Over the past few weeks, life has slowed down for us in many ways. The reason is Ayla—and a surgery that, although it went well, still required a great deal of strength, patience, and trust.
Several mammary carcinomas were diagnosed in Ayla. These are tumors of the mammary glands and, unfortunately, they are not uncommon in older, unspayed female dogs. Looking back, I believe these changes had been there for quite some time—quietly, unobtrusively, without obvious symptoms. But eventually there comes a moment when it becomes clear: they have to be removed. And that moment had arrived.
From the very beginning, Ayla was incredibly brave. Thankfully, the anesthesia went smoothly and calmly—something that is far from guaranteed in a dog close to 13 years old. She fell asleep quickly, very different from Lina back then, who fought fiercely against falling asleep for a long time. That was hard to watch. Ayla, on the other hand, was much more relaxed, almost as if she knew: I’ll just let this happen now.
A great gift for me was being allowed to be there when she woke up. This seems to be standard practice here, and I am very grateful to the veterinarians for it. Waking up took quite some time. Ayla was groggy, slow, not fully herself yet. But she was not alone. And that helped me as well.
After the surgery, I still had to go to the pharmacy to pick up her medication—at around –20°C outside. Not ideal, but in Sweden medications for animals are usually not dispensed directly by the veterinary clinic. That, too, is part of the process.
Now, almost ten days have passed since the operation. Healing has been going well so far, and I sincerely hope it continues that way. I wish—and I pray to God—that I will continue to have the strength, the calmness, and the discernment needed for the ongoing treatment and the time ahead.
Lina has to take a bit of a step back at the moment. That isn’t easy, as she is used to a lot of activity. But she is handling it surprisingly well—patiently and quietly, brave in her own way.
This time is challenging. But it is also shaped by closeness, trust, and many small moments that matter. Step by step, we keep moving forward. 🖤🐾