It only took a couple of weeks for Hopper's hair to grow back almost completely. She was starting to act pretty normally - considering. The prednisone was making her ravenous and making her pee...often. Luckily I was able to take her to work with me and the antibiotics seemed to regulate the peeing a bit more. I still wasn't quite sleeping through the night - with a wake-up at least once a night for a bathroom run. But there was definite improvement. Finally with the frequent peeing starting to wear on me - and the inability to leave her alone for two hours - I invested in Pup Grass. Once I un-housebroke her and she was able to use it, life started getting a little easier. Too easy - fate would say. I finally was able to leave the house with the Pup Grass on my balcony and I went to a museum with my friend. When I returned home there was an empty pill bottle on the ground and a puppy with a belly ache. She has somehow opened the drawer on my coffee table and eaten 10, to my best count, doggy IB Profens. They had smelled like beef and she had been so ravenous from the Prednisone, it was apparently irresistible. Not to mention, in hind sight I realize that the drawer in my coffee table is not the best place for medicines. This earned us an overnight stay in the hospital. Another unexpected financial burden, but she was taken good care of. The worry was that since the Prednisone was already harsh on her organs, this could definitely make it worse. It wasn't a fatal dose - thank goodness - but enough to cause some serious damage if not taken care of properly. So much regret on my end. But in the end, she came through that okay. This was just not my year.
When I finally took her back for another urinalysis, I got more bad news. ANOTHER urinary tract infection. More antibiotics and more putting off the chemo. We treated this for two weeks and then another urinalysis. And again with the UTI. This time one that was resistant to many antibiotics. So she was put on a stronger one, with more risks for side effects. And side effects we got. And we decided we couldn't put off the chemo anymore. More on this later! I must go to work now. (And I'm waiting once again to hear about yet another UTI and I'm nervous and can't focus on this!) TBC!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Finally An Answer
After two days of her being in the hospital, they had pretty much figured out what was going on with Hopper. They had done an MRI and seen inflammation in the brain. In the portion that controlled her motor skills, no less. The blood tests showed elevated levels of white blood cells - pointing to the immune system. Auto-immune encephalitis.
When I went in to visit her, she had a shaved head and belly. They brought her in on a stretcher and she had an IV in her arm.
She was not happy! They discussed with me that it is an emotionally turbulent disease, and I was already feeling the effects. Not an exciting time.
They told me there's a chance the medicines would not work. I stayed pretty hopeful and visited everyday. Much to my excitement - she seemed to improve every day I went to see her. Which was everyday. Luckily I worked close to the hospital and took extended lunches for the week she was in the hospital. She finally got to a point where I could handle her with the sling and she was ready to go home! It was an exciting time. I thought it was nearly over.
Not true.
The doctors decided the best course of long-term treatment was predinsone with a low dose chemotherapy for a few months to reduce the immune system.
Since there was a high risk of relapsing with this disease, we wanted to start as soon as possible. With her improving every day, I was hopeful.
We went in to get pre-chemo blood work done and when we left I noticed she was having to use the bathroom pretty frequently. When I got her back to work, she was going every 10 minutes and work was impossible. I called the vet and they said urinary tract infection. Ugh. With the predisone, her immune system was weakened and she was susceptible to these. I took her in and got an urinalysis. She tested positive and the chemo was postponed. We didn't want to do the antibiotics while we were doing chemo since the two would end up fighting each other. The first setback. She'd be on the antibiotic for 2 weeks. Then another before we tested her urine.
Things were starting to get complicated.
When I went in to visit her, she had a shaved head and belly. They brought her in on a stretcher and she had an IV in her arm.
She was not happy! They discussed with me that it is an emotionally turbulent disease, and I was already feeling the effects. Not an exciting time.
They told me there's a chance the medicines would not work. I stayed pretty hopeful and visited everyday. Much to my excitement - she seemed to improve every day I went to see her. Which was everyday. Luckily I worked close to the hospital and took extended lunches for the week she was in the hospital. She finally got to a point where I could handle her with the sling and she was ready to go home! It was an exciting time. I thought it was nearly over.
Not true.
The doctors decided the best course of long-term treatment was predinsone with a low dose chemotherapy for a few months to reduce the immune system.
Since there was a high risk of relapsing with this disease, we wanted to start as soon as possible. With her improving every day, I was hopeful.
We went in to get pre-chemo blood work done and when we left I noticed she was having to use the bathroom pretty frequently. When I got her back to work, she was going every 10 minutes and work was impossible. I called the vet and they said urinary tract infection. Ugh. With the predisone, her immune system was weakened and she was susceptible to these. I took her in and got an urinalysis. She tested positive and the chemo was postponed. We didn't want to do the antibiotics while we were doing chemo since the two would end up fighting each other. The first setback. She'd be on the antibiotic for 2 weeks. Then another before we tested her urine.
Things were starting to get complicated.
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