23/11/2025
ROADIE & I want to express our immense gratitude to each of you that sent LoVe, & financial support during his recent medical 911! I honestly believe we were gifted a which countered the initial diagnosis & today....he is 100% good (guarded of course & being observed closely) 🙏 For this....I am beyond relieved & FULL of gratitude.
On Thursday morning, ROADIE displayed very concerning vomiting behavior which indicated the need for immediate medical attention. We were unable to get into his primary clinic, so we ended up at the Evet around 11am. Initial xrays & ultrasound interpretations communicated only the "slight possibility" of an internal foreign body with possible pancreatitis / gastroenteritis as the suspected culprit. I felt pretty good about things at this point, but was advised to return in 8 hours after further food & water fasting, to get another abdominal view. At this point I completely thought we would return & be told "yes, things are moving along & there is nothing to worry about". But what happened next at our midnight visit really threw me.
Upon interpretations of the repeat xray, I was told that the we could in fact *not* rule out a foreign body & in addition...the radiologist changed their initial interpretation of the u/s to indicate an incidental finding on his spleen which "may or may not be cancerous". I was advised that exploratory surgery was not out of the question - for both the foreign matter in the stomach & the spleen. Mind you, at this juncture, I was not aware that you can literally just remove a dogs' spleen & they can still function. So this news hit me like a ton of bricks & all of the worst case possibilities flooded my mind 🥲
We are extremely grateful to Dr Hamel, Dr England & Dr Aguirre at Blue Cross Animal Clinic for making room for ROADIE in their busy Friday - Dr Hamel coordinated with the other Doctors during her full schedule, Dr England agreed to perform a follow up ultrasound & Dr Aguirre said she would perform 911 surgery if thats what he needed. So we went to BCAC at 11am for the follow up u/s - it was very emotional for me as he was led to the back & Ill be honest, I was really afraid for the worst.
- a little back history that might help explain why - over the past 15 years, I have lost a handful of treasured pups during & shortly after this routine procedure. Some without having the chance to say goodbye (because I fully expected them to wake up & leave with me) & a couple of others, shortly after due to their resulting immobility as a result of the surgery. Im sure I have "exploratory ptsd" & the thought of being in this situation once again, with ROADIE, really had me expecting the worst ❤️🩹
But that was not to be THANK GOODNESS because once the follow up ultrasound was performed & as ROADIE came bounding back out into the lobby with his tech, followed by the words "He is totally fine! Dr England didnt find ANYthing of concern. Take him home & feed this boy!" WHAT?! How was this possible? Tears of relief rolled down my face as I hugged the tech & took the leash....we excitedly trotted back to the car 😍 I was SO excited, I left & completely forgot to pay for the visit! (I called the clinic once we got home to take care of that lol)
As Dr Hamel explained "whatever was in his stomach, is not there anymore & what was viewed on his spleen are very normal nodules which are benign". Now, if you know me, you know that I trust Dr Hamels medical knowledge explicitly - she has never, not once, steered us wrong. Dr Hamel is the brightest, most brilliant DVM I have ever worked with - I dont just *think* this, I know it from experience. I thought, "How could the foreign matter just be gone? He hasnt eaten, he hasnt had a bowel movement & he hasnt thrown anything up?" Quickly followed by "Angela, dont question a miracle, just accept it & be grateful" 🙏 So that is what I did.
I took ROADIE home & fed him a small chicken/rice meal then waited.....HE DIDNT THROW UP! We spent the rest of the afternoon resting & monitoring closely until it was time for dinner = repeat. HE DIDNT THROW UP! Since, ROADIE has eaten FOUR meals & is holding everything down 😍 He is, as I was told he would be....absolutely fine. He did have something in his stomach that shouldnt have been there, but *whatever* it was was gone. His spleen does have some irregularities but they are "normal" & "to be expected at his age" (7yo as of January 2026). We will add in a quick scan of the spleen to each of his annual wellness visits going forward, just to keep an eye on things & watch for any potential changes.
So thats it in a nutshell ......call it what you will. a misinterpretation, normal bodily function or, as I consider it...the gift of a miracle from the Universe ⭐️ Regardless....I will take it & ground myself in the gratitude for this incredible turn of events!
The course of the past few days have reminded me of many things, here are a few of them:
- I realize how much the past 15yrs of handling the "worst of the worst" has shaped me today & I will continue to work on coming to terms with that.
- I have been blessed with the incredible gift of finding my SoulDog in this lifetime, not once but three times (MADCHEN 1991, JoJo 2004, ROADIE 2020)! I have always known my love for ROADIE runs deep....but the feelings I experienced during this medical scare made it clear how blessed I truly am & how important our ongoing advocacy work together really is.
- Dont make medical decisions at 1am while desperately sitting in the Evet lobby, IF you have the ability to consult with your primary vet first.
- This Village that has been built over the past 15yrs still remains one of the most supportive, giving & loving of any I have even known & for that I am eternally grateful. You have enabled us to provide the very best care for ALL of the dogs we have served & you continue to support this Mission.
- The staff & Doctors at BCAC are top notch & if I can help it....I will never go anywhere else.
- Dont question a miracle, accept it, give thanks for it & incorporate it into every facet of your life ☮️
Yesterday ROADIE & I drove up to Taos with a dear friend to attend the Stray Hearts Animal Shelter open house & to meet, in person, a new Outreach group who are going to do wonderful, amazing things in the field. We stopped along the way to take in some of the breathtaking beauty our state has to offer & gave thanks for this wonderful turn of events.
Because of you, we raised enough to cover all of the expenses associated with ROADIES 911 care & a bit extra! Any donations exceeding ROADIES 911 bills will go directly to the care of the other 13 kiddos in the Program ❤
THANK YOU to each of you.....you have our hearts XO
Click here to read ROADIES original 911 post ~ https://www.facebook.com/NMDOGVillage/posts/pfbid0JkDDw5XpixpSeKCoo7QKW1yqPuHn8guMAi6RQ7iaUu7hyz1aJRCyJxuLZQwYiLWyl
