Melody- Think Happy Thoughts

[Guest NQ3X]

Let me tell you a couple of stories.

 

First, ice cream.

 

Several years ago, the roadside ice cream stand near our house had a sign - "Frozen Ice Cream Doggie Treats - $1.00". I said to the girl at the window, "Four, please." She put this large brown paper bag on the counter with a resonant THUMP. Turns out they were ice cream sandwiches made with vanilla soft serve between two of the LARGE Milk-Bonz treats. That's more than we treat them in a month in one! So I pulled out the bread knife to saw them in half. The bread knife broke. No problem, I thought; I'll use that electric carving knife my mom gave me. Before I got halfway through one ice cream sandwich, the motor burned out.

 

Screw it. Into the food bowls. Let 'em get fat.

 

Half an hour later, the mess was everywhere. Every surface within six feet of a food bowl was a smeary, sticky, white, crumby, spattered Pollock painting. The devastation was Biblical. The funny part was Sebastian (of blessed memory) looked up halfway through his with this narrow-eyed, bare-teeth rictus, vibrating slightly. I'd never seen a Greyhound with brain freeze. It was hysterical. (This is an excellent example, though it's not my picture.)

 

Second, stairs.

 

7-8 years ago, when Melody was only a few months off the track, we piled her and Sebastian into the car and found the local coursing group. Hounds of all descriptions were there, from Iggies to Whippets to Irish Wolfhounds. The course was already set up, so they showed us how to hold the Hounds and release them. At the appropriate time, the lure went ZIP! we released the Hounds (I've always wanted to write that I did that), and they were off. Sebastian, being uncoordinated and having too many knees - seriously, he ran like a camel - cut every corner and loped gracelessly around the course. Melody took the first turn full bore, then slowed, then stopped, picked up her right forepaw, and whined.

 

She broke all four metatarsals. 75 pounds of Greyhound + 45 mph + sharp turn on one paw = bones going crunch.

 

So she got this massive orthopaedic apparatus and pain meds. She hated it. She'd bash you in the shins if she had half a chance. She insisted on coming up to bed with us, whereupon she'd bash me in the cojones or face with the apparatus whenever I'd stop scritching her. Every night, the Mastervator would tote her up the stairs. Every morning, the Mastervator would carry her down.

 

Until one morning she had had Enough. She was a pace ahead of me to the head of the stairs, looked me dead in the eye, and hurled herself down a flight of 20 stairs. She bounced once, twice, landed in the foyer, skidded out on the hardwood floor and slid ass-first into the front door, got up, glared balefully at me and snorted, then clumped into the living room, where she used Sebastian - who took a dim view of this whole process - as a step-stool to climb onto the sofa.

 

TL;DR: There ain't a power in the 'Verse can stop Mei-Mei from doing whatever she gorram wants.

 

Now, more news: Biopsy came back. Yup, it's cancer. Doc says he's sure he got it all, and we'll double-check for metastasis tomorrow when the stitches come out. Fingers crossed.

Edited June 12, 2013 by NQ3X

[MP_the4pack]

[Guest BlueCrab]

 

I'll second this! You should be a writer!

[Guest NQ3X]

Oddly, that's where I'm aiming my life at the moment.

[dante2zoe]

Great stories! You can practice your craft here anytime!

[TwiggysMom]

I'm so glad she is continuing to do so well. What a character she is - I think dogs with her type of personality tend to do really well with major life changes like this!

[Guest NQ3X]

Melody Update, 13JUN13: Made a trip to Island Animal Clinic this morning. Stitches are out! According to Dr House, the wound is healing nicely, though there were a couple of spots in which he placed staples to assist the natural process.

He noted that soon her 15 minutes of Facebook fame would be over. Melody cast a glare at him and sighed dramatically, as if to say, "We'll see, bub; we'll see."

[Guest NQ3X]

GOOD NEWS!

 

Melody is recovering nicely.

 

 

It's been six weeks since surgery. As you can see, she is almost completely healed. There are a couple of wounds on her remaining foreleg's elbow which remain, but they're knitting nicely.

 

She is remarkable. SO ARE ALL OF YOU! Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for your good thoughts and concerns.

 

[Batmom]

GO MELODY!!!!!

 

Great to see your update.

[Charlies_Dad]

She looks fantastic! Glad she is healing up nicely and enjoying life!

[carronstar]

She looks amazing. Well, she looks like she needs you to get her some ice cream, but that is easy!

[GreyPoopon]

What a fantastic update.

[TwiggysMom]

Yay! I am so happy to see and hear how well Melody is doing!

 

Keep it up, Melody!