GREYT NEWS !

We've been to the vets and Sandy has had her drain and last few stitches removed! vet very pleased and has officially discharged the woo, although he did say if Sandy wanted to come and keep Jim company on his future visits he could take a wee look at her un officially LOL.

So 25 days after her amputation she has the green light to start little walks and just plain old enjoy life! So many highs and lows, stress and sheer terror we've been through with the woo and despite knowing all that, we would do it all again ! just to see Sandy enjoying life so much, is not only worth every penny (of which there are a few to be paid thanks to the 20% excess) but also proves all the traumas and heartache were eventually worth it. Onwards and Upwards for the woo!

Jim tufa also had to see Mr Vet, unfortunately the staples didn't come out today as planned, a small area of the wound looks as though the skin is dying/dead due to all the fluid pressure. Back again Wednesday and we'll see what happens, worst case scenario will be another op to remove the problem area. So Jim continues to make progress, not as spectacular as Sandy woo but he's on the mend.

Sandy and Jim

Sandy continues to amaze us and is just the happiest, cheekiest little madam!

Jim is much brighter today, vets would like to have seen less fluid yesterday but not bad enough to intervene, so they both go back Friday.

So life feels slightly easier today, although I'm sure Eric would appreciate a few hours more sleep each night!

A couple of layouts that did on my short weekend away and one I've been playing with for weeks LOl.

This is a class kit by Vanessa for the Papermaze crop. papers are from Jenny Bowlin. Photo's of Ben at our day out at Easton Farm Park.



Another kit by Vanessa. Papers are Bella Blvd and again photo from the day out at Easton Farm Park. The butterfly was supposed to be made from felt and I did make it but OMG it was awful so ripped it off and did one on the cricut instead LOL.



and finally one from Karen who works at papermaze. I adored this kit and Karen was kind enough to say I inspired it because she had watched me sit and stitch for hours the month before. I had no idea it would take so longer, all that stitching and inking of the flowers. Photo was scanned and then changed to black and white and finally the colour brought back just to Vikki. It was taken in 1997 when she was chief bridesmaid for my brother and his wife.

Tough love

Whilst Sandy goes from strength to strength Jim continues to be morose and lethargic.

So the big fella is now on the receiving end of some tough love from us. Meals are no longer given to him laying down he has to get up and come and get them! we also make him get up and walk around every few hours! Of course he is 2weeks behind Sandy on the recovery road but he simply doesn't have her fighting spirit and we cannot just let him lay around all day so Saturday we encouraged him into the conservatory with a beef bone



which he really enjoyed, followed by his nap LOL, he did however think he might join Sandy and hoodwink Eric into taking them for a walk.



Fat chance! Sandy's bandage is what holds her drain in place, looks odd but works well.

Sandy has mastered jumping onto HER sofa now and is enjoying being back in her usual spot.



Gangley has took pity on the big fella and decided to give him a hug!



so going to have to scrap that one LOL.

Finally one of them all together and yes I ended up on the floor LOL.



Jim is off to see Mr Vet this afternoon, we're hoping they might give him something to lessen the fluid, it hangs of his tummy and chest like man boobs, although his stump and back leg don't look quite as bad this morning.

Sandy is all woohooo

Sandy continues to go from strength to strength and last night slept in the lounge on her own. First time she's been back to her normal place since this all started in June. She had the staples removed yesterday, still a few stitches in from where they went in the 2nd and 3rd time and the drain stays for at least another week. She doesn't have to go back to Mr Vet for a whole week !!!!!!

Jim is not right !!!! miserable as sin, refusing pills, never had a problem before but now we have to force them down not nice BUT we think we have discovered the problem. His back/neck is very sore (probably from being man handled and he has a history of this pain) so we're going to start him on Sandy's nerve pain pill (with vets permission). Fingers crossed this helps. His stump is still heavy with fluid and it hangs from his tummy and chest. If you sit with him he is happier and nods off to sleep.

Managed to persuade Mr T to go out to pub with friends last night ( a whole 90 mins), well he took Alfie as the Landlord is the president of the Alfie Bear fan club, Alfie had a great time we did not !!!! Lucky did her nut, no idea why she got so upset but upset she was. Maybe she's frightened of her pack keep disappearing and coming back minus a limb and poor Alfie is the original tripod. Anyway she settled down once they returned thank goodness.

Sandy and Jim

Sandy is doing fantastic, fluid in drain is reducing with each day and she's bright, perky and very much back to her cheeky self. Tells us very loudly when it's time for sweets, food etc. Good to have the Sandy of old back. Back to the vets this afternoon.

Jim is not so great, temperature spiked yesterday so a change of antibiotics and now have to take his temperature every hour. He's not eating very well and doesn't seem able to sleep at night time unless Eric is sitting with him. Fluid on chest and tummy seems to have reduced but his remaining back leg and stump are heavy with fluid.

Jim is HOME

Jima buba so known cos he's always been such a baby is now to be known as Jim tufa BECAUSE he's been so BRAVE !!!!

Yesterday Eric went to collect him after his op to amputate his back leg and he only JUMPED into the car unaided!!!!!!

He is able to take himself outside for wee's etc and is doing very well.

Sandy is very bright and perky this morning and back to her cheeky self.

Photo from last night of me being all soppy and relieved to have Jim home.




and one from this morning showing Jim having his brekkie in his normal spot.



So all being well and touching wood, Jim will go to vets tomorrow for a check up and Sandy on Friday.

Today life is GOOD !!!!!

Tired but happy

Sandy is continuing to make good progress and the news from the vets about Jim is encouraging. He's had a good night, bit wobbly on his back leg but this is probably due to the epidural and GA, so the plan is for Eric to collect him at 4pm.

I had planned to have an easier morning and get rested up before the 2nd poorly hound comes home but it's now 11.30am and I've been up since 5.45am and my bottom is yet be make contact with a chair for longer than 5 minutes LOL.

So much for sitting and watching craft day on QVC. Maybe a quick look at lunchtime.

Eric took this photo yesterday just before Jim left for the vets,

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he's such a handsome dude.

Sandy and Jim

Sandy has been to see Mr Vet AGAIN and they are very very happy with her. Fluid in drain now smells normal wound is not inflammed and she seems to be doing well. Can even jump out of the car unaided!

We eventually after many many hours of sould searching decided we couldn't deny Jim the same chance as Sandy, so this morning he to had his leg amputated!

The surgery has gone well, much more traditional op as his lump was lower down so they didn't have to go into the hip area. He's now recovering and hopefully will come home tomorrow.

Just have to pray he can cope like Sandy.

A few photo's

Sandy is still doing well, her temperature has stabilised after a blip yesterday when it dropped a bit low. She's eating well and seems happy, well until she gets left home when the others go for a walk.

A few photo's of the woo

This was taken Saturday



and yesterday



and this morning with Lucky



Back to the vets this afternoon.

Good news !!!

Sandy has been back to see Mr Vet this morning and they are happy with her and us LOL. We have successfully emptied her drain and recorded the amount, kept her spotlessly clean and she is back home with us.

Back tomorrow so they can monitor her and us......

Today we celebrate all being together again, what tomorrow holds I have no idea but for now today feels GREYT!!!!!!!!

The woo is home

The woo has landed and is home !!!!!!!!!!!

Eaten, wee'd, poo'd and now resting, although she was very miffed that she chouldn't go out for a walk. Back to vets in the morning, hopefully just to touch base etc.

More tomorrow

So now we wait!

We visited Sandy again this afternoon and even though she was only just coming around from yet another sedation to change the drain (now has a bottle attached to collect the muck)she looked bright and alert, temperature still normal.

We took Marc along (son) he is her favourite person in the whole world and her eyes lit up when she saw him, she snuggled in and gave a happy little purr.

So now we wait, hope and pray the antibiotics can start to kick the infection off.

The nurse who is on duty all weekend is lovely and obviously really likes Sandy. She said Sandy is the bravest greyhound she has ever met. I feel happier knowing someone who cares about Sandy will be taking care of her.


Jim is still a bit zonked by the GA bless him, he waves a paw for you to sit with him and then as you hold his paw he goes back to sleep. Still no decision made, we go back and forward talking and talking it over.

This photo was taken just over 5 years ago when they first arrived here.



They were both in the same rescue kennels, so have been together a long while now.

Sandy and Jim

Sandy has had a comfortable night, her temperature is normal and she is eating. The swap results are back and show no MRSA and the infections she does have the vets have been using the correct antibiotics. She will have the poultice removed this morning and another drain fitted and then it's a case of waiting, hoping and praying. If there are no signs of improvement over the weekend we have been advised that it would be best to bring her home and then let her go.

Jim is totally zonked from his GA and slept all evening, all night and is still dopey this morning. No decision has been made.

We are so torn over what to do and bone weary.

So just when you think it can't get any worse it does.

Jim's tumour is horrendous and he has a fracture in the leg, his chest is clear but the vet doesn't think amputating is a good option but will do so if that's what we want. Basically we have to decide in the next day or so to amputate or let him go to sleep over the weekend. The danger of his leg snapping completely is to big to carry on.

Sandy has a flesh eating infection that has started to destroy the tissue around her stump. They are hitting the infection with everything they have but if there is no improvement within 48 hours then we have to let her go as well.




Thank you to everyone who keeps my beautiful dogs in their thoughts and prayers.

More bad news

When we visited Sandy yesterday she was very bright and the vet said she would probably come home Friday. She even tried to leg it out the doors to leave with us and we felt that she had turned the corner.

This morning they've just told Eric who was taking Jim in for x rays that they need to operate again, the muck from the infection has become worse and her drain can't cope.

So please keep her in your thoughts, this is her 3rd GA in under two weeks and spare a thought for dear old Jim who will have his chest x rayed and tumour so we can judge just how bad it is and what to do

Going to be a long morning

The vet has just rung and said they will be keeping Sandy in again overnight! she has developed diarrhea overnight, hopefully just because of all the antibiotics she's on and she's hurt her nose on the buster collar overnight BUT she is now eating much better.

Going in to visit again this afternoon.

Alfie and Ranger are completely out of sorts, not sure if they have a bug or it's the situation unsettling them.

Jim's lump continues to grow and we need to make decisions but feel completely unable to do so but he is happy and his pain is still under control ......

Feeling very down today!

Back from visiting the woo and pleased to say she looked so much better! Drip is finished but the line left in for antibiotics. We took her buster collar off and she settled down on a blanket and enjoyed some fussing and eggy bread. Apparently she is eating much better now and doesn't seem stressed. Still don't know when she'll come home.

The biopsy results came back, and the bone tumour is a malignant Osteosarcoma, we had almost convinced ourselves it wouldn't be the worst news as her chest is clear but as the vet said she's at least 6 months into this and having a clear chest is good news and very unusual so not to give up hope.

Maybe all the experimental and complimentary stuff we've been using has worked or maybe she is just that one who gets lucky. Either way she's still in there fighting.

Sandy update

Spoke to vets earlier and Sandy is progressing slowly, she has started to eat the chicken they are cooking her but remains on the drip and has her drains flushed out every few hours. The vet says the infection doesn't smell as bad today but they will be keeping her in again tonight, so we shall visit again this afternoon.

Thank you all for keeping her in your thoughts.

I took this photo on Sunday morning when she thought she might hoodwink Eric into taking her out for a walk



and this one a few hours later before she went down hill. Jim also has bone cancer.



Thank you to everyone who sends messages of support, I'm sorry if I don't always get back to you individually but am trying to keep the blog updated.

Sue xx

We've been to visit

Just back from visiting Sandy, armed with eggy bread and liver cake.

Sandy looks much better than last night but is very uncomfortable with a drip in and the biggest buster collar on that I have ever seen.

They had cooked her some chicken as she wouldn't eat but still scoffed the bits we took in.

Vet says he is cautiously optimistic.

Another night away from us and the pack who are very quiet and wondering what the hell is going on. Much like us.

Sandy is an incredibly stubborn stoic girl who has not once complained or given us the look to say I've had enough and if anyone can pull through this she can.

Sandy is very poorly

The vet rung earlier and is very concerned, he thinks she has a bad infection but feels there is some hope as her temperature has come down. She will stay at the vets for at least the next 48 hours so she can have 3 lots of intravenous antibiotics and flushing out of the wound.

We are going in at 3pm to visit and take her some eggy bread as they can't get her to eat and we'll take her liver birthday cake as well.

I expected an apology this morning after the ridiculous amount of persuasion it took to get the on call vet to come out and her complete lack of interest and understanding of what was going on but no in fact it appears we are in the dog house for upsetting her UNBELIEVABLE...................

We wanted them to come out as we felt she was too uncomfortable and stressed to take her in if there was a chance she could be treated here.

Please keep her in your thoughts she has a hell of a mountain to climb.

At 4pm tea time Sandy became very agitated and was obviously in pain, her fluid from the drains increased and her stump started to swell.

We eventually managed to get the vet to come out (and boy is someone going to get the mother of all complains tomorrow, I can't even begin to tell you how stressful it was and eventually had to ring my friends daughter who is the head vet nurse but on maternity leave).

Sandy in now in the vets on a drip with a suspected infection and rather poorly.

Earlier today Sandy had only tried to line up with the others hoping to go out for a walk (no chance) that's how well she was.

We can only pray that we have caught the infection in time and that she responds to being in the vets on a drip and receiving antiobiotics.

Tomorrow is her 11th birthday!!!!!

The weekend

So Saturday off we went, looking forward to a whole weekend of scrapping and relaxing. By 1pm we were in the caravan unpacked and enjoying a cup of tea whilst the caravan rocked and rolled in the strong winds and heavy rain, we didn't care a hoot and spent the rest of the day scraping.

Sadly on the Sunday, Sandy started to go down hill very quickly, her leg had a build up of fluid and her pain became uncontrollable. So home we came.

We decided to throw the dice one last time and have her x rayed Monday, to see if there was signs of the cancer in her chest etc, we took her to the vets and said our goodbyes completely convinced that the vet would ring with bad news and we would have to let her go there and not at home as we prefer.

When the vet rung he said there were no signs of cancer anywhere else and he felt despite her age we should amputate her leg and give her a chance. Two hours later he rang back to say she had survived the op and was doing ok.

Tuesday afternoon we brought her home and there followed 48 hours of indescribable stress. Poor Sandy puffed, panted and tried to pace. We eventually discovered this was drug related and now we've sorted that out she's much more relaxed and we have all finally had some sleep.

Sandy is moving around well and can take herself outside to do her business but needs just a little help now and then. The drains should have come out yesterday but as they are still weeping alot they've been left in and we will review it again tomorrow.



For now she is happy, comfortable and ALIVE.

Jim has been very perky but today his pain seems to have ramped up, yet more decisions.



Thank you to everyone who has sent Sandy so many good wshes.

I'm off

On Saturday Dawn and I will once again set sail, well we go by car actually LOL. Up to Caistor again for a long weekend of scrapping, chatting and chilling.

But that doesn't mean we didn't scrap today no sir, well we needed to get warmed up and in the mood.

I didn't have anything ready so quickly grabbed the leftover papers from last week and decided to take part in a challenge to use this sketch here thank you Elaine.



Not sure if I like it as it's so far removed from my usual style but it's good to try different things. Dawn and I both struggled today think we were both a bit over excited about the weekend.

I'll be back Tuesday, hopefully feeling a whole lot better than I do at the moment.