My Babies

I love this love.

Paolo

This dog.

Dog Diabetes

Paolo had a procedure done yesterday called grid keratotomy in attempt to save his eye. He's wearing a contact lens now (Seriously, I can't make this shit up!) and resting peacefully on pain killers while his body heals. 

Paolo

How did I get so lucky to be this dog's human?

Paolo Turns Eight

Paolo turned eight today.  Everyday is a miracle with Paolo. 

Dog Facetime

Occasionally Paolo likes to call Penny and howl his love for her. 

A Beacon of Hope

One year ago today Paolo broke his back and was paralyzed.  After surgery, Paolo had a 70% chance of ever walking again.  It took months of painful rehabilitation but today Paolo is running!  He is a huge source of inspiration for me.  I love this creature!

Calling Penny

While Hurricane Sandy was pounding the Northeast, Rya was concerned for Penny's safety.  She had Paolo call on the Barbie phone and thank goodness Penny was safe and sound in Beverly, Massachusetts. 

Viva la Paolo

Yesterday Paolo was yelping whenever he stood and then this morning Paolo was unable to walk and refused food (Paolo NEVER refuses a meal!).  I thought the worst and brought him to the emergency vet.  It was a sad ride to the ER as I prepared myself and Paolo of the possibility of having to put him down if his back was broken again.  It turned out to be a pulled or torn muscle in his shoulder since he over compensates in his front legs.  He was prescribed an anti-inflammatory and a McDonald's cheeseburger and referred to a doggie acupuncturist.  It worked because Paolo is walking again and already back to his happy self! 

A Balent for Seven Years

We found Paolo in Sicily 7 years ago today! This dog has survived being hit by a car, poisoned by mushrooms and paralyzed by a back injury. He's the best dog I've ever had, my best friend and my hero! Tante Auguri, Paolo!  Someone's getting a T-bone for lunch!

Staying in Touch with Sicily

One of my closest friends from Sicily, Meagan, came for a weekend visit.  She's stationed in Virginia Beach now and also has a new addition to her family. 

Currier and Rya fell in love with Charlie and fought over who got to play with him, take care of him, hold his hand, etc. 

Meagan also brought her Sicilian dog, Jack, to see his BFF Paolo (*Notice how even Italian dogs kiss on both cheeks!?) but don't let this picture fool you.  It's been nearly five years since they've seen each other and Paolo's injury makes him a little grumpy so they didn't always get along during the visit. 

We took the kids to an interactive dinosaur exhibit in North Charleston and then Megs and I had our fun by ordering cocktails at lunch. 

And the cocktails continued into the night and there may or may not have been a disco ball and dancing!

Nacho Libre?

I heard a ruckus on the back deck and found a very out of breath Mexican wrestler named Paolo. 

Miracles

Paolo continues to make great strides in his recovery from paralysis.  He's basically back to normal except he can't get up and down the stairs or on the bed anymore.  Otherwise he's Paolo and I'm immensely grateful for his will to survive.  Thanks to everyone who prayed or sent positive energy, helped me care for him physically during his lengthy recovery and/or helped my family out financially with Paolo's mounting veterinarian bills.  You helped save the life of an amazing animal and it makes my heart smile.  Thank you!

Paolo is Famous

This article on Paolo was featured in the Lowcountry Dog magazine!

Paolo Walking

He walks like a drunken sailor on a ship but I'll be damned that boy is walking!  I'm so proud and totally inspired by this dog. 

Ham Stand

Guess who stands for ham? Paolo takes a stand for ham. He did a ham stand! Imagine if I offer him ham & cheese? The possibilities are endless!

Paolo's Progress

It’s been one month since Paolo’s injury. Paolo is making progress and we’re feeling pretty confident that he falls into that 70% chance of recovery from spinal surgery. He’s wagging his tail, he’s moving his right leg, he’s able to control his bladder (mostly), he can stand with some assistance and he can walk a few steps with a sling.  Those are pretty significant strides for a dog that was paraplegic one month ago. He is a fighter and he has a will to live.

I first met Paolo as an emaciated, flea ridden puppy in a boatyard in Sicily six years ago.  He’d been hit by a car and his mouth was taped shut with medical tape. The man in the boatyard, Salvatore, said he’d been dumped there and I should take him or he would die. After a lot of tears and an argument with Trent, Paolo came home with us. The vet told me that Paolo had a severely deformed nose and a massive respiratory infection and probably wouldn’t make it through the week.  

Fast forward six years, 2 children, 2 countries, 3 cities and 4 homes.  I wake up to find that Paolo’s fall off the bed the previous day was more serious than I thought.  He’s paralyzed and he needs a very expensive surgery that I can’t afford.  I’m faced with taking out a loan or putting Paolo down.  While I’m left in the room alone with Paolo to “think about it”, I say to Paolo, “Damn you!  This isn’t how it’s supposed to end.  You’re supposed to grow old with me.  Please tell me what you want me to do?”  And he just looked up at me with those same eyes from the boatyard and said, “Save me!”      

I know some of you think I’m crazy for the choice I made. Someone said to me, “Wow, you’re a better person than me. I can think of a lot of other things I’d rather spend $6,000 on than a dog!” I have two things to say to that person. 1. Yes, I am a better person than you. 2. Paolo may be just a dog to you but to me he’s someone that I share my home and my bed with. He is family. He is my child. He is my friend. He was there beside me on the bathmat when I peed on a stick and learned I was pregnant with my first child, he welcomed two babies into our family, he cuddled me through several periods of debilitating depression, he has greeted me at the door everyday with ridiculous enthusiasm even when I’ve just stepped out to check the mail, he has witnessed many trials and tribulations in our family. To me Paolo is not just a dog. He is part of my life story and that chapter isn’t over yet.  

Oh Paolo!

I was going through some old pictures and videos of Paolo through the years and found this gem.  Not sure what's funnier—Paolo humping Currier or my Muttley laugh at the end.   

New Skills

Well, I can now add successfully administer a catheter to my resume. We took Paolo into the vet on Tuesday because I wasn’t able to manually express his bladder. The vet put a catheter in Paolo and showed me how to maintain it at home. It actually makes life a little easier for me now that the urine soaked mountain of laundry is eliminated. He was supposed to wear this lampshade around the clock so he wouldn't pull out the catheter but he ate the damn thing right off his head while I was at work.  I'm not too worried about him getting to his catheter because I honestly think he's too chubby to to reach his penis.  Poor thing! 

Also, while we were at the vet the doctor put a clamp on Paolo’s tail and Paolo yelped which means he felt it! The vet didn’t want to get our hopes up too high but he did say that’s a very good sign and a step in the right direction.  I also keep having very vivid dreams of Paolo walking.  We're trying to stay as positive as possible. 

This whole experience has had a profound impact on my family. It’s crazy to think that one little incident, like falling off a bed, can change a life and the lives of those around you so much. There was a song that came out over a decade ago called The Sunscreen Song and there's a verse in that song that has always stuck with me—“Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.” Paolo’s injury has blindsided us but has also put things into perspective for us.  The stupid shit I worried about two weeks ago seems so trivial when faced with this.  

Paolo's Recovery

Paolo is much happier to be at home with his pack.  The life is back in his eyes and if he could wag his tail I’m sure it would be going crazy!  Paolo remains paraplegic and caring for him is an exhausting and daunting task.  He has no control of his bladder or bowels so his bedding needs to be changed every two hours.  His positioning need to be rotated so he doesn’t get bed sores and his legs need to be exercised to prevent atrophy.  It’s like caring for a newborn and to be completely honest I wonder if we made the right decision by putting him through this surgery rather than putting him down.    

And then I see how happy he is snuggling on Bruco or one of the kids and I know that we made the right decision.  We didn't choose the easy path as our lives have been turned completely upside down but I have to believe that Paolo will recover and live a normal life.  He just has to—he’s a fighter and he has moxie.  Keep the prayers and healing energy coming.