Under the Knife ... Ouch!

Dear Sophie,
You weren't home from our reunion trip two weeks before we hauled you in to the vet's office with what I was pretty sure was an ear infection. I was right. And while you were in there anyway, I had Dr. Salmon check those little masses you had, one under your arm and the other on your back. They had been stable for months but it didn't hurt to have them looked at just to be sure. Since needle aspiration didn't prove or disprove anything for sure, surgery was recommended to remove the masses. We set the date for Tuesday July 6th, and my heart was frozen and my breath held until 4pm when we got to bring you home. I expected you to be groggy and foggy, but your mind was absolutely clear. The minute they brought you out, you wanted out of there and practically pulled me out the door. Our concerns about getting you into the van without allowing you to jump were moot, as the second that sliding door was open, you took a flying leap inside! Boy oh boy did you ever want to go home!!
Sophie, I wish you could understand why we had to do all this. I keep worrying that you have it in your head now that I took you to the vet, gave you over to those people, and allowed them to hurt you. And then, when it was time to remove the staples ten days later, you balked and fought going into that back room. How I wish we could read each other's mind so I could be sure you understand what happened to you and why! The surgeon said you did very well through the surgery and the staple removal, and the tumors looked benign to her but we'd have to wait for the final pathology report to celebrate.
Finally, we got the news we were praying for ... they were indeed benign! So now things are pretty much back to normal for you. You run and play outside, shake the stuffings out of your toys, jump up on the bath table and down again as many times as you like, and you've even been back in harness once, far sooner than I'd have thought possible. Looks like you're ready to go back to work!To keep your shaved surgical sites from standing out like a sore thumb, I gave you the once-over with hair clippers so all your hair can grow back out together. It took you a day or two to get used to it, but I think you're okay with it now, not to mention a lot cooler and more comfortable in this Phoenix summer heat. So, dear Sophie, the last month has been a wild ride for all of us. Let's just look forward to the day we can put this whole unpleasant incident behind us.

Carried You Back To Ol' Virginny

Dear Sophie,
{{First of all, allow me to correct the last post. While recording the flights to Tennessee, I discovered a counting error. You actually did make your 40th flight before your birthday!}}

This has been one incredible summer so far. With flights 42 and 43, you braved another family reunion in Virginia. Flights into Charlotte, NC are always stuffed full and aren't a whole lot of fun for you, but you were as gracious about your lack of floor space as our rowmates were about surrendering some of theirs, so we managed.

Our four days at Cousin Jim's house were so delightful! You and D.J. got along so well, sharing your food and treats, and playing and running together in the ginormous back yard! You just never seemed to run out of things to sniff.
And then came the reunion on Saturday. I promised you it'd be so much better this year with no more Civil War re-enactments or cannons or booms or crashes. Well, sweetheart, we didn't bank on the massive, half-hour long, late-morning thunderstorm to start the day, which had you wiggling out of your nylon harness and then your leather harness! I can't believe you actually got out of both of those! Finally I got you settled down as the storm passed but, within an hour or so ... you guessed it ... there went the cannons again for another war re-enactment elsewhere in the park.You poor baby ... you just couldn't win ... until the arrival of Cousin Kevin and his family. His girls immediately took to you, likely because they have a Golden of their own, and they kept you occupied and walked and played with, and I got you back at the end of the day. As dearly as you love children, I think that made your whole day! Thank you, Hannah and Chesnee.

The minute you got back to Jim's that evening, no one saw a move out of you as you curled up and slept away all the stresses of the day.
On the flights home, you were every bit as cramped as you had been Eastbound but, again, you handled it all with your usual grace, even though one of the flights was unbearably hot and stuffy.
So it'll be another year before we do it all again. No more promises of peace and quiet, but we'll think good thoughts, and I'll try to think of new ways to be more prepared just in case.