gotten together and come up with the idea to make me something special and so Sonia's mom made the most awesome Tonka hat for me.

Tonka Hat

Such an awesome gift....

Aunt Gina gave him some words of advice

Diana, Chris and his Aunt Gina walked us out to the car and helped get him in the truck. It was so strange and very sad to be leaving a place that has been such a big part of our lives for the past two years. Even though the reasons for being there have always been medical in nature its always been a happy and safe place for us.





On the way home I decided that perhaps we needed some breakfast so I stopped and got us a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich.                                                              

Bacon?

I love bacon...

Nap time

Once home it was time for a nap. It's hard work and very tiring being so spoiled!

The Puppy Plunge 2013

AP here:
Tonka and I attended the Puppy Plunge this year in Annapolis at Camp Letts. We hung out with Tonka's friend Ollie Lollie Stanford and his humans at the Veterinary Housecall Service booth.

On the Way

I'm here

I hung out with my buddy Ollie

I stopped to see the ladies at the Petsmart booth

 There were lots of booths to roll around and visit and "see" people to get treats from. Since we got there early it wasn't very crowded at the little beach and Tonka got to get his feet wet with the help of his friend Hannah.

My friend Hannah and I got in the water

Ollie was chillin

I took a break with my fan

Ollie took a break with some ice water

There were lots of people and puppies

 Later in the day Caitlin came with Noodle and we hung out a bit.

My friend Noodle showed up with a turtle costume

I love Noodle he is a happy boy

This little guy had big ears

Telia and I had a chat

 As the day wound down Ollie and I were tired and ready to go home.

Ollie was ready to go

AP packed everything up

I was asleep before we left the parking lot

Home and time to unpack

It was a really fun day....

Such a Sensitive Boy...

 

AP here:
After 3 days of being on Piroxicam Tonka was doing so well that I could manage to push aside the doom and gloom that's been sitting in my head since the MRI report. Then of course reality smacked me once again. Tonka woke up Thursday morning and promptly threw up. Now Tonka is a very sensitive boy when it comes to meds but he hardly ever throws up (usually the other end is the problem). The Piroxicam is a very powerful anti-inflammatory and we are trying to protect his stomach with pepcid AC and Prilosec everyday but Thursday that did not seem to be working. His prescribed dose for his weight is 15mg and we started him at 10 to stay on the safe side.

He was still perky and while I was cleaning up took off into the yard to do some excavating.

I was hoping that the tumor had just caused some drainage that had soured his stomach but when I got home that afternoon he had thrown up again. I tried to push the recurring thought of the chemo experience and 25 hours in the ER out of my head. I withheld the medicine that night and Friday started him on a bland diet and broke his feeding into smaller meals including adding one at 2:30am. with the goal of keeping something in his stomach. That seemed to do the trick and he has been fine so far.

Saturday was a BIG day as we had scheduled a play date with all his neighborhood friends including some we had not seen in months. We wheeled all the way to the park and I took the stroller to push him home in.

Up and Ready

Out the Gate

Strolling to the Field

Shania and SweetPea Showed Up

Nala Arrived

Duke, Henry and Delilah Came In

Pepe

Jazzy

Jake

All my friends were there and they all ran and played for a bit and then hung out.

Delilah

Delilah and Jake

Duke

Hanging with my Peeps

Delilah and Henry

Nala, Duke and Shania

Hanging Out

In the Shade

Ms. May and I had a Chat

Sonia Giving Pepe some Advice

Group Photo

AJ helped push me home

Wagon Train Ho!!

Dreaming

He was one tired pup when we got home and fell fast a sleep dreaming of his friends and how much fun he had. It was just like old times!

Days go by...

At the beginning of the week Mom gave me some new medicine called Piroxicam and it helped me be able to breathe a little better.
Monday morning I went for a walk and ran into some of the K's which was great.

Morning

Morning Hugs

Then Monday night I went for another walk with my friends....

Friends

then Megan and Cayden came over and we had lots of fun.

Buddies

Luv

ahhh that's the spot

Tuesday we went to therapy with Chris and Diana.

my heart goes thump, thump, thump

Chris puts the cold laser thing on my nerves that don't work right and Diana takes my pulse.





                                 

therapy is so hard

I also get kisses....







On the way out I stopped to smell a light pole... that's a really big deal since I haven't been able to smell real well for awhile. That means the new medicine is working.

SNIFF

I was looking for my Aunt Gina but she wasn't there so I took off to the truck

Aunt Gina I missed you

Tuesday night I walked almost a mile over to my friends house. He was hanging out with his buddies and they all fed me treats and walked around with me.

Kids... My favoritist things

Wheeling with my Buddies

AP pushed me home

Wednesday we went to treadmill and I was so excited.I took off across the parking lot to get to the door and along the way I stopped to smell a bush. AP was very happy about that.

I wheeled right in and even though I did not have a great treadmill day (my foot was kinda draggy) I had a good time.

Headed to the Treadmill

Sleeping while being blow dried - I love It

When we got home I had a bath and a nap. Once I was awake and dry we went for a long walk again to see my kids and this time Nala went with us.

Saying Hello to Ms. Christina

Rolling Along

Yum

           

Headed Home

We hung out for awhile and then headed home and I made it all the way by myself.

It was a great couple of days....