Max & Me

Oh my goodness! So if you haven't been following my Facebook or Instagram over the last several weeks, I need to catch you up!

Max is my ten year old Great Pyrenees. He is considered a "Senior" now (cue tears*) and has been for several years. So we get a Senior Wellness Exam done on him every year, and they run all kinds of tests and checkups on him to make sure everything is still going good. His last checkup was in November, and his vet came back and told us she was so surprised that Max was ten, because he was as healthy as a young Pyrenees. Of course I had a  "proud dog-mom moment", and I was just so thankful he was healthy. Fast forward a few weeks, and he was playing with his sister Meela in the living room on Christmas Eve, and all of a sudden he yelped then started hobbling around. My husband and I thought he might've pulled a muscle or played a little too rough, so we didn't think much of it that night. However a few days went by and his walking was getting harder for him,  so I called the vet to make an appointment. Once we got to the vet, they told me he more than likely tore his left ACL in his knee (or a CCL in dogs) and that we could try NSAIDS for two weeks just to be sure. If at the end of the two weeks he wasn't back to normal, then we would have to run xrays and a Cranial Drawer test on his knees to see if they were blown. Well, two miserable weeks later, he was NOT getting any better, so back to the vet we went. They confirmed he had torn the left ACL and partially torn the right, and we were referred to a Vet Surgeon in Knoxville, TN. Those few weeks are honestly a blur now looking back at them. His whole world, along with ours was turned upside down in an instant. Once I talked to the Surgeon and heard how much the surgery was going to be, I literally dropped to my knees and cried. $3200-$3400 and that wasn't including the post-surgery boarding, some of the medications, and the future xrays we will have to run to make sure his knee healed properly. Then you add in Physical therapy, and it was looking to be $4000+ for just one knee.

I started a quick GOFundMe to try to help us help Max, and in just 5 days we raised around $1200. Which completely humbled me and blew me away at the same time. Thank God for Care Credit, because along with the help from GoFundMe and Care Credit, we were able to pay for his surgery. However, once we got to the surgeon in Knoxville the day of his surgery (1/18/18) they confirmed both knees were torn and he would definitely have to have the right knee operated on as well once his left healed. O.M.G. I could've cried all over again. My sweet baby needs my help and I have to have this done for him, and it is SO MUCH MONEY. I don't know about you, but I don't know many people who could drop $8000+ in a matter of a few months for their dog to get new knees. It's insane, but I will make it happen. Where there's a will, there's a way, my mama always told me this growing up, and I truly believe in this. 

To everyone that donated for Max's surgery, I honestly could never thank you enough. You helped me in a very hard time and I want you to know that. <3 

Max's surgery went GREAT! And yesterday marked a week since he got a new left knee. Man, it has been another blur of a week with all of the lifestyle changes we've all had to make to make sure we can take the best care of him while he heals. Our days have consisted of three rounds of meds, detailed potty breaks, becoming a master dog chef to help him regain his appetite, physical therapy and ice therapy three times a day, cuddles, and so much more. Not to mention trying to keep him brushed and clean and entertained since he is confined to a small area. 

We go on 2/2 to get his staples taken out and then he won't have to wear the cone of shame anymore, lol, he HATES that thing. 

I've been posting daily videos and photos of him on my Instagram stories, and I honestly can't wait to make a HUGE blog post about this whole TPLO surgery he had to go through. I hope to answer some of the questions I couldn't find when I was doing my own research on it, along with hopefully giving some comfort to those who have to face this one day as well. 

But for now, I am so thankful for everyone's patience with me. I know my reply times have been awful and I do apologize they aren't as quick as they usually are, but my mind is running in a million different directions. I'm so thankful both of these surgeries will occur in my slow months of shooting, that is the silver lining to all of this. 

So, now that I have time to work my tail off to get the money needed for knee surgery round two (which will more than likely take place in April) - I am going to be offering mini sessions on the following dates and they are called "MAX MINI'S". 

MARCH 24 

MARCH 25

APRIL 8

APRIL 14  

There are two different MAX Mini-Packages:

1. 15 minute session | 5+ Edited Images = $50

2. 30 minute session | 20+ Edited Images = $100

My mini- package prices are never this low, but I want to be able to offer these as a way to help others and to help my Max. 

Also- to those of you that donated, I want to give back to you somehow. <3 Please take off your donation amount of either package if you would like to shoot with me. For example, if you donated $25 and want to do package 1, you will only owe $25. If you donated $50, and want to do package 1, it's FREE! And so on......

Please let me know if you have any questions! 

If you would like to book a session, please contact me HERE as soon as possible and include the date you want to shoot from the dates above! <3 

Thank you guys so much for reading! Now I'm gonna go do some Physical Therapy with my big guy and hopefully get some dinner started. 

Love, em