Today was stitch-removal day for my sweet boy Charlie, so I took him back to the vet for a follow-up with the surgeon. Because of COVID, I wasn’t able to go inside, so I checked in, gave the nurse my updates, and waited while they examined him and removed his sutures. The big win: Charlie’s incision healed really well, and he’s been acting way more like himself. He still has a little bit of incontinence when he gets excited (like a little toot sneaks out), but overall it’s been improving a lot. We did get some tougher news too. The lab results on the tumor they removed showed it may extend past what was cut out, so we’re still gathering information and waiting on the surgeon for more details. Since Charlie has anal gland adenocarcinoma and stomach lymphoma, we’re also planning next steps with his oncologist, and it’s looking like we’ll be putting him back on chemo. Even with the unknowns, I’m choosing to take it day by day, celebrate the healing progress, and do what I can to keep Charlie feeling good—like grabbing organic pumpkin puree to help keep his stools more formed.