March 9th, 2025 - A "Soft-Pause" On The CR-X This Year

 

March 9th, 2025 - A "Soft-Pause" On The CR-X This Year

As I was prepping for the 2025 season, something unexpected happened to my best friend, and occasional co-pilot in my CR-X, Bonzai. She is our older dog, a 15-and-a-half year old border collie/blue heeler cross. Starting in mid-December she stopped being as enthusiastic about her food. She wasn't refusing the eat but was leaving a little bit behind in her bowl with each meal - something quite unusual for her. Thinking perhaps she was being a picky eater, we tried a couple different recipes with no luck. With each new type of food, she would eat enthusiastically for a couple days then go back to not quite finishing her food. Treats were never an issue, even immediately following a meal, which added to the theory that she was just being picky as opposed to losing her appetite.   

To be sure there wasn't something medically wrong, we took her to the vet and had an ultrasound done in early January. Thank goodness for pet insurance! Sadly, the test results revealed some masses that had accumulated on her liver. Subsequent CT scans and aspartate tests revealed that she has a cancerous mass on her liver and there are two paths: surgery to remove a liver lobe or two, or making her as happy and comfortable as possible for her remaining days. 

Now, to be fair, Bonzai is in fantastic shape for an almost 16 year old dog, but the reality is that she's still getting up there in age. She certainly doesn't act like a senior dog in the twilight of her life, but it's a big decision. She has some other medical conditions that could complicate both the surgery and recovery, and since this type of cancer is a slow growing type, we have elected to take a little time to have tests done to ensure that we have all the information we need to make an informed a decision on how to proceed, keeping what is best for her top of mind. 

So, you're probably thinking: what is a "soft-pause" and how does your dog's health affect working on your CR-X?

Well, first and foremost, this dog is very special to us and is "Daddy's Little Girl", so there's a mental health aspect to this that's taken a toll. It's added a lot of stress to our lives, and while normally I'd relieve stress in the garage turning wrenches, I'm having difficulty with motivation. 

In terms of my CR-X, taking a "soft-pause", as opposed to a "hard stop", means that I'll still be buying small parts here and there, but there will be no major purchases or work done, like painting the bumpers. This will allow us to have the majority of my car budget money available in case it's needed to cover any additional veterinary costs and not have to use any credit cards or lines of credit unless absolutely necessary... not that money has, or ever will be, a deciding factor in her level of care.

Even with pet insurance, there has been a significant out-of-pocket cost for all these additional tests and vet consultations. And of course, there will be additional out of pocket expenses either way: costs associated with her surgery and recovery, or with extra vet visits and medications for end-of-life care. In addition, while hoping for the best, we are planning for the worst. We have had a 3D scan of her taken and have booked photographs with a professional photographer to make sure that we have some mementos before she gets too ill to be able to do these types of things.

I'll still be doing small jobs on the CR-X, mostly when Bonzai needs a day off from activities, or when she is out with my wife on an adventure just the two of them. Smaller, quick jobs, will allow me to take the CR-X, with or without my co-pilot, when these opportunities arise. Bonzai will be the priority and taking the CR-X out will be slotted in where and when it makes the most sense.  

If we decide that she will have surgery, there will be a minimum 6 week recovery period. We have already decided that her surgery will take place in the summer so that it will make walks (when she's able), and letting her out to use the washroom, as comfortable and easy as possible. And whether or not we choose surgery, we want to make sure that Bonzai lives out the rest of her life to the fullest every single day that she's able to, meaning more time spent with her, more playing, more walks and more cuddles. 

This was a difficult post to write but no matter what happens with Bonzai she is loved immensely and we will rest easy knowing that we did everything in our power to give her the best life we could. I don't think she would have many complaints, except that maybe we didn't give enough T-R-E-A-T-S. :-)

Remember, this blog was written in chronological order so, you will need to click OLDER POSTS to move forward in time, and click NEWER POSTS to go backwards.