My best four-legged friend is sick. Really sick. And I am having such a hard time with it. Savannah has been my "rock" during so many hard times in my life. She arrived in my life shortly after my last boxer, Dusty, drowned in my swimming pool late one night. When Dusty died, I swore I wouldn't get another dog for a long time. I just didn't think I could love another as much as I had loved her. And then Savannah showed up in my life and everything changed. When she was about a year old, Roger and I separated. Savannah was there for me. When my brother died a few years later, Savannah was there for me. When a close friend dumped me, Savannah took care of me. And when Savannah contracted a near-fatal immune deficiency disease, I was there for her and I took care of her. I gave her 8 different meds, 8 times a day for 8 months. Easy to remember. I quit my job to stay home with her. We became inseparable during that time. She took care of me, and I took care of her.
Savannah has been in the hospital now for 5 days. She has had a few bouts with pancreatitis before, but last week she vomited blood two different times, 5 days apart. The cause is obviously something besides pancreatitis,although she has that, too. Today she had an endoscopy to try to find the reason. In an endoscopy, a tiny camera is sent down the throat and esophagus into the stomach to film the interior of the stomach. The doctor found a lot "angry" red spots and took numerous samples of tissue to send to the pathology lab. He also found food that had not been digested although Savannah had not eaten for about 12 hours. The food should already have passed out of her stomach. So things aren't looking too great. And I'm pissed because the entire time she has been in the hospital, I have been asking the vet about what could be causing the bleeding. And I kept hearing "pancreatitis". Now I'm not a vet, but I have studied human physiology and I know that frank blood in vomit is not coming from anywhere past the stomach. If the bleeding is anywhere in the digestive system beyond the stomach, blood would be found in the stool, not in vomit. So when they told me last night that they thought she could come home today, I asked AGAIN if they had figured out where the bleeding was coming from. The answer was no, so after much discussion and a consultation with 2 other vets, it was decided that they would do the endoscopy. So things aren't looking good and I am wondering if she would have gotten this sick if they had done the endoscopy sooner. Who knows? We won't get the results back from the lab for a few days. It could be something as simple as ulcers. It could be something as serious as cancer. But my dog is coming home tomorrow. And we will be there for each other and I will take care of her no matter what. I couldn't do anything less for my best friend.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Savannah
A pillow and a down comforter----what more does a girl need?
My best four-legged friend is sick. Really sick. And I am having such a hard time with it. Savannah has been my "rock" during so many hard times in my life. She arrived in my life shortly after my last boxer, Dusty, drowned in my swimming pool late one night. When Dusty died, I swore I wouldn't get another dog for a long time. I just didn't think I could love another as much as I had loved her. And then Savannah showed up in my life and everything changed. When she was about a year old, Roger and I separated. Savannah was there for me. When my brother died a few years later, Savannah was there for me. When a close friend dumped me, Savannah took care of me. And when Savannah contracted a near-fatal immune deficiency disease, I was there for her and I took care of her. I gave her 8 different meds, 8 times a day for 8 months. Easy to remember. I quit my job to stay home with her. We became inseparable during that time. She took care of me, and I took care of her.
Savannah has been in the hospital now for 5 days. She has had a few bouts with pancreatitis before, but last week she vomited blood two different times, 5 days apart. The cause is obviously something besides pancreatitis,although she has that, too. Today she had an endoscopy to try to find the reason. In an endoscopy, a tiny camera is sent down the throat and esophagus into the stomach to film the interior of the stomach. The doctor found a lot "angry" red spots and took numerous samples of tissue to send to the pathology lab. He also found food that had not been digested although Savannah had not eaten for about 12 hours. The food should already have passed out of her stomach. So things aren't looking too great. And I'm pissed because the entire time she has been in the hospital, I have been asking the vet about what could be causing the bleeding. And I kept hearing "pancreatitis". Now I'm not a vet, but I have studied human physiology and I know that frank blood in vomit is not coming from anywhere past the stomach. If the bleeding is anywhere in the digestive system beyond the stomach, blood would be found in the stool, not in vomit. So when they told me last night that they thought she could come home today, I asked AGAIN if they had figured out where the bleeding was coming from. The answer was no, so after much discussion and a consultation with 2 other vets, it was decided that they would do the endoscopy. So things aren't looking good and I am wondering if she would have gotten this sick if they had done the endoscopy sooner. Who knows? We won't get the results back from the lab for a few days. It could be something as simple as ulcers. It could be something as serious as cancer. But my dog is coming home tomorrow. And we will be there for each other and I will take care of her no matter what. I couldn't do anything less for my best friend.
My best four-legged friend is sick. Really sick. And I am having such a hard time with it. Savannah has been my "rock" during so many hard times in my life. She arrived in my life shortly after my last boxer, Dusty, drowned in my swimming pool late one night. When Dusty died, I swore I wouldn't get another dog for a long time. I just didn't think I could love another as much as I had loved her. And then Savannah showed up in my life and everything changed. When she was about a year old, Roger and I separated. Savannah was there for me. When my brother died a few years later, Savannah was there for me. When a close friend dumped me, Savannah took care of me. And when Savannah contracted a near-fatal immune deficiency disease, I was there for her and I took care of her. I gave her 8 different meds, 8 times a day for 8 months. Easy to remember. I quit my job to stay home with her. We became inseparable during that time. She took care of me, and I took care of her.
Savannah has been in the hospital now for 5 days. She has had a few bouts with pancreatitis before, but last week she vomited blood two different times, 5 days apart. The cause is obviously something besides pancreatitis,although she has that, too. Today she had an endoscopy to try to find the reason. In an endoscopy, a tiny camera is sent down the throat and esophagus into the stomach to film the interior of the stomach. The doctor found a lot "angry" red spots and took numerous samples of tissue to send to the pathology lab. He also found food that had not been digested although Savannah had not eaten for about 12 hours. The food should already have passed out of her stomach. So things aren't looking too great. And I'm pissed because the entire time she has been in the hospital, I have been asking the vet about what could be causing the bleeding. And I kept hearing "pancreatitis". Now I'm not a vet, but I have studied human physiology and I know that frank blood in vomit is not coming from anywhere past the stomach. If the bleeding is anywhere in the digestive system beyond the stomach, blood would be found in the stool, not in vomit. So when they told me last night that they thought she could come home today, I asked AGAIN if they had figured out where the bleeding was coming from. The answer was no, so after much discussion and a consultation with 2 other vets, it was decided that they would do the endoscopy. So things aren't looking good and I am wondering if she would have gotten this sick if they had done the endoscopy sooner. Who knows? We won't get the results back from the lab for a few days. It could be something as simple as ulcers. It could be something as serious as cancer. But my dog is coming home tomorrow. And we will be there for each other and I will take care of her no matter what. I couldn't do anything less for my best friend.
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1 comment:
Hi cygnet! i read your stories...my heart goes out to savannah! i hope she gets better real soon. I don't know what i'll do when my kitty peaches goes. She's 13+ yrs old. She's been sick and has lots of trouble pooping. some days are better than others. but i just wanted to say...i got teary with the savannah story! paws and claws to ya =^..^=
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