(Koji on the first day we got him, 10 weeks old...ridiculous levels of cute XD )

Koji had his surgery today and according to the surgeon it went smoothly. I'll spare you the gross details, but let's just say that I couldn't go through what Koji bravely endured. We are still taking things "one hour at a time" as the surgeon mentioned because he is still under deep medication and has a tube down his throat...ew. So we're not out of the woods yet. But I must admit, I danced when I heard that his operation went well.  Only time will tell the true outcome of this surgery. Thanks again so much to everyone for their support.It amazes me that whether I know the LJ crowd really well, or I've only met you once, or not even met you at all, people have been reaching out with kind words and uplifting comments without hesitation. Paul,Koji and I really love you guys.

Thank you to everyone who sent their kind words to Koji and wished him well on his way to recovery.

According to my vet, things have not gotten better and his lungs are back where we started. Without invasive surgery, he will die. From what I understand, one of his lung lobes has become twisted, resulting in dead tissue. This is a freak thing and they can give no reasoning to it. All that can be done is the removal of part, or all, of the affected lung. I meet with the surgeon tomorrow morning for a more accurate description of the surgery and *gulp* the bill.

Needless to say, this experience has taught me to never second guess my instincts and that if my "motherly" senses feel there is something wrong, there is. I am so thankful that there is even a procedure that exists that can save his life, no matter what the bill costs. Also, thanks to this experience, I am re-organizing my priorities and placing cosplay purchases on the back burner for quite some time. I have plenty of costumes to wear and I don't always need to create new stuff for each convention I attend. I'd rather have my costumes burnt to shit than to have Koji suffer any longer.  It kills me to hear his short little breaths knowing that he's in pain.

So thank you again to everyone who has been so kind and have been so supportive in this, even though he's just a pup, I know he appreciates your love.

Sorry it took me this long Jo to get these up! There were so many to go through! XD

Hope you guys enjoy!

I make a point to never post emo, depressing, journal entries, but I'll make an exception for Koji.

I took Koji in to my vet yesterday for an update on his vaccinations and to check out his recent breathing problems. It seemed like he was having a hard time breathing deeply and was always taking short shallow breaths. I was hoping it was just allergies or something small.

Wrong.

After the Dr. took X-Rays, she informed me that there was an immense amount of unknown fluid surrounding and compressing his lungs. When she posted the scans up on the back lit board, my jaw hit the floor. His lungs were tiny...his ribcage was at least 2 inches from where his lungs capacity should have been. It took everything inside me to keep myself from balling my eyes out right in the office. Luckily, we caught the problem before it killed him.

She couldn't explain why there was fluid in his body, what it was, and whether or not it would go away without taking blood tests, many more X-Ray scans, and having an ultrasound performed. I won't be able to see him for at least three days, but the vet did say the signs were positive. He was still energetic, he was young, and that he didn't show great signs of pain or discomfort. He barely knew there was something wrong, he simply adapted to his new, but life-threatening, breathing habits within days.

For those of you who know how we lost our Pomeranian, Charlie, about 8 months ago, you're aware of how sensitive Paul and I still are. And for those of you who met Koji, most likely at the SoCal Cosplay Gathering a few weeks ago, you know what a sweetheart this little guy is. He,like most Shiba Inu's, is incredibly intelligent and enjoys being the center of all attention. He loves everyone and is always excited to go out on a play date with his mommy and daddy. We were going to take him to the Huntington Dog Beach for the first time this Sunday, but now that'll just have to wait.

I'll keep my hopes high and just keep wishing for his safe return. He's tough and I know he'll make it. It's just the "hurry up and wait" game right now.

is it wrong that I totally like these? Now I REALLY want to be Ariel...

I have posted the Super Smash Bros. Brawl cosplay feature on The Girls Entertainment Network website. You may find yourself in there somewhere!

Thanks for all the help in lurking the interwebs for these pictures guys! The Girls Entertainment Network

my dog is on 4Chan....I cannot stop laughing....