I meant to mention this in my post yesterday, but since there haven't been any major developments or emergencies with Lexie over the past week (thank GOD!), I probably will not be giving daily updates from this point on, unless something out of the ordinary happens, of course. Instead, I will probably start posting weekly updates about Lou's recovery and adjustment to her new life as a blind Dobe. This way, I won't wear you out with boring posts like, "Lexie ate, drank, slept, and used the bathroom a couple times today. Tune in tomorrow to see what exciting things she does next!"
I will tell you that the swelling above her right eye is now showing definite signs of improvement, which is quite a relief. Her left eye must have had a tad bit of swelling, too, which I didn't really notice until yesterday. It's not that I noticed her left eye was swollen, though, it's more like I've noticed that the swelling must be going away because now her left eye is actually starting to look a little "sunken in." It's a little weird, I'm not going to lie, but at least her incision in that eye looks really, really good.
Another weird thing I've noticed is that, even though Lexie no longer has any eyes in her sockets, the muscles around her eyes still move sometimes, as though she's looking around. In fact, when I first noticed this the other night, it was actually quite a funny moment. (I'm a little embarrassed to share this, but it's too funny to keep to myself.)
Now, admittedly, I was a bit tipsy when this happened. Justin and I were having a nice, relaxing evening at home, and I had probably had two or three glasses of wine by this point. I decided to use the flashlight app on my iPhone to check Lexie's incisions, and when I held the flashlight up to her face, I noticed her eye muscles move. Obviously, her eye muscles were probably just reacting to the sensation of something being held close to her face all of a sudden, but in my tipsy state I actually thought that she had reacted to the light. So, I said to Justin, "Hey, are we sure that Lexie can't see anything?" (Mind you, her eyeballs have been surgically removed.) Justin immediately burst into laughter, then quickly regained his composure and said, in a very calm and reassuring manner, "I am absolutely, 100% positive."
Okay, okay, so maybe it wasn't the smartest question I've ever asked, but at least it's given us something to laugh about. :)
You know, I thought I saw some twitching around where her eyes were when I was watching the video the other day. It was a little unsettling for me, but I realized that even though the eyes are gone, the muscles are still there and will continue to move. I'm glad Lexie is doing well, and I hope to only read weekly updates!
ReplyDeleteCourtney,
ReplyDeleteI ran across a pic of Lexie through Instagram and from there I found your blog. I have spent the past 2-3 hours dedicated behind this computer reading every one of your posts. I have to say that I am overwhelmed by your dedication and of those around you...also the vets involved. It is so easy nowadays for someone to say, "I can't do anything else for my pet OR for your pet" and decide to put the animal down. I hear that way too often.
I have 2 Dobies myself and have dealt with a scary situation with my female about 2 years ago. I urged my vet to do everything in his power to save her because I just couldn't bear the thought of losing her. Never once did I want her to suffer, but knew I never wanted to hear the "dreaded words" or have to make a life decision!! I was going through a divorce at the time and just could not bear the thought of losing her amongst the chaos of my life at the moment! She/they are more WORLD!! My KIDS!!
To make a long story short, my vet did a wonderful job, went through "hoops" over a span of 3 weeks to keep my precious angel alive & now she is a happy 4 year old Dobie!
I wish you nothing but great news, & improvement(s) with Lexie's healing!! You are the treasure that any "dog in need" needs! Thank you for hanging in there and loving that precious "turd" of yours through it all! I wish you much luck and now I am hooked, so keep us posted on her recovery!
Much love from Arkansas!
Shauna,
DeleteThank you so much for such a lovely comment. I'm so glad to hear that your vet was able to save your Dobe and that she's continued to do so well. I still can't believe that Lexie has been through so much in such a short amount of time and has still managed to carry on, but it totally wouldn't have been possible without her vets (both local and at MedVet) and, of course, the generous donations and well wishes of so many kind people.
Thank you, again, for taking the time to read my entire blog. I sent you a request on Instagram. I'd love to see your pretty babies!
My best to you and your fur babies!