Serious News...

Today the Boss Lady sat me down for a talk. She said I was probably wondering why I had been taking so many trips to various vets and specialists. Actually up until that point I hadn't been wondering - I was just thrilled to be going on so many car rides and getting treats from all the friendly people in the vet offices - but now that I thought about it, Dublin and Limerick didn't go to the vet nearly as often as me. The Boss Lady said the trips to get x-rays, the acupuncture and the chiropractor adjustments were all efforts to try figure out why I had been limping on my front legs.

The Boss Lady has been very nice trying to figure out what happened to make me limp, but I kept trying to tell her that I've limped for almost as long as I remembered. Then the Boss Lady said the last round of x-rays I had done finally showed what was wrong with me. She said I had OCD. I was a bit confused - I'm a border collie, we are known to be obsessive-compulsive, that's part of our charm. And I really didn't understand what x-rays had to do with it. The Boss Lady shook her head and said it wasn't that type of OCD. I have been diagnosed with osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) in both of my shoulders.

I didn't know what that meant, so the Boss Lady explained it is a condition where the growth of normally smooth cartilage in my shoulder joints was disrupted somehow and the cartilage became pitted and "flaps" of cartilage got caught in the joint. She said this is why it hurts me so much when I run. She also said to cheer up because the wonderful folks at NEBCR were going to pay for the surgery I need to be fixed. That once I have surgery on both of my shoulders, I would be able to run and play without being in pain!

I was stunned. I've been in pain for so long, I just thought it was normal...A long forgotten memory filtered to the surface - one of me running as a pup with my litter mates...I remember running and playing without pain then...I was amazed to think that could happen again!

Folks that want to help NEBCR pay for my surgeries can donate by clicking here.

My first surgery is scheduled for next week. I am a bit scared but really excited by the possibility of getting my shoulders fixed. I can't wait to see if I can outrun Limerick once I'm all fixed up!

Keep your fingers crossed for me!

~Finnegan