Harley's Journey

It has been a long time since I posted anything about Harley and his journey as a tripawd. I believe it is because of how well he did.  We made it 1 year and 9 months before Osteosarcoma won the battle and Harley went across the Rainbow Bridge this morning, February 4, 2015.

The Osteosarcoma showed up in his spine and began to effect his other rear leg in the middle of January. He continued in his normal ways, just slower and needing more pain management. No problems with eating or drinking or sleeping on the bed….then last week everything crashed a bit more…the use of his other leg weakened on a daily basis and we had to help him out and in with our old valued towel as a sling like we did when we first started this journey. Yesterday when he didn’t want to eat breakfast, we knew it was time…no matter how much we wanted him to stay with us…

Harley had a great life! And ever since becoming a tripawd, I have learned more about who I want to be as a human and also how important our four legged kids are to our lives and how they impact us with so much unconditional love. We treasured every extra day we got and have not regretted the decision to proceed with the amp in any way.

Our beloved boy is no longer in pain, not sure if he get’s his leg back once he crossed over…but either way it won’t matter to him…it never did.  So with many tears we say goodbye, but we know he has many friends on the otherside that he now gets to run free with…and better yet, no more pain.

To our friends we have made in the tripawd community…thank you, thank you, thank you!! Your friendship, support, caring, and kind words have made each portion of this journey a bit more bearable.  Thank you for the strength to do the right thing, even though you didn’t even know you were helping…I tend to be a lurker…so you may not have heard from me…but I have been reading about you…

RIP my sweet boy!

Love to all,

Ilene & Jim (Lucky & Sunny)

Angel Harley

 

Hi Everyone!!  Sorry I haven’t been blogging on Harley’s behalf…but he says it is okay as long as I keep taking him and his pack to the dog park on a consistent basis!

Today we celebrate Harley’s one year ampuversary! We are so glad to have found our tripawd family and all the support everyone has offered and the special friends we will have for life!!

Dad is off getting dinner for us, and a very special vanilla ice cream cone for Harley…hopefully I will have found the real camera by then to post a good picture!

This last year has been one of much learning, adapting, and taking a step back to breathe…and in hindsight, while this was a traumatic decision, we made the right one…and both Jim and I have learned more from Harley than we ever thought we could.

Hugs & Licks to the Tripawd Nation….we heart you!

Ilene & Jim

Harley, Lucky & Sunny

Harley needed a break after digging in his pit…missed out on video I was so excited to watch him dig!!

Way to go buddy!!!

Yep, like many of the folks here…we are 3 days late in celebrating Harley!!  He had is amp back on April 12th, and Friday was his 3-month celebration…we did remember to do a little dance, whoop it up and then give him lots of loves and extra cookies.

This was absolutely the right decision for our family and I cannot thank enough the folks on the tripawds website and the incredible book “Three legs and a Spare” for the knowledge and confidence to make this decision. 

Needless to say, we spent time on Saturday & Sunday at the dog park, where he didn’t want to leave due to all the new friends we needed to see. 

Every day is such a blessing! Jim & I can’t imagine being without Harley…and we value each day as a gift! His joy when each of us gets home at the end of our work days always is something to look forward to.  And last night as we were going to bed…how jumps up…silly boy…can’t keep a good dog down!

Hugs to everyone and thank you again for all the kind words and support! Sorry I have been off the chat seen…trying to balance getting some stuff done around the house and the computer.  Some days the computer wins, some days the house….

Ilene, Jim, & Harley

Hi Everyone,

Well, good news to share!  We completed our 4th and final round of chemo today!!  Harley has done so very well, he has been the bright spot of our lives lately!!

Harley also had radiographs of his chest taken and extended blood work.  ALL IS GOOD! We are so happy and excited!

We are going to pass on the metronomic treatment. Our oncologist said because he was doing so well that she didn’t feel that it was required and was totally up to us.  Unfortunately, the whole thing has completely stretched our finances so we have to at some point be realistic about what we can do…and we have a very healthy pup right now, so we are going to call it good.

Harley is going to be featured on our oncologists website as a pet of the week.  When he is, I will be sure to post the link.  Also, we are sneaking up on his 3-month ampuversary!! It seems like so long ago that we started on this path…and here we are now…he is just the best, strongest, and happiest dog!

We had a good time at the dog park yesterday, he just loved getting out and hopping about.  We are just so glad that he is pain free and happy happy happy!

We could NOT have done this so “easily” without all the support from the Tripawd community! Hugs and licks to everyone!

Ilene, Jim & Harley

Here is a picture of Harley tonight…he ate all his dinner! We will see how tomorrow morning goes!

Well, that went just as smooth as anyone could hope for….except for the fact that my main vet forgot to send over the bloodwork reports…DOH!  So, it just took longer than it should have!

Harley is resting nicely and his head just perked up because dad is going to make dinner.  Good sign there!

Grandma came over for Mother’s Day and we had a lot of fun visiting with her. Next to mom & dad, Grandma is the absolute best!!  She didn’t bring her fuzzy family over, but that is probably for the best…having 3 is our norm…heading to 5 makes it a challenge!  Especially when Harley & Lucky like mom’s Beagle Toby a wee bit too much….if you get my drift!!

So, we are having a bit of rain…today is okay, but not sunny like it has been…waiting for the next digging adventure so we can get some video of that!

Take care everyone and hugs!

Ilene & Harley

OMG…I am reading other peoples blogs…and it dawns on me…my boy is now 4 weeks post-amp!

Time has absolutely flown! He is currently laying in the same spot he always has, next to my chair…legs going every direction.  It has been warm here, so he plays for a bit, then needs a rest!  But what a sweet boy…runs and gets a boy to chew on when he is excited that mom got back from work.

His sister Sunny was only interested in messing with him if he was busy chewing on a bone…then she wanted it. Kinda like the ball the other day…Harley had it…so she wanted it…she is such a brat!  Harley was trying to hide the ball under his blanket…and then surprise…there it is!  Love it!

Okay…hugs to all!

Ilene & Harley

We have seen Harley continually getting better and better.  And we smile more about him just being normal. 

Harley is a digger, we put in a pit early on because we didn’t want our yard torn up.  We have actually joked that we could rent him out as a roto-tiller to the right people…as long as they didn’t mind deep holes.  We have to fill the holes in when they get more than 2 feet deep. He actually will drop his ball into the hole and then dig it out…goes flying against the fence.

My hubby couldn’t find him on Monday night, until he comes hopping out from behind a wood pile.  Turns out that he has been digging between the fence and the wood pile (narrow area) so he won’t tip over ( I am pretty sure I have mentioned how smart he is). But because it is so narrow, he is trench digging rather than deep holes.

So, he starts digging last night…and he tips over…stands back up…tips over again…what is a good digger gonna do?  Stand up again…tip over…just stay on side…dig at an angle…don’t get as much dirt flying, but it works…whole was a good 3/4 of a foot deep in less than 3 minutes….had to fill it back up again!

So our boy is getting back to normal…will try and get a picture or video next time it happens…Such joy!!

Hugs to everyone!

Ilene & Harley

 

Well, I have been traveling due to work…but let me just say…Harley is AWESOME!!

We are 3 weeks post-amp today, and we played out in the yard because of the wonderful weather in the Pacific NW…we are going to have a HOT weekend! Yeah us…

Harley really is getting back to his normal self…other than having some balance problems, and of course, the other 2 just running him over…last night he took to one of his favorite past times…killing of the stuffed baby!  I am attaching a picture of him…I laugh because he gets a piece out, then spits it out…makes for a mess, but he loves it.

Again, all I can say is thank you to everyone and for all the kind words, thoughts, and prayers…

Oh…and one of my friends at work asked if I had a new nickname for him…I am like no…he said you should call him “Ilean”…great idea! LOL