Thursday, December 31, 2015

Best. Shit. Ever.

So, we are now one week and change since Sherman's second surgery. For the sake of brevity, if you're not sure what happened see my facebook post about it.

When I took Sherman home, the vet sent a letter home with me:
Keep a close eye on Sherman during the next 5-7 days. due to the amount of adhesions in the abdomen, a repeat obstruction is possible. As long as Sherman is happy, comfortable, and eating, then I think we can continue to observe. If Sherman stops eating or seems to be in pain, then we may need to consider his happiness level and quality of life.
I'm sorry that I haven't given a Sherms update sooner, but the preceding excerpt  from the vet's letter, has kept my hopes grounded.

Sherman has always been finicky about his bowel movements. He normally goes in the exact same corner of the yard, every time. He also doesn't like to have me or other dogs around or watching him while he's doing his business. However, as I've needed to closely monitor his digestive track, we've had interrupt his regular routine.

In the early AM of today, Sherman woke me up to take him out. I put on my coat, boots, and hat to follow him outside. We went to the spot we've designated as his new place to do his sinful deeds, and I could tell he was antsy, pacing back and forth, circling in one spot and then another. At one point he returned to my side and sat down.

It took some coaxing, but in the pre-dawn light, Sherman had his first bowel movement post surgery that proved he was digesting the food I was feeding him.

Sherman is going to be on a strict dietary regimen for the rest of his life. And that's okay. I soak his regular dog food in water for a few hours and then mash it up with a can of easy-to-digest wet dog food. But he seems to love the food, and it's a very small inconvenience when the reward is another day with my best friend.

Michael Cera has been a champ during this own debacle. When we weren't sure if Sherman was going to make it out of the animal hospital, he laid on the bed with me, his head in my lap, and let me weep as I hugged him tightly. I feel closer to him because of this experience.

It's not everyone who get's to wake up and spend their time with the souls who mean the most to them, but then again, the three of us aren't everyone.

4 comments:

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  2. I'm so happy for you and yours! All of you are well loved and this news is much needed. If you need help or support in any way, let me know!

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  3. That's awesome. I'm glad that he's recovering. Sherman is strong, and so are you dude!

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