Day 33 - Haters Gonna Hate - it’s a cruel world but we don’t have to listen…

In the main I have received so much love, encouragement and positivity regarding Lloris’s rehab and an amazing number of people visit our blog site.

Both friends, family and complete strangers from all around the world have responded kindly.

BUT … sadly in this day and age there will always be the ‘few’ that turn into ‘keyboard warriors’ and like to offer rather hurtful and unhelpful advice.

I thought I would write about this experience because for those with pups in a similar position to Lloris and have contacted me at the end of their tether asking are they doing the right thing? These people (just like me) are struggling to cope and are looking for the words and stories of encouragement to get them through… these keyboard warriors can therefore do endless harm.

So I am ‘calling out’ those mean hearted people and reminding everyone of the good old fashioned saying “if you don’t have anything nice to say then don’t say anything at all!”

Gag those with unpleasant comments!

Constructive criticism delivered in a positive and helpful way is always welcome. I for one will never think I know it all and especially on this topic. It has all been completely new to me as it is for most with IVDD diagnosed pups and it’s a steep and heart breaking learning curve.

I have received comments along the lines of;

“This is so cruel to do this, I can handle adults being nasty to each other but not to animals and children”

“This doesn’t happen to 3yr old dogs only to older dogs so I would take a look at yourself and what you have done to him“

“You’re going to need to cash in your pension and have him on acupuncture for life if you have any chance of him walking again.“

“This isn’t a disease he has, this is genetic and you should have had the puppy tested before you bought it.“

But for every one of these unhelpful comments came endless support. On just day 17 of this blog we had over 1000 visitors to our site from literally all over the world, for something I was just writing for myself and to keep friends and family updated on Lloris’s progress.

It has certainly been an overwhelming surprise to see the interest there is out there … thank you so very much for reading and spurring me on.

Lloris it would seem, so far, on this occasion has been the lucky side of that 50/60% odds he was given of walking again.

Our endless hard work as a team along with the help of the professionals has got us on the road heading to where we want to be. Having a good quality of life, pain free, happy, healthy and being able to continue to share in the activities that we love.

Lloris will one day see that beach again - the end is at least in sight!

Things will never quite be the same. We now have compromises and versions of how things once were but that’s life in general right?

So he will never jump on and off of the bed again or dive excitedly out of the boot of the car when we pull up to the beach, but instead he gets a few seconds of a cuddle carry to be able to get to these things. Not so bad for either of us!

Lloris on his birthday last year - AT THE BEACH!

For anyone that is subjected to negativity in your journey to rehabilitate or who question what may seem like crazy life adaptions for a new way of living for you and your pup; Remember- you know your dog better than anyone. These people have zero impact on your life.

When people (including friends and family) gave me the look or the hint that I should give up on Lloris and let him cross that ‘rainbow bridge’, my thoughts were always; I will keep going unless he tells me otherwise.

That’s a look of determination in his eyes!

I find I have distanced myself from these people a little. Not because they are bad people, they think they are looking out for me and giving me the kindness of that ’out’…. but they are just not MY kind of people. I am a person that is always full of support and positivity for everyone else’s cause; Is it too much to ask on occasion for the same in return? … however much of a ‘whim’ it may seem to them?

A clairvoyant randomly told me around 12 months ago that Lloris would tell me when he’s in pain. I was told to look in his eyes and our bond is such that I will know and to help him. This was almost exactly a year before IVDD hit us and through this whole process, those words stay with me.

He will tell me and I will know.

The same clairvoyant also told me I would have another french bulldog in my life this year, which I remember responding at the time with “I won’t, one is more than enough thank you!”

Those words of hers have also tormented me and still do.

I don’t want a ‘new one’ I want Lloris forever more!! But I have found peace with an explanation of the meaning that Lloris now isn’t the exact same dog that he once was, so was it just a new version she was seeing and NOT a new dog?

I’m glad I’ve stuck by him and was never swayed. It was never really a choice for me not to. He’s the son I will never have, but fills that void in so very many ways.

I realise I am very much the stereotypical single crazy dog lady with no children that treats her dog like her baby. Whether that’s a good or bad thing, that‘s me!

I posted on Facebook on Valentines Day of this year, 11 days after his surgery, announcing the sad news of Lloris’s paralysis to my friends and family and spoke of the long journey of rehabilitation ahead of us in our fight for him to one day hopefully regain mobility. I asked in my ‘post’ that Valentines Day …

Can love really conquer all?

You’ve read our story so far … you tell me?!

Our journey is far from complete. We still have a long long way to go but when I think of how this resorted me - a generally strong and resilient person into the heart broken shattered mess that I was less than 5 weeks ago, to the joy and positivity I am feeling now (still with that underlying stomach wrenching worry of relapse of course!), then I can only say that hard work, coupled with a bit of luck on our side, has paid off. Just as it tends to have a habit of doing so in all walks of life.

Lloris’s progress today?

• Still piddling where he shouldn’t

• Still skipping like a kangaroo

• Still not concentrating on his exercises

• Still beautiful inside & out .. he’s just perfect.

Swimming tomorrow- yippee!