Whoever wrote that "a dog is man’s best friend" or "good things come in small packages" must have been describing our family’s seven year old black Labrador retriever, Bailey. When we welcomed Bailey into our family at the age of forty-nine days, we had no idea how much this ‘bundle of joy’ would change our lives and be such a precious gift – a gift that would keep giving each and every day. Bailey not only worked her way into our hearts, but onto our recliner chair, couch and king-size bed as well.
Our story centers around Bailey and the ‘circle of love,’ her family, who loves and cares for her. Bailey is a special member of an ‘ordinary’ family who developed ‘extra-ordinary’ patience, compassion and kindness when an accident changed their lives. It was the unfailing love and support of my husband and two sons that made Bailey’s miraculous story a special journey we shall never forget.
It was in October, 2005 that Bailey’s life would undergo a drastic change and the story of her ‘dog-gone miracle’ would unfold. Five months before her accident, Bailey had orthoscopic surgery to repair a partial ACL tear in her right rear leg. The surgery was a success and, after weeks of physical therapy, Bailey recovered with ninety per cent use of her right leg.
On the morning of October 11, this journey began. The day started with Bailey’s normal routine – breakfast, a brief walk and retrieving tennis balls in our backyard. As I hit the last of a dozen tennis balls with a baseball bat to Bailey, she ran to get the ball and she slipped. I saw her back legs fold underneath her from a distance and she began to cry and yelp loudly in agony and pain. As I ran to her, she was moving in circles sitting on her back end using her front paws only. I screamed for help and my next-door neighbor came to our rescue. She and I tried to comfort Bailey but she kept wailing. Bailey continued to shake with fear, breathe heavily and stare with eyes fixated in front of her. With my neighbor consoling Bailey, I ran inside to wake my son and call the doctor to prepare him for our emergency. My son drove our car into our backyard and we picked up all ninety-five pounds of Bailey on a sheet and placed her in the back seat. My son drove erratically to the doctor fifteen minutes away as I held Bailey but she was visibly in her own world of pain and agony.
When we arrived at the doctor’s office, two technicians quickly whisked Bailey out of the car placing a towel under her stomach and told us to go home and call the doctor in an hour or so. My son and I were in shock and disbelief from the ordeal but we went home to wait, light a candle and pray. One thing was for certain – Bailey’s rear legs and tail appeared paralyzed and were not moving. The doctor called a while later to tell us that Bailey had a very high fever most likely from the trauma. After several more hours of excruciating waiting and wondering, he called to tell us that the fever was gone and he would administer several medical tests to diagnose Bailey’s condition over the next couple of days. Because of the severity of Bailey’s condition, the doctor suggested that I not visit her. However, I did call the office each morning, afternoon and evening to inquire about Bailey and send my love.
After four days of countless tests, the doctor’s diagnosis was that Bailey had suffered an FCE when she slid. An FCE or fibrocartilage embolism is a type of stroke that affects the spinal cord instead of the brain. Small pieces of disk material get into the blood vessels to cause a blockage or embolism and that inhibits the ability to walk or support Bailey’s rear legs. Her long-term prognosis would be determined by her progress the first month. The outcome was very uncertain – some dogs do not progress and remain paralyzed, others regain partial movement and so on. Despite the fact that Bailey’s doctor and the technicians were outstanding in their efforts and care, no medicine or therapy could change the outcome. It was up to God, to Bailey and to us.
Our family agreed that we would bring Bailey home and never give up. Our worlds would now revolve solely around Bailey and hope and pray for a miracle that she would recover and walk again. It never crossed my mind that working as a special education teacher for the past 33 years would give me insight into Bailey’s injury. My educational experience, especially the physical and occupational therapy techniques and skills I acquired, would prove to be invaluable in the upcoming months as we faced a difficult and uncertain future with Bailey.
When my youngest son and I picked Bailey up from the hospital, I will never forget the first time we saw her – our hearts sank as we watched the two aides towel-walk her towards us. It was then that I realized what a challenging road was ahead for all of us, yet I also felt that our love for Bailey could overcome any challenge. With her legs and tail paralyzed to one side, her face filled with tears and joy as she saw us – it was a tearful reunion for all of us.
We had a welcome home party for Bailey as we re-arranged our living room so she could lie on a homemade bed looking outside our big picture window to see her neighborhood friends. The first couple of weeks, two persons ‘towel-walked’ her outside every couple of hours as she was taking several prescriptions, which made her urinations more frequent. We had to assist Bailey in the process with the hope that her legs would get stronger. During the day and night, two persons were ‘on duty’ and persevered through the rain and snow. We did our own physical and occupational therapy including having her weight-bear on a bean bag chair between two chairs and creating many homemade supports for her rear legs. There was daily soaking of her hind legs and tail, and frequent massages to stimulate blood flow. We added glucosamine and flax oil to her diet.
The doctor had told us that Bailey had a small amount of reaction to pressure and pain in both affected legs so that was hopeful. We kept in constant contact with the doctor informing him of her ‘baby step’ progress. If it wasn’t for the love and support of countless family, friends and neighbors who sat with Bailey during the day and lifted her spirits, she wouldn’t have been motivated or encouraged to try to move. Along with the baby steps, however, came many setbacks: 1) Bailey would whine/cry when left alone; 2) the toileting accidents in our house increased; and 3) sores developed on her right leg and paw as a result of dragging them on the ground outside. I ordered a multitude of supports and boots from manufacturers but none worked. So, I created my own invention of wrapping her paw and leg in gauze with pieces of foam under her heels and covered both legs with tube socks tightened with duct or strapping tape. That adaptive support positioned her foot forward and protected her foot and paw from the sores getting worse. Then, in the evening, we soaked her paw and leg in warm water. Bailey was very patient undergoing all of these procedures as if she knew that it would help to make her better. Of course, a reward of a milk bone or two didn’t hurt either.
Our BEST Christmas present ever was Bailey’s ‘miraculous’ recovery to be able to walk normally on her left rear leg and partially on her right leg. The towel-walking continued for months but she progressed to be able to walk in the snow by herself and most importantly to be able to do her business outside on her own. The ‘fruits’ of all of our labor and prayers were evident after several months. Bailey’s patient, understanding and persevering personality was apparent – she was strong and she was a fighter. Her doctor and nurses are in awe of her recovery as well as family, friends and neighbors. Bailey is our neighborhood ‘goodwill ambassador,’ and, fifteen months later, people continue to talk of her ‘miracle’ recovery.
Our family is forever grateful to family, friends and neighbors who have supported Bailey in her recovery as we are forever in your debt. Bailey’s gratitude to others lies in her gentle and loving kindness she shares so freely with others especially when she runs to greet you and ‘leans’ all 90 pounds of love against you.
I wrote this story about Bailey and our family to give others hope and not to give up in the face of adversity and difficulty. Having an optimistic attitude and looking for the silver lining helped this ‘ordinary’ family create an ‘extraordinary’ miracle. Love, support and care are the greatest of gifts to give in times of stress and uncertainty. If Bailey’s story can help even one family, then this journey would have special meaning and significance. Now, each day Bailey gives back all of the love and more that was given to her. Anything is possible as ‘dog-gone’ miracles do happen!
