I’m writing this post teary-eyed and 2 glasses of wine in so bear with me on any spelling mistakes and ramblings.
Bendel is officially off to her ACL surgery today. Making this decision to go with surgery, let alone the TPLO method was the hardest decision I’ve had to make in my life so far.
After 4 different opinions, a rehab consult, and extensive googling, TPLO seems to be the best option for bendel and our lifestyle.
TPLO is absolutely horrifying when first explained. I swear all of the color drained from my face as the very kind vet showed me a life size model of the 6 giant screws that would go through my sweet babies leg. I have always struggled with anxiety but I don’t think I have ever felt panic like I did in that moment.
I went home, cried some more, and then started turning my panic into research. I called countless vets, read hundreds of articles and even consulted the Instagram community. Consensus? THERE WAS NO EASY ANSWER.
I absolutely always trust my gut when making big life decisions, but when it came to this one, my gut seemed to be drunk driving all over the decision board. None of the options would sit right and I quickly realized that unless there was some magical solution that would cause no pain my gut wasn’t going to help me.
I called the office of the original orthopedic specialist my family vet of 20 years had recommended and asked if he could please give me a call to answer some more of my questions. This man, bless his heart, spent over 30 minutes addressing each of my concerns and explaining every possible option, complication, and his personal recommendation. With TPLO as the overall recommendation we booked the surgery.
Bendel will be dropped off tomorrow morning and won’t be able to be picked up until the next day. This is the first time I’ve been away from my baby where she hasn’t been safe and sound with friends and family.
The scariest part of all of this is that this isn’t even the hardest part. The next 8 weeks of healing and recovering are going to be the toughest battle. I plan to keep everyone updated as we continue the journey and am happy to answer any other questions!
