In Coco’s last post, she revealed that she had been diagnosed with osteosarcoma and just had surgery to remove her right leg. At the time of her last post, Coco was two weeks post-surgery and home recuperating. Coco is one amazing dog with a will to survive and do good deeds. I’ll let Coco tell you the rest…
I went back to school with Mom today!!! She was nervous about me coming, but I did great. She was unsure about how to re-introduce me to students and staff without making a spectacle of me and without distracting from the learning. It can be alarming for people to see me with three legs after knowing me well with four, and she also does not want people to feel sorry for me.
I spent about two hours at school after waiting patiently in the car while Mom was off-site at a meeting. Mom was worried about how students would react to me with only three legs. I spent time with a group of girls, and I visited with several individual students who have known me for at least the past year. The first things all students noticed were my boots, which provide much-needed traction. The next thing they noticed was my t-shirt, which covers my scar while my fur is coming back, and keeps the area warm. One boy, who has a very special bond with me, was so excited to see me and snuggle with me that he did not even notice I was missing a leg until Mom and his guidance counselor pointed it out! Students just seemed very happy to see me. When they did talk with Mom about my missing leg, they asked what happened, and Mom explained my situation, focusing on how well I am doing. Students moved on from the topic of my missing leg, and were appreciative of the time they had with me.
I also visited with a few staff members. They noticed my missing leg right away, but seemed fine with it. The administrative assistant (whom Mom affectionately calls “Gramma Karol”) loved seeing me. She is a dog lover, and welcomed me back at school. One of the teachers who saw me walk looked like she felt sorry for me. Mom responded to her apparent pity: Coco is doing great. It takes her a lot of energy to get around, but she is so happy to be here and she is doing well. Mom should not be surprised that some of the adults had a harder time seeing me with three legs than the students did.
My tail was going almost non-stop the entire time I was at school. I was so happy to be back, doing what I love most – working with students. Mom says I will be able to go to school with her next week, as well. I am hoping once the novelty of my missing leg wears off, students and staff will simply appreciate the comfort and support I am able to provide. Mom says that I seemed the most “like myself” today that she has seen me since well before my surgery – it turns out that the students and staff at Mom’s school are crucial to my recovery, giving my life more meaning and purpose, and providing me much love and support. I am looking forward to getting back into my work schedule at Mom’s school. ~Coco