My heart is broken, I received the news that Sage, my English Bulldog, has to have surgery, otherwise, what’s going on with her will kill her. I have had Sage since she was just 8 weeks old, we have been through so much together. Over the years, she has always been my rock...my security...my best friend...my first “child”. When I look or think about her my heart usually burst with love, however, lately when I do that it just hurts. She has grown up side by side with my kids...she has been the “constant” throughout their entire life. She’s always been my constant...no matter what! She means so much to the kids....and especially to me. There’s an unspoken love, bond and trust between us. All anyone has to do, is look into her soulful eyes and you just know there’s  someone incredible inside of her. I love her so much, my heart feels like it can sometimes  just bust with so much love for her. She’s such a good girl...and it’s breaking my heart apart to watch her be only a piece of her bigger then life presence. 

A few weeks ago, Sage started having a difficult time using her hind legs...it was as if she had forgot how to use them. Then she stopped pooping (sorry). For over a week, she kept trying, however, nothing came out. She looked so uncomfortable....I started getting so scared and worried. I’d beg and pray to Jesus to “please, please don’t take her from me”. I can’t imagine my life without her in it.  

One night last week, she was in so much discomfort, I took her to the 24 hour vet. There they gave her an enema...I thought to myself “This will work.....it has too.....”  however, it didn’t work. Two days later we were back at the vets for another enema....and this time - it worked! Thank you Jesus! She was so much happier! The vet referred us to an Neurologist for a better understanding of what was going on with Sage.

The xrays revealed that there is a part of her spine between the L1-L2 area that has “a traffic jam & leakage of the jellly donut filling”, (this is the way the vet explained it to me in order to wrap my head around what was happening) that’s suppose to be between each disc of her spine. Instead of being were it’s suppose too, it’s pressing against her spine. As a result, all the signals that are  transponsing from her brain and traveling through her spine too tell her back legs what to do are being lost. Thus resulting in lack of sensation in her back legs....causing them not to work! What?!?! It’s called Thoracolumbar Intervertebral Disc Disease (I really dislike these words...)

There are two choices, #1)  Is do nothing and within a few weeks at best she’ll be completely paralyzed and die. #2) Is to have surgery done on her spine relieving the pressure the “traffic jam & jelly donut” are causing.

The Doctor says, there is a 90% chance of her making a full recovery. The entire thing really scares me to the point that my head spins, my stomach is tied in knots and my heart physically hurts as if it’s really broken. Crying has become my new everyday normal.....

I don’t want my time with her to be over......I need her still. I’m trying to figure out some way.....any way for her to have this surgery done. 

The cost of the surgery is $8,500, which includes; the MRI, blood work, another set of xrays, surgery, 3 days of in hospital after care, meds to take home. And of course her new and improved body, that causes her no discomfort and/or pain. 

She has done so much for me, I just know I need to try.....for her. Any support as you can imagine is quite urgent and all funds that are raised will go towards the vet. If there are any remaining funds will be sent to the Bulldog  Rescue to help the other Bulldogs in need.  

Thank you so much for any support, however small and please, please share the message.