Making Progress Sunday 2-14-10

I think we're winning.  Gigi is walking better these days - she still limps in the morning or when she does not want to go somewhere (cute, eh?) but overall she is walking more evenly on her hind legs.  We maintain the sling for extra protection against slipping but she is much steadier these days.  She gets a little goofy at times, and I think that sling may be necessary as long as we have a wild child on wood floors, but on carpet she does very well.

For the first time since even before surgery, Gigi was interested and able to make her way up the ramp with only steadying support (not lifting) on her hind end.  In fact she tried to climb onto the ramp in the middle instead of coming up from the end...we had a little conversation about that and she's now clear on the ramp procedure.  At least for a while.

Boredom is a huge issue, so we started a few games outside.  Her favorite is "what's in the woodpile?" where she gets to stick her nose under the tarp and snuffle around.  Mom makes little chittering noises and occasionally tweaks the tarp - which Gigi interprets as evidence of Somethings.  She did a 2-footed bouv-bounce onto the tarp but apart from a few holes, and some wind-sucking by Mom, all was fine.  Mom is watching now for pre-bounce positioning - bouncing has the potential to be an "oops" since she lunges a bit in the process.  No lunging for now. But fully engaged attention is good.

Next favorite game is "snow cones" - Gigi gets herself a snow cone every time she goes outside - this is much encouraged, however I fear it will take her many months to clear the drifts...

Gigi is watching a great deal more television these days - she wants to cuddle more and it was quite chummy last night as we all gathered around the Tapioca pudding and then piled onto Gigi's bed.  Cato (the cat) was unusually kind, sharing Gigi's bed without biting her feet.  In the past this has led to growls, chases and other now-illegal activities.  So it seems even Cato is invested in this recovery process.  He saves his ambushes for Pirate (our other bouv).

We're doing the range of motion exercises, but Gigi is not happy about it.  Leave my feet alone, leave my leg alone and if you want me to walk, lemme get up!!!  That the range of motion is limited is particularly clear when she tries to sit - the knee doesn't bend enough to make it comfortable, and she has continued in her old style of "sitting sloppy" - with her leg cocked out to the side.  Kinda of a Cleopatra-style...waiting for the grapes to be peeled, or in Gigi's case, the mandarin orange segments to be delicately placed on her tongue...

Monday will be the first day we can get the car up and down the drive, so we're hoping to take her for a ride.  She's been asking daily;  this will make a nice treat!