The point of diminishing returns

On Friday, December 16, Lady's leg was amputated. She had been going downhill fast and necrosis had set in. Some would say that we could've kept going, but the new wounds would have taken months to heal - with no guarantee that they - or the bone - would ever get back to 100%.

It was a very difficult decision, but seeing Lady walking around today vs. her struggles last week, she's eating, tail wagging and smiling again - I know that it was time to make that call. She'd been through enough in the past 8 months and it's time for her to get back to life being an active dog.

So, stay tuned for more on Lady's adventures as a tripod!

The roller coaster of healing

Lady came home from Norwalk with a bigger bandage, not a smaller one as I had hoped. Also, because the front splint had irritated her leg, the vet put on a side splint with a bandage that covers Lady's knee. As if she wasn't already mobility-challeneged, now she's got to contend with this. Plus, it had been only 2 weeks, so they didn't do x-rays so I have no idea if she is healing anymore.

If anyone is keeping up with this, you know that anytime Lady gets in a car it becomes the car ride from hell. So, to and from Norwalk - hmm, let's see, Lady in a crate, scampering, barking, and me afraid that she is going to injure herself in the crate. Splitting headache.

When I got home and unloaded Lady from the car, she came inside and sat down. She sat on the hip of her good leg, with the bandaged leg straight in the air. Odd, I thought, but maybe she is just uncomfortable. What bothered me most was that she was no longer using her leg. All of the progress we had made the week before was shot.

I called Norwalk and asked to speak to the vet who bandaged Lady but, of course, he wasn't available so Stella got on the phone. I explained what was happening with Lady and Stella said that they had seen this with other dogs, Lady was just not comfortable in her bandage. I should give her a few days to get used to it.

Me being neurotic me, I need definites. I have a problem being passive about things, especially when it's been 4 months and I am paranoid about little things causing big problems - like amputation-causing problems. So, I call Brookfield vet and make an appointment to take Lady in for a bandage check. Of course Norwalk tells me that Brookfield should not take off the bandage, so what really can the vet there do? He checks the bandage, makes a small slit in the bandage behind Lady's knee to loosen it up a bit, and we are on our way.

So, if everything is ok, the physical therapy should continue. We take Lady for another visit to the PT and she takes us through another series of weight bearing and range of motion exercises. I can do these at home and Gail says they will really make a difference in rebuilding Ladys' muscle mass.

Dr. Feinman wants us to now start working on Lady's behavioral issues. She specifically needs work with her car behavior and the way she freaks when we encounter other people and/or dogs on our walks.

Freddie and I will take Lady back to Norwalk for a bandage change and x-rays on Friday. More to report after then!

She's using the leg!!

Finally had a breakthrough the day before Thanksgiving. It had snowed the night before and, when I took Lady out for her morning walk, she USED THE LEG. Yes, that's right - she put the foot down and took actual STEPS!! WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

It was a long weekend, so I worked with her each day, doing the massage, the weight-shifting exercises, the cork, and taking her around the block. She continued to use the leg.

Lady had a lovely Thanksgiving - I think Auntie P fed her turkey under the table.

On Friday, I walked Lady over to the golf course - to the flag of the 12th hole. On Saturday and Sunday, Freddie and I lifted her over the stone wall and had more walks around the golf course. After all this time, to see her use the leg is unbelievable.

With the good comes the bad. The movement of her leg in the cast has caused skin inflamation, breakage, oozing and bleeding just below her knee. I almost had a meltdown last night - instead I got pissed at Freddie when he said I was being irrational. Ok, the dog is bleeding, in obvious discomfort. I don't know if it is an emergency or not. I do know that we've been mucking around with this leg since April and I don't want anything to go wrong.

Before tossing her in the car and speeding to Norwalk, I took a mental step back and thought about conversations with Dr. Feinman and the homeopathy books I've been reading. In referencing the text, I found there were plenty of things I can do to treat her wound until I can get her to Norwalk tomorrow to have her leg rewrapped. Dr. Feinman told me today that I can use the Aloe and Calendula solution he had given me for Lady's ears.

I cleaned up the wound, put on some antibacterial ointment, and put Lady to bed. Today I will hot compress, massage in the aloe and calendula soluion, and put clean cotton pads on the wound as best I can.

Tomorrow it's back to Norwalk. I'm hoping we take some new x-rays and that they can put a shorter cast on Lady.

No doubt, more to come!

Resorting to the cork

I continue to be a basket case over the dog. It is critical that we get her to bear weight on the leg. We have the set of exercised prescribed by the physical therapist, but last night Lady got scared and peed all over the carpet when we tried to do them. So, this morning, I gave her a lovely massage and then got out the tripe treats - Dr. Harvey's. She did the exercises in exchange for some treats.

I gave Gail, the PT, a progress report and Gail said to try the cork trick. So, I took a wine bottle cork, cut 1/3 off, put it between the pads of her good back foot and secured it there with gauze. Sure enough, it made Lady uncomfortable enough that she put weight on her bum stick. Gail said I could do that 2-3 times/day and that perhaps Lady would get to the point where, when she saw the cork, she would just start walking for me.

More to come...

Lady on Dogster

Check out Lady's Dogster page!

Half healed or half broken?

Lady is now pin-free - GOOD NEWS! Lady's leg is only 50% healed - NOT QUITE WHAT WE WERE HOPING FOR!

Stay calm, stay positive. Dr. Feinman feels we will definitely save this leg. I am now giving her daily doeses of the symphytum. We are taking Lady to the physical therapist on Saturday, because Dr. Palmisano said it is key to get her to start using the leg before the bone deteriorates too much.

So, in the 3 days that Lady has had no fixator (she is splinted) - she is starting to bear weight on the leg. It's been raining, so we are back to putting on her "boot" (IV bag slipped over her splint so her wrap stays clean and dry). The boot is a nightmare. I am going to try to invent a shower-cap like thing to take its place.

In three weeks we take Lady in for another check. Between now and then, we'll work with her to get her to use the leg and give her lots of love.

Freddie and I can tell that she is feeling better - she has pep in her step that was not there in the last few weeks with the fixator on.

A few interesting things from my phone consultation with Dr. Feinman:

• Lady's ear problems are not due to an allergic reaction to the fish oil. He said that allergic reactions are generally to proteins. The ear gunk is an external manifestation of her body trying to tell us what is going on internally.
• Ear discharge and eye gunk is actually a good sign for Lady - her body is detoxing and her powers to heal herself are getting stronger.
• We will work through these symptoms and then start to work through her fear issues.
• He gave me some aloe-calendula solution to massage into her ears.
  

Week 14 report

Imagine having pins through your leg for 14 weeks. Can't run, can't go upstairs, can't play, can't go for car rides, can't go swimming, can't do much of anything. I actually know a person that went through this and his leg was saved, so I am keeping a positive attitude for my Lady. The only other really crappy thing about Lady's situation is that she has to have the damn v-collar (aka lampshade) on her head every night. Could you sleep with one of those things on?

I took her to VREC Norwalk today for a recheck/x-rays and possible *hopeful* removal of the external fixator. It's really time for that thing to come off. The top pin site is getting very irritated - red, inflamed, and the bottom site has been oozing for the past few weeks. Lady is so good about letting me clean the pin sites - she never cries or yelps, she just puts up with it.

I have a phone consultation with Dr. Feinman today and will be scheduling an evaluation with a canine physical therapist. It's been so long since Lady has really used her leg that we'll need to retrain her - assuming she keeps the leg.

I'll know more this afternoon after I get the call from VREC that she's out of surgery and awake.

Personally, I am drained. I will do anything to get this dog better, of course, and no one said it would be easy. In my mind, I see her running across the lawn, chasing the ball, jumping into the pool, and I know I need to remain patient and keep doing what needs to be done to get her there.

2 pins down, 2 to go

After 11 weeks and 4 days, Lady had 2 of her pins removed - the two closest to the break. Stella called from VREC to let me know the surgery went very well and that Dr. P. was "pleasantly surprised" at how stable the leg is. Whew.

Freddie and I will go pick her up tonight and get her settled in at home. I think we'll set the x-pen back up and keep her confined after bedtime.

As soon as I see the official discharge papers and read the updated care instructions, I'll post an update.

I'm expecting another 6 weeks of healing. Slow is better than nothing at all.

LIVE from VREC Norwalk

Freddie and I are sitting in the waiting room at the Veterinary Referral and Emergency Clinic. Lady has gone lame and her pins spots are irritated. As we speak she is getting some new x-rays which I hope will show more healing.

I started to worry a few days ago when I noticed more discharge from her pin spots. Last night when I took her out, she didn't want to walk. This morning, she didn't want to get off her bed. Oy.

The ride here sucked and I feel like I am going to vomit.

UPDATE - Dr. Palmisano is going to admit Lady and, tomorrow, start to destabilize her leg. He'll take 2 pins out and adjust the frame. So, not great news, not horrible.

Building my ark - and filling it with raw food

It is something like the 8th straight day of rain here. I knew we would pay for all of the clear, sunny days of September.

Rooney just called from Mohegan Sun. He called me from the casino floor so I could hear the *ding ding ding ding* of the slots - a reminder of our days in Las Vegas. When I asked if the usual suspects were at the craps table with their scotch, cigarettes, and oxygen-on-wheel, he said "of course, when I walked in here at 9 a.m. the place was full of them."

Anyway, back to the rain. First of all, Lady is frightened by the umbrella, so I either have to wait for a break in the rain, or don my Gorton's fisherman slicker and take her out. Second, we are going through quite a few towels - I have to dry her off everytime we come inside. Third, we havent' really been able to walk as much, so she is a bit rambunctious and, with her bad stick, it really isn't great for her to be sliding all over the floors.

This morning I cut her nails, thinking that might help stop the skidding. BUT, I clipped one too short and a tremendous amount of blood started pouring forth. I mean, a LOT of blood. She then proceeded to walk all over the kitchen, so it looked as though I had cut off a limb - blood everywhere. Freddie looked up from his computer, said "that is disgusting" and went back to work. Thanks for the help man. Luckily, I found a Scooby Doo Band Aid and put it on her foot. I have to get a picture of that.

Having been inside during these wet days, I've done quite a bit of research on raw food for Lady. Looks like, aside from raw meaty bones, Bravo brand gets the thumbs up. So, I ordered a variety of things for the little woofer. Also this week I started giving her raw meaty bones - beef short ribs. WOW, is she a happy dog! Creates a big mess, but she LOVES them. I put in a big order for Bravo today and will also be picking up some yummies from Dr. Feinman's office tomorrow.

So, when the house floats away, I know Lady will have plenty of food. Freddie and I will be stuck eating cereal, falafel, and tuna fish.

(note: Rooney just called again from Mohegan Sun. He had to tell me about the overweight oxygen-inhaling lady at the slots).

Nurse Peabody to the rescue

It's pouring rain, the dog is wet and smelly, and I have a 101 degree fever. Not really a great way to start the weekend. To top it all off, my husband is off to California for a mountain biking extravaganza.

But, this isn't about me, it's about the dog. Lady, as wet and smelly as she is, is healing. Her September 30 x-rays showed evidence of new bone growth!! Dr. Palmisano felt that it was too soon to start to destabilize - and I am so glad he did. Let's get this leg healed for good! Dr. Jeff said one more dose of the symphytum - that was last Sunday night, Oct 2. Lady will go back to Norwalk on October 26 for more x-rays. She will have had the fixator on for 11 weeks then and, with the change in diet and homeopathic treatment, I am praying that the leg is healed enough to start taking that thing off.

I am fortunate to have the resources to give Lady this kind of care. I realize not everyone does. I am also very fortunate to have the kind of career that gives me the kind of flexibility to haul the dog all over the place to doctors. So, as I sit here feverish and in severe head pain, I count my blessings.

When I was younger, we had a collie named Honey. When I was sick in bed, she would keep me company. My mom called her "Nurse Peabody." Lady is my Nurse Peabody today, sitting by my side and smothering me with kisses. I think it's helping to break my fever.

The tale of the bum stick and the homeopathic vet

In the three weeks since my last post, I've learned a lot about the importance of Lady's diet to her healing and longevity. Since I am careful with my own diet, this should be a no-brainer, right?

Not at all - the experts who do the marketing for commercial dog food make us think that we are giving our pets what they need when, in fact, it's really the opposite.

After the last scare with Lady, I took her to see Dr. Jeff Feinman. Dr. Jeff has a fabulous web site chock full of links and resources. He and I spent a lot of time talking about Lady's behavior and diet and he explained to me that commercial dog food is mostly carbs, which a dog's body isn't built to process. We also talked about keeping a journal of Lady's behaviors - this reference will help me see any changes that may be an early warning sign of something we can treat before it gets out of control.

Specific to Lady's leg, Dr. Jeff gave her a homeopathic remedy - symphytum. I've given her three doses in the past three weeks and he felt that the diet combined with the remedy would give Lady's body the kick in the ass it needed to start healing and lay some new bone on that bum stick of hers.

The diet change has made a tremendous positive difference in her energy and her coat is so shiny and soft. I am feeding her Nature's Variety raw diet. I also have Dr. Harvey's power patties. They smell disgusting but are SO HEALTHY for Lady. She gobbles them right up. Dr. Jeff also gave me some anti-oxidant supplements.

Some other things Lady loves to eat: tomatoes, bananas, blueberries, apples, peanut butter (and she's even eaten a peanut) carrots and celery.

If you've ever wondered if you can do better for your pet, you most certainly can. I highly recommend finding and working with a homeopathic vet and getting your dog OFF of commercial dog food. There are plenty of great books and resources on Dr. Jeff's site for you to check out.

This morning I dropped Lady off at Dr. Palmisano's - it's been 8 weeks and they will x-ray and see if they can begin taking apart the fixator and de-stabilizing the leg.

Keep your fingers crossed!

Fixator +5 weeks

After Lady's bandages were changed, we noticed that she wasn't using that leg as much anymore. The new bandages were very snug to the pins and her leg, so I just figured that there was some rubbing/irritation. I didn't want to disturb her leg, so I gave it a week. When there was no improvement - in fact, it got so bad she would just walk outside and sit down, I grabbed my scissors, cuticle nippers and tweezers, and started trimming the bandage back. I found one pin spot very swollen and another starting to get red. Nothing was oozy, so I took that as a good sign. However, I was paranoid that the fixator had stopped working and her leg was out of alignment again.

Tuesday after Labor Day, I called the VR&EC - they said to bring her in ASAP. So, Thursday, Sept. 8, we hauled her down there again. She was examined and x-rayed. Everything was still aligned, but at 5 weeks there was no sign of new bone growth. Dr. Palmisano said he wasn't surprised, since she is an adult dog and her leg has been through a lot of trauma. He said in 3 weeks they would check again and begin to de-stabilize the leg to stimulate healing.

In the meantime, I've been researching therapies to complement her course of treatment. I've consulted a canine acupuncturist/chinese herbalist and a homeopathic vet. I think the right choice is homeopathy, so I'll be taking her to see Dr. Jeff Feinman (homevet.com).

More to come...

So far, so good!

Lady got the thumbs-up today from Dr. Palmisano! After a strenuous car ride to Norwalk - road construction has started on Rte. 7 and it is a MESS - and a lengthy waiting room sit, Dr. Palmisano removed Lady's sutures and gave her a good interim report. He feels there is a chance for complete recovery! We will continue to take it easy and encourage her to bear weight on the leg.

We go back in two weeks for our first set of x-rays. Fingers crossed!

Strict instructions needed.

Lady doesn't get it - why is she restricted to an x-pen with an e-collar on 23 hours of the day? I try to tell her that it has SOMETHING to do with the 4 pins and contraption attached to her leg, but all she cares about is FOOD! BIRDS! RABBITS! FOOD!

Well, she's a dog, stupid! Based on previous experience and realistic advice from Dr. Palmisano, I asked him to provide me STRICT instructions for Lady's post-operative nursing care. Thankfully, he took my request seriously. Each time I think that she can go a little bit further, I snatch up that sheet of paper and re-read it. Here's an excerpt:

Lady does not understand the nature of her injury and may become very active in a short period of time compared to the same injury in a person. Therefore, restriction of activity is of paramount importance. When take out doors to...., Lady MUST be on a short leash and, when finished, return IMMEDIATELY indoors. The degree of confinement...must be continued for the entire convalescent period.

This is her last shot. It's confinement or lose the leg. I would like to have those instructions painted on the wall in Lady's recovery room. I would like to have them ironed-on to a t-shirt. I would like to hang them from Kelly's nose ring. Seriously, this is 8-12 weeks - I should start counting the times I read them.

It's easy for humans to get the wrong idea when our animal companions are energetic and playful, even with 4 pins holding their leg together. I can't let my guard down.

No wheelchair needed, thanks.

Lady was so happy to see us last night when we checked her out of the hospital! The vet tech, Dawn, was so helpful and talked us through those first few nerve-wracking minutes. The external fixator is quite amazing. She has 2 pins above her ankle and 2 pins below her knee and the fixator has her break stabilized.

Dawn explained and showed us how to walk Lady and how to pick her up safely to put her in the car. She went beyond the call of duty and gave me her work hours in case I needed to talk about anything.

So, off we went, with Lady resting in the back seat with me and Freddie up front as our driver. Lady has a pain patch on, so she was kind of whacked out - she "talked" to us for about 20 minutes and then settled down. She was very happy to be scooped out of the car and take a short walk around her yard.

I truly believe this is the best thing for Lady because:
- The break is very stable, yet she is being encouraged to use the leg when we take slow, short walks. This will encourage blood flow which will aid in healing.
- Her paw is out and I don't have to struggle with her to wrap any bandages - we don't have to worry about the morning dew!
- Her leg is exposed to the air which will let the dermatitis she got from the wrap heal
- She is on meds, but will be off the pain meds in one week. This is good - if she feels pain from any movement she'll learn to take it easy.

She is resting comfortable in her x-pen with her e-collar on, I don't think it's too big of a deal for her since she's been confined for so long already. She's had her breakfast - supplemented with some parsley for a nutritional boost.

Thankfully, I am able to work from home today to keep an eye on Lady and make sure she's comfortable. I'd better get to work now!

Surgery +1

Lady is walking and bearing weight on the leg - a great sign! She is still in the hospital, we'll pick her up tomorrow night. With the external fixator, she is more mobile that with the splint. The Dr. said to walk her very slowly for 5-10 minutes, 4-6 times per day.

Because the fixator is external, we'll be able to see her leg, which we couldn't do when it was splinted. Now I'll be able to more closely monitor the leg. The spots where the pins enter her leg need to be monitored and kept clean. She has a bit of dermatitis where the leg was wrapped - that will now be able to heal since the leg is exposed to the air.

In about 10 days we'll trek back to Norwalk for suture removal and her first checkup.

AND - she doesn't have to be confined and isolated. She can hang out with us as long as she's kept quiet. :-).

The leg is stable!

I just got the call from Dr. Palmisano. Lady's leg is stablized. The external device he's used has 2 pins above the break and 2 pins below and comes to just below her little knee. When he did the surgery he found evidence of the bone trying to heal, so he thinks that is a good sign. He wanted to send her home tomorrow but I asked if they would keep her one more day and he agreed. This is an 8-12 week recovery and we'll take a set of x-rays in about 6 weeks.

I did find another vet, Dr. Dattner of Brookfield Animal Hospital. I explained to him what was going on and he agreed to take Lady as a patient.

I'm glad she's stable but I'm so nervous to bring her home. She is such a happy little girl and when she sees that she's going to go outside she gets really excited. We need to keep her quiet.

Freddie and I have set up the infirmary and I will make up her walk, med and feeding chart. Aunt P wants to bejewel her e-collar :-). A little color and sparkle would be nice...

The recovery begins...again

I'm going to use this blog as a place to journal the recovery of my dog, Lady. Lady is a Shetland Sheepdog. I first met her in April of this year when she was unloaded from a transport van full of dogs from Bowling Green, KY. You see, I am a volunteer with the Danbury Animal Welfare Society (DAWS), in Danbury, CT, and Lady was one of the dogs we saved by bringing her to Connecticut.

Lady was going to be adopted, but when the family brought their other dog in to meet her, she got scared and somehow mangled her left hind leg. The break was really bad, just above her ankle. This was late April. I knew then that I wanted to adopt her and help her heal and give her a happy life.

The first attempt at repair was with wire. Didn't work and it turned into a compound fracture. Three weeks later, the second attempt at repair was to use a rod. She was on bed rest at the vet clinic for 2 months and we brought her home right after July 4 and finalized our adoption of her on July 12. Her splint was removed July 19 and when I took her for what I expected to be the final checkup on July 30, an x-ray revealed the leg had broken again. I was told that the vet could no longer care for her, actually, the words were, "We're done." I think they wanted to just tape up her leg and kick me out the door. I had a meltdown right there in the vet clinic.

The vet placed a call to Dr. Palmisano at the Emergency Clinic & Referral Center in Norwalk. We rushed Lady there on Friday afternoon for a consult. He said there was one more shot at saving her leg - to attach a KE device, an external skeletal fixation device. There were no guarantees, but he said that he considered amputation to be the last option, and I agreed. He said the bone quality may have deteriorated beyond the point where it was viable, but it was worth a shot. We decided to get the surgery and try one more time to save little Lady's leg. The surgery would be Monday - today.

My to-do for the weekend: Give Lady lots of kisses and hugs and find a new vet.
Lady's to-do for the weekend: Sit there looking adorable, wondering why she's confined to her x-pen and why she can't go sit by the pool with her Aunt P and why her mommy is flipping out.

This was the longest weekend I have ever lived through. I didn't want Lady to move and all she wanted to do was give me kisses and play with the bunnies that run around our yard. She was confined to her bed and everyone who came by gave her lots of attention and treats.

This morning we took her back down the 16 agonizing miles of Rte. 7 in Connecticut to Norwalk and checked her in. She tried to jump in my lap which made me completely lose it. That was 8:30 a.m. I came home and dove into my work and waited for the phone to ring.

It is now about 5 p.m. The surgical liason at the hospital just called and said Lady was being wheeled out of surgery. She was very positive about the surgery and said that Dr. Palmisano was also more positive than he had been during our consult. I hung up the phone and burst into tears.

The new meezie.com

For all of you crazy kids who have been asking (for two years now) when meezie.com is coming back online, I'm going to try blogging for a while and then figure out my overall plan for a new site.