Twice
My Bully Gave Me Wings
- Feb 3, 2012
- 2,686
- 311
- Bulldog(s) Names
- Abby (my Sweetie Head 10.24.11-11.23.12) and Otis
Hospitalization - updated 10am
It's been a rough couple of days here. I haven't been able to get here to read much of anything. I'm sorry for that. I hope everyone's babies are fine.
We had to rush Abby to the doctor on Friday. Her stomach was swollen and distended, it looked as though something inside her had exploded. She was in so much pain we couldn't touch her. The doctor said that she had stopped absorbing the subQ fluids and from the heat coming off her stomach, that fluid had gotten infected. She desperately needed anti-inflammatory's but because of her condition, she can't have them. She gave her antibiotics and tramadol for pain.
The swelling started to go down Saturday afternoon and the pain eased with it. We thought she was out of the woods. She was playing with Otis, she was eating normally. She was my normal, spunky, spiteful sweetie head. But then last night she started having seizures.
Abby was admitted into the hospital today. The seizures are from the build up of toxins in her bloodstream infecting her brain and spinal fluid. She is on IV fluids and antibiotics. Dr Sing just called me with an update. They have her on anti-seizure medication and her blood pressure is high. I know from my own research that high blood pressure is very common with kidney failure, but it's a new symptom for Abby - another sign that she is deteriorating.
Abby still has fight in her. She isn't ready to leave us. This is the one thing I am sure of.
Saturday morning I woke up to a wet bed. She had peed in her sleep. She was on pain killers so I sort of expected some weirdness. But as she lay there in my wet bed and in so much pain I made the decision that it was time. I couldn't,WOULDN'T watch her suffer so I made the appointment for later that afternoon. Then I asked her. I said (and don't think I'm a wacko ok?) I held her head in my hands and I said "if you don't want me to do this then get up!" But she didn't get up. She laid there looking up at me all sad and miserable. I got out of the shower and she hadn't moved an inch. I went into the kitchen to feed Roxy and Otis, then I was going to wake the redhead so that he could say goodbye. I came back from the kitchen and guess who was standing on the edge of the bed trying to jump down? I helped her off the bed and SHE RAN to the backdoor to go outside to pee. She ran down the stairs. She ran back up the stairs and straight into her crate to wait for breakfast. She ate like a champ!
I cancelled that appointment.
Even tonight she has that spunk. 20 minutes after a seizure she walked into that hospital like she owned the place. I didn't even have her on a leash. She walked in and went from person to person like the Mayor, jumping up on their laps for her hugs. Tara the office manager was stunned considering that just Friday night she personally had to wheel her both in and back out of the building on a stretcher. Nobody can understand this. It doesn't make medical sense. It goes against everything they learned in medical school. This should not be happening.
How can her BUN be so close to 200 yet she still dives off the couch onto Otis's head to steal his toys? How can her creatinine be over 10 and still eat as if she's starving? The text books say that once the CREA hits 6 the dog begins to lose their appetite. Yet Abby, with a 10.7, eats each meal like it's the first one she's had in days. Trust me, my cooking ain't that good. Dr Sing told me on the phone a few minutes ago that Abby is lying in a crate wrapped in my flannel shirt happily chewing on her antler like she doesn't have a care in the world. She doesn't understand how. She says Abby should be in a coma.
The IV fluid therapy she is getting now works in dogs kind of like dialysis works for people. It dilutes the blood so that the remaining kidney function can filter these toxins from her blood and into her urine. The hope is if we can bring her kidney values down, if we can get some of the toxins out of her blood, the seizures will stop and her bp will return to normal. If we can get some of those toxins out, she will have more time. The question is does she have enough kidney function left to do the job?
So tonight I'm here again asking for your prayers. You've all prayed for her so many times in the past and it has gotten us through so many close calls. I truly believe that the strength she gets from ALL OF US has kept her with us this long. She's been near death several times in the past year but never more so than tonight. I wish I could that that was an exaggeration or me just overreacting but it's not. Even though she is acting like our sweetie head, she is critical.
Please. Please pray that she can pull out of this. And if she can't... pray that I have the strength to do what needs to be done. Because right now I don't think I can.
It's been a rough couple of days here. I haven't been able to get here to read much of anything. I'm sorry for that. I hope everyone's babies are fine.
We had to rush Abby to the doctor on Friday. Her stomach was swollen and distended, it looked as though something inside her had exploded. She was in so much pain we couldn't touch her. The doctor said that she had stopped absorbing the subQ fluids and from the heat coming off her stomach, that fluid had gotten infected. She desperately needed anti-inflammatory's but because of her condition, she can't have them. She gave her antibiotics and tramadol for pain.
The swelling started to go down Saturday afternoon and the pain eased with it. We thought she was out of the woods. She was playing with Otis, she was eating normally. She was my normal, spunky, spiteful sweetie head. But then last night she started having seizures.
Abby was admitted into the hospital today. The seizures are from the build up of toxins in her bloodstream infecting her brain and spinal fluid. She is on IV fluids and antibiotics. Dr Sing just called me with an update. They have her on anti-seizure medication and her blood pressure is high. I know from my own research that high blood pressure is very common with kidney failure, but it's a new symptom for Abby - another sign that she is deteriorating.
Abby still has fight in her. She isn't ready to leave us. This is the one thing I am sure of.
Saturday morning I woke up to a wet bed. She had peed in her sleep. She was on pain killers so I sort of expected some weirdness. But as she lay there in my wet bed and in so much pain I made the decision that it was time. I couldn't,WOULDN'T watch her suffer so I made the appointment for later that afternoon. Then I asked her. I said (and don't think I'm a wacko ok?) I held her head in my hands and I said "if you don't want me to do this then get up!" But she didn't get up. She laid there looking up at me all sad and miserable. I got out of the shower and she hadn't moved an inch. I went into the kitchen to feed Roxy and Otis, then I was going to wake the redhead so that he could say goodbye. I came back from the kitchen and guess who was standing on the edge of the bed trying to jump down? I helped her off the bed and SHE RAN to the backdoor to go outside to pee. She ran down the stairs. She ran back up the stairs and straight into her crate to wait for breakfast. She ate like a champ!
I cancelled that appointment.
Even tonight she has that spunk. 20 minutes after a seizure she walked into that hospital like she owned the place. I didn't even have her on a leash. She walked in and went from person to person like the Mayor, jumping up on their laps for her hugs. Tara the office manager was stunned considering that just Friday night she personally had to wheel her both in and back out of the building on a stretcher. Nobody can understand this. It doesn't make medical sense. It goes against everything they learned in medical school. This should not be happening.
How can her BUN be so close to 200 yet she still dives off the couch onto Otis's head to steal his toys? How can her creatinine be over 10 and still eat as if she's starving? The text books say that once the CREA hits 6 the dog begins to lose their appetite. Yet Abby, with a 10.7, eats each meal like it's the first one she's had in days. Trust me, my cooking ain't that good. Dr Sing told me on the phone a few minutes ago that Abby is lying in a crate wrapped in my flannel shirt happily chewing on her antler like she doesn't have a care in the world. She doesn't understand how. She says Abby should be in a coma.
The IV fluid therapy she is getting now works in dogs kind of like dialysis works for people. It dilutes the blood so that the remaining kidney function can filter these toxins from her blood and into her urine. The hope is if we can bring her kidney values down, if we can get some of the toxins out of her blood, the seizures will stop and her bp will return to normal. If we can get some of those toxins out, she will have more time. The question is does she have enough kidney function left to do the job?
So tonight I'm here again asking for your prayers. You've all prayed for her so many times in the past and it has gotten us through so many close calls. I truly believe that the strength she gets from ALL OF US has kept her with us this long. She's been near death several times in the past year but never more so than tonight. I wish I could that that was an exaggeration or me just overreacting but it's not. Even though she is acting like our sweetie head, she is critical.
Please. Please pray that she can pull out of this. And if she can't... pray that I have the strength to do what needs to be done. Because right now I don't think I can.
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