That second surgery took a lot of "steam" out of Cami!  It took a little longer for her to recover her spirited nature, to gather a little energy!  But recover it she did!

Most of Cami's stitches and staples were removed after two weeks.  Most.  Our girl was a little rambunctious once she started feeling better and managed to pull out a staple or two, causing a very small opening in her suture line.  A little inflammation.  No outright infection, but inflammation.  With Cami, just enough to call for MORE antibiotics to be on the safe side!

At the end of the third week, all remaining stitches were out and Cami was chasing her toys and throwing them around once again!  All was well in our world...except for what Cami refers to on her Facebook page as her "blood glue".  

We battled high numbers, we battled low numbers and we survived them all because early in this roller coaster called Canine Diabetes, I found a great group on Facebook...Canine Diabetes Support and Information!  

With surgery behind us, it was time to get on with the struggle to regulate Cami's diabetes!  And let me tell you, it has been a struggle.  It's a struggle we still haven't won, even though we're getting much closer!

In all fairness to you, I need to move back in time yet again...back to the pre-surgery conversation with Dr. Wilson when he explained to me that "now is the time to home test, especially with surgery coming up".  This was just before Christmas 2013.  Picture this...we're on a tight retirement budget, we've had some pretty large unexpected expenses, and now we need to home test Cami's blood glucose!  

Here's where my stubborn pride comes in to play in a big way.  I know if I had said to Georgia that we needed a glucose meter for Cami, she would have moved heaven and earth to make sure we got it.  I don't like having to go to GDR and ask for financial help for Cami.  Oh I KNOW she's a GDR dog!  But this GDR dog is in MY care!  I should be able to do for her.  So, Bill and I had a brief conversation about home testing and what it entailed financially.  We came to the quick agreement that Cami's glucose meter would be our Christmas gift to each other.  Nothing was more important to either of us than Cami's health.  It was really a "no brainer"!

 So, we're now holding this "thing" we have no idea how to use or what those numbers mean or anything else!  Okay, I can read and follow instructions fairly well so the Owners Manual was my favorite book one evening!  Bill finally took it from me and asked "when are you actually going to test her?"...ummm...okay, now.  It was just like those first few weeks of insulin injections!  I shook, I was nauseated, I cried after I was finished.  Cami was a champ.  She sat still after my first few fumbling attempts and just gave me "a paddy paw" so we could do what needs doing!

I've said it before and I'll say it again...Cami is my HERO!  Because she never gives up, I never gave up on her.  She's taught me to never give up in other areas of my life also...areas that just bother the stuffin out of me!  NEVER give up.

Early on with Cami's Journey, we decided on our own personal motto that is since shared with all of her Angels and other visitors.  WE BELIEVE.  Simple.

It's not so much that you believe in God, like we do; in the power of prayer, like we do; in the warmth, kindness and innate goodness of the human spirit, like we do.  It's that each living breathing being needs SOMETHING to believe in.  We each choose what we believe in and our choices don't all have to be the same!

We chose to believe that this little dog who came into our lives and celebrated Thanksgiving with us, was here for a reason.  Not just here in our home, but here on this earth.  This little 11 pound dog with multiple health issues; with a huge lust for life and love; with an immensely joyful and joy filled spirit is here for a REASON.  This little dog, who brought together almost 1800 people on one Facebook page; who captured the hearts and minds of so many people all over the world, is here for a reason.  We just have to let her story play out to show us what that reason is.

                                                   

I'm going to share a few posts from Cami's Journey Facebook page with you next...some "Cami talk"!  And then I think I'll turn this over to Cami for awhile and let her have some time on the keyboard!  Have a great evening!