Murphy's Good Days and Bad Days...

Within the same four week period, I quit a job that I was not happy with, I was to get my two little angels started at new schools and was slated to start a new job.  When it rains it pours.  It's been a month of adjustments for sure.  Adjustments to schedules, jobs, expectations, schools, etc...

During this time of what is all good change, we got some bad news.  

As I was rushing my kids out the door to get haircuts one afternoon I noticed our dog Murphy was limping pretty badly.  I had noticed earlier in the day that we was hobbling a little bit after getting up from laying down.  It was pretty mild so I chalked it up to a leg that fell asleep, a cramp, something temporary.  It was a lot worse at the end of the day.  

After I got the kids in the car, the phone call to Steve went something like this:

"Steve, Murphy can barely walk, you need to come home now and take him to the vet.  I've got the girls loaded in the car for their haircuts".  

I was thinking the worst case would be a torn ACL, a sprain, something that could be fixed, easily fixed.

Murphy was on anti-inflammatory meds for a week and doing well.  After he was done with the meds, he started limping again.  Back to the vet we took him.  He had x-rays.

I don't remember if my husband called me or texted me with the diagnosis.  Bone cancer (aka osteosarcoma).  Bone cancer that is not treatable.  We could delay the spread, but it would eventually take his life.    

There are a couple treatment options available to us.  We've decided on a course of treatment that is good for Murphy and good for our family.  He has good days and bad days.  Today he had a good day and it makes me happy.  When he has bad days (lots of visible pain) it's heartbreaking.  Murphy is the best dog we could have asked for, both before and after having kids.  I'm not sure how much longer he will be with us, but we are going to spoil him as much as we can and treat every day with him as a gift..  

A couple years ago in Tahoe