Today, we are 43 days post of from Lucy's throacic surgery. Life has changed so much since the tumor removal. The tumor removal was to provide a better, longer life. Lucy's recovery went from slow to calm before the storm.
The storm came in like a winter blizzard, fast, unexpected and life changing. Visits to Dr. Robertson and Dr. Williams at St. Francis provided a diagnosis of Megaesophagus. LIFE CHANGED AGAIN.
It's not a death sentence, it's a life change process. No more table scraps, no more water from a bowl, no more free eating. No more and then some more no mores.
Lucy is a sweet gentle, loving almost 8-year-old rescue. She has always eaten and done anything she wanted. Now a simple ball playing game can lead to reguritation.
She has gone from jumping out of bed in the morning to laying around for an hour after we are up. Just watching and sleeping.
Yesterday, we were back at the vets for more support. In addition to Metoclopramide twice a day, we added Sildenafil Citrate. Last night Lucy ate, played a little, slept well and had no regur issues in the night.
A friend of mine Terry Watts, introduced us to another pet owner who has raised a dog from puppy stage with ME. Having never heard of this disorder, I was surprised to hear about the number of dogs that have this.
Support groups are on Facebook and it's a fantastic way to read and see how others deal with the disorder.
Today, we started off well. No hacking, Lucy sat in the Danny chair and ate her breakfast. She gets her liquid intake in the form of canned foods and Knorr gelatin blocks made with chicken broth. Lucy loves water and misses lapping it out of a bowl.
One thing about these animals is you must keep a close eye on what they put in their mouths. While preparing my breakfast, Lucy went outside to do her morning business or so I thought. Next thing I know, she is lapping up little puddles of water off the deck. Before I can get her back in the house, she has genuinely enjoyed herself, but that would not last long.
For the next thirty minutes, she paces, hacks, regurgitates, coughs and paces some more. She is clearly uncomfortable. Once this episode passes, she must rest. My fault for not keeping a better eye on her.
She is lying in her bed resting now and will sleep for a few hours, I hope. While this is not the best life for her, it will get better with time, patience, and prayer.
The light at the end of the tunnel is evident even though today started out rough. Lucy is a fighter and we as her people will continue to be dedicated and committed to helping her through this and back to a better quality of life.
Lucy says "Thank you for the prayers and if you don't mind, please keep praying for me."
No comments:
Post a Comment