Ginny’s MRI revealed two ruptured disks – one that was
compressing her spinal cord and one that was causing pressure with her
nerves. We did not like hearing that two
disks were problematic, but the fact that they were next to each other along
her spine was a good thing, because both could be dealt with in one surgery.
She was still under anesthesia when the neurologist met with
us to share these findings and subsequently recommend surgery. In layman’s terms, the material leaking out
of the disks was described to us as having a toothpaste-like consistency. If left untreated, it is similar to a glob of
toothpaste being left in a sink – it hardens and is very difficult to
remove. If surgery is done while it is
still malleable, it is much easier to remove.
After taking into account all of the doctor’s advice, there
was almost no discussion required – we agreed that surgery was the best
route. Because Ginny is young
(five-and-a-half) and very healthy, she was a good candidate for the surgery
and her recovery should proceed smoothly.
We hope she will be back to normal after many months of crate-rest and
limited activity.
We left her in very capable hands, but were worried all
day. When the neurologist called, he
told us that the surgery was fairly successful and that Ginny was awake and
doing well.
As far as what was accomplished, the first disk proved to be
troublesome, as that material had indeed hardened already and there was not
much they could do to address it. This
indicates that this particular disk had been ruptured for some period of time. We hope this means that even though she was
living with a ruptured disk, it was not what was responsible for her issues
because she only really showed signs of pain in the last two to three weeks.
The second disk yielded much better news. They were able to remove all of the material
that was pressing on her nerves because it was still very pliable, meaning that
rupture likely happened sometime in recent weeks – which aligns with her
behavior. The neurologist was quite
optimistic about what this means for Ginny in terms of relief, recovery, and
return to normalcy.
She will be staying at the hospital for at least a few days
and will be released once the doctors believe she is out of the woods. She should definitely be home by the end of
this weekend, and possibly sooner if things go well.
So now we wait. The
other three dogs have no idea what’s going on or where Ginny is, and I will go
so far as to say they are depressed.
There has been no barking all day.
Not a peep. That speaks volumes, because
they always bark!
I’ll end with a photo of Maddy. She spent all day on this blanket, waiting for
her buddy to come home. It was both
pathetic and adorable:
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