Grace and Frances found strength in facing pain side by side
Living with pain affects our quality of life – slowing us down, reshaping our routines, and making even the simplest movements challenging. For some of us, this journey is one we share closely with the animals we love. Just like people, our companions can face health conditions that make movement painful and everyday life more difficult. From joint disease and arthritis to chronic pain, they often experience the same struggles we do. From these shared struggles comes a deep bond, built on empathy, patience, and mutual care. When both human and animal learn to navigate pain together, they find new ways to cope, to care, and to heal.
This is the story of Frances, and Grace, who faced their mobility challenges side by side – supporting each other through pain and recovery, and finding comfort, strength, and hope.
Living with chronic pain
“I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis a few years ago, and then five years ago diagnosed with fibromyalgia,” Frances explains. “I also suffer with other medical conditions. I’ve had MRI scans, investigations, hospital stays, steroid injections, and painkillers to help with pain. I think it’s fair to say, it’s been tough going over the years.
Each day consists of waking up in pain, never feeling refreshed after a broken night’s sleep. Anyone who suffers with either osteoarthritis or fibromyalgia, or both, will know that we take life day by day, hour by hour. Symptoms consist of pain in all or any part of your body, brain fog, dizziness, blurred vision, total fatigue, weakness, the feeling my body is weighed down with concrete, and the simplest of tasks are exhausting.”
A new companion brings comfort
Mobility is a constant challenge for Frances, and as a result, she spends much of her time at home. But she isn’t alone, her loyal companion Grace is always by her side.
“We’ve always kept dogs, so when our last dog died, after a few weeks, it was decided we would get another as the house was so empty. We got Grace as a puppy and brought her home at 10 weeks – she fitted into the family so well and loved the grandchildren. Our house was a home again.”
Grace’s struggle
Grace brought light, energy, and comfort back into Frances’s life, but soon it became clear that Grace was facing her own physical struggles too.
“When Grace reached the age of one and a half, we noticed she was limping,” Frances recalled. “We put it down to overexertion, being a young dog, or that she had knocked her leg on something. We rested her and she would recover. This process went on for a couple of months before we took her to see our vet.”
After X-rays and further tests, Grace was eventually referred to Fitzpatrick Referrals, where after a CT scan she was diagnosed with osteochondritis dissecans (OCD), a painful joint condition common in young, rapidly growing large-breed dogs. causing lameness, pain and swelling. It’s also a condition that can be found in young children and adolescents.
Surgery, setbacks, and strength
“When Professor Noel Fitzpatrick called us back in to his consultation room the news wasn’t good. He had scanned the original poorly hind leg but also the other leg and found that both legs were affected, one more so than the other. We were devastated. We felt so bad that we hadn’t picked up on it sooner but we were in the right place now. He suggested we operate by fusing the two bones together. This meant she would have no movement in her ankle but she would be out of pain and could go on to lead a normal life.”
Grace underwent surgery on both legs, but complications followed the second operation. “Unfortunately, although the operation went well, she developed an infection and was with Fitzpatrick Referrals longer than expected. She had to go back for intravenous antibiotics and was there for four weeks over Christmas. We didn’t even think she would make it through, and it was a very upsetting time for us thinking that she might not be coming home again.”
Thanks to expert care, dedication, and love, Grace made it home again — and slowly began to recover her strength.
A year of recovery
The family dedicated the whole of 2024 to Grace’s recovery. “We picked her up just after New Year (we left the Christmas tree up for her so she could still have her presents from under the tree), loaded up with antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and painkillers to be administered three times a day,” Frances said. “She also needed her bandages changed twice a day. She was so good and let me clean her wound even though I knew she must be in pain.”
The recovery was long and challenging. “Grace wasn’t allowed off lead, even to go to the toilet, and we bought the biggest dog cage to keep her contained so she couldn’t do herself any harm and she had to wear the ‘cone of shame’ to stop her licking her wounds. What a sorry sight she was. Despite everything, her resilience and gentle nature never wavered. Since then, she has gone from strength to strength and is back to her old self – albeit with two fused legs!”
A bond beyond words
Frances and Grace now share an even deeper connection, forged through shared experience and mutual care.
“My husband leaves for work around 5am, so it’s just the two of us during the day,” Frances said. “She’s there to meet me when I get up. I feel her eyes constantly following me around the house. She’ll even move to be with me if I’m in the kitchen. When she comes to sit with me, she has to be touching me, lying on my feet, and as long as I’m touching her somewhere, she’s happy sitting with me, or when the grandchildren come over, sitting on them!
When you talk to her, her head tilts and her eyes are so soft. She’s a very special dog – spoiled rotten, a lovable fur baby who deserves all the love we can give her, and she gives unconditional love right back. Such a great companion, we look after each other.”
Love that heals both ways
“Once my husband returns home from work she resorts back to a young three-year-old fun loving dog full of energy. She loves nothing more than a bit of rough and tumble on the floor with him.” Despite everything they’ve both endured, Frances says she wouldn’t change a thing.
“We wouldn’t be without her, and everything we have gone through we’d do it all again, not that we’d want to but we would! She’s our baby girl and a huge part of our family. Here’s hoping from now on she’ll have a great life with not too many hiccups along the way. Love you Grace xx.”
Strength in shared resilience
Frances and Grace’s journey shows that healing is rarely one-sided – it’s something we share with those we love, whether they walk on two legs or four. When humans and animals face similar health challenges, we find strength in each other’s resilience, comfort in shared understanding, and hope in the science that connects us.
Through One Medicine, we believe that by recognising the overlap between human and animal health, from joint pain and mobility issues to chronic conditions, we can improve care for all species.
If you and your companion animal have faced health challenges together, we’d love to hear your story.
