Day 1685

Dot has turned the corner. We discontinued her Tramadol last night, because it made her so loopy, we couldn't tell if she was getting better or worse. She slept well without the powerful drug, and when she woke up this morning, she was almost back to her old self. Hoping for the best, we fed the dogs their breakfast and took them down the hill to the park for a short walk. All systems were go this time. After eleven long days, Dot finally pooped. I don't think I've been so happy to see a dog poop in a long time.

We've still got a long way to go, but the surgery now appears to be a success. Every day, Dot gets a little stronger. We're starting to mix some dry kibble in with her critical care diet and she's eating it. Today, she walked about 200 yards, instead of yesterday's 50 feet. She doesn't need my assistance when getting up from her dog bed anymore. She's rather do it herself. These are baby steps, but they are important ones.

It's still not wise to leave Dot alone, but Janet and I were able to take turns running errands and got a lot done anyway. We were each even able to go to the gym. I haven't been to the gym for several weeks during this extended dog crisis and my body let me know I was getting rusty. I'll be sore tomorrow, but still not as sore as Dot. She's still got to be uncomfortable from the surgery, but from all appearances, she seems to actually feel better now than the days just before her hospitalization. This tumor must have been bothering her for a long time.

I'm still worried about the pathology report on the tumor that was removed last Tuesday. There's nothing I can do about the results. We'll just learn what Dot's body already knew some time ago. Whatever happens, we'll deal with it. We haven't come this far to give up. As Dot's life slowly returns to normal, I need to make an effort to get my own life back to normal as well. I'm behind on several projects, but I'll get caught up. I'm glad my priorities put the dogs first, but you can only ignore work for so long. There are always bills to pay.

I stocked up on food at Central Market this afternoon, so I won't have to leave the house while Janet is away at work. I can still walk Dash very early in the morning while she's getting dressed. Dash seems to prefer these early walks anyway. Long quiet days with a convalescing dog are actually pretty conducive to website work. Hopefully Dot will continue to improve day-by-day as I sit nearby, writing the code that will eventually pay her vet bills.

Deuce is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1683

I was Dot's nurse today. I really appreciate what the nursing staff did for Dot in the ICU last week. It is not easy keeping a sick and very tired dog on the path to recovery. I'm a worrier too, so anything abnormal about Dot's behavior freaks me out. Dot has a laundry list of meds that she needs at various times during the day. The doctors want to get her up and walking about every two or three hours. She doesn't need much activity, but staying in one place all day isn't going to help her recovery. It's dificult to get Dot up again once she's lying down on her blanket, but once she's up she seems to move about fine. There's a fine line between keeping her mobile and pushing her too hard and sometimes it's difficult to know exactly where the line is.

I walked Dash so early this morning that there was still dew on the leaves, even though it was a hot July day. When we returned, Janet left for work and I took over nursing duties for the rest of the day. I thought Dot seemed hot, but when I took her temperature, everything was completely normal. I though her heart was racing after a very short walk down the back alley, but when I compared her heart rate to Dash's, who had been sleeping, they were both exactly the same. I worry that Dot hasn't pooped yet. Up to a point, this is completely normal for a dog recovering from abdominal surgery. After that point, it can be serious though. The trouble is that I have no idea where that point is. Every dog is different.

I'm glad the weekend is here. I could really use a good night's sleep. My primary care doctor wants me back on statins again, now that my Hepatitis-C treatment is finished. I started taking Simvastatin and timed release Niacin last night and the combo seemed to have the same irritating sides effects as it did before. Niacin flushing is common and it makes me feel like I'm burning up. When I woke up to check on Dot last night, my skin felt like it was on fire. The flushing only lasts a few hours, but when I'm awake, this is two hours too many. My liver specialist wants to re-test me in 12 weeks to make sure the Simvastatin and Niacin combo aren't screwing up their good work. Both drugs can have an adverse effect on the liver. Once again I am caught between dueling doctors. Is it my heart or my liver that is going to win? I haven't got a clue. I'd much rather be having a cheeseburger and a beer.

We go up to the cancer center tomorrow morning to get Dot's surgical bandage removed. The stitches will stay in, but the doctors want to remove the big bandage covering her belly as soon as possible to help the wound heal. It is easier to check if the incision site is leaking of becoming infected if you can actually see it. I have a long list of questions for the nurses, because I hate surprises. Doctors and nurses probably hate me because I'm always asking questions and slowing them down. I know the nurses are busy, but I'm a person who needs to know. I'll be polite, but I'll still ask all my questions. I'm curious about these things. Maybe I should have gone to med school.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1682

Dot is finally home again. After spending an entire week in intensive care being poked with needles, hooked up to IV tubes, and being cut open by a surgeon, I think she is very glad to be back on familiar turf. The cancer center officially released Dot late this afternoon, sending her home with a big sack of meds, and special instructions on how to care for her for the next few days. She still isn't eating well, but her doctors thought that being back in familiar surroundings would encourage her to resume eating normally. So far, the plan seems to be working. Within two hours after returning home Dot ate a small can of Hills A/D Critical Care. I'm glad she seems to tolerate this special prescription diet, because as much as dogs would prefer cheeseburgers, bacon and fried chicken to help them get well, people food just isn't a good long term solution.

Dot has been through a lot this week and is very tired. After eating her small special dinner and surveying the house and yard to make sure everything was still there, she settled in on top of a soft pile of her favorite blankets in the living room and went to sleep. We'll go back to the cancer center on Saturday to get her surgical bandages removed and then two weeks later to get her stitches out. I'm hoping that is all we'll need to go back for. Assuming that everything goes well with her convalescence, the next major milestone will be getting the pathology report on the tumor that was removed. If the growth is not malignant, all Dot needs to do is continue her recovery and get healthy again. If the growth turns out to be cancerous, we'll have to come up with a plan of action. That can be dealt with later. Right now, the important thing is recovering from some very major surgery. We'll take things one day at a time.

While Dot was being evaluated by her doctors this afternoon, I paid a visit to my own doctors. They wanted to do another series of tests to determine if my Hepatitis C treatment was still working as expected. I keep waiting for a final thumbs up from these guys, but it appears I may never get one. When I asked whether the disease ever returns after this type of treatment, my doctor essentially said that nobody knows yet. I was among the first large scale group of people in the world to receive the new Sovaldi drug and there are no historical records to compare. I am one of the test cases that will ultimately determine whether Sovaldi works as well long-term as it does during the initial treatment phase. So far, the drug appears to be a home run. "You were real lucky to be included in this first batch of patients," my doctor told me. "Insurance companies are starting to deny coverage already because of the high price, and there is talk of reserving the drug for the most serious cases." Rationing a drug that actually works exactly as promised seems like a stupid idea to me, but I wouldn't be surprised if this is what the government decides to do. Why would you want to ration a pill that costs a small fraction of the price of a liver transplant and has none of the rejection issues or transplant side effects? At any rate, I'm glad I got approved for treatment before Sovaldi got on the evening news as the world's most expensive pill. Insurance companies hate it now.

I won't be going out to my breakfast restaurant tomorrow. We have a new schedule now. I'll walk Dash very early in the morning, while Janet is still home and getting ready for work. We want to make sure that one of us is there to watch over her at all times. We'll see how tomorrow goes. So far, Dot seems to be improving a little bit every day. Today was a very good day.

Molly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day