Phoebe Out of Surgery

Hey y'all!

This morning I took little Miss Phoebe in for her big knee surgery. I spent the weekend dreading it. I corresponded with sister Page (number 1 vet in the world except for her husband Paul who is a tie for #1). If you live in or near Cleveland Ohio and have a pet look up Burton Vet Clinic. Page suggested a second opinion mainly based on the fact that the Dr. who did the surgery today was not an accredited orthopedic specialist and yet gave me an estimate that was more in line with a specialist. But I really trust these people and frankly I just don't have the time before I leave the country and want to make sure I am here for the majority of her rehab, if not all of it. A second opinion would have meant calls and trips and exams and time so I decided to go with my gut.

I dropped Phoebe off at about 7:45. This morning when the alarm went off I kept pretending to go back to sleep 3 times just so she would feel she had a really important job. She was up for the challenge and got more and more insistent. She was proud and happy. Until I put her in the carrier.

Hard to drop her off. She is strong and independant and scary smart but in the end she's just a little helpless animal who depends on me as much as I depend on her. Dr. Brown called at 1:45 to tell me she was breathing on her own and beginning to wake up. They mended the cruciate ligament (ACL) and removed some torn cartiledge but didn't have to deepen the groove for her kneecap. She's in a splint but he told me I would be amazed at how quickly she is able to get around. I have no doubt.

I will call Wednesday morning to check and make arrangements to pick her up and bring her back home. The 3 older cats are acting very weird - Camille is strangely silent, Dylan seems slightly depressed and Sonny hasn't asked to go out in the backyard even once. Dr. Brown told me I could come visit Phoebe tomorrow if I want but I don't think I will even though I want to. I know if I see her she will expect to go home with me and while I believe animals have souls and feelings I also believe they don't have a frame of reference for the passage of time and so 24 hours recovering from anesthesia will pass like nothing for her.

Once Phoebes is adept at getting around on her crutches I will post photos.