Firsts

Its been a long road, but we’re finally at the end. From surgery to release, it was over 4 months. Nearly 18 weeks. 124 days. A third of a year. Of course, as someone pointed out yesterday, I’d have been really annoyed to spend so much money and have the whole thing over and done with in just a few days. After all, if it was that easy, it shouldn’t be so expensive. But it wasn’t that easy, and it was so expensive. And frustrating. Heart-wrenching. Nerve-wracking. Terrifying. I sincerely hope we never have to go through anything like this again.

As difficult as it was, though, I know it could have been so much worse. We were very lucky in that we didn’t have any major complications. The set-back in July really only cost us a month. I also know this would have been harder without the help and support of so many people. Thanks so much to everyone who contributed to the success of Reyna’s hip replacement, whether financially, physically or emotionally. Reyna may not appreciate what you’ve done for us, but I do.

And speaking of Reyna...she is truly enjoying her new-found freedom. Her first night, Tuesday, was a bit rough, but that’s because she had to relearn a few things. When I told Reyna to go to bed, she was a bit confused because I’d already put her crate back in the garage. It took her a bit to realize that I meant she could sleep on either of the beds, or the couch, or the chair, or even the floor. She also had to figure out that, even though she could see out the kitchen windows for the first time in months, she really didn’t need to bark at every single thing that moved or flickered. That one took her a while, but she was pretty well settled down by midnight.

Yesterday was so entertaining. Reyna met me at the hall door in the morning with her entire body wagging. She got confused again when I took her out the front door to start our walk – she hasn’t gone through that door since the surgery. We spent the evening in the back yard, me in a chair with my book, and the pups running themselves ragged. Reyna and Duncan chased each other around the yard for almost 30 minutes before collapsing for a brief rest. Duncan is so excited that he’s allowed to play with his sister (and that I’m not fussing at him for trying). Reyna also had a great time barking ferociously at some of the neighborhood children, now that she can see through the front door again. All in all, this freedom thing is definitely a blast. But the best part - the absolute best part - is that Reyna isn’t hurting anymore.