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I call Missy my wonder dog.
 
The call came out of nowhere. At 9 am on October 10, my Missy, a rescue blonde cocker spaniel, lost the use of her back legs. Overnight she went from Michael Jordan athletics to being a paraplegic. We had 24 hours to decide if surgery was a viable option.
 
Missy is the kind of soul that skips steps three at a time. She ran where others walked. She jumped where others jumped. She lived for a ride in the car where she sat shotgun on the front console. Her will and determination could encourage a sleeping adult to come downstairs in the middle of the night when she fashioned a much-needed gift.
 
We now had 24 hours to match a medical miracle with our little girl Missy. We were hoping that an MRI would show a herniated disc, easier to fix and a better chance of her walking again. The results showed damage over a period of time, she had only been quietly compensating.
 
A team of doctors said the surgery may or may not restore her ability to walk. She is a fighter and we had to give her a fighting chance. On October 11, she was prepped for surgery. She came out of surgery fine, but there was still no promise of normalcy. Just the promise that there will be a new reality of normality.
 
From Missy and this period of convalescence we have learned a lot about how to face our challenges. Perhaps you, too, can learn to face its challenges:
 

Four months later we have all learned. We have learned to be thankful for a neurosurgeon dog, physical therapist, oncologist, laser acupuncture and the aquatic treadmill. What I appreciate most is this dog with a heart, a will and an attitude of steel.

 
1. Get to grips with problems quickly
We had to quickly decide if surgery would be a viable option. We have the opinion of the experts as quickly as possible and we move forward. Somehow we were lucky that medical reality dictated a quick decision. The take away lesson is that regardless of the challenge or the situation, moving forward is always positive.
 
two. assume the best
If I could speak for Missy, I think she always assumed the best. The day after surgery she tried to walk. Even when she couldn’t walk without help, she still assumed that she could. The surgery has been followed by physical therapy including laser acupuncture and hydrotherapy. Every additional two minutes she spends on the water treadmill, I hug her like the first moon landing. When people roll their eyes at this story, I roll my eyes at their lack of faith. From the beginning I assumed that if she gave him every advantage, the best would happen.
 
3. listen to your inner voice
My voice and her inner voice didn’t always speak in unison. My voice said, you can’t use your back legs, wait until I get a towel to put under your belly. His voice said: I’ll crawl where I have to go. My voice said, you need to be confined until you regain the use of your legs. His voice said: I can drag my hind legs to get where I want to go. Finally, I listened to OUR inner voice: a combination of my caution and her optimism.
 
Four. Live your life by your standards. . . mainly
We made three ramps for him to use because he was not allowed to use steps early in his convalescence. Since he has improved in “leaps and bounds”, he chooses the steps above the ramp. She insists that she can make a ladder herself, and if they don’t attend to her, she’d be jumping in the car. My job in life is to constantly alter her expectations.
 
5. reluctantly adapt
As she progressed, she was allowed to negotiate the steps herself, on a leash, doing them one by one. A huge improvement from having to walk up and down the steps every day. After a few weeks, she seems to have reluctantly agreed to the terms. Even in her world, not every mountain is worth dying for.
 
6. Fight continuously
My girl is a survivor. Since the first day of her post-op she has fought for all the successes. First, the neurosurgeon told us that she may not walk again; she may not have control over her bodily functions. She fought not to be confined, she fought to walk, she fought to walk alone, and she fights with me daily to have as normal a life as possible.
 
7.accept realities
This is a challenge for both of you. We see different realities. She sees where most of her life has been and asks, why not? I think about where she was on October 10th and I don’t think about it anymore. So my reality gives her a little more freedom each day, and her reality gives her less freedom than before 10/10, and more freedom than I ever dreamed I’d have.
 
After his surgery I was amazed at the amazement of the people who would give a 12 year old dog, this surgery, this therapy, the best hand of minds and hands of medicine to offer. I knew I had to give him every opportunity he could identify and allow me. And he has given me back my old Missy, almost, and a renewed belief that anything is possible.
 
With special thanks to my Moshe, Metropolitan Vet Hospital, Dr. Axlund, and Dancing Paws Animal Wellness.