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Update of Abbey's surgery

I don't have much time but I know I would be sitting on pins and needles and have been on other dogs so wanted to just write a short note. Just left her for a second to go to the bathroom and feed the other 3 dogs.

She's home--she did have 2 seizures since getting home. ONe about a hour after getting her home and another 2 hrs. after getting all her meds at 12:15 a.m. Both my husband and I do NOT think they are stress related. He read on the net last night about tramodol and he seems to think it could be that. He is calling them this a.m.

She is MUCH better than I thought she would be so thats good. We did put the mattress on the floor (without the box spring etc) in our spare bedroom and both my husband and I slept on the floor with her in the crate next to us. The doctor did say she could sleep on the mattress or on a bed next to us but we felt she was better in the crate and she was VERY content with that as she is in the cage type crate and can see us.

Right now I have her in a children's play pen (the old fashioned kind that you can't buy anymore). I bought it a few years ago from craigslist for my grandson and its working beautiful. Gives her more room and she can see out of it etc.

I haven't even taken pictures yet and will today. Also, must say in that respect it was better than I thought too. I had seen pictures of other dogs and she just didn't seem that bad. Somebody told me tri's looked better in that respect so maybe thats why.

I have no regrets and really don't think I ever will as like I have said numerous times--both hubby and I felt we had no choice here. She probably has had symptoms all her life and she's 5 years old.

To those of you that are e-mailing me and we have spoken by phone etc. I apologize at this point I don't have time to individually e-mail you etc. but can this weekend when George-husband is around and we can take turns watching her.

Thanks for all your support and love. We all feel it!!!
 
Linda, thats sounds as if she is gonna be fine, and you sound so much better having her home, least you can see her all the time, I hope she makes a speedy recovery so you can relax a little. Poor yourself a big glass of wine and chill out with the little one. I bet she is happy to be home and that will make a big difference. Just concentrate on her for the time being, we will all be here when you do have some time, god bless abbey. di
 
thinking of Abbey and your family & hoping for a continued smooth recovery. :flwr:
 
I have no idea about the seizures, I hope it is the medications. i am so glad she seems in good spirits otherwise and looks well. Keep us informed! I'm thinking of you and Abbey!

Jen and Ilsa
 
Linda, thanks for taking the time to update us. I have been checking in to see how she is. You must be relieved to have her home. My hope is that the seizures are meds. related and will subside. Fingers crossed that her recovery is as complete as possible.
 
That's a relief, I have been watching this thread. I am glad you sound like you have everything under control, watching her all the time and the play pen etc. You're a great mum. Don't you worry about emailing people, you do what you have to do for you and Abbey. :hug: :flwr:
 
Thanks for the update...hope Abbey has a good recovery.

Take care of yourself too:)
 
Abbey is doing well and both George and I also. I am probably the best I have been since this whole nightmare started --being coming on this board and reading about sm and then knowing in my heart she had it and waiting for mri and then surgery etc. She hasn't had a seizure since thursday night--well really friday am barely as it was at about 12:15 a.m. if I remember right. Now we agree with the Dr. that it was probably stress related. She has never ever been kenneled or away with a stranger and that along with everything else was pretty traumatic for her. Remember these guys are like little 2 year olds. She sleeps most of the time as she's on alot of drugs. She had yeast and cocci in ears and so is on micronazole for that, sulfa trim for uti, tramadol, gabapentin and omeprazole. I haven't hardly left her since her coming home. Maybe a total of a hour. I haven't even been dressed since thursday night. I will have some time this weekend as hubby will be home and can take turns etc. I need to get in the office before monday. Anyways, for those of you that are reading this because your dog is going through this that so far its ALOT easier than I thought. Sure she has the long stitches in her head etc. but she's not in pain at all. She drinks--not eating much but today going to make some chix and try mixing it with wet food to get her to eat and if that doesn't work then chix and rice. She is getting a little food with all the pills we give her. She is very comfortable sitting in my lap and very content and never once has she looked at me with the look of omg what did you do to me. I truly believe she knows we are doing everything in our power to help her and I do KNOW that she knows how much she is loved. Heck we've turned our house upside down for this and I'm sleeping on the floor so she can see me etc. Is she worth it. You bet your booties she is.
 
Linda, thank goodness for your post, its such a joy to read, and we really have all been rooting for Abbey. I think your over the worst and you really can get back to normal in a few days (whatever that is). Can you recommend surgery to other sufferers? Its made my weekend. di
 
Harley: This is an individual choice and I don't want to make recommendations etc. For us the reason we chose to do this was that Abbey was 5 years old and had symptoms for many years--probably back to a puppy actually and was misdiagnosed for the whole time as having allergies. If you look in my picture look at her tilted head which I might add I didn't even notice and now that I know I think omg how could I miss it but we see our dogs everyday and it doesn't come overnight either and guess you get used to it. We have made the right decision as its progressive. Remember there are no guarantees but again for Abbey this was her only chance. Its also expensive. Alot of people probably would do this but can't because of the monetary aspect. When learning about sm all I ever wanted was facts, facts, facts and read and read and watched videos etc. Would we do it again? In a heartbeat. Now ask me that question in a year down the road when I know if this helped or not. It HAS helped no matter what as the fluid is moving. As far as if her symptoms in regards to licking, air scratching, rubbing, etc. improve time will tell. We were told the most change is in the first 6 weeks and then then peaking at 6 months but have been told by others they have seen changes up to 1 year. Abbey was on steroids for her so called allergies and her symptoms were being masked by the drugs. When I came on cavaliertalk back in November and then in December started to read about sm I took her off the steroids and man oh man were her symptoms blown up then. The day we took Abbey in for her surgery and they did the pre-evaluation before surgery Dr. Shores said "she's in alot of pain". When she was a puppy and we'd sometimes pick her up she would yelp and we'd think what a woos. We'd always been told cavaliers were babies so thats what we thought. She hasn't done that picking up yelping for a few years. Now that I know that she has had sm I said to the doctor now I believe she has a high pain threshold and he said I agree. I'm writing all of this in the hopes that our storry will help others. I wanted to talk to people and found some to talk to by phone, e-mails etc. and it helped us sooooooooooooo much and hopefully like I said we can help somebody else going through this.

Today George was in Petsmart and saw a cavalier air scratching etc. I just asked him to write a post and he's going to--his username on here is captgeorge.

Stay posted.

Like I just told George I'm writing stuff like I'm journaling and actually I am journaling on pad and pen and will eventually do this online blog or whatever so it can help others.

Thats it for now.
 
Linda, first of all I am so happy that Abbey is doing well and that you are relieved with the results. Secondly, I can/'t tell you how much your diary of sorts means to me and possibly others. So many of us may be facing the same decisions and it helps SOOOOO much to hear from someone who has been through every emotion, feeling and experience that we may face. Thank you, thank you for being so honest and keeping us so updated. Please continue to do so. I continually look for a new post from you as to how things are going, how you are dealing with it, and your feelings about the whole process. Again THANK YOU. Judy and Dixie
 
i am tearing up, big waggy tails from Peaches and sigh's of relief from me, i am SO glad she is ok.
 
Thanks to all of you. I have started a blog and will post the site when there is more on it. Right now I have just put pictures. Will put from the beginning of this nightmare from the medical aspect to all of our feelings etc. I have seen a couple posts here saying that they look for posts from me and I know this would have helped me ENORMOUSLY. Like I've said many many times its the people that I have talked to on cavaliertalk, e-mails and even phone that got us through this and still are. I called somebody on cavaliertalk today and you know who you are. :)

Latest update--Abbey hasn't really eaten anything today--didn't even want to eat the roast beef that we had the pills concealed in with cream cheese etc. The last pills almost had to force them down her. Now worried what we are going to do tonight. Sure hate to force them but with her spitting this stuff out especially the liquid gabapentin you don't know how much she got etc. She's not really drinking either. Did first thing this a.m. and nothing since. Hubby put down her 2 syringefuls this afternoon. Talked to hospital and they said not to be concerned at this point as she is going to the bathroom.

Doctor will call in the morning. Guess he will call daily--he did this a.m. and was surprised he called on a saturday and hospital said he would automatically call in the a.m.
 
I have started a blog and wrote a bit on it tonight and will be working on it to keep it current. I'm not sure if I should keep posting on this post on cavaliertalk. You all might want to comment on that one and if enough respond that you want me to then I will continue. If you want the address and site of where the blog is just private message me and I will give you the link. I truly hope that another dog and their family benefit from this blog. I have a video of Abbey but its not digital but maybe a camera shop can tell me how to get it into video so I could post that also. I think that would really be beneficial to others. This blog is also helping me heal in this nightmare too. Like I've always said I love Abbey so much and sometimes wonder if its possible to love a dog too much--thats what she means to me.

Ok thats enough until I hear if I should continue in here in addition to my blog or ???? Just thinking about other people and months or even years down the road when they are searching frantically for information and facts--I know I've been there.
 
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