My Warrior Dog: Brittany Post-Surgery

By Cal Orey


Today, Simon, my beloved Brittany Simon did better than expected during his surgery.  When I called he was first having his teeth cleaned; then it was on to the tumor in question--we chose to have it removed. The jury is out until Friday. And yes, I am on edge for my canine of 10 years. The waiting is the hardest part, with tribute to the Tom Petty tune...

So this afternoon I was preparing myself to welcome my beautiful Britt (cone-head, a smallish incision, groggy) back home.  He pranced and smiled. He was back, sort of.  I wasn't ready for such a large incision. And the shaved head with a red cross-like cut with stitches all makes it look oh-so sci-fi film dramatic. When my eyes first met my boy's head, I was super shocked. Images of big and small screen characters in accidents came to mind. I was speechless. (I recalled when I was a kid and my parents had my adorable white shaggy Maltese's coat shaved. I cried for days.)

But after a bit of time to think rationally and talk to vet techs via phone, I get it. The vet had to make a larger incision to get the mysterious lump out, make clean margins--whether the lump was benign or malignant.  He did his job. Objective: keep my companion animal healthy and happy so we can enjoy our human-animal bond for more years. And, of course, my canine's health comes first. Not looks. 

Before the surgery, I was told by the vet that Simon's thickish white/orange hair will grow back and cover the incision. Tonight, two techs agreed. I suppose if there is a dog god she will allow Simon's coat to fill in, bit by bit, perhaps within a few months. (One breeder bred her Britt just to get a coat like my boy!)

Most importantly, is the tumor harmless? We wait... We did this biopsy ordeal several years ago, when a foreign body made his nose swell. He passed the test. No disease. He has a small scar that can barely be seen; not a lot of hair on his nose. The head is different--more hair.  OK. I can do this. I can be strong for my Simon, my warrior dog. I will not cry. I will hug him. I will pamper him. I will love him. After all, he is beautiful inside and outside. 

A Natural Intuitive

I can tune into an upcoming good or bad event (i.e., a health issue for myself to my dog) and often read the end result. And yes, I can and do channel into my companion animals--and read their minds. The spiritual part comes into play time after time, because I become proactive and prepare for the worst and hope for the best as well as forewarn others to be prepared, not scared. 

It's a sense of empowerment to be able to use the messages I receive. These cues come to me in dreams, visions, word/picture images, body signs--anxiety, headaches, ear tones--as well as observing Mother Nature, my seismically sensitive cat/dogs, etc., and also feeling a hunch and/or picking up on vibes from a place, slot machine, wildlife to people. What's more, I do not believe white light power can stop some things from happening, but I do know we can toy with our destiny or fate to a point.  The key is to not tune out our intuition or gut instincts but tune into it for self-preservation--taking care of our mind, body, and spirit. 

The healing powers of intuition also can provide peace of mind. But sometimes, my spiritual guides can be pesky or even "a curse" when I sense something negative will happen. One more thing. Positive thoughts, of course, can help heal ourselves and others and stop negative things from happening--but sometimes it is not enough and we must be like a fierce warrior and take action and that in itself makes me a "healing type medium."