No pin, no problem

Just over a week ago, Bentley quit walking.  He went from infinite progress to limited movement overnight.  We took him for x-rays and there was nothing obviously wrong with him.  Our assumption was that the pin in his leg was causing him pain or discomfort.  Without certainty, we were left with a big decision.  As you know, at that time, the Dr. was hoping to keep the pin in his leg for another thirty days due to the x-rays which showed at least one part of his bone was still healing.  Obviously, this leg is all he has left.  Truth in lending, if he loses this leg, without help, we can't afford to go on.  We can't afford to start over, and I don't think we could stomach a situation in which Bentley lacked the ability to move under his own power.  After consulting with Dr. Davis in Aiken, I made another call to Dr. Runnels in Augusta on Monday the 27th of March.  I conveyed to him that Bentley was still not able to walk and inquired about our options.  Dr. Runnels decided that we should remove the pin.  He figured the danger of muscle atrophy from not walking was equal to or greater than the danger of removing the extra support. 

On Tuesday the 28th of March Bentley made his way back to AAE for his pin removal.  As you can see by the look on his face, he was thrilled.  If I haven't shared it before, I'll just tell you that Bentley gets car sick like no other.  He starts drooling as soon as he gets in the car and more often than not, he throws up.  That's WITH medicine.  He just can't do it.  For whatever reason, on this day Bentley sat up for the whole ride.  I guess he knew this was a milestone that he didn't want to miss.

Bentley was brought into the back for surgery immediately upon his arrival.  We hoisted him up on the table and one of his best buddies (Crystal) kept him calm while his anesthesia was administered.  As you can see, he was enjoying some sweet dreams almost instantly.  Dr. Runnels went to work and got the pin removed.  I am still amazed at how skilled these people are. 


So this is the pin that came out of Bentley's leg.  Sorry about the visual, but it was hard for me to believe how big that thing was.  If you go all the way back to the first blog entry and look at the initial (post Op) x-rays, you can truly appreciate the significance of this stainless steel.  You may have also noticed that it appears to be bent.  I can't fathom how much stress he is generating on his leg in order to bend steel.  That's also a little scary because now he doesn't have that.  All the stress is now on his bone.  Truly unbelievable. 

Bentley was out the door and on his way home a two hours after he arrived.  He was still drugged so most of the day was spent recovering.  They sent us home with a antibiotic just to ensure we aren't worrying about another infection.  That would be devastating.  So he slept and slept and slept.  At dinner time I woke him up and he didn't really have an appetite.  He didn't show any interest in food or water, and wasn't trying to go outside to do the nature thing.  He did manage to crawl over enough to protect his food from the Huskies.  You can see him sleep guarding his food. 

At around 11pm, Krysta and I decided to try to make him use the bathroom.  It was terrifying because we didn't know how his leg would respond.  We harnessed him outside and sure enough, his leg looked like Jello.  It was super wobbly and he couldn't stand at all.  My heart absolutely sunk and honestly,  Krysta and I just exchanged a few looks of disappointment because we were without words.  We left him sleeping, back in his cone of shame, and hoping that something would go our way.

Fortunately, that was today.  This morning Bentley seemed a little more chipper.  I harnessed him outside to get him to go potty.  He planted his foot and stood firmly.  I couldn't believe it honestly.  Slowly, I released tension from the harness to see if he could stand.  Not only did he stand, but he took off.  He left me in his dust and scooted across the yard.  I was finally able to get him back under control and harnessed him back inside even though he didn't need me to.  The plan now is to take it slowly and ensure that he doesn't overdue it.  Tonight we are counting our blessings and hoping that the next 30 days go quickly and quietly.  We will continue his exercises in home, and will hopefully have him back in Aiken for rehab within a week or two. 



For now, Bentley is feeling a lot better and seems a lot more comfortable.  He's back to nub wagging and house guarding.  All is well for now.  Hope to bring you more good news shortly.  Thanks for following.