Rio has been on a roll today.  She’s getting used to the leg being gone, although occasionally it looks like she starts to put her weight on it, and then remembers it’s not there.  We went for a tiny walkie up the driveway this afternoon.  It was only about 100 feet up the drive, but she practically raced back to the house.  I was running along behind her telling her to slow down (mostly so I wouldn’t trip and fall).  She followed me around the house and jumped off the couch a few times.  I can’t believe how agile she is.  And she’s definitely gaining confidence with every trip between rooms.

The bruising has dissipated a bit and her wound looks much better today.  Her chest still looks pretty bad, bruising-wise, but the actual surgical site is much improved.  I panicked a bit yesterday with how bad everything looked and called the clinic.  They said it was pretty normal to have a lot of bruising, and the photos I’ve seen of other surgeries do have significant bruises, but I think Rio’s are definitely more widespread.  And they are quite colorful, too!

I still have moments when I look at her in a certain way, and I forget for a moment that she’s missing her leg.  And then I feel sad when I remember.  She’s such a little trooper, and she’ll get through this without a second thought, but I so much wish she didn’t have to.  And I feel bad for thinking this way, because I know it doesn’t help anyone, let alone Rio.  It’s just so sudden, this change, and it is definitely taking some getting used to.  And unfortunately, I’m just not as resilient and open to change as my Rio.  But taking care of her and seeing her make this transition so adeptly makes me willing to try a lot harder to accept this challenge.