Riley, my black and tan girl, had SM surgery in June, 2008. The absolute worst days are right after surgery. You question every decision you have ever made about Ted. You'll wish you had him diagnosed earlier, you'll wish he were never diagnosed, you'll wish you had never subjected him to surgery, you'll barter anything for him to look at you without pain in his eyes, you'll feel like the worst owner in the world. You'll spend days in tears just looking at Ted hoping he'll give you a sign that he's o.k. You won't want to leave him even for an hour. The recovery is hard on us, the owners, because we let our minds run away with every little thought until it becomes something of great magnitude. Ted loves you, he does not hate you, he does not think you are a bad person. He appreciates that you are with him. Remember, a large part of his unresponsiveness is not becuase he's angry, but that he is loaded up with pain medication. It does get better and easier. Gradually, you will begin to see the spark that tells you that Ted is still there. It's faint at first, but gets stronger with each passing day, each passing week. Those of us with SM dogs - both those who have had surgery and those who haven't - as well as every cavalier lover who knows that these dogs are more than dogs to us - are here for you - probably the only ones who absolutely know what you're feeling and the agony you are in right now. Let us know how we can help you. Stay with us and talk to us.