Sunday, July 1, 2012

Update: Surgery Tomorrow!

I just received a phone call from Dr. Corbett at MedVet.  She said that Lexie is still doing really well.  Her appetite is good, and  I got a big smile on my face when Dr. Corbett said, "Lexie's still being super sweet, and everyone here just loves her." (God, I miss my Lou so much....)  She also said that she's been in touch with all the specialists, and Lexie's surgery is scheduled for early tomorrow morning (Monday, July 2, 2012).

The one thing Dr. Corbett said that concerned me, though, was that it looks like there may be some bleeding going on under Lexie's skin.  She also said her blood count has been steadily dropping.  It was in the 50's when she first arrived at MedVet Friday night, yesterday it was in the 40's, and right now it's around 35.  Dr. Corbett said that 35 is a perfectly safe level, but if it continues to drop they may need to do another transfusion.  With all of that said, I think I am actually more worried about the bleeding and dropping blood count than Dr. Corbett.  I told her it worries me because it means Lou's blood still isn't clotting, so I'm worried about when they remove her gauze.  Dr. Corbett said, "We're expecting a bloody mess no matter what when we operate tomorrow.  So, we're fully prepared..."  Then, I couldn't resist asking her how confident she was that Lexie will make it through her surgery.  She couldn't make any guarantees, of course, but Dr. Corbett sounds pretty confident that they will be able to successfully stop Lexie's bleeding during her surgery tomorrow, and that she'll recover just fine.  I've had too many disappointments during this past month to allow my hopes to get up too high, but it does make me feel good to hear that confidence in Dr. Corbett's voice.

As for my request for donations to help raise money to pay for Lexie's surgery on Monday, which Dr. Corbett estimated could cost anywhere from $1200 to $2000, I have been BLOWN AWAY by the amount of well wishes and donations I have received so far.  As of right now, I have received almost $600.00 in donations! I am so humbled by the kindness of generosity of friends, family, acquaintances, and even total strangers that I truly do not have the words to express my gratitude.  I'm not kidding when I say that I am blown away.  "Thank you" doesn't even begin to cover it, but thank you, everyone.  Thank you SO very much.

Please remember to keep Lexie in your thoughts and prayers as she goes into surgery tomorrow morning.  I will, of course, give an update as soon as I receive word from Dr. Corbett.

10 comments:

  1. Courteny, thank you much for sharing your story. I too have to put my Brittany named Winston, thru the same surgery tomorrow. I felt sick last December when I found out he had diabetes. I finally got his sugar level steady in April. He gets insulin shots twice daily. After this he developed cataracts, then glacoma. No drops or creams worked. His corneas ruptured and I struggled with this decision. He still has lots of life yet and is also 9 years old.

    Good luck tomorrow. I pray all will be well and you will be bringing her home soon.

    Amy

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    1. Thank you so much, Amy. I am so sorry to hear about what you and your Winston have been through, but I wish you the best of luck with your surgery tomorrow. Keep me posted and I will do the same. :)

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  2. Courtney, this story is so heartbreaking. Chad setup a chip in for donations from friends of Ramsey, Pablo and Suvi, and we can only hope that it will help a tiny bit. Best of luck, and we'll be crossing our fingers for you!

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    1. I cannot even tell you how much Chad's support has meant to me!!! Thank you guys so very, very much. I wish there was more I could do to show you my appreciation. :)

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  3. Hi Courtney :-)

    I nearly lost my 8 year old chihuahua Bella in March, at which point she was diagnosed with Addison's Disease. Thankfully, the vets saved her life and she's doing very well now, but I know firsthand how quickly the vet bills add up. Sending along a small donation...wish it could be more.

    Best of luck and lots of love to both you and Lexie <3

    Amy & Bella

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    1. Amy,

      I'm so happy to hear that Bella is doing well! You give me hope. Thank you so much for your donation and support.

      :)

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  4. Hi, Courtney. It must be so hard to write about all this, but I'm really glad you did.
    It's not bad at all to ask for donations. We never expect these things to happen to our puppies!
    Even though Lexie can't see you anymore, she will always know when you're around, dogs have great hearing and powerful noses! I'm sure she's grateful for having the surgery so she's not in pain anymore.
    I just made a donation which, unfortunately, wasn't a lot, but it's all I can afford right now.
    Well wishes from Brazil!

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    1. Karina,

      Thank you so much for the kind words. I am SO looking forward to having my Lexie home and being amazed by how well she adjusts to her new life as a blind Dobie. Thank you very much for your donation, and all the way from Brazil! Wow!

      :)

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  5. Courtney,
    I heard about your story from Ramsey, Pablo and Suvi's dad on his blog. With an 11 month old red boy who is my world I can't help but want to offer our support in whatever happens. We've sent a few bucks your way but I also wanted to recommend getting in contact with Special Needs Dobermans. They may be able to help you find funds and/or get the story out to dobie people for support and possibly help finding a diagnosis of an underlying issue.
    Best of luck to you and all of your girls.
    -Melissa and Cato

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    1. Melissa,

      Thank you so much for your donation and your suggestion to contact Special Needs Dobermans. I had never heard of this organization before, but I will definitely check them out.

      My best to you and Cato!

      :)

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