“Look back and laugh? I doubt it.”

DorkyDad said that the other day as he was leaving the room, and it has stuck with me. It’s the perfect summary of our current life.

It’s not often that our little family finds itself in a situation where we can’t see the funny side. Even in some of our roughest patches, we have been able to find moments of light and laughter to help push us through.

But right now? There are not a lot of laughs. With the exception of DorkyDad’s cancer treatment, I’m not sure we’ve ever been through such a relentlessly joyless spell.  Continue reading →

When DorkyDad was having radiation treatment, one of the things I really appreciated was how many other people had shared their similar experiences on blogs and forums. It was so reassuring to read about folk who had been through something very challenging and come out the other side, and to pick up numerous hints and tips that made our own experiences easier.

When our little DorkyDog was diagnosed with hip dysplasia, and it was confirmed that she would need surgery, I was hoping to find similar writing online from dog owners. But that hasn’t been the case. Beyond the official information on vet websites, I’ve been able to find very little.

With that in mind, I thought I might write a couple of blog posts as we make our way through this – in the hope that sharing our experience is helpful for others doing the same in future. Writing has also, always, been my way of processing hard things. And this is very definitely a hard thing, so I’m hoping it will be helpful for me too.

Back to the beginning… Continue reading →