Chocolate Kisses

Hi everyone!

It’s me Charley!  My mommy isn’t looking so I snuck on her computer.

Even though I am not a Tripawd Warrior Princess, I am really going to miss my friends that have recently made their journey to Rainbow Bridge.  Gayle, Abby, Rio and all the Tripawd Warrior Princesses…..this is for you!

Since I am a boy, I thought I could be a Tripawd Warrior Prince and wear a blue cape….but the name didn’t sound as cool and I didn’t have a blue cape.  Hmmm….

After many hours of thinking and sleeping and eating (I’m a lab and love to eat) I came up with this.   Superman is a hero, just like all of you, so I thought I would don a cape in your honor!

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s….TRIPAWD SUPER CHARLEY!!!

I tried to fly.  I tried and tried and I tried so hard.  I wanted to fly up to Rainbow Bridge and deliver all of you lots of chocolate labby kisses, but my idea didn’t work.

I will always remember my hero friends, my Tripawd Warrior Princesses!  Your legacy lives on.  I will continue the fight.  Cancer better be ready to deal with TRIPAWD SUPER CHARLEY!!!!

Hugs and chocolate Labby kisses to Gayle, Abby and Rio…  xoxo

Since we will be traveling tomorrow, I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Holiday!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

Hugs and chocolate Labby kisses from Ellen, Joe & Charley  xoxo

Ho, Ho, Ho and Merry Christmas!!!

Charley is quite the professional gift unwrapper!!!  If I say “present”, he will go get a present from under the tree….and he won’t open it until I say “open”!

Here is a link to a video of Charley opening his Christmas presents from his Bone Cancer Dogs Secret Santa Pal (Thank You Kristi, Shari, and Furbabies!!!):  

I need a bumper sticker that says, “My Tripawd Labrador is Smarter than your honor student!”

I hope Charley’s video brings you a smile!!!  Tripawd heroes are amazing!!!

Hugs and chocolate Labby kisses from Ellen & Charley  xoxo

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!!

I am thankful for so many things, but especially the 401 days that Charley has been living with osteosarcoma!

I am truly blessed!

Hugs and chocolate Labby kisses from Charley (and Ellen too) xoxo

Thank you everyone for your positive thoughts, good wishes, prayers, finger and paw crossing, etc…

YIPPEE!!!  YAY!!!  WOO HOO!!!  Charley’s chest x-rays are clear and Dr. Buss, his oncologist, says that he looks great!!!  What a wonderful early Christmas present to receive!!!

Everyone thought Charley was mighty handsome in his “Survivor” tee!  We don’t go back to see the oncologist until February!  Wow!  4 months is the longest we have had in between appointments.

Pets and scratches to all of your furbabies please! 😉

Hugs and chocolate Labby kisses,
Ellen & Charley  xoxo

I go to the oncologist tomorrow for my 1 year follow-up appointment which means I get lots of yummy treats!

My mommy keeps saying that she is thinking positive thoughts and saying lots of prayers for clear chest x-rays and fingers and 3-paws crossed…whatever that means!!!

I’m going to wear my new cancer survivor shirt too!   Since I’m super handsome and will be wearing a cool shirt,  maybe I’ll get a few extra pets and scratches!

Hugs and chocolate Labby kisses from Charley xoxo

My mommy and daddy threw a “Survivor Pawty” for me for my 1 Year Ampuversary!!!  My ampuversary is also my grandma’s birthday so we had a dual pawty!  My grandma and grandpa came and so did my Uncle Andrew and Aunt Jaime from Peoria, IL.  I haven’t seen my uncle and aunt in awhile so I was super excited!!!  They got me a big red un-stuffed dragon toy with 16 squeakers (I haven’t figured out how to make them squeak though…my mommy thinks it’s because us labs have “soft” mouths–whatever that means).

My mommy made my my very own “Survivor Cake”.  It was sooooooo YUMMY!!!!  My mommy made it with 1-1/2 pounds of ground beef, 2 eggs, 1/2 container of cottage cheese and some garlic….it was basically a big meatball!  The icing was cream cheese with peanut butter writing…could it get any better than that?!  I  don’t know why they wouldn’t let me eat the entire cake that night….don’t they know I’m always hungry!  They’ve been rationing some out for me every day, but I’d rather just eat the whole thing!

I’m a smart boy and I was able to open my presents with my one front paw and my mouth.  I got lots of new toys to add to my huge collection.  I got the big red dragon, a llama, a lion, a polar bear, a spider and a witch.  My mommy says that I have more babies (animals) than Noah did on his ark!!!

Before I got to eat my cake I had to dress up in my Halloween costume for some pictures.  Any guess on what I was???  I was Super Tripawd!!!  In one of the pictures I look like I am going to take off in flight just like Superman!

I had so much fun at my pawty!

Hugs and chocolate Labby kisses from Charley!  xoxo

YAY!!!  YIPPEE!!!  WOO HOO!!!    HAPPY 1 YEAR AMPUVERSARY CHARLEY!!!

Just wanted to share some great news…one year ago today Charley became a tripawd!

Charley is doing great and he continues to amaze us everyday!  He does everything that he did on 4 legs with 3!  Since his amp, he has even figured out that he’s a lab and he loves to swim!

The day we were told that Charley had osteosarcoma, we were devastated…Charley had just received a death sentence at 2-1/2 years old.  But 8 months prior to Charley’s OSA diagnosis we were given a reprieve.

At 22 months, Charley began limping and we were told he had OSA at that point.  We saw an oncologist immediately and an aneursymal bone cyst (extremely rare) was diagnosed in his L mid-humerus via a fine needle aspirate.  We had follow up visits with the oncologist every 6-8 weeks and we watched the cyst resolve.  At what we thought was our last oncology visit, the oncologist saw something starting in his L proximal humerus which was diagnosed as OSA via a bone biopsy on 10-21-10.  His L front leg and scapula were amputated exactly one year ago today on 10-28-10.

When we were initially faced with the possibility of OSA in February 2010, I frantically started researching on the internet and everything that I found was grim and depressing….except for one thing…the BoneCancerDogs (BCD) Yahoo group!

BCD gave me a glimmer of hope!  A group of complete strangers, became my extended family and close friends, as well as my life-line and support when I needed it the most.  When Charley was first given a reprieve from OSA, I made a promise to myself that I would remain an active member of BCD to help others by sharing Charley’s story.

Then about 8 months later, my bubble burst and Charley was diagnosed with OSA.  It may sound strange, but I consider myself lucky.  I had 8 months of learning more about OSA from all of you and I was better prepared when we did receive the diagnosis.  I’ve kept my promise to myself and to Charley, by continuing to be an active member of BCD…it’s my way of paying it forward.

I celebrate with you when your pups are doing well.  I cry with you when your pups are struggling.  I grieve with you when another hero loses their fight.  Please give all of your pups some extra hugs and kisses from me….you are all always in my thoughts and prayers.

Charley being his handsome self:

Charley running like a bat out of hell (note how he face plants as he zooms around the landscaping and he doesn’t even slow down…he only has one speed…FAST):

GO CARDINALS!!!

Love, Hugs and Chocolate Kisses,
Ellen, Joe & Charley

My mommy and daddy took me to this cool new doggie boutique store (Treats Unleashed) this weekend for a Halloween Party.  I even dressed up!  My costume was the “Biggest Cardinal Fan on 3 Legs” and I even brought my very own Rally Squirrel.

I didn’t win the cutest costume contest, but I did win the “Best Trick”.  My trick was showing them how a front leg amputation can still give a “High 5” and “shake”.  I won a basket full of yummy treats, goodies and even a gift certificate!  This was the first time I have ever won anything!!!

I wasn’t too interested in going “Trick-or-Treating” down the shopping plaza…I was much more interested in all the pets and attention I was getting!

Here’s what Treats Unleashed posted about me on Facebook:  Charley was SO cute giving us his “High 5” and hand shake. He is a true inspiration for our Chase Away K9 Cancer campaign, which is what our Rescue Treat of the Month treats are supporting this month. Thanks for bringing him in to meet us! ~ Suzanne

Here’s some super cute pictures of me from this weekend!  In one picture, I was so excited that I couldn’t keep my butt down to sit (my Rally Squirrel is in that picture…too excited to hold it though)!  In another you can see the gift basket I won!

Hugs and Chocolate Labby Kisses from Charley!  xoxo

I am so excited because I went swimming twice this week!  I’ve had the best week ever!!!

My mommy and daddy didn’t think that I liked to swim before….silly parents….they just didn’t know that us labs like swimming in lakes and ponds, not swimming in swimming pools with slippery steps!!!

My mommy took me to a nearby pond to swim on Thursday.  It was a long hop to the pond and I was a bit too tired to hop all the way up the steep hill back to my house and had to take a few rest breaks.  I got to wear my new red float coat that Sammy gave to me too.  I had to figure out how to hop down the unstable rocks to get in the water with only one front leg.  I fell a few times and face planted, but I got right up again because that’s what us tripawds (you know…those of us with 3 legs) do!

My mommy and daddy took me back to the pond yesterday (this time I got a car ride there instead of walking…so much easier than hopping all the way there).  I wasn’t scared at all hopping down those rocks this time and I got right in the water.  My daddy was afraid that I was going to get hurt, but I kept hopping in the water and hopping out of the water by myself.  My daddy said that I was determined….whatever that means.

I had so much fun swimming!!!  I can swim really fast now and my new float coat makes it even easier for me to swim (Thank You Sammy!!!).  My mommy took lots of pictures and my daddy was videotaping me as I was swimming.  They kept saying how proud they are of me and how handsome I am!

Thanks mommy and daddy for taking me swimming!  I hope I get to go again soon!

Hugs and chocolate Labby kisses from Charley xoxo