Another day and another diagnosis (for both of us) …

Posted on | November 12, 2008 |

This morning Bunny underwent several tests with the expectation of finding either the slipped disc or a tumor and neither of those showed up.  The neurologist said her scans were normal and now we’re leaning towards either the FCE or a case of degenerative miloma.  I was told that if it’s the degenerative miloma then she will have good and bad days but probably not see any improvement in her condition.  If it is the FCE, and that’s what he is leaning more towards, then we have a good chance of recovery and with time she will be ok.  The spinal cord apparently can re-vascularize itself around the blood clot and with time and help she will regain the motor skills in her hind legs.  This was good and potentially bad diagnosis, but at least we’re narrowing down the possibilities.  

I was also told that her thyroid level was low and that she may have a case of hypothyroidism.  This would explain a number of things with her including her low level of activity and her being overweight despite not being fed too much.  Yesterday when I heard that she was overweight I thought to myself “that’s weird” because I have lowered her food intake several times over the last two years to compensate for her weight and I thought that was under control.  So this makes sense.  

Tomorrow I expect to hear about the tests on her spinal cord fluid and hopefully that will get us closer to an answer and start us down a course for recovery.  She is spending another night at the surgery center and hopefully if all goes well with the tests then I can bring her home tomorrow sometime.  I really hope that is the case, as I believe she will recover, from whatever she might be able to, much better in a familiar surrounding.  Being a rescue dog I want to make sure that she doesn’t feel abandoned again and stop pushing and trying.  But we’ll know more tomorrow and cross that bridge when we get there.  Right now I will just keep praying for a good outcome and ask that you do the same.  

Not being a deeply religious man myself, I found what happened to me this morning to be quite a twist of fate.  I had been praying to the great being in the sky to let me endure some of her pain in exchange for her possible recovery.  Well it happened, sort of.  I woke up at 2am this morning in my hotel  room in excruciating pain and soon realized that I had a kidney stone. So after rationalizing this to myself (and trying to tell myself this couldn’t possibly be happening) I packed my stuff up in the room, drug myself down to the front desk, checked out, and got in a cab for the emergency room.  

I spent several hours in the Oconor Hospital ER undergoing my own CAT scan and low and behold I was right, I have a 4.5mm x 3.1mm stone in my left kidney.  How’s that for a answer from the person upstairs!?  Karma and fate … they are not things to be messed with …  lol

So after being shot up with several strong doses of pain killers and rebooking my flight, I left San Jose early this morning with the intent to get home quickly so I can pass this stone at home and not in a California hospital or hotel room.  I got home about 2pm today and after making my round of calls to all those awaiting news on Bunny, I had Bryan drive me to the pharmacy to get more pain killers and medication that the hospital prescribed for me.  Funny thing though, since they are out of state prescriptions I can have all of them except the pain killers.  Nice … there’s that karma and fate thing again …  lol

It’s nice to be able to laugh about this, but at the same time I am still in quite a bit of pain myself.  This is my third round of kidney stones and I know what I have to do and what is coming in (hopefully) the next few hours or so.  The hospital was nice enough to give me two perkysets so at least I had those.  But even if you’re not a deeply religious person this experience should make you raise and eyebrow and say “hmmm, that’s pretty wild”.

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