Wednesday marked 5 weeks since little bean's surgery. She continues to progress quite well. I still see a little limp, but that is to be expected. We are in a marathon here, not a sprint.
Over the past month, I have learned a lot more about her little personality - and I thought I knew her quite well! Her behavior over the past month has really taught me a lot about the pack mentality, particularly in the sense that dogs look for a leader. I have established a set of rules for her, she knows what they are and for the most part, she follows them. Sure, occasionally, she gets a little too excited and has jumped on furniture once or twice (which she was allowed to do before her surgery) But for the most part, she has been a great dog - a compliant dog, as I like to say. I cannot imagine doing this with a non compliant dog.
One other thing that has come out of this is that I do see she sometimes has it in her to be a little cuddly, at least. For the most part, I had just accepted that cuddling was not part of her little personality and that she was not the cuddly puppy she once was. But when laying on the floor, she is much more likely to be touching some part of me now. One thing that interests me greatly will be to see how she does when she does not have to be crated anymore. I haven't decided if I am going to take her crates down or not. At one point in her life, she abhorred them...but now, i think she almost likes them. Lucky for me, that is a decision I don't have to make any time soon. :)
I still miss our old life...a lot. I miss our agility friends, our agility competitions (esp because Scott ran RIP today in a trial near his house)and I especially miss our volunteering. I would be lying if I said I thought I was physically capable of keeping our old schedule at this exact moment, but that doesn't mean I don't miss it. Again, I wonder if this is divine intervention stepping in, forcing me to slow down...I could do without the torn ACL's and my own health issues, but hey we will go with that.
On a final note, continued prayers for the Rhodes family. Stephanie's husband started radiation and chemotherapy this week. Please keep them in your thoughts.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Nice Gesture
Tonight, on my way to Mexican and margaritas, a call came in on my cell from a number I did not recognize. It was my dermatologist. I had called her last week to let her know that one of my blood counts was off, and she was out of town, so she was calling to get further details. We talked through what had transpired since I had seen her last, and she too was quite concerned about my elevated ANA count - I think she said "that is abnormally high".
I took the opportunity to thank her for her efforts - she very easily could have said that this was just a rash that comes and goes and stopped there, but she didn't. She recognized this was beyond what she could treat, that this was not normal for me and actively assisted me in getting the next appointments set up. Not only that, the doctors she set me up with were equally as wonderful as she was. All three have consistently been amazing - all three saw me at the drop of a hat on the same day, the allergist gave me his cell phone number and called back within 15 minutes of me calling him and the dermatologist made the effort to call me and see how I was doing. All three also have an excellent bedside manner - which goes a long way in building your trust when you are frustrated after seeing doctors for the upteenth time.
So while this has been a rough health year for me, I feel very lucky to have received outstanding medical care. The ENT I saw earlier this year was fabulous (in addition to being fabulously cute) he actually read my history and was able to piece together the sleep apnea issue - and true to his word, I am a better person because I sleep.
What I have also learned is that you are your best advocate. You know your body and you know when something isn't right. And you need to make sure the professionals who are treating you respect that and if they don't help you, find some that will. I can't imagine what it would have been like had I not found such compassionate, caring doctors the first time around.
I took the opportunity to thank her for her efforts - she very easily could have said that this was just a rash that comes and goes and stopped there, but she didn't. She recognized this was beyond what she could treat, that this was not normal for me and actively assisted me in getting the next appointments set up. Not only that, the doctors she set me up with were equally as wonderful as she was. All three have consistently been amazing - all three saw me at the drop of a hat on the same day, the allergist gave me his cell phone number and called back within 15 minutes of me calling him and the dermatologist made the effort to call me and see how I was doing. All three also have an excellent bedside manner - which goes a long way in building your trust when you are frustrated after seeing doctors for the upteenth time.
So while this has been a rough health year for me, I feel very lucky to have received outstanding medical care. The ENT I saw earlier this year was fabulous (in addition to being fabulously cute) he actually read my history and was able to piece together the sleep apnea issue - and true to his word, I am a better person because I sleep.
What I have also learned is that you are your best advocate. You know your body and you know when something isn't right. And you need to make sure the professionals who are treating you respect that and if they don't help you, find some that will. I can't imagine what it would have been like had I not found such compassionate, caring doctors the first time around.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Photos from the Weekend
Weekend with Scott was awesome. NYC Friday, football Saturday (A BUCKEYE VICTORY!!!)and the TransSiberian Orchestra on Saturday night in Philly. TSO was awesome, absolutely amazing light show and special effects on top of the great music. Ate real philly cheesesteak on Saturday night too - learned you are either a "Pat's" or "Geno's" person. These are the 2 signature cheesesteak restaurants in Philly. Scott is a Pat's fan (not sure what the difference is), so we ate Pat's. Really, all it is is steak cooked on a grill with cheese whiz on it - and people stand in line all day and all night for it, whether it is 40 or -4 outside. :)
Enjoy the photos!
Enjoy the photos!
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Health News - Mom and Chel
First, about Chel - she began rehab on Friday morning at my vet! Medvet offers rehab primarily for dogs that are struggling, but thankfully, she does not need that. Grandma took her on Friday morning, as I am in PA visiting Scott. I have not yet talked to the rehab specialist, but our initial conversations seem to take us to the same page. Good news.
Per my last post, I saw the allergist on Wednesday, and got the steriod shot - to make the rash go away. I got to thinking and decided I was going to drop into the rheums office on Thursday to see if he had availability to see it. I walked in and they got me right in - he was very happy that I stopped in so he could see it. I was supposed to see him Monday, but I knew the rash would be gone by Monday.
We discussed the results of my xrays and bloodwork. My xrays showed a minor congential deformity in my lower spine - nothing major, but could explain a lot of the discomfort in my lower back. All of my bloodwok was normal except for one count, which was 5x normal level. This count does produce false positives, but my doctor does not think mine is a false positive because of the high count. It was a count that was indicative of a high concentration of a particular antibody (ANA). Further bloodwork is necessary for more specific testing.
What this means is 2 things - number one, we are on a path to getting some answers, because number 2, this high count lends itself toward some sort of autoimmune issue. Of course, I asked what my doctor thought, but he said he did not want to speculate. I of course have googled what this elevated count means and seem to have eliminated some things based on symptoms, but who knows. Anyway, most important - we have a specific path to go down now. Until now, it seems we know more what it isn't than what it is, so it seems like we are on the path of finding out what it is this time. Yay.
So although I am not exited about what they are testing for, I have to admit I am relieved to know I am not crazy. My gut told me this was not normal and I am very glad I stuck to my guns and had some medical professionals who listened. I see my rheum again in 2 weeks, so I will keep everyone posted. Thanks for the good thoughts!
Per my last post, I saw the allergist on Wednesday, and got the steriod shot - to make the rash go away. I got to thinking and decided I was going to drop into the rheums office on Thursday to see if he had availability to see it. I walked in and they got me right in - he was very happy that I stopped in so he could see it. I was supposed to see him Monday, but I knew the rash would be gone by Monday.
We discussed the results of my xrays and bloodwork. My xrays showed a minor congential deformity in my lower spine - nothing major, but could explain a lot of the discomfort in my lower back. All of my bloodwok was normal except for one count, which was 5x normal level. This count does produce false positives, but my doctor does not think mine is a false positive because of the high count. It was a count that was indicative of a high concentration of a particular antibody (ANA). Further bloodwork is necessary for more specific testing.
What this means is 2 things - number one, we are on a path to getting some answers, because number 2, this high count lends itself toward some sort of autoimmune issue. Of course, I asked what my doctor thought, but he said he did not want to speculate. I of course have googled what this elevated count means and seem to have eliminated some things based on symptoms, but who knows. Anyway, most important - we have a specific path to go down now. Until now, it seems we know more what it isn't than what it is, so it seems like we are on the path of finding out what it is this time. Yay.
So although I am not exited about what they are testing for, I have to admit I am relieved to know I am not crazy. My gut told me this was not normal and I am very glad I stuck to my guns and had some medical professionals who listened. I see my rheum again in 2 weeks, so I will keep everyone posted. Thanks for the good thoughts!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Health Update
Two weeks ago, in my attempt to figure out why I have random rash, I saw an allergist. Of course, random rash made itself scarce on the day of my visit and we agreed I would come back when it showed itself again. I honestly believe the allergist did not think it would come back...but I knew better.
It re-appeared on my leg earlier this week, and I decided today it was irritated enough to call. Dr. McNeil gave me his cell phone number, told me to call him when it came back and that I would be seen by someone immediately. True to his word, I called him today, he called me back in 15 min and said come in at 6:30 tonight - he works late tonight (how much sense does that make???It was awesome) Even better, I didn't have to leave work early to do this.
We both agreed the rash was not normal - 3 for 3 with the medical establishment on concluding this is not normal! He asked if I had just been running because I had shorts on - I told him no, that I HATED to run. He too is baffled by random rash. I told him I was going to see Scott this weekend, and he exact words were "well, we will do something to make that go away tonight so you are not miserable this weekend" That something was a steroid shot - called Celestone (nasty little shot - I still feel it!). We will see what that does. I will also go in for patch testing - which is where they put three strips of tape on my back for 2 days and see if I have any contact allergies. He did say he did not think it was contact dermatitis from something I was coming in contact with because of the bizarre locations of the rash, so it sounds like he will do his part to make sure that I am not allergic to anything...thus, it all the pressure at this point is on Dr. Antonchak, the rheumatologist. :) Poor guy. At least he doesn't think I am crazy and suspects there is some underlying cause of this.
So it has been a process, but I think we are getting there. At this point, we are confirming what it is NOT, but I would like to confirm what it IS. I feel very greatful that I have received what I believe to be very competent medical care - the approach to treating this was reasonable and rational. It seemed it was slow at times, but we are at the mercy of whatever is causing this rash - and hopefully on the path to the answers.
Lastly, extra, extra prayers are needed, this time for the Rhodes family. I reconnected with my high school friend Stephanie on FB earlier this year. Friday, her husband was diagnosed with cancer, and yesterday, they learned it was very aggressive and had gone to his liver, bones and soft tissues. They have three children who are young, yet old enough to understand cancer. It does not sound good. Difficult decisions lay ahead, so please keep them in your thoughts and say a prayer of thanks for your health and the health of those around you.
And, given that it is Michigan week around here...GO BUCKS!!!
It re-appeared on my leg earlier this week, and I decided today it was irritated enough to call. Dr. McNeil gave me his cell phone number, told me to call him when it came back and that I would be seen by someone immediately. True to his word, I called him today, he called me back in 15 min and said come in at 6:30 tonight - he works late tonight (how much sense does that make???It was awesome) Even better, I didn't have to leave work early to do this.
We both agreed the rash was not normal - 3 for 3 with the medical establishment on concluding this is not normal! He asked if I had just been running because I had shorts on - I told him no, that I HATED to run. He too is baffled by random rash. I told him I was going to see Scott this weekend, and he exact words were "well, we will do something to make that go away tonight so you are not miserable this weekend" That something was a steroid shot - called Celestone (nasty little shot - I still feel it!). We will see what that does. I will also go in for patch testing - which is where they put three strips of tape on my back for 2 days and see if I have any contact allergies. He did say he did not think it was contact dermatitis from something I was coming in contact with because of the bizarre locations of the rash, so it sounds like he will do his part to make sure that I am not allergic to anything...thus, it all the pressure at this point is on Dr. Antonchak, the rheumatologist. :) Poor guy. At least he doesn't think I am crazy and suspects there is some underlying cause of this.
So it has been a process, but I think we are getting there. At this point, we are confirming what it is NOT, but I would like to confirm what it IS. I feel very greatful that I have received what I believe to be very competent medical care - the approach to treating this was reasonable and rational. It seemed it was slow at times, but we are at the mercy of whatever is causing this rash - and hopefully on the path to the answers.
Lastly, extra, extra prayers are needed, this time for the Rhodes family. I reconnected with my high school friend Stephanie on FB earlier this year. Friday, her husband was diagnosed with cancer, and yesterday, they learned it was very aggressive and had gone to his liver, bones and soft tissues. They have three children who are young, yet old enough to understand cancer. It does not sound good. Difficult decisions lay ahead, so please keep them in your thoughts and say a prayer of thanks for your health and the health of those around you.
And, given that it is Michigan week around here...GO BUCKS!!!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
FREE AT LAST!
Today marks the biggest milestone yet. The staples are out, cone of shame gone.
I am still going to have to watch the bottom of her incision. They took the scabbing off so that it wouldn't itch, I am sure, but it is a little red and I still fear she might go after. So mom and grandma will be watching that closely. When I took her in this morning, the rehab girl came out and after we talked, she said to Chelsie "Let's go find someone to help me take out those darn staples!" Music to my ears.
On the whole, her rehab appt went very well. She is progressing nicely, and does not need any additional therapy. They did recommend the underwater treadmill to help her build her stamina back, but we can do that at my vet, and we likely will. She sees Dr. Kennedy on 12/8, at which time she will have xrays and he will evaluate her progress. Until then, we need to keep her on the same protocol we are on now - crate rest and taking it easy when she is not in the crate. For the most part, she "gets it" - in that she knows that if she is out of her crate she needs to be laying at someone's feet. The other thing today brought was an increase in her walking time, which is just huge. She is a pooch that firmly believes in her walks. She will be thrilled to go three times a day. We will have to watch closely to make sure we do not overdo it. :)
Tonight, after being picked up at Medvet, she went to a Varsity O meeting with me. I usually don't take her, but tonight I did. She was a good girl and rested under the table like a nice puppy should. We found her 20 minute walk loop, took a spin and now she is resting. She will be so excited tomorrow when she is not forced into the cone of shame...
I am still going to have to watch the bottom of her incision. They took the scabbing off so that it wouldn't itch, I am sure, but it is a little red and I still fear she might go after. So mom and grandma will be watching that closely. When I took her in this morning, the rehab girl came out and after we talked, she said to Chelsie "Let's go find someone to help me take out those darn staples!" Music to my ears.
On the whole, her rehab appt went very well. She is progressing nicely, and does not need any additional therapy. They did recommend the underwater treadmill to help her build her stamina back, but we can do that at my vet, and we likely will. She sees Dr. Kennedy on 12/8, at which time she will have xrays and he will evaluate her progress. Until then, we need to keep her on the same protocol we are on now - crate rest and taking it easy when she is not in the crate. For the most part, she "gets it" - in that she knows that if she is out of her crate she needs to be laying at someone's feet. The other thing today brought was an increase in her walking time, which is just huge. She is a pooch that firmly believes in her walks. She will be thrilled to go three times a day. We will have to watch closely to make sure we do not overdo it. :)
Tonight, after being picked up at Medvet, she went to a Varsity O meeting with me. I usually don't take her, but tonight I did. She was a good girl and rested under the table like a nice puppy should. We found her 20 minute walk loop, took a spin and now she is resting. She will be so excited tomorrow when she is not forced into the cone of shame...
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