Thursday, April 26, 2012

With A Grateful Heart And A Lot of Love

From Lola's Mom:

I have cried solid for two days, but tonight it is a different cry, it's a cry of gratefulness instead of total despair. I wrote a few weeks ago about Lola's spay surgery and the day we found out she is a hemophiliac. You can read about it here Horrible Day For Lola and Mommy. I was told  she should do fine unless she suffered a traumatic injury or her clotting factor dropped. Our way of life changed some, we have to be careful of her going up and down stairs, jumping off of high furniture (not an easy task with Lola who is quite convinced she is part mountain goat and climbs everything), any bump or cut that would otherwise be ignored have to be watched closely for bleeding or swelling which could indicate internal bleeding, her nails have to always be clipped by the vet, a bite from another dog could cause her to bleed out so no dog parks for her. Just little things that take on a whole new meaning when living with a dog who is a hemophiliac but worth it to have her in our life.

Until this week she has done fine. This weekend I noticed she was slowing down some, not my Lola at all. By Monday she was just wanting to lay around, I called her vet and took her in Tuesday morning. My world crashed in a matter of 10 minutes and one blood test. Almost all of her clotting factor is gone. That alone should not cause her to slow down so much but an internal slow bleed could. Being a hemophiliac an exploratory surgery to find the bleed was not an option, with no clotting factor at all it meant certain death for her. I was told she needed an initial factor VIII and gene therapy followed by three to four more treatments spaced out. Factor VIII alone is very expensive, add in the gene factor and the procedure to do it and I didn't have the money to have it done. My wonderful vet has offered to give her the last three to four treatments at a greatly reduced price. But still I could not afford that first one. My option at that time was to bring her home and say goodbye.

How do you say goodbye to someone you love that much when a treatment does exist that would help her? How do you just let someone go who sat by your son's side day and night when he had a very serious surgery last summer and sat by my side through my recent bout with a severe leg infection? I can't even explain the heartbreak and despair I felt. I can't tell you the guilt I felt knowing I was letting her down. My son and I are pretty much alone, we simply had no one we could turn to for help. I do have other children but they are just starting their lives out on their own, live in other states and none of them have money now either. My mother lives on SS and wouldn't feel the life of a dog was that important anyway.

I posted to my Pug Sluts group on FB to let them know what was going on with her and to ask for extra pug juju. Never did I dream that they would rally for her. They explained the Chip In to me and ask me to put one up for Lola. I have never taken anything from anyone but my Sluts taught me a valuable lesson this week, when it comes to these flat faces we love so much, you will do anything. There is no such thing as humility and stubbornness when it comes down to the desperation of needing to save one of our babies lives.  These loyal, kind and loving men and women who know us only through FB and this blog got busy and within less than 24 hours collected enough money to pay for her treatment. But they didn't stop there, they have also collected enough to pay for her second treatment and advised me to leave her Chip In up a few more days to help cover the cost of the other two. I am in awe of each and every one of them and will forever be grateful. Lola has a lot of aunties and uncles now that care for her and that is a wonderful feeling. She is no longer just my baby, she now belongs to all those that have helped to save her life. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart, somehow that doesn't seem enough, I just want to say more but I don't have the words. I love you all!

Lola has the procedure tomorrow and I need prayers and juju from all my readers. I want to explain the procedure she will go through. First they will give her a small amount of clotting factor by injection. She will then be put to sleep, always a danger for our smushie faces. They will then make a small incision in her abdomen which is terrifying for a hemophiliac especially when she will have only the very small amount of clotting factor they will have injected. It's dangerous and scary and I think my vet is just as scared about the procedure as I am.  They will then do a gene and factor VIII transfer into a vein in her abdomen only having a very small window of time to work in and then close her up. Then we pray she survives the surgery without bleeding out and that the transfer works. She will of course be carefully monitored and my vet is the greatest. Her blood will then be checked in a couple days to see if it is clotting any, if so then we know it is probably going to work. They will check her blood every two days for a week, then once a week for the next month. If all goes well she will need the second treatment in 2-3 months, the third treatment 2-3 months following that one. The fourth treatment will depend on the amount of clotting she has at that time. Hopefully she won't need a fourth treatment but we have no way of knowing that at this time. But she now has a chance and I owe that to all the wonderful Pug Sluts. I will let everyone know how she is doing as soon as the procedure is over tomorrow and I have access to my PC since Droid can be stubborn with Blogger at times I may not be about to post from my phone.

You see the Sluts not only know about the naughty bits and parts, glitter bombs, parties and outdoing each other with the worst possible cuss words we can come up with, or the grossest pictures we can find to post but we also know about loyalty to each other, love and friendship and we love each other's pugs as much as we love our own. This has been proven many times over. So for those who left our group because "our language or behavior" offeneded you I am truly sorry for you because in the whole scheme of things I couldn't care less what any single one of them say or do when they show this type of love and loyalty. THAT is what really matters.

Again thank you to all who helped Lola, know that I love you and know that if ever needed I will be there for any one of you.

61 comments:

  1. oh my god,im soo sorry,that your furbaby is that ill.
    its great to read,tat you got help,but i wished that you didnt needed it.
    we all have our fingers and paws crossed for lola und i wished i could hold your hand while she has her treatment.
    stay strong.im sure,she will make it.pugs are soo strong fighters,she will kick the illness in its butt!
    sending you good thoughts and strengh,
    yours anni,the foxbrothermomma

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  2. Awww, poor Lola and her mommy. We're sending puggie juju to Lola for her 1st procedure.

    Kisses and hugs,
    Minnie and Mack

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  3. It is amazing how we can all come together for a cause such as this without a econd thought. We are glad that we could help give Lola a chance. We will keep her in our thoughts and prayers and have faith that she is going to be just fine.

    Pugs & Kisses,

    Brutus & Ellie

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    1. It was truly amazing and such a wonderful thing! Thank you!

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  4. I'm gonna send some purrs along for Lola, okay? These are some of my best quality purrs so they're super-duper strong. Use wisely...

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  5. We are all here for you and will continue to be. I will be praying for Lola and you all day and anxiously waiting for news.....

    Hugs,
    Punchy

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  6. We're pulling out the extra juju for you Lola!

    ♥♥♥
    Meredith & Scarlet

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  7. Lola has Gammy and Gampy praying for her too, and I'm sure Payton is looking down smiling at Lola as I type this!

    Gampy

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    1. Thank you Gampy and Gammy, I still cry when I think of Payton. I would like to think she was the guardian angel, along with my sluts that helped bring her back to me!

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  8. Holy shit (for lack of a better word)! I'm so so sorry, I'm praying hard and crossing my paws for you and sweet Lola. I'll go post on my blog so others can lend a paw. I KNOW without a doubt Lola will pull through, she has to.
    I understand 100% about not having the money for life saving surgery, I experienced it several years ago. AFter I said goodbye to that poor poor dog I vowed every time I had extra money I'd put it away for my next dog (Nola). I know have $5,000 that I will no access unless Nola needs it. Thankfully it's enough to cover surgery that could restore her to walking if she ever had a back problem. Have you tried ramps for Lola to get up and down her favorite places?
    Love and hugs
    Nola's Mom

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    1. Sorry about the typos, I was on my phone

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    2. My phone always messes up when I try to use it on blogger. LOL Wise thing to do, but I never have any left at the end of a payday to put back and had used all my savings for my son's surgery this past summer.

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  9. I've shared Lola's need for prayers on my blog, and put up the ChipIn there as well. I've also contacted the Blogville Community Calendar about Lola and they should have that up within the next day
    Love
    Nola and her Mom

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    1. Thank you so much Nola, your a dear friend. We still have four more treatments to do over the next few months so any little thing helps. I appreciate what you did for Lola.

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  10. Hi Lola - Nola sent us over and we are keeping our paws crossed for you!

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    1. Thank you for coming by Finn and thinking of my girl!

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  11. Hiya, Miss Nola sent us over to send you some pawsitive thoughts and prayers. We hope you are feeling better and your mom is not going squirrel poop crazy from all this.

    Milo and Dixie (and their mom who is pouting cause Blogger stopped working right)

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    1. Thank you Milo and Dixie! My Mom is always pouting cause Blogger messes her up all the time. LOL

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  12. We read about Lola on Nola's blog and wanted to stop by to wish her well. We have all our paws crossed for things to go well for her. You are an awesome Mom.

    Woos - Phantom, Thunder, Ciara, and Lightning

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    1. Thank you so much Phantom, Thunder, Ciara and Lightening, love your names!

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  13. We are praying everything goes well for Lola!

    Pug Hugs ~ Zoe, Peyton, Webster & Liberty

    PLEASE keep that Chip-In up as long as you need to and we will help every chance we get. We want Lola to get all of the treatments she needs! Sometimes the Pug Sluts is a little much for me but I am so glad to be a part of such an awesome group that will do anything to help each other! Love, Ellen

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    1. Thank you so much! Yes we can get a little wild in the Pug Sluts club and it's not for everyone but you don't have to be a slut to be a good friend and you have been a good friend to Lola.

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  14. Just popped over from Nola's to offer our thoughts and prayers for Lola. We will keep our fingers and paws crossed!

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    1. Thank you so much Bassetmomma, she needed and still needs all the prayers she can get.

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  15. Nola told me that you were in need of some special thoughts and prayers....from what I read on your blog I can see that is true. You will be in our thoughts and prayers Lola....

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  16. We will be crossing our paws really hard tonight and will have a talk with the Big Guy upstairs. We will be praying for you and your family Lola.

    The Power of the Paw Unite!

    Hugs,
    Lily Belle

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    1. I think the Big Guy heard and the Power of the Paw is working for now so please keep it up, she still has a long way to go. Thank you so much.

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  17. Hi Lola, I am so sorry you are having some problems. My pal Nola told me about you and I just wanted to come and give you some love and hugs. I am crossing paws and my Mommy is praying for you.

    Loveys Sasha

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    1. Thank you for the hugs Sasha, I felt them all the way here in Alabama.

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  18. I am remembering to say puggy prayers for Lola. She deserves this chance to be helped.
    I am also sending prayers for you
    The prayers start now
    love
    tweedles

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    1. Thank you so much Tweedles! Keep those prayers coming, she still needs them.

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  19. I'm so sorry to hear about sweet Lola but I will pray that this treatment works and she pulls through. No one wants to make these decisions for these loving pugs.

    We send many hugs to you all
    The Girls

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    1. So glad to see you girls here and thank you so much for the prayers and hugs.

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  20. Sluts now, sluts tomorrow, sluts forever! So glad Lola is getting her treatment xoxo

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    1. Who knew a bunch of sluts like us had all these big hearts? I so appreciate each and every one of you. Thank you!

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  21. We will be thinking of Lola tomorrow. I am so glad that your friends rallied to help you get the treatment. I hope with all my heart that things go well.

    Your friend Nola sent me over. I'm a new visitor.

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    1. Welcome KB and thank you for coming by and leaving good wishes for my baby. I hope you come back to visit us again.

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  22. Hey Lola, Nola sent us over. So sorry to hear of your condition, but thankful there is something to be done. You can bet I have my paws crossed for you and my Lady is praying for you and for your mom. You must be very special, like me. I am a long nose, but my girlfriend in China was a pug. I thought she was the most beautiful thing I had every seen. We constantly got our leashes entwined, but weren't allowed to entwine anything else. It's because I'm black. Her dad didn't approve. Anyway, Lola, all the best tomorrow. It's tomorrow here already and we're praying it is a good one for you.
    Licks,
    Marley

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    1. Thank you Marley and I'm sorry about your girlfriend, parents just don't get it. Black is beautiful and they should have been proud to have you!

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  23. Hi lovely little Lola.

    I don't think I've visited you before, but Nola sent me over too.

    I wanted you to know that over here in Burton-on-Trent in England me and my People Of The House will be thinking of you today and crossing all our fingers and claws that everything works out just fine.

    You've got a LOT of people on your side and what your FB friends did was amazing. It just HAS to go well after that. I'll be back for an update.

    Love and licks, Winnie the greyhound

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    1. I do have amazing friends on FB and on here too, thanks for all the crossed fingers and paws, they helped so much. Thanks for coming by and thinking of me.

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  24. Oh sweet Lola, I'm so glad you can have your surgery now and will be thinking and praying for you to recover well and fast. Our mutual friend Nola told us you needed some healing thoughts so we came over to wish you well.

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    1. Thank you so much for the healing thoughts, it means a lot to me. Nola is such a sweety for having her friends come by and putting my ChipIn on her page, a true friend, that Nola.

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  25. Saw your name on a friend's bloggie and wanted to drop off some prayers!

    My furry sister, Nala and I, will be thinking of you,

    Woofs & hugs, <3

    ~Bailey (Yep, I'm a girl!)

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    1. Thank you so much Bailey and your sister Nala too!

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  26. I am here checking on you- I have been praying for you.
    I hope you are ok
    love
    tweedles

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    1. Thanks Tweedles, I posted a new post with the update a few minutes ago.

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  27. A pug slut may be vulgar and crass,
    but in need...
    would not hesitate to give the shirt of their back.


    Praying for you guys. Sending lots of hugs and prayers

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    1. But isn't it that vulgar and crass that draws us all together? LOL Thanks for everything Winston!

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  28. We will be purring for Lola, so glad you got the money needed for treatment. Paws crossed everything goes well.

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    1. Thank you so much Artemisia! I appreciate all the purrs and woofs from everyone.

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  29. Oh my goodness, I'm away just a few days and look what's going on!!! Oh sweet Lola, I know you will be just fine. Thank goodness for special people that come through when it is needed. Your whole family has been through so much lately. I will be praying for all of you. Blessings.

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    1. I know Ellen, I just keep thinking sooner or later we have to catch a break. Thank you so much!

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  30. We are so glad we could help Lola and you.

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    1. I appreciate it soooo much, thanks for coming by to read her update.

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