After crying off an on all day yesterday about the fact that I'll have to wait until probably Tuesday to pick up Lexie (I miss her so much it hurts), I found out today that I probably won't be able to pick her up until at least Thursday.
The reason I've been so upset about not having Lexie home with me, despite knowing she's receiving excellent medical care right now, is because I feel like these first couple of weeks after having her eyes surgically removed is a very important time for me to BE THERE for her, and I'm not. She awoke from her surgery to a pitch black new world, and instead of learning how to re-adjust to her daily routine with mine and Justin's help and love, she has spent these last couple of weeks either in a car being rushed to the vet or locked up in a kennel for observation. Besides the 11 hours she was actually home, her only interactions have been with unfamiliar doctors and vet techs. It breaks my heart to think about how confused and alone she must be feeling right now. She's probably wondering why she hasn't heard mine or Justin's voices in so long and wondering where her sisters are.
However, I'm trying not to dwell on such thoughts too much because I do realize it's actually a very good thing that they've pushed back Lexie's surgery. The doctor I spoke to this morning (I forgot her name) said that Lexie's infection has cleared up a lot since we first brought her back in last Thursday night. Apparently, her staph and serratia infections were much more extensive than I had realized, but the doctor said that the wound looks much better today. She said she even took a picture of Lexie's wound and sent it to Dr. Kennedy, who agreed that the antibiotics appear to be working nicely. Therefore, they've decided the best plan of action is to wait another couple of days to continue to allow the antibiotics to do their thing and clear up the infection as much as possible before repairing her incision, which will probably be on Wednesday. (Remember, these infections were the reason why Lexie's sutures pulled out, so the less infection present in the wound when they sew her back up, the more likely the wound will stay closed this time.) Therefore, even though I'm bummed that I have to wait even longer to pick up my Lou, it's nice to know that the vets are being extra cautious this time to ensure that no further complications will occur once I finally get her home. In fact, I'm trying not to even get my hopes up about bringing her home the day after her surgery because it's quite possible they may keep her an extra day or so, just to be safe. I probably won't know that until after her surgery, though.
I also don't know yet whether or not Lexie is going to have her swollen mammary gland removed during the same surgery. I reminded the doctor I spoke with today about this, and she said she'd mention it to Dr. Kennedy and see if they can get a cost estimate for me. I hope I can swing it, because now I feel like I just want to have it done so as not to have to put Lou through any more surgeries. *fingers crossed*
At the beginning of June, 2012, my 9 year-old Doberman, Lexie (aka "Lou"), was diagnosed with anterior uveitis and secondary glaucoma. After surviving three eye surgeries, sudden blindness, and a subsequent double-mastectomy in the span of less than two months, sadly, I had to say good-bye to my sweet Lou on July 26, 2012, secondary to Stage III mammary carcinoma. Lexie fought so hard for me and endured so much in such a short amount of time. She was my hero, and this is her story.
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I definitely have my fingers crossed!
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