Thanks.

*waves to Guppie*

We keep simul-posting!

Once the Coop is home, he'll need to go back for follow up visits also. ;)

Tribe's Talent '12

Thank you so much for your swift response, KF...I'm sure knowing we are out there, as well as the financial assistance, must make this situation more bearable for Tribe.

It did and it has. Knowing that I truly can count on my peeps here has been an absolute dream come true. Because while at this moment the finances for getting the surgery done in the first place was the biggest attention grabber. The longer I waited the less chance cooper would have had of recovery or even making it to surgery. But the absolute need to hear comforting voices and from people whom understood was paramount.
I will not tire of saying it for some time so Thank you! Thank you all! Even your good vibes have helped!

A Cooper Update for OT:
Yesterday morning I woke up, took a shower and dressed myself for the traditional morning constitutional for the pups; Billie and Cooper.

(Billie is the taller white one, Cooper is the little brown one. This photo is really about 3 years old, but still shows them as their regular selves.)

I immediately noticed a difference of demeanor from Cooper but he got himself to the shower to watch me, got to the front door to put his collar on and then the stairs came... He immediately stopped and tried his best to maneuver down the 5 steps to the walkway, where 7 more steps await. Upon his 4th step I realized he was basically trying too hard to work through them and would require assistance.
Now, he's 7 years old. Not old enough to be considered old and it would have been the first time I saw him recalibrate his own ability to go where-ever he wanted to go.
I picked him up and carried him down the remainder of stairs, across the street and set him down on his feet on the sidewalk. He stood for about 1/8 of a second and then fell over and continued to roll over onto his back.
Enter panic. Something was seriously wrong and my dog is losing the ability to walk. Again, he's only 7. Something is seriously wrong.
I immediately took him to the local vet and Cooper ended up spending 6 hours there, I even received a phone call to came back and say my goodbyes to Cooper... and I will end that part of the story there. Despite their lack of true care for Cooper the best advise I got from them was to get out of their office if I couldn't pay for their surplus of tests that had NOTHING to do with his real problem. I will leave it at... Do NOT go to the Laguna Beach Veterinary Clinic. EVER! Okay, now done.

Anyways, my partner and I drove to the Southern California Veterinary Specialty Hospital.
Immediately they took Cooper into the back and had some xrays done on him.
Blam! There it is! It looks like a calcification of the material between the 2nd and 3rd vertebrae.
Blam! We can do this surgery here and the prognosis of similar cases was 80-90% full recovery.
Blam! The whole experience is going to cost you $7,400.00 not including the 1.2K at the Vet of doom earlier in your day as well as the possibility of ventilating Cooper and subsequent stay days post surgery. We need to do an MRI to assure us of exactly what we're working with but we will need an initial deposit of $1500.00 to do the MRI and another 2.7K to start the surgery. 1200.00 + 3000.00 + 5400.00 = $8400.00.
This is a MONSTEROUS amount to tackle, even in better times. I was prepping myself for having to say goodbye to my little bear because I couldn't afford what he needed.
I understand the need to weigh the prognosis versus the financial burden as opposed to thinking about it from an emotional (and frankly selfish) perspective. If his life post-surgery was left diminished, I couldn't do that to him.
But he was alert, he was feeling things, he could sense pain, he was still in there. Just trapped in a body that couldn't move.

That gave me the reason to fight! Now, to find a way to get money. Ugh. And if I can't raise 2500 within 10 hours I may have to say goodbye to him regardless of what I could come up with.

I went to FB. I posted on my wall. I then went to GiveForward. a site that allows for people to generate fundraisers for all sorts of things.
I began the Cooper fundraiser and passed along that info to FB, Cooper's Dogbook and SBOT.
Then I had to get some sleep. My eyes, beyond puffy (still are), were starting to close even though my brain wasn't ready to give it a rest.

When I woke, (and after taking Billie for her walk. She definitely noticed that Cooper wasn't with us.) I went to see what had happened, if anything for the fundraiser.

Ever since then it has been a flurry of responses of goodwill, prayers and good vibes as well as an amazing amount of donations from the very peeps whom reside here! (Currently almost 1K)

Cooper has received the deposit for the surgery. Cooper has also received nearly 3K to cover costs of pre-surgery care and the ever expensive (but necessary) MRI. I am still about 4 thousand away from the final goal. Which will still not be enough to cover the costs if anything from this point forward goes wrong (and there has already been 1 small issue to add to the bill).

Cooper had his MRI which noted that he ruptured the disc between 2nd and 3rd vertebrae. The compression was indeed pinching the nerve which was causing the paralysis.
Cooper then went into surgery through an amazing donation by my partner's sister as well as a local organization known as R.U.F.F. (Rescuing unwanted furry friends) that covered the deposit for the surgery.

The surgeon called a few moments ago to confirm the surgery is done, the surgery went "really good" and the prognosis is good. BUT Cooper is not out of the woods just yet. He still cannot breathe on his own and the collapsed lung has not reinflated yet. He remains in Critical Care through the evening, on a respirator.

But he's okay!
I kept faith in his strength and fortitude.
I knew that he wouldn't give up on me and I wouldn't give up on him.
The next few hours, I may be able to eat again, I may actually get some rest, I will be grateful that step 1 is done and now it's up to that little dog's desire to get back home and the absolute kindness of virtual strangers.
I have never met any of you face to face but I know in my heart that you are without a doubt in my mind the BEST PEOPLE ON THE PLANET!

Thank you, from the top, middle and bottom of my heart. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
For your willingness to listen, for your desire to help and for your passion for your pets as well as your friends pets.
Please continue to send support of every kind. Words are extremely helpful and powerful as well.

Cooper as I know him...

Cooper in a ventilator (pre-surgery)

((hugs)) for Tribe and Cooper;
and I have to say, this
but he got himself to the shower to watch me
just jumped out at me.
I think there are several of us who would find a way to get to the shower to watch you if we had a chance.

I was up in the attic today. Boy was it hot up there, I had to take my shirt off and ... oops sorry jbug ... I actually ran across this vintage piece...

You might have to buy the right outfit to wear it, but it will add some strange sparkle to your look.

Anything to help Tribe, who has always meant so much to us here.

{{{Tribe and Cooper}}}

It's good to see the turnout of love and help for our man, Tribe.

Tribe's Talent '12

Completely unrelated to the recent events, I was doing some spring cleaning and ran across these...

Perhaps you can dust 'em off and see if they can't get some use.

Cooper Update #3: Post Surgery.
I am currently wordless...
Cooper has made it successfully through surgery. He is currently resting comfortably in a regular crate, outside of the oxygen incubator. He is breathing on his own and .... he is beginning to have use of his front legs.
*woooosh*

We are not allowed to visit him just yet but a snapshot made by one of the staff has brought a fresh new perspective and wave of emotion running through every part of me.

Cooper is on the mend and is tentatively slated to return home by Monday evening. Many many Thanks to Dr. Wayne Berry and the staff of Southern California Veterinary Specialty Hospital in Irvine.

The fundraising effort:
Family: 4100
Cooper fundraiser: 1200+ (24 doners and counting, a majority of them the very peeps whom roam these here halls. WOW! You are all just amazing!)
R.U.F.F.: 1000

Total so far: 6300+

Total bill from SCVSH was originally 7400
Total Bill from LBVC is 1200

Cooper's Total Bill: 8600

Fundraising effort continues... $2300.00 to go

Thank you all for helping to bring Cooper back to his family! Wow. Just wow... A vastly different outcome than was originally standing in front of me. Miracles do happen!

He looks a little bit beat there, Tribe. But alive
I'm sending you a wavy.

~foonermints