Spike Update: Giving up is not an option...

A sad Spike

The good news is that as each week passes. Spike’s hind legs are definitely getting stronger.  As the muscles around his joints develop, his ability to jump and propel himself around the house and garden improves. 

In his quest for human attention he has become very confident standing on his hind legs whilst trying to sneak a cuddle with any human that says hello to him.  I even caught him “leaping” onto our bed the other day – oh yes, he has also started challenging the house rules – as he rapidly moves into the “teenager” phase of his life….

He weighs nearly 24 kg and has a lovely luxurious coat and sparkling blue eyes.  He eats well, loves to play and tries his best to tease the big boys at least twice per day.  He is tenacious, refusing to give up on things that matter to him – to chase the last butterflies of the summer, retrieve his toy from another husky, be cuddled by a human….

Last weekend for the first time we took all four Huskies to a parkrun event.  Spike loved meeting so many people and had a great time, he even got to sample some rather yummy homemade cake in celebration of a friend running their 1000^th race – yes 1000 races, how impressive is that!  I wonder if Kez and Kroi told him about the good old days at parkrun, when we ran together as a team and had so much fun racing against the clock…    

A happy Spike

The bad news is that most days he is lame on both his front legs.  He needs to be carried to bed at night and when he falls asleep he does not stir until I arise in the morning to take the others running.  Some days are worse than others.  Today is a bad day.  He is clearly in a lot of pain and is struggling to move around the house.  Each time he rises from a laying down position his front legs refuse to move properly and he shuffles/ stumbles across the room. 

When I see him like this, I fear the worst.

But then I compare his situation with mine.  More often than not when I stand up, I limp.  The pain in my ankle and my toe causes me to move my body in an awkward way.  It soon eases and by the time I have my trainers and running clothes on, I am ready to run.  The stiffness subsides and I can move “normally”.  The pain may return momentarily when I land awkwardly on the ground or stand on a stone, but it does not stop me doing what I love, I just grit my teeth and adapt my movement accordingly.  I have learned to manage pain and it does not stop me running or enjoying a very high quality of life.  I don’t see Spike accepting a lesser life just because he sometimes feels pain.

Sometimes I need to take painkillers and sometimes Spike needs some help with pain relief, but neither of us will ever be dependent upon it….

Watching him suffer today has helped me make an important decision regarding my future.  I was in denial about proposed surgery to ease the pain in my foot and a worsening condition.  The prospect of a very long recovery and no running for 6 weeks too much to bear.

One day Spike may need surgery.  How can I make the decision to go ahead with surgical intervention for Spike it if I refuse to accept surgical help for me?

In the meantime, we will both continue to do all that we can, and if we linger each time we rise… well that just gives us more time to dream about where we are going…..