The last time I received a "but" after one of Lexie's surgeries, it was, "Lexie's surgery went really well, but we did notice she has developed an infection...." That infection, of course, turned out to be extensive and actually two different types of bacteria (staph and serratia), which caused Lexie's incision to pull open just approximately 14 hours after she was discharged from MetVet.
Dr. Kennedy called me last night around 9:30 p.m. to tell me that Lexie's surgery to repair the incision and also remove two mammary growths (not just one, as it turned out) went well, "but the anesthesiologist did make a note of some twitching that occurred during anesthesia." I asked Dr. Kennedy if this is a reason for concern, but he didn't seem too worried about it. He said he just wanted to mention it simply because the anesthesiologist noted it on Lexie's report, but he didn't think there was any reason to be concerned. After all Lexie has been through, though, I wouldn't be surprised if she had a grand mal seizure a few hours after I get her home. (Oh God, I didn't mean that! *knock on wood! knock on wood!*)
Anyway, Dr. Kennedy just called me again this morning to give me another update, and apparently Lexie did really well overnight. He said that there was some swelling, but nothing like she had before. He also said there was a little oozing from the incisions this morning, but that is to be expected. I asked him if her eyes were going to ooze bloody fluid non-stop like they did the last time I brought her home, and he said he didn't think it would be as bad this time.
On a side note, I asked Dr. Kennedy if they had ever received the results of Lexie's Von Willebrand's test (I noticed on her bill from her last surgery that I was charged for that test). He said he wasn't sure if they had received the results back yet, but that he'd check. I know that it takes a while for that test to come back, so I'm not going to be upset if they don't have the results yet. Besides, at this point I'm kind of convinced she doesn't have Von Willebrand's because bleeding wasn't an issue in either of her last two surgeries. I'm starting to think that Dr. Corbett's theory for why Lexie almost bled to death during her initial enucleation surgery is probably true: She said that it's possible that all of Lexie's bleeding simply resulted from the fact that the eyes are very vascular organs with lots of veins and blood vessels that have to be surgically cut during an enucleation.
So, technically, Lexie is allowed to come home tonight, but I told Dr. Kennedy that I would prefer to wait until Saturday to pick her up. I reminded him that the last time I brought her home the day after her surgery, her stitches burst 11 hours later. He said he completely understood and thought I was making a wise decision. I know that leaving her two more nights for observation is definitely a better decision than picking her up this evening, but it's also killing me to know that she could come home tonight. I want my Lou home with me so badly!!!! I'm going to be strong, though, and hold off until Saturday morning to go get her, because I know it's for the best. Well.....maybe tomorrow night.....
Showing posts with label Von Willebrand's disease. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Von Willebrand's disease. Show all posts
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Back to Ohio
Just about an hour after I posted my last blog about Lexie having Von Willenbrand's disease, Dr. Ellis called to tell me that not only was Lexie starting to bleed again (through all the gauze that they had packed in her wounds), but her latest blood work indicated that she DOESN'T have VW disease. Therefore, Dr. Ellis recommended we rush her back to MedVet in Worthington, Ohio to see another specialist who could hopefully diagnose the reason why her blood wasn't clotting. Dr. Ellis gave me another option of letting Lexie spend the night in our local ER for observation, but she was worried that Lou might not make it through the night. Because Justin had agreed to make up the hours he'd taken off work to be with me that day, he wouldn't be able to go to Ohio with me. So, I called my brother, Zach, and thankfully he agreed to go with me. I was terrified, however, to drive Lexie 3 hours to MedVet in her condition, and even Dr. Ellis said there was a chance Lou might not make it there. However, Dr. Ellis said that she felt the risk might be worth it because the specialists at MedVet would be much better at diagnosing her.
I should probably back up a little bit and explain that the issue was that Dr. Ellis and Dr. Ayers had to pack Lexie's eye sockets with gauze in order to slow the bleeding after her enucleation surgery, which means the gauze still has to be removed. So, the worry is that even if the bleeding stops right now, it could possibly start again when the wounds are re-opened and the gauze is removed. Therefore, we need to find out what's preventing her blood from clotting so we can fix it before unpacking her wounds.
Ok, so Zach and I went to pick up Lexie from Animal Care Clinic. I was afraid of how she'd look, but it was actually much better than I had expected. Dr. Ellis had wrapped Lou's head and eyes really well, and Lexie was even up and moving around. She was still my Lou, too, which pleased me more than I can even tell you. I had expected her to be this pitiful, lethargic, bleeding, dying, Franken-Dobie, but she wasn't anything close to that. I sat in the back seat with Lou as Zach drove us to Ohio. I am usually very careful about the speed limit, but I told Zach I didn't care if he got pulled over because we were racing against time at that point.
Well, wouldn't you know that apparently the Storm of the Century just HAD to come through Ohio and WV right at that moment? Although we lucked out and only drove through heavy wind and some rain, the rest of Ohio was hit HARD. During the entire drive through half the state, we saw downed trees, branches, and the majority of towns we drove through were without power. The whole time, Lexie was so good. She just laid down beside me and slept most of the way. She was breathing pretty hard, though, which worried me, and I kept a close eye on her breathing the entire time. Then, when we were about an hour away from MedVet, we hit stand still traffic. After about 30 minutes of not moving, I started to panic, but then we finally started to move again. Just as we were about to take the exit to 270 toward Columbus, the exit was shut down! We ended up having to re-route through some town that had a billion stop lights, but the power was out so we had to do a four-way stop at every single one! I seriously thought I might have a heart attack at that point.
Finally, 4 hours after we left Huntington, we arrived at MedVet. When I got Lexie out of the car, I could see a spot of blood where her head had been resting. They took her straight back, though, so I was relieved she was at least receiving medical attention. However, I told Zach when we sat in the waiting room that I wasn't expecting good news.
When we finally spoke to the vet on duty that night, Dr. Miller, I was both relieved and surprised when she told me Lexie looked good and seemed stable. She said she wanted to do a blood panel since Lexie had had a transfusion that day and keep her overnight for observation. Then, in the morning, Lexie would be seen by an internal medicine specialist who could try to figure out why her blood won't clot. It was after midnight at that point, and Zach and I were both too tired to drive, so we got a room at a nearby hotel.
I called MedVet first thing this morning and they said Lexie did well through the night and all of her blood work looked good. So, now I'm just waiting to hear from the other specialist after he has a chance to examine her. I'm crossing my fingers for some actual answers today.
I should probably back up a little bit and explain that the issue was that Dr. Ellis and Dr. Ayers had to pack Lexie's eye sockets with gauze in order to slow the bleeding after her enucleation surgery, which means the gauze still has to be removed. So, the worry is that even if the bleeding stops right now, it could possibly start again when the wounds are re-opened and the gauze is removed. Therefore, we need to find out what's preventing her blood from clotting so we can fix it before unpacking her wounds.
Well, wouldn't you know that apparently the Storm of the Century just HAD to come through Ohio and WV right at that moment? Although we lucked out and only drove through heavy wind and some rain, the rest of Ohio was hit HARD. During the entire drive through half the state, we saw downed trees, branches, and the majority of towns we drove through were without power. The whole time, Lexie was so good. She just laid down beside me and slept most of the way. She was breathing pretty hard, though, which worried me, and I kept a close eye on her breathing the entire time. Then, when we were about an hour away from MedVet, we hit stand still traffic. After about 30 minutes of not moving, I started to panic, but then we finally started to move again. Just as we were about to take the exit to 270 toward Columbus, the exit was shut down! We ended up having to re-route through some town that had a billion stop lights, but the power was out so we had to do a four-way stop at every single one! I seriously thought I might have a heart attack at that point.
Finally, 4 hours after we left Huntington, we arrived at MedVet. When I got Lexie out of the car, I could see a spot of blood where her head had been resting. They took her straight back, though, so I was relieved she was at least receiving medical attention. However, I told Zach when we sat in the waiting room that I wasn't expecting good news.
When we finally spoke to the vet on duty that night, Dr. Miller, I was both relieved and surprised when she told me Lexie looked good and seemed stable. She said she wanted to do a blood panel since Lexie had had a transfusion that day and keep her overnight for observation. Then, in the morning, Lexie would be seen by an internal medicine specialist who could try to figure out why her blood won't clot. It was after midnight at that point, and Zach and I were both too tired to drive, so we got a room at a nearby hotel.
I called MedVet first thing this morning and they said Lexie did well through the night and all of her blood work looked good. So, now I'm just waiting to hear from the other specialist after he has a chance to examine her. I'm crossing my fingers for some actual answers today.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Surgical Complications
If you're religious, I'm asking for prayers. If you're not religious or of some different religion/faith, I'm asking for good vibes, VERY positive thoughts, chants, or whatever you can do to help my Lou survive this surgery.
Dr. Ellis called me a little before 1:00 p.m. to tell me that there had been a complication during Lexie's enucleation procedure, and I could tell by the tone of her voice that it was serious. She said that Lou has Von Willebrand's disease, which is a blood clotting disorder found commonly in Dobermans. Apparently, this blood disorder can develop at any time and is not always detectable on blood tests. According to www.petmd.com, "Typically the platelet count will be normal (unless your dog has experienced recent, massive bleeding), and coagulation tests will show normal results."
Dr. Ellis said that they were having a hard time getting Lexie's bleeding to stop, but they had called in another local veterinarian, Dr. Ayers, to start working on her. However, Dr. Ellis did not sound hopeful and even added, "I just wanted you to be aware of what's going on because it's critical. Lexie has lost a LOT of blood, to the point that she's becoming weak...." She told me that they were prepared to give her a transfusion if necessary, and told me to keep my phone close by.
I was covering the front office when I received this devastating phone call, and it was all I could do to try to hold myself together because there were patients in our waiting room. Thank goodness my boss just happened to walk up front at that time, because as soon as I saw her I said, "I'm sorry, but I need to go." I told her what was happening, and she said it was okay for me to take off the rest of the day.
I drove straight home, still trying to hold it together, because I felt like I was going to explode, and I didn't want to do that in the tiny waiting room at Animal Care Clinic. Besides, they were still working on Lexie, so it's not like I could go back and see her anyway. Luckily, Justin was home on his lunch break, and as soon as I walked through the door I cried, "She's dying!" then basically just crumbled to the floor sobbing. Justin rushed over to me and helped me sit at the bottom of our stairs, then asked what was going on. As I was explaining the situation to him, Dr. Ellis called back. She said that they had begun a blood transfusion and would keep me posted.
Justin, unfortunately, had to get back to work, but he managed to work it out with his employer so that he could come home and make up his hours tomorrow morning. So, we sat on the couch for what seemed like an eternity waiting for the phone to ring again. I was in a complete zombie state at that point, just trying to block out all thoughts until I heard back from the vet.
Finally, Dr. Ellis called around 3:30 p.m. to say that they had given Lexie about a pint of blood, but the only way they could get the bleeding to stop was to pack the wounds. Dr. Ellis said that she was getting ready to call the local hospitals to see if she could get this stuff (she never told me the name of it or what it is exactly) that will hopefully help Lexie's blood clot. They are hoping that it will prevent her from bleeding again when they unpack her wounds tomorrow.
So, that's where it all stands at this point. Dr. Ellis said that Lexie was resting comfortably, but didn't want me to come see her because she didn't want Lou to get all worked up. She also said that she'd try to call me with an update later tonight, probably around 10:00 p.m.
Again, I'm asking for LOTS of prayers, good vibes, magic spells, good energy, etc. to help my Lou pull through this. She's been with me through SO much, and I simply cannot imagine my life without her in it. At least, not yet, and not like this.
Dr. Ellis called me a little before 1:00 p.m. to tell me that there had been a complication during Lexie's enucleation procedure, and I could tell by the tone of her voice that it was serious. She said that Lou has Von Willebrand's disease, which is a blood clotting disorder found commonly in Dobermans. Apparently, this blood disorder can develop at any time and is not always detectable on blood tests. According to www.petmd.com, "Typically the platelet count will be normal (unless your dog has experienced recent, massive bleeding), and coagulation tests will show normal results."
Dr. Ellis said that they were having a hard time getting Lexie's bleeding to stop, but they had called in another local veterinarian, Dr. Ayers, to start working on her. However, Dr. Ellis did not sound hopeful and even added, "I just wanted you to be aware of what's going on because it's critical. Lexie has lost a LOT of blood, to the point that she's becoming weak...." She told me that they were prepared to give her a transfusion if necessary, and told me to keep my phone close by.
I was covering the front office when I received this devastating phone call, and it was all I could do to try to hold myself together because there were patients in our waiting room. Thank goodness my boss just happened to walk up front at that time, because as soon as I saw her I said, "I'm sorry, but I need to go." I told her what was happening, and she said it was okay for me to take off the rest of the day.
I drove straight home, still trying to hold it together, because I felt like I was going to explode, and I didn't want to do that in the tiny waiting room at Animal Care Clinic. Besides, they were still working on Lexie, so it's not like I could go back and see her anyway. Luckily, Justin was home on his lunch break, and as soon as I walked through the door I cried, "She's dying!" then basically just crumbled to the floor sobbing. Justin rushed over to me and helped me sit at the bottom of our stairs, then asked what was going on. As I was explaining the situation to him, Dr. Ellis called back. She said that they had begun a blood transfusion and would keep me posted.
Justin, unfortunately, had to get back to work, but he managed to work it out with his employer so that he could come home and make up his hours tomorrow morning. So, we sat on the couch for what seemed like an eternity waiting for the phone to ring again. I was in a complete zombie state at that point, just trying to block out all thoughts until I heard back from the vet.
Finally, Dr. Ellis called around 3:30 p.m. to say that they had given Lexie about a pint of blood, but the only way they could get the bleeding to stop was to pack the wounds. Dr. Ellis said that she was getting ready to call the local hospitals to see if she could get this stuff (she never told me the name of it or what it is exactly) that will hopefully help Lexie's blood clot. They are hoping that it will prevent her from bleeding again when they unpack her wounds tomorrow.
So, that's where it all stands at this point. Dr. Ellis said that Lexie was resting comfortably, but didn't want me to come see her because she didn't want Lou to get all worked up. She also said that she'd try to call me with an update later tonight, probably around 10:00 p.m.
Again, I'm asking for LOTS of prayers, good vibes, magic spells, good energy, etc. to help my Lou pull through this. She's been with me through SO much, and I simply cannot imagine my life without her in it. At least, not yet, and not like this.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)