from bad to worse, but the worst is hopefully over

Jemima waving "hi" to everyone.

This morning we received (temporary) good news: it was probably just a sprained muscle and Jemima would be put on steroids. I went to the vet and paid for her meds, relieved that she was going to be okay, but at the same time I couldn't really shake the feeling that it had to be more than that, she just seemed to be in so very much pain. A few hours later I tried to take her out to go potty and realized that she had become paralyzed in her back legs. Apart from losing a family member, I don't know when I've ever been so upset in my life. Seeing my baby girl in so much pain and not even being able to sit up or move her legs was absolutely heart-wrenching.

Jemima's first trip to the park.

We rushed her to the ER vet and she was seen by a neurologist. They diagnosed her with a herniated disc, and within a few hours of bringing her in, she was in surgery. As far as they can tell, the surgery was a success, and we can to go visit her in the hospital tomorrow. I miss her so much and hope she's sleeping peacefully. It will feel very strange going to sleep without our little fluff-ball at the foot of our bed "keeping our feet warm", as we like to say:)

Jemima as a puppy: she was almost solid black when we got her!

We should be able to bring her home in a few days, and they say that she may start trying to use her legs again in as soon as 10 days. It won't be an easy recovery for her, and there's a 10% chance that she won't be able to walk again, but she is spunky and tough and I just know she can do it:)

Jemima's first Autumn.

We got Jemima less than 3 weeks after we got married. When we were engaged we had agreed that our wedding present to each other would be a puppy, but we also agreed that we would wait until sometime around Christmas, because "we" (mostly my husband) thought we should take a few months to adjust to married life before adding a dog to the mix. Of course, this was very advisable and I agreed it was a good idea, but I was so excited about getting a puppy that I couldn't stop obsessively researching dog breeds and taking "Which Type of Dog is Right For You?" quizzes on the internet.

Taking this picture was when I first realized that Jemima LOVES to have her picture taken.

I talked my husband into going to shelters and pet stores to look at dogs "just for fun", and before we knew it, we had met Jemima. She was in a cage with her brother, and they were wrestling. Right away, her goofy antics had us cracking up. We'd never seen such a silly little clown of a dog. We asked if we could play with her, and they brought her out to us. She was hilarious, so friendly and quirky. We couldn't get over how cute and cuddly she was. Needless to say, one hour later we were leaving with her in tow.

Jemima's first day with us. We hadn't even bought a bed or fully un-packed yet!

Because we hadn't planned on getting a dog for months, we brought her home to a house completely ill-equipped for a dog. I went to Target that afternoon and bought the entire line of Shabby Chic dog gear: a floral leash, a floral teddy bear, and a lacy floral bed.

Jemima demonstrating her very tough "roar" look.

She has been with us almost our entire marriage, and we adore her. Our little sweetheart. We love you, Jemima! Get well soon!