Storm Blog

Part of The Family

Sun, 7 Sep 2008 18:51:34 -0600

It seems impossible to believe, but we have had Storm in our home since May, four whole months. To say that a lot has happened is an understatement.

I think it is appropriate to start with what happened to the excess money we collected for Storm’s care. My brother-in-law and his soon to be son-in-law joked with me that we should have used the cash for a rehab trip for the dogs to Hawaii. You know the sand is great running for rehab. In all seriousness we sent half the money back to the nice lady from the Sheltie rescue in Arizona to help her continue her work. The other half we left at the vet for the “next” person to come through with a story like ours. Sure enough the story came along and we had the request from the vet.

I asked Leah from the vet’s office to write the story out, which she did, thank heaven for cut and paste, and here it is:

“Hello! My name is "Braxton"! I am a 19 week old poodle that thinks the world is a fun and exciting place! I have had some recent troubles though...about a week ago I was left unattended on a second story balcony and fell so far! My family realized that my leg was very painful and took me to Central Valley Veterinary Hospital. The very nice Dr. McDonald told my family that my leg seemed to be broken and they wanted to take some pictures of my bones to see how bad the damage was. My family said that they couldn’t afford anything and were not in a position to take care of me...I was so sad because I hurt so bad and couldn’t stop crying!

Dr. McDonald looked into my little button eyes and made the decision to take me on as her new little rescue puppy! I was so excited because she told me she would fix me up as good as new! I said goodbye to my family and prepared for my new adventure.

After they took pictures of my bones it turned out that I broke my femur really bad! I had to have a surgical specialist put some screws and a metal plate in my little leg! Can you believe it! Well they set to work and fixed me up, they even gave me a pretty new haircut! I felt much better!

I’m having a great time in my new foster home where I am healing up and making new friends. I went home with one of the girls from the pet hospital who always tells me what a good boy I am! My foster mommy has done this before and I have 3 other rescue babies who share my new home with me. We all love each other and snuggle in our beds and even get to play with tons of toys and chew on yummy bones! I cant wait to heal up and see where my new adventures take me! I have some new parents waiting to meet me when I’m good as new!

My foster mommy told me that my leg was able to be fixed because a very nice and loving family donated the money needed for the surgical specialist to fix me up! She was so happy and thankful for their extreme generosity that she cried all over me~it was a little embarrassing because she did it in front of my new foster brothers and sisters!

We both want to say thank you so much to the Fellows family for all their hard work and huge hearts for making this possible for me!

Big kisses and tail wags...

Braxton”

As you can tell things worked out the way they were meant to do. We hope where ever Braxton lands is with a family who loves him as much as we love Storm.

Storm......where to begin.

It was a little more difficult to meld her in to our family than we thought. It wasn’t a problem from a human point of view, it was from the dog perspective. As I mentioned in the last entry Storm and Rogue would tussle a bit. Once Storm had completely healed, the tussles got worse. We later learned they were trying to determine dominance in our pack, and no one was winning.

The dogs were great apart from one another, but oil and water together. Storm would constantly challenge Rogue, and we would break it up before anyone drew blood. It really was getting ugly.

My wife finally had enough and said “uncle.” We got some help from a nice lady from “Bark Busters.” It was almost an instant change. They were getting along the next day. Not perfect, and we don’t do the training as well as we should, but the change is phenomenal.

One thing that had been driving me crazy was as soon as Storm could run, she did. Each time the door would open she would bolt. We would call after her and she would just run faster. Luckily I’m no slouch and I could catch up with her when I was home. The bigger problem was when I wasn’t home, but some how each time we got her within a few minutes back in the house, safe and sound. We wondered if that’s what happened at her last house, and they just didn’t chase her. The training has helped that problem too.

But honestly there has been so much joy Storm has brought to our home. She has a personality very different from Rogue. Storm loves to be around people in a different way. Rogue just wants to be in the same room with people, you don’t need to particularly pay attention to her, rub her, or really anything. She is kind of... aloof. She wags her tail, she comes and says “hi” then she’s done with you.

Then there’s Storm. Each morning our family kneels in a circle to say family prayers. This happens when I am ready to leave, so typically the kids are still groggy when we get them to the circle. Storm is excited to see everyone, and can’t wait to say good morning. The method she uses is placing both paws on the chest of the recipient and licking the face. You can always tell when she reaches the person saying the prayer because they sputter and cough as they receive the obligatory lick in the open mouth. Sometimes it’s difficult not to laugh.

Did I mention she loves to run? She actually plays with Rogue in the back yard. The fun game is when Storm grabs a little football and Rogue gives chase. Rogue is bigger and faster and catches up to Storm pretty quickly, but Storm is smaller and more agile and can turn on a dime. It lasts until one of them finally runs out of gas and they drop in to the shady grass long tongues hanging to the ground. Sometimes she runs like a rabbit or a deer bouncing and bounding around the yard, our silly funny bunny.

You can see we were finally able to get her hair cut, and give her a bath. Actually, my niece, who cuts dog hair for her job, cut Storm’s hair as her donation to the Storm fund. I call her little bat dog sometimes. If a haircut can change, or make a personality it seems to have done it with Storm, or maybe it was just the healing. Whatever it was she seems lighter, happier and down right happy to be alive, with a hint of mischief in those crooked ears that hang one a little off center from the other.

Even though we have had Rogue longer, in many ways Storm is my favorite. She loves to be rubbed and cuddled. She always is the first to come for me, she is just such a loving little dog.

I started this blog by saying it seems impossible that she has been with us for so long, but the truth is it seems like she has been with us forever and we can’t imagine our family without her.

Time Keeps on Slippin...

Tue, 3 Jun 2008 14:58:42 -0600

Not long after the last entry we noticed the top of Storm’s incision was beginning to split open. I didn’t think it was too big a deal until it got larger instead of smaller. Some times you think the worst no matter how little something appears, and that’s what we were thinking. Rush back to the vet and “pop, pop, pop.” Three little staples later, and no big deal, except she couldn’t go through the metal detectors at the airport.

This morning I took her to the vet to have those dog gone staples removed. As a precaution, not knowing what had happened with her before, she got the full battery of dog vaccinations. The look on her face going home was, “Would you please stop taking me there? Every time we go I get poked with something.”

The vet was amazed at how well Storm is progressing. The vet described Storm’s walk as straight and steady, an indication that the pelvis is healing exactly the way it should. The time table changed based on today’s visit. Since she is doing so well, we don’t need to have the x-rays next week, but we will go back in three weeks for booster shots, a final x-ray, and schedule for the spay. What that means if all goes according to plan is we can stop carrying her up and down the stairs and overall babying her so much early. Then Storm can just be a regular dog.

Like I mentioned before, and as you can see in the video, Storm is going crazy to play. She tries to chase Rogue around the yard, but that leash just won’t let it happen. We have to keep her contained all the time in one way or another so she won’t attempt the stairs.

Speaking of Rogue, even she is having a hard time containing herself. I think Rogue still senses Storm isn’t quite right and won’t come right out and play. Rogue has a rope toy, Rogue loves rope toys, every time she grabs it Storm gets in Rogue’s face yapping, and tugging at it. Instead of running away from the dog a third her size or simply yanking it back Rogue lets go and walks away. But sometimes the shaking anticipation of a good tussle gets the best of them and we quickly break it up.

It seems amazing that this little dog blog and odyssey has been almost a month. Sure enough we are all getting used to a new kind of “normal.”

One last thought. Our youngest came home from school a few days ago and spent several minutes crying and hugging both dogs. (He is going crazy too because we won’t let him hold Storm yet.) Apparently his teacher had just finished reading the book Marley and Me to the class. If you haven’t read it and you love dogs I would highly recommend it. It looks like they are going to make a movie out of it later this year with Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston, but read the book first, it’s alway better.

Home Sweet Home

Thu, 22 May 2008 22:00:22 -0600

Life really is an odd event. You really don’t know what you’re going to get. For us it was another dog. Storm has already been a challenge. Not that she is a problem dog, in fact it’s just the opposite she is a really good dog. The problem is that she is still a puppy and it is killing her, and us, for her not to be able to play.

Almost as soon as Storm got home Rogue would circle, and occasionally bark. Storm started making noise, a low throaty growl that erupted in to a full fledged puppy bark.

The big problem is she wants to run and play. I just think, if I had my pelvis broken two weeks ago, and surgery last week I would be in no mood to walk, let alone run and play. But she does. We have to have her on leash all the time, either tethered to some thing or some one, with the occasional stay in the kennel. It was almost comical the first few times she stood and walked, but as time passes her walking is less like Bambi’s first few steps and more like a playful ball of fur.

To compound the problem we have a house full of stairs. We were specifically directed not to let her take the stairs. We have already lost track of her a time or two, and I hate to say she has gone up and down a couple. It has only been a week, we aren’t supposed to let her take stairs for up to eight weeks.

Storm has been a joy. She is a real people person, she wags and whines with glee when some one comes to visit the straggly little stray. As I mentioned before she IS house trained. Actually, we still can’t figure out why whoever had her before was so willing to give her away, or just not care what happened to her.

Storm did have another visit to the vet. Just to have her pain patch removed. We don’t have to take her back for another three weeks for a round of x-rays to make sure everything is still in place.

I still have the goal to take a little video of her to slap up here.

FOREVER GRATEFUL.

Mon, 19 May 2008 14:36:44 -0600

The original page has been updated to request no further donations, here is why.

We had an unusual phone call late Saturday night. I have to admit I was a little groggy for the interchange. A nice lady on the other end was telling me she ran an organization in Arizona that rescued dogs from among other things, coyote attacks. Coyote attacks? I really thought I was having a dream, or some strange nightmare, but it wasn’t, just the opposite really. She said her organization helped dogs and folks in our situation and they were prepared to pay the remainder of Storm’s vet bill. She only wanted to know the total. I explained that I didn’t have that info at my fingertips and would get it for her on Monday. She gave me her email, apologized for phoning so late and hung up.

Mondays tend to be something of a catch up day at the shop, and I was buried. I guess the nice lady in Arizona decided not to wait for me. The next thing I know I have an email from her and a message from the vet saying the bill has been cleared.

To say that these developments are a relief is an understatement. We are so grateful to everyone who has helped. Storm wouldn’t be alive today if it weren’t for all of you.

Now for the dog portion. Storm is really starting to perk up. She has started to do the army crawl a little to get around. Actually, when she is really excited she will stand and walk a little. A fantastic development is that we have discovered she is house trained. The only time she soiled herself was when we first brought her home and she was still all drugged up. Since she doesn’t walk to the door we have discovered she needs to go when she acts restless, and seems not to be able to find a comfy place to lay down.

Storm is such a mellow dog, but did finally growl a little when Rogue barked at her. Another funny thing, our two youngest boys started arguing and wrestling today. Suddenly, Storm started barking at them. My wife told them they needed to settle down. As soon as they did, Storm laid back down in her bed. It was as if she was trying to tell them to get along. Oh, actually she did whine a little when the door bell rang and she couldn’t get up to greet the new visitors. She seems to really like people and is a hog for a belly, head, or side rub, which she also will army crawl, or whine playfully to get.

A week and a half ago if you would have asked us if we would ever get another dog the answer would have been a resounding no. But I guess we were meant to have another despite what we thought. Honestly, we could not have hoped for a better dog.

Although it is going to be difficult for the next several weeks to keep her from walking too much or trying to take the stairs, this screwy little dog has been worth it all.

I will keep updating this blog for at least the next several months so you can track Storm’s progress and adventures.

Homeward bound

Sat, 17 May 2008 16:23:18 -0600

We called this morning and were told we could come get Storm. The vet told my wife that Storm was acting depressed. That got me thinking, what exactly would be going through a dog’s mind for the past week? I guess I would be pretty depressed too.

“First I get hit by a car. I really don’t know where I’ve been living for the past few weeks, in fact people have been going through my life like it is a revolving door. Getting hit by a car is bad enough, but it’s raining and my butt hurts something fierce, so bad that I can’t move it. Hey why is everyone swerving around me? Hello? Can’t anyone see I can’t move? Wait? Some guy is actually coming to pick me up. Now if I can only get to the curb I think I can get moving again. Crap. I still can’t move. What a morning.

Now this weird guy is putting me in his car, that isn’t so bad, I like car rides. And what the heck I like being rubbed. This wouldn’t be so bad, but I’m feeling light headed and it’s hard to breath, and dang, I still can’t move my back legs.

Whew, I feel really woozy this guy is still rubbing my head, and I really want to stand up, but this just ain’t happenin. We’ve stopped, where are we? I wished I could think straight. Ouch, ouch this is really hurting to be picked up. Hey why is this lady pulling on my lips? Great now where are we going? Why are you poking me? What are you putting over my head? Oh, that feels better, I can breath better, but who are all these people and where the heck am I? Ahh... I am feeling tired....there’s that weird guy again rubbing my head...and leaving....

Where the crud am I? I keep blinking in and out... the guy has been here again with some strange woman and kids... I still hurt, but I can’t concentrate... I can’t eat... I can’t get up... I feel trapped and stranded... What is going on?

I feel like I have been trapped here forever. People keep poking me... now they are poking my other leg... I still can’t feel my back legs and I can’t move. Ok, this is something new I am being shaved, at least my back legs, and what is that? They are putting that thing over my head again, and I am getting really sleepy....

I am sort of awake... I think. There is some goopy stuff in my eyes and I can’t blink very well... That guy and those people are back rubbing my head, but who the heck are they? Wow, my back hurts like crazy. Am I ever going to be able to get up again?

I am so sick of being in this cage, I really want to get out of here, but I can not move. I would bark or cry, but some how I don’t think it would make any difference... I am really lonely.

That guy is back and one of those ladies in green is handing me to him... I still can’t concentrate very well, but I think I may be leaving. This has really gotta stop.

Ok, now what, who is this dog in my face and why am I here? That guy and those other people are here and they are trying to get me to eat, but I don’t feel like it. Ok, maybe just a bite or two. That was really tiring to eat. Whoops. I think I soiled myself again. This not being able to get up and move is really getting old...”

Yeah, I wonder what she has been thinking for the last week. I hope she starts to understand she is now home, for good.

The longer she is at our home the more comfortable she seems. Walking is probably a ways off, but she has tried a few times today. We have carried her outside a few times, but I don’t think she has eaten enough to have anything go through the system.

As you can see from the photos Rogue doesn’t quite know what to make of Storm. At least she appears to accept her at face value, and almost seems to understand there is something wrong.

Some one asked how close we were to covering Storms medical bills. I am reluctant to say because I don’t want to sound like I am begging. As of last night we were about a thousand bucks shy.

I can never say it enough, but thank you, everyone who has helped us through this strange and difficult time. Our faith in humanity is certainly renewed.

Success

Fri, 16 May 2008 13:14:45 -0600

I deleted the text I wrote earlier so I could scribble a little about what is going on now.

The x-ray above is the after. For all of you who can read these things I apologize for my simple description, but you can see on the left the plate with the six screws. They will remain with her always, and luckily do not interfere with the joint. The vet had to point out that on the lower part of the pelvis there are a couple of breaks as well, but there is nothing that can be done with them, and they are not weight bearing. Which means she will be sore until they heal.

The surgery was a complete success. No complications at all. The doc who actually was like a traveling surgeon phoned after the operation was complete at about noon. His comments about how well Storm did through the whole procedure is still a huge relief to me. The fact that she seemed to take it all in stride, and he felt she was going to be a great dog for our family.

During our visit today there were two other dogs in “post op.” One of them was a smaller dog that kept whimpering because of the pain. The other was a larger dog that only whined when it moved just wrong. I turned to the vet and assistant and asked if they had ever heard Storm bark, whine, cry or actually make any noise. They looked thoughtful for a minute then replied no. One of the folks there said to my wife that when dogs are hurt this bad they usually show their worst side. They will bite, growl, and be generally cantankerous, but not Storm.

When I first looked where they had shaved her rear leg I couldn’t even see the stitches. The vet had to show me that the stitches were sort of inside. It made the opening really clean and she didn’t even have a dressing covering the incision. I asked if she needed one of those lovely cones, the vet told me not unless Storm started bothering the wound, something she hadn’t done to that point.

She has been off oxygen for at least the last 24 hours, which is a huge relief to us in more ways than one. The daily oxygen was by far the biggest expense (other than the surgery). Speaking of the surgery it really did end up being a little more than 2k, unfortunately the hospital stay was about 4k. Drum roll please. The final bill, with tonight’s stay, will fall at $6340. That doesn’t include the follow up visits and two set of x-rays she will need over the next month and a half.

We have to take a second and tell you that at the last moment the TV station bailed on us. There was a more important story (it really was) so I won’t be posting that video footage.

We have more than exceeded what we thought was going to be enough to cover the whole enchilada for our new addition. We asked for a dollar from 4000 donors and we ended with closer to 5300 donors, figuratively. We are so incredibly grateful for each and every person who has helped us along this path. We still have a long way to go to get this little puppy healthy and happy, but with all the love we have been shown from everywhere we are well on our way.

We have reached a point in our lives that can only be described as a defining moment. We looked at just how wonderful people can be. That people are at the core good. There are a significant number who, despite their own circumstances, will help some one else in need.

We’ll let you know tomorrow what it is like to have her home.

What’s for breakfast?

Thu, 15 May 2008 09:24:28 -0600

My wife phoned the vet this morning for our update. She was told they were thinning the oxygen level, and Storm looked much better. Almost better than anything is that she was eating solid food for the first time.

They couldn’t squeeze her in for surgery today. Looks like it will be the original Friday after all. Have to admit, it has been a little nerve racking because you just never know what can happen during surgery, and we would rather just have it over.

What an irony, she is just able to eat solid food, and now they take it away from her in preparation for the surgery.

The euphoria has worn off a little and we have started to look at the practical aspects of this little adventure. Here’s the schtick.

Last night my wife spent a few hours tending my niece’s baby. Our other dog, Rogue, felt a little ignored. It seems that every time some one would play with the baby Rogue would get a little jealous, bark and make a nuisance of herself. As if to say, “Excuse me, I am the princess here. Just take that bald crying thing out.” We worry a little about how she is going to react to some one, “cutting in on her kingdom.” But like my wife said, it will be an adjustment for all of us, including Rogue. That is a photo of her, Rogue, on her back doing what dogs do best, sleeping.

The generosity and love that continue to pour in from across the street and around the country are astounding. We even have received emails and donations from the UK. Can you believe that? Some one at my wife’s work has kindly passed along a set of bowls, a kennel, and a dog bed. (At least Rogue won’t have to share those things.) Some one else emailed to say they would pay for a grooming session when Storm is up to it. My kids say she could use the bath.

At some point during the day Tuesday, we realized that we may actually make our goal of a dollar a person from 4000 people. Several people have commented that if we exceed our need for Storm’s medical bills we should leave the rest at the vet for the next person in our situation. We whole heartedly agree. We can’t think of a better thing to do than to “pay it forward.” We hope everyone who has been so kind agrees.

As of this moment, 4:30 pm May 15, 2008, here is where we stand. The vet showed us the first bill, gulp $3619.63. That is without the impending surgery. Donations are at an amazing $3754. We are tracking just ahead of the expense.

I do have to say, I can’t wait to take some photos of Storm outside the oxygen tent.

My wife took a call from one of the local TV stations a couple of hours ago and they want to do story about the Storm that blew through our lives. If I’m lucky I will see if I can get the video and post it here.

Storm ready for the storm

Wed, 14 May 2008 17:11:21 -0600

We have been talking to the vet’s office on and off all day long. At first they told us she was out of the oxygen tent and in a regular kennel. She was acting more like a puppy, but it was apparent still in pain. After all, how much can you act like normal when your legs don’t work. The great news was that the surgery could be bumped up to Thursday if she continued to improve, and if a slot became available. Keep your fingers crossed.

She did have a....not really a set back, but they felt she needed to be put back into the oxygen tent later in the day. Her breathing had become a little labored, and she had started to cough. The implication was that it was more of a precaution.

Leah, Jennifer and the crew at the clinic have been, to say the least, wonderful. Not only have they endured our ridiculous phone calls asking how she is doing every five minutes, but they have taken a million phone calls from people asking how Storm is, and making donations. I almost got the feeling the last time I called that they were about to change their greeting to “Storm wellness line, here is her update.” In all seriousness they have been nothing short of extremely caring and responsive. If you happen to live in the Salt Lake area and have a pet I would seriously consider them as your pet health care provider. www.centralvalleyvethospital.com

Overwhelmed.

That is the only word that describes the way I feel. I thought after yesterday my little rambling story on the internet had blown itself out and we would be rolling up our sleeves for the bake sale. The generosity and concern from all across the country has blown me away. I really thought that once we sent the link to our family and friends this would remain a local thing, but....

From the comments on the first page and the stream of emails I have received it has spread well beyond our little city and state. Every dime that has streamed in is a little miracle in itself. The kids who have willingly given up their allowance to help, the people in the Gulf who are still rebuilding their house after Katrina, but gave, the guy who was laid off from work seven months ago, and every single person who has taken the leap of faith to help, they are the real heroes. They are our examples. We feel very humbled.

To this moment in time, 9:00 pm May 14, 2008 the total is about $2600. We are two thirds of the way there. I could never in my life adequately express my gratitude to everyone who has not only contributed, but also read the original story, passed it along, and posted it to other websites. Thank you.

The next day

Tue, 13 May 2008 18:27:18 -0600

Today we had the chance to go see our dog again. We were given a little more information about her condition and the schedule for the impending surgery.

The pictures show that she is now awake. They told us she wasn’t on any pain killers at the moment and hadn’t been for several hours. She did try to stand while we were there, but of course the whole back end doesn’t work, so no go. They told us she was in much better condition, but still in a lot of pain.

The surgery is still scheduled for Friday, but if there is an opening before, it could be sooner. If she had been more stable today there were several openings that became available, and it would have happened. The clinic felt it was too soon.

It was interesting she still didn’t whimper or whine. In fact, the last time I heard her make any noise other than breathing was on the road when I found her. To me that was a good sign, hopefully she won’t be a night time barker.

People have been asking some additional questions about Storm. Specifically, how much money we had raised so far, and what breed of dog she is. As far as the breed goes, we really aren’t certain. The vet had spoken with the original owner, but I don’t think that was on the agenda. The best guess is some sort of schnauzer mix.

Lastly we have been totally overwhelmed and amazed with the generosity of people. An amazing lady in Texas even phoned the vet to let them know she had donated. The reality is that everyone who has read the story, passed it along and donated any amount are each heroes. I recently heard a quote that basically given a chance people will amaze you with how great they can be, and right now I believe that. As of this moment 7:00 pm, May 13, 2008 the total is about $650.

Thank you so much to all of you who have helped in any way, and to all those who may yet.

For the next little while I will try to keep this blog to any who are interested in following her progress.