Can you believe it? I just got over one hospitalization from illness and Doc took me to the veterinarians office yesterday to have a scheduled outpatient surgery. I need a break and I am considering running away from home, but who would take me in if they make me wear a stupid cone around my head to keep me from bothering my stiches? It looks like some apparatus that an alien would use to communicate with the mother ship. But that is beside the point, so I will do my best to relay what I remember until they gave me anesthesia and I was knocked out and report on how I am just short of 24 hours after surgery.

Yesterday I had what is called a lipoma ( a benign fatty tumor) that was quite large removed from my chest, and two smaller ones removed from under my front leg . The one on my chest had grown larger than a tennis ball and was starting to stretch my skin and the doctor decided it was best to remove it to keep me comfortable into my old age. The other one was removed as a precaution as if it got larger it would impede me from walking. Doc told me these are things you just take care of and deal with as you age but I really don’t think of myself as old. They did throw in a teeth cleaning and a pedicure while I was there, all done while I was under anesthesia.

I was the last surgery of the day so I didn’t get out of recovery until about 6:30pm. When I finally woke up, I was still so groggy I didn’t really know where I was, so I fell back to sleep. At 7:30pm they told me Doc was here to pick me up. I was still not very steady on my feet so two nice Vet techs. helped me to the waiting room. I went right over to Doc and stayed by her side while they gave Doc the post surgery instructions. That is when they started taking about “the cone” that would go around my head. I thought I would die. What would my canine buddies in the neighborhood think? Talk about a way to loose street cred. I already looked like I had lost a fight with my chest all shaved and stitched up along with having a bandage wrapped around my leg. Luckily after some discussion it was decided that wearing a tee shirt to keep the incision covered would do, but I had to promise not to bother the stiches. I agreed happily. After going over the medication and activity restrictions, I was lifted into the back of the car and we went home.

After the neighbor helped Doc lift me out of the back of the car I was still having problems getting my sea legs because the drugs were still in my system. I felt like a young puppy tying to lean to walk again. Since I am not allowed to jump up on anything for about 14 days, including the bed, Doc slept on the couch in the family room with me so I wouldn’t feel so alone. Sometimes you just want your human mother close by and this was one of those times.

This morning I am starting to do a little better and I am keeping my eye on Doc as she works from home today. I know after this heals I will be glad those lipomas were removed. It’s easy to put off taking care of medical issues because of the discomfort or fear involved, but Doc says it’s better to address things than put them off until they become an emergency or so bad that nothing can be done. It also helps to have someone that supports you like Doc.

So after some thought today I have decided I don’t need to run away from home as I am getting very good care. Lets just hope all the medical issues are done for awhile because this dog needs a break.