anniemac
Well-known member
Sorry for the long post.
Thank you all so much for all of your kind thoughts about Ella. I know you can not tell me what to do but I really need your opinions. I was first faced with the decision about Ella's eye. I will not go into much detail, but I went from a specialist to her vet. The specialist would not do the surgery without the marble which was costly. The specialist worked with her neurologist and at first we talked about Ella's prognosis with SM. Long story short, I talked to her vet because it would be less but he would not do it at first because of the risk (so he thought) and her SM. He talked to her neurologist and he told my vet that it would not cause any harm.
I debated and it was tough because she is already in pain and I felt bad for putting her through more when I know her days are valuable. Her vet said she is already in pain and it might make her feel better so I felt good dropping her off. We then talked and he said that if it is not bothering her, then he would recommend me focusing on her SM.
Ella is so strange and this condition is so hard and tricky. I talk about Ella and her severity but unless you are around her for a period of time you would not notice. I said just 2 days ago that it is so weird that she doesn't scratch, yet she will sometimes not walk and will get tired easily. She has difficulty walking up stairs. I just know, I can tell in her eyes and also her MRI in September was proof that it has gotten worse.
I was gone for a week and my friend who is real familiar with her kept her. A person we work with lives downstairs from him. I got many phone calls because that guy who has seen Ella several times but for brief periods was scared and thought something was wrong. I asked if there was a change in weather (which there was) later. My friend said that he was one of the people thinking I was making this up and that he told him that Ella is sick. You can not see it sometimes, but we know. It seems like recently she is not walking sometimes and is worse.
Then she will go chase a squirel. She will hide in a crate or was laying on the floor. She had been better since being on prednisone, but I know that can not be good long term. Her neurologist said I could try Lyrica. I went to pick it up and it was very expensive. With the surgery and everything, I was going to wait.
So here are my questions.
1) Can I try Lyrica for a brief period and go back to Gabapentin? I want to see if it makes a difference and I am going to be faced with the other choices.
2) Ella's MRI was not good with the progression and how she had surgery and was on medication, yet it got worse. Her neurologist said if it was his dog, he would try another surgery. The only other choice would be making her as comfortable as possible and facing the inevitable. (which that may be longer hopefully)
3) I have heard that the alphasonic really helped some people. It is very costly and would equal the same as the surgery but far less risky.
4) I have only gotten a few details but Dr. Dewey told my neurologist that surgery would be extremely intense and she will be unable to walk for a month or two and the risk is so much higher. I don't know if I want to put Ella through that.
As you can see I am all over the place and as Margaret Carter said it sounds like I have been on a rollercoaster.
Nikki, you said that Rupert had a trauma with a dog and made it worse. Would removing her eye help or is it something that is already done and might be why her SM seems worse. I have heard that in humans some people will develop SM from a trauma or injury.
I just want to make sure I am doing what's best for her. I am trying to plan for her future and don't know if ultrasound therapy to help the scar tissue would be better than putting her on Lyrica. I would do both but limited resourses.
Thank you so much.
Thank you all so much for all of your kind thoughts about Ella. I know you can not tell me what to do but I really need your opinions. I was first faced with the decision about Ella's eye. I will not go into much detail, but I went from a specialist to her vet. The specialist would not do the surgery without the marble which was costly. The specialist worked with her neurologist and at first we talked about Ella's prognosis with SM. Long story short, I talked to her vet because it would be less but he would not do it at first because of the risk (so he thought) and her SM. He talked to her neurologist and he told my vet that it would not cause any harm.
I debated and it was tough because she is already in pain and I felt bad for putting her through more when I know her days are valuable. Her vet said she is already in pain and it might make her feel better so I felt good dropping her off. We then talked and he said that if it is not bothering her, then he would recommend me focusing on her SM.
Ella is so strange and this condition is so hard and tricky. I talk about Ella and her severity but unless you are around her for a period of time you would not notice. I said just 2 days ago that it is so weird that she doesn't scratch, yet she will sometimes not walk and will get tired easily. She has difficulty walking up stairs. I just know, I can tell in her eyes and also her MRI in September was proof that it has gotten worse.
I was gone for a week and my friend who is real familiar with her kept her. A person we work with lives downstairs from him. I got many phone calls because that guy who has seen Ella several times but for brief periods was scared and thought something was wrong. I asked if there was a change in weather (which there was) later. My friend said that he was one of the people thinking I was making this up and that he told him that Ella is sick. You can not see it sometimes, but we know. It seems like recently she is not walking sometimes and is worse.
Then she will go chase a squirel. She will hide in a crate or was laying on the floor. She had been better since being on prednisone, but I know that can not be good long term. Her neurologist said I could try Lyrica. I went to pick it up and it was very expensive. With the surgery and everything, I was going to wait.
So here are my questions.
1) Can I try Lyrica for a brief period and go back to Gabapentin? I want to see if it makes a difference and I am going to be faced with the other choices.
2) Ella's MRI was not good with the progression and how she had surgery and was on medication, yet it got worse. Her neurologist said if it was his dog, he would try another surgery. The only other choice would be making her as comfortable as possible and facing the inevitable. (which that may be longer hopefully)
3) I have heard that the alphasonic really helped some people. It is very costly and would equal the same as the surgery but far less risky.
4) I have only gotten a few details but Dr. Dewey told my neurologist that surgery would be extremely intense and she will be unable to walk for a month or two and the risk is so much higher. I don't know if I want to put Ella through that.
As you can see I am all over the place and as Margaret Carter said it sounds like I have been on a rollercoaster.
Nikki, you said that Rupert had a trauma with a dog and made it worse. Would removing her eye help or is it something that is already done and might be why her SM seems worse. I have heard that in humans some people will develop SM from a trauma or injury.
I just want to make sure I am doing what's best for her. I am trying to plan for her future and don't know if ultrasound therapy to help the scar tissue would be better than putting her on Lyrica. I would do both but limited resourses.
Thank you so much.