Our family took a long weekend vacation to a favorite spot—Niagara Falls, Ontario.  We wanted to get away for awhile, and we finally built up enough confidence to stray semi-far from home.  Fallon has been doing really well, and she seems to feel quite great, so this was a good time to go.

It was so cold in Niagara Falls!!  I expected we would be able to get the girls out for more walks, but between the temperature and icy sidewalks with a lot of salt on them, it was rough getting Fallon too far away from our hotel.  It was still an outstanding vacation.

The icicles are sideways from the cold wind

Gorgeous Canadian Falls

Our hotel is the Old Stone Inn.  If you’re traveling with big dogs and want to be walkably close to everything, this is your place.  There are a few other dog friendly hotels, but not for our big size dog.  They could not be more pet friendly there, all the staff are legitimately excited to meet the dogs.

From Fallon’s swag bag

Fallon claims the best bed

We each took Maggie out for long walks separately, as she is able to go so much farther.  The black squirrels of Niagara Falls are a favorite of hers, she had a fun time sniffing every tree in the Queen Victoria Park to find one (she was unsuccessful).  Fallon really enjoyed walks close to our hotel.  The hotel lobby was decorated beautifully, and we loved sitting there.  Fallon enjoyed meeting all the people walking through.  We explained her three legs vs four legs quite a bit, and made sure people knew it was nothing to be sad about.  Fallon’s amputation took away her pain, and made it possible for her to go on a great vacation.  It also gave us more time with her.  She’s rockin’ this, and we’ll definitely accept her success as long as we are gifted with it.

We were so lucky that my sister and her husband could meet us there.  I miss my family.  Christine and JP had to drop their daughter Claire off at the airport in Toronto, and we were right on the way!  They spent the night, and we went out Friday night to our hotel bar, and got breakfast the next morning.  Not nearly enough time…but I was so happy to see them!!

Paul and I were able to do a lot of walking around ourselves, and on Saturday night, we took a horse drawn carriage to the Floral Showhouse, which is a greenhouse.

Horse from our one horse open sleigh. I thought it would dash, but it went pretty slowly.

From a huge poinsettia display at the Floral Showhouse

We took lots of pictures of light displays and the Falls.  We did this Deck the Falls event where you get food and drink samples at many of the hotels, while admiring all their decorations.  We’ll do that again someday.

American Falls from across the street, with lights display

150th Anniversary of Canada! This is taken from a restaurant we got drinks at, called Elements. It overlooks the Canadian Falls

Coming later today—Fallon’s wrap brace is in!  This is the brace that will support her right front ankle, which tends to swell.  We have an appointment at 4pm today for our orientation to it, as well as another underwater treadmill session.  Fallon was all energized after the first one and really seemed to enjoy it, so we are excited!  Maggie will also probably go, despite being a handful last time.

I am still working on my plan to change Fallon’s diet gradually.  Another hurdle—we free feed Fallon and Maggie, and we’ll have to come up with another approach to that.  Definitely do-able, we just need the plan—it will come to me.

More to come…

Chemo number 3 was yesterday, and again, everything went awesome.  Uneventful!  Dr Sue said, “Fallon was a very boring patient medically, which is a good thing!”  We’re getting to understand the pattern of chemo days.  We have a few under our belt now, so we know where we’ll eat lunch, that Fallon will be out soon after, she’ll sleep most of the way home, until we need to stop to remove her bandage, then she’ll sleep the rest of the way.  Then she will have no ill side effects.  We’re grateful for that.  Half way done already?  Yes.  Fingers stay crossed, though and all positive energy and good wishes accepted.

New development–it’s a good time to work on changing her diet.  I have been asking about that since the start, but it’s been too early to throw changes other than chemo at Fallon, until we could see how she tolerated it and reacted.  Now that it’s time, I’m not ready.  I was thinking of enhancing her kibble with something with better nutrition, initially, like cooking meat and veggies, then maybe going further than that once I built up confidence (I don’t really even cook for Paul and myself).  Dr Sue gave us a website, and also said she could refer us to a nutritionist if we wanted.  Right now, more $$$$ out of pocket is very unattractive, so I’m going to try to learn all I can on my own…a quick look at the website tells me that they are not going to give me a diet for cancer–many other issues, but not ours.  But there’s tons of information out there.  I’ll figure it out…

…after vacation!!  Tomorrow we leave for Niagara Falls with Fallon and Maggie.  I’m looking forward to this so much, and I know Fallon is as well!  Maggie too!  It will be beautiful and cold…but mostly beautiful!!

No new photos right now, just an old favorite:

Road trip tomorrow! This picture is from maybe a year ago.

More to come…

I’ve been trying to be optimistic.  It’s not unfounded or unrealistic when it comes to Fallon.  She seems happy and healthy, and while I’m always expecting something bad to pop up, of late it hasn’t.  For that I’m grateful.

I’m learning optimism pays in other areas as well.  I have dreaded playing hockey for the past few months, which is a 180 for me.  I used to play 5-6 times a week with a number of different groups.  Since Fallon’s diagnosis, that had abruptly ended, I just wasn’t into it, I was only into Fallon.  Yesterday was the first time in months I half felt like playing.  I used lots of positive self talk and applied my newly found optimistic outlook.  It was the best game I have played in awhile, and I actually had fun.  Fallon’s Dad came to watch me play, we never used to miss each others’ games.  Since Fallon’s diagnosis, we haven’t gone to each others’ games at all.

Time to reintegrate some of the old pleasures into the new normal.

Here’s a video of the girls running in the snow.  They are both happy girls:

Next week hopefully will continue the positive trend…Chemotherapy day is Tuesday.  If all goes well there, vacation on Thursday!!  Off to Niagara Falls…

More to come…

Fallon was in Dr. Sue’s last Vlog.  She looks really good.  She’s the first of 3 dogs highlighted.  We were really excited to see her!!

This is from her last chemo on November 20, 2017.  A week from today is her next one.  That will be our halfway chemo point, 3rd of 6!

Fallon and Dad cuddling

…since the surgery.  Fallon has been a Tripawd for 50 whole days.  It’s been 65 days since the x-ray confirmed the bone tumor and this whole thing started.

We’ve come a long way in a little time.  It feels a lot longer than it really has been.  Now that we’re where we are, I can look back and say the worst part was the two weeks between the x-ray and the surgery.  The decision making was horrible, and then once the decision was made, the waiting for surgery was terrible.

We thought things would be awful after the surgery, but thankfully we had an easier time than many.  Not flawless, mind you…but we were prepared for much worse.  During that time, I was doing much worse than Fallon, just way too stressed out, withdrawing from everything except her and her needs—this wasn’t necessary.

A friend gave us this coat. It’s the best we’ve found to accommodate the missing front leg without twisting. Thanks Joanne!!

We’re starting to settle into a new normal.  We try to trust Fallon more and more, and allow her as much independence as she wants, rather than hovering over her and trying to help her with everything.  She lets us know when she needs something, and we try to respect that.  It’s not easy; it feels more natural to hover over her.  I’m getting out more, somewhat distractedly, but I trust my confidence and desire to do things out of the house will come back.  Fallon can stay alone, Maggie is great company, they are both very trustworthy.  But I have turned into a huge worrier.  I’m trying to fix that.

AAHhhhhhhhhhh

Our vacation is still on!!  Unless something happens or chemo does not go as well as it has, we’re going to Niagara Falls, ON in the middle of December.  I made the hotel reservations, so now it feels more real.  There is a big Festival of Lights there for the holidays.  Fallon loves meeting people (other than doctors in veterinarian offices—although she is getting more confident with that), so I am sure she’ll have an outstanding time—and Maggie just always has a good time, everywhere.

Next chemo is in about a week and a half, and rehab visit will be sometime in the next 2 weeks, when Fallon’s new brace arrives—for instructions on how to use it, probably not treadmill so soon following chemo.

We got sad news today.  A Tripawd greyhound we knew from our greyhound group died today.  Harper Leigh was one who blew the bell curve—her amputation was something like 5 years ago.  Harper’s mom, June spent so much time with me on the phone, messaging and Facebook helping me sort things out and giving me her perspective based on experience when we realized amputation might be the best choice.  My heart hurts for Harper’s family.

Harper Leigh
May, 2006-November 30, 2017

More to come…