Ahead of schedule

Hello everyone! I hope your Sunday is a good one. Ours is good, sunny, not as cold as it has been but cold just the same. We've been in a somewhat deep freeze for the past four days or so. That's Winter so not complaining. We got a bit of snow last week which made us very happy as our ice rink is now covered with a nice layer of the white stuff. Safe for us and the doggies.

Last week started on a high note....on Monday, Russell got a call from St-Mary's Hospital...."we have a cancellation, would you be interested in getting a new knee three weeks sooner than planned"? Yes, Yes and Yes! So, the surgery is set for this coming Thursday, January 17. Needless to say, that phone call set the tone for the rest of our week. First order of business, Russell had his pre-op appointment last Thursday. He was at the hospital for a full 4 hours. Following the usual blood work and ECG, he then met with a nurse, a physiotherapist and a doctor. The MD declared him very fit and good to have the surgery. Not surprising. He then attended a group education session on what to expect, the "dos and don'ts", etc. 

My next order of business was to get doggie day care for the days that I will be at the hospital with Russell ...done. Next, Russell had to get himself a walker and a toilet booster. He got the toilet booster without a lid...not sure if he's trying to set a new standard in this house LOL! Today, Russell practiced walking around the house with the walker and getting on and off of the booster. Easy peasy. We installed it in the guest bathroom, easier to maneuver.

After getting the "physio" equipment, I had to go to the mall shopping for Russell's hospital stay. Apparently, he needs a robe and pyjamas for his stay at the hospital.  He doesn't own any of those garments, neither do I for that matter. OK, enough said about this.

Then, we lined up the physiotherapist. In addition to having physio at home, Russell will be able to rely on his personal trainer Melissa, a Certified Athletic Therapist, who will be on hand for support when needed. He plans to start his physio as soon as he can, realizing that his body will need some "down time" after surgery. Russell's attitude is extremely positive and it will play a huge role in his recovery.  After getting all that done, we had to reschedule a few appointments, one of them being Russel's dental hygiene appointment for tomorrow. It is not recommended to have any dental work done prior to surgery or three months after. Done.

So, Russell is totally ready, physically and mentally. I must say that having this done sooner than later is so good. First, the waiting for the new knee is virtually done. Second, getting a new knee now means that Russell will be that much more ready for our trip to Barbados in....three months from today. It's all good.

That was our week in a nutshell. I will take over the grooming of the dogs for a few days, and the teeth brushing. We plan on moving our grooming table to the main floor so that Russell can resume his "grooming duties" sometime next week. It will be good for him and for the doggies. Luckily, we live in a bungalow, so we can easily live on one floor for as long as we have too. It's all good.

That's my blog for today. Needless to say, this coming week will be busy. Tomorrow, I have my dental hygiene appointment. On Tuesday, the Coop and I resume our weekly Fun Obedience class. Looking forward to that. On Wednesday, the pooches will have a bath. Then on Thursday, Russell and I head for the hospital.

I leave you with a few pics. I will give you an update on Russell's surgery in next week's blog. Until then, I wish you all a great week. Oh, by the way, I'm late writing this blog because I watched the Patriots/LA Chargers game.....Brady won! So so excited! All the best Russell on Thursday, I will be by your side the whole time.

Cooper and Spicy enjoyed the comfort of warm socks this
past week in the minus double digit temps.

The ice rink is gone...our duo enjoys the snow and a place
to go!

Play time due to frigid temps means 'chuck it' and...
retrieve with dentals chews in the comfort of the basement.

Cooper and Spicy inspected the new equipment for post
surgery...they approve. What could be better then...
a walker, a cane and a toilet seat booster....YAY!