Columbus OH

The beat goes on.

The crisis of the month = Smokey + Saphire. On top of our personal medical issues, this one has kept us very busy - and tired - and completely preoccupied with the pets.

As readers might recall from our last entry, about 25 April Smokey had fancy neurosurgery (laminectomy + at L4-5). He fared well through the procedure, and the neurosurgeon sent him home that Friday. Unfortunately, the surgeon neglected to pay any attention to aftercare. No one told us, but after surgery Smokey was unable to support weight on his rear legs. Neither did the facility supply us with either mechanical aids or instructions for coping - especially for toileting him. So the next day we took him right back and put him in what was essentially doggie nursing home.

The PT staff in the nursing home section was a lot more helpful. They kept him for a few weeks and gave him daily PT. Finally they told us he was ready and discharged him to us.

Indeed he had improved significantly, but still was unable to bear weight on the back legs. And because of their own back injuries, Bobbi, Lew, and Paul still were unable to lift him - even when the vet next door sent technicians over every day to assist. Bobbi even hired a professional dog walker, but his schedule was limited. Worse, Smokey seemed to become incontinent. So it was back to nursing care and PT.

This time it was the PT staff that wised up. They found a 2-wheel cart that seems to fit him pretty well, and the whole picture has changed. Smokey loves the cart, looks forward to getting into it, and has taken to going all over (indoors and out) with his new toy. His incontinence cleared up when a UTI was treated. 2 days ago Bobbi and Lew took Saphire up the the clinic for her surgery (excision of tumors in her liver and on her foot). They staff gave her a cage adjacent to Smokey, and they went ape to see one another (and to see Bobbi and Lew as well). Hopefully this time it will be possible to get enough starving vet students so that it will be possible to keep Smokey at home.

While Smokey has had the more spectacular story, Saphire also has had her drama. Medically she is ancient: fifteen years old. So when an xray showed a large circular tumor in her liver, we all assumed this was the end. However, when the vet evaluated her, the aspirate drew out only benign cells. So everyone arranged to excise the mass (to prevent intra-abdominal hemmorhage) on Friday, along with another large but apparantly benign tumor between the central toes on her right rear paw. Latest word is that both came off successfully.

So both dogs should be coming home soon.

Human medicine? No real change. Bobbi continues with her work in prison and her church. Lew supports and does a lot of reading and dreams of travel. So the next month? No plans. We hope Scott's family will visit. Until later......