It’s been a thoroughly rainy day here in NYC today, so not a lot of outdoor time, but it gave Griffin a chance to show off his raincoat today. He is not usually a fan but put on a happy face this morning!
I think playing fetch yesterday really wore out Griffin – he has been content to snooze most of the day. We also spent a little time practicing his tricks, especially the treat on the nose one. He needed some time to get back into the habit as his body positioning was not quite right when he flipped the treat, sending it sailing off to the side. It didn’t take long, however, for him to tap into that muscle memory! Same thing with the high five. I was actually expecting him to do just a modified “shake”, giving me a high five from a seated position. When I saw that he was willing to try standing, which is our usual way of doing high five, I encouraged him to do it. I guess I didn’t realize what a big deal it is for a tripawd to do a trick like that. I shared the video with Dr. Spector who said that he never saw a dog with a forelimb amputation able to do a standing high five. Go Griffin!
xoxo Stacy
The video below was taken about a year ago when we were visiting a little boy after heart transplant surgery. It was amazing to see him smile and hear his giggle!
Today is day 10 post-op for Griffin. His whole life, Griffin’s favorite things to do have been playing fetch and swimming. For weeks before his surgery he was unable to play fetch because of the pain. Today, Griffin played fetch pain-free and I don’t think I have stopped smiling yet (videos are all the way at the end of this post)! After his diagnosis, I remember thinking that Griffin’s life would be diminished with amputation, that he would be unable to enjoy things the way he did when he had 4 limbs. I was so wrong! Watching Griffin today, it was so clear that he is simply living in the moment and adjusting to life on 3 limbs superbly. I am so proud of my boy and he makes me so happy!
When I found Tripawds, I was struggling with keeping a positive mindset, mad at the world and grief-stricken that my beautiful boy would be felled by cancer. Once I made the decision to move forward with amputation, I finally felt at peace and ready handle whatever life would bring. I decided that we were going to kick cancer’s a** and that I would ensure Griffin’s life moving forward would be as amazing as his first 10 years. And all I have done since the surgery is follow Griffin’s lead. He lives in the moment, he doesn’t feel sorry for himself, and he is figuring out that life on 3 limbs is simply his new normal, much like the rest of the world is needing to adapt to a new normal defined by the pandemic. I hope that the videos, photos, and updates I share gives hope to others just like I found on this site.
xoxo Stacy
As I have previously shared, Griffin is a therapy dog. We volunteer at New York Presbyterian’s Children’s Hospital and also with A Fair Shake for Youth. AFSY featured Griffin in their social media post the other day:
Today marks Griffin’s 9th day post surgery. He has been growing stronger each day, but today I found myself missing the 2 mile walks along the Hudson River that we used to take daily. So this afternoon I loaded Griffin into the wagon and pulled him to the park to enjoy the beautiful sunshine. He walked for quite a bit once we were there, but made no complaints when I gave him a lift back home!
We then had fun visiting (while the humans remained socially distant!) with neighbors in our hallway and Griffin decided that it was time to play fetch! I only caught a snippet on video, but my heart is so full seeing him enjoying his favorite pastime again! I have marveled at how well Griffin was recovering, but watching him play fetch today really did make my heart explode. That is his real sparkle and to see him moving so quickly and easily was amazing!
I sent the video to his vet to “tell” on myself since I know that Griffin probably shouldn’t be exerting himself this much so soon. He wrote back that he normally would say no to playing fetch, but that Griffin is doing beautifully so to let him have fun. I adore Dr. Spector! He has been so compassionate and caring throughout this process, emailing every day since Griffin came home. What surgeon does that? He loves the videos I send and I hope Griffin is inspiring him, too, just like he inspires me each day!
I cannot believe that exactly 1 week ago Griffin was in surgery having his front right leg amputated. His recovery has been amazing! As of this morning, he is officially off all pain medications. Every day he grows more stable and sure of himself. I am so impressed with how quickly he learned how to sit, lay down, and get back up again – even on slippery tile floors! Since he came home, I’ve been using a wagon to cart him to and from a park about a block from our apartment so that he could save all of his energy to explore the grassy area. Today was the first day that Griffin walked to the park, and as you can see in the video linked below, he was booking it!
I need to add a disclaimer that Griffin’s rapid progress after surgery is not the norm for most dogs – each one needs to go at their own pace. And, as great as Griffin is doing, he was off on his appetite all day today after that walk, so it was back to supporting local NYC restaurants so he could have fried chicken for dinner! And, he developed a pretty sizable seroma today. I sent photos to the vet who said to try warm compresses. Have I explained how much I love Animal Medical Center and Dr. Spector? He literally replied to my email within 10 minutes of me sending it tonight. He also loved the videos and cheers on Griffin every day. I feel so lucky to have such a large group of supporters throughout this process!
The support and advice I have received from everyone at Tripawds has not only reassured me through stressful times, but also given me confidence as I grow into my new role as a tripawd parent to Griffin. Thank you!
xoxo Stacy
Griffin “manspreading” this morning. The bruising which spread down his torso and covered his groin is fading and his incision is healing quickly!
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