dimondites

Yesterday, I found out East’s hip is deteriorating at a rate that acupuncture and physical therapy will no longer help. The pain medicine will start damaging his liver. Hip replacement is the only alternative right now to fix him. It will cost $13,000 for the surgery, another $500 in supplements, $500 in therapy, and approximately $1000 to carpet the house. To keep him on one floor, we will need to move our kitchen remodel back by several months, which will mean paying another $1,000 to renew our permits.

The last 24 hours has been hell. Every time I look at East, my heart breaks. Each time he barks for me to come help him up, my broken heart breaks into even smaller pieces. Sometimes when he cries at night, I cry too. Without surgery, he will not live a painless life. He would need to be put down.

My dilemma… Let’s say he does recover fully after surgery. Is East worth all the work and $16,000.00?

[left] January, 2006. This is East at three months. This photo was taken the day he arrived home from the Kennel. He was 35 lbs. and the dog everyone was scared of.

[above] March, 2006. Spring in Oakland. East on his hill, under the shade. He is five months old and 50 lbs.

April, 2006. Victim of a bad hair cut. We should have known better than to take East to a shop that specialized in poodles. Someone said to me after seeing this photo, “Look at his sad face. Even he knows he has a bad hair cut.” East at five months and 65 lbs.

 
April, 2006. East in ponytails. This is what happens when one has too much time on their hands. (It was Craig’s idea!)

April, 2006. East a.k.a. Dirty Boy.         June, 2006. East and West in pink boas.

July, 2006. Someone to watch over me. East and West playing Foo Dogs while I napped at the pool side in Calistoga. Mikol and Jeremy’s Wedding. Photo by Spench.

July, 2006. The first swim. East hesitantly looks over at West, who already dove in to chase after Alex (afar).

[below] East goes for it. He was never a great swimmer, using only his front paws. See the splashing? 

 July, 2006. The boys singing “Hallelujah! Hallelujah!”

[left] September, 2006. East’s first self-discovery. He can be his own dog. He does not need to follow West. East’s morning walk to the river. Trinity.

[above] October, 2006. As painful as it is for me to show this photo of me sleeping, I can’t help but share how East snuck in bed and slept in Alex’s spot. Look at that face! “What’ am I doing wrong?”

 
Today, February 1, 2007. What am I going to do?
I’m giving East new hips. That’s what.