FOUL BALL(S): Teddy's surgery was a success with a surprise

The day Teddy finally drank out of his water bowl while wearing the collar was MAJOR.  And in case you are wondering, those are Popeye's mashed potatoes on his cone. The patient gets what the patient wants. 

Last Monday, Teddy, my partner-in-life, high-calorie snacks and Congress Heights on the Rise had surgery to remove tumors.

Encouraging news: Teddy's radiographs were clear so the cancer had not spread to his lungs and we were able to proceed with the tumor removal surgery. 

Surprising news: when they opened Teddy up they found out my 13 year old dog actually was not neutered, he had retained his "package" on the INSIDE of his body and he had developed testicular cancer. After the medical staff recovered from shock, all the "extras" were removed and sent out for biopsy. 

Silver lining news: while testicular cancer in dogs is malignant it acts benign so odds are really low it will spread. Just to be safe I will probably have an ultrasound done to make sure all is well with my fur baby but the biopsy has come back and his type of cancer has a really, really low rate of spreading. 

Even better news, Teddy is back to being Teddy which for him means, being his usual rambunctious self and bossing me around and stealing my snacks. He has to wear a collar for two weeks which he was/is not digging at all, I actually spoon fed him water and mashed potatoes the first few days. But besides bumping the collar into everything (including me) he's doing rather well. He's almost feeling too good because he is on restricted movement yet is always trying to jump on something. I have explained to him firmly and nicely that after dropping $1,500 of my vacation fund on his surgery, we will be following the doctor's orders TO THE LETTER. His leaping lizard days are over for the time being. 

I can't thank all of you enough for the kind thoughts, comments and emails. I'm not going to lie, the idea of losing my midnight marmalade sandwich partner (I eat the front of the sandwich and he gets the back) filled me with fear and dread. When you are single, have no kids and practically live on your computer, your dog can take up a big portion of your world. Lord knows, ever since Teddy entered my life as a foster in 2008 he's taken up a big part of my life (and my bed). He was very much the inspiration for this blog and my community advocacy work. Walking  him around the neighborhood is what opened my eyes to the issues that needed to be address -- like the need for trash cans. 

I give many thanks for the folks at the Animal Clinic of Anacostia for saving my bacon and making sure Teddy had his vaccinations in time for his surgery and AtlasVet for removing his balls/tumors. Big hugs to our support system (especially my mom) and God for seeing my buddy through. Fingers crossed Teddy has no more surprises hidden inside of his body. I am still looking for a pair of earrings I haven't seen in months! 

And if you have a rescue dog that you think has been neutered, have him checked! He may have a hidden surprise of his own. Lol! 

Thanks again! 
The Advoc8te