Blaze

UPDATE: Life With Blaze

UPDATE OCTOBER 27, 2011 - Life With Blaze: (as always, click on any image for a larger view)

She loves the variety of dog beds and binkies in my office, and after her breakfast and subsequent poop/pee every morning, she chooses one for her morning siesta. This is this morning’s choice.

UPDATE: Blaze Recovery Update

UPDATE OCTOBER 24, 2011 - Blaze Gets Better Every Day: (as always, click on any image for a larger view)

After some pretty horrendous oral surgery, Blaze and I had a rough few days but things are looking much better now. She was not allowed food on Wednesday prior to the surgery and, though offered/coaxed/cajoled, would not even try to eat until Thursday evening. For a little dog who lives for meals, this was very scary. Worse, she has decided she will not drink water out of a bowl. Still don’t know wassup with that. This surgery was hard, not only because all quarters of her mouth were operated on, but because the anesthesia was difficult for her. The face numbing local left her without sense of smell and the Fentanyl patch really messed up her balance. I was so scared for her, I sat up with her all night Wednesday night while she slept wrapped up like a little burrito in her new binkie. (This photo is her bundled up in her leopard binkie on my bed.)

UPDATE: Blaze Second Mouth Surgery

UPDATE OCTOBER 17, 2011 - BLAZE THE MIRACLE GIRL WINS ANOTHER ROUND: (as always, click on any image for a larger view)

First, she’s fine.
Second, the surgery was worse than anticipated. What they thought was an opening of the bad fistula on the right side of her face (where it had abscessed through) turned out not to be the only problem – the fistula on the right had also re-opened, so that had to be fixed as well.

UPDATE: Blaze Comes Home

UPDATE OCTOBER 17, 2011 - BLAZE COMES HOME: (as always, click on any image for a larger view)

After two and a half months, Blaze finally got to leave Ansley Clinic today.

Pulling on her leash in her new jeweled collar (a gift from Maria), and weighing in at a hefty 13.6 lbs., she ran right to the door like she knew what was happening..

I pondered this decision a little, but thought it would be easier for her to come home after surgery to a place she was at least a little familiar with, rather than stressing her with both things at once.

UPDATE: Blaze: 10-13-11 Visit

UPDATE OCTOBER 13, 2011 - BLAZIE HAS A LITTLE SETBACK: (as always, click on any image for a larger view)

Just got in from my business trip, kissed and hugged my own 4 foxies, then made a beeline to see Blaze.

When I called Tuesday afternoon to check on her, Dr. Brandley came on to talk to me. She said Maria (see her in today’s videos) had noticed Blaze sneezing from some nasal drainage; since Blaze was due to have her stitches out from surgery to remove the tumor on her belly they took a look in her mouth while they had her in the exam room.

As many of you know, Blaze’s first surgery was to address the horrible condition in her mouth. The biggest problem was a large tumor on her upper gum (fortunately turned out to be a benign fistula) that had abscessed and was so infected that a huge wound opened in the side of her face, which meant this was open to her nasal cavity. The tumor was removed during surgery and a gum flap created to close the wound on her gum. Unfortunately, fistulas often re-grow and Blaze’s did rather quickly. Dr. Brandley had been monitoring it but since the gum flap held and Blaze’s mouth healed so well otherwise, we just crossed our fingers.