Just Another Herd Creature

She is doing much better.  So far they have not found a fistula.  It seems to be a very bad UTI and they are flushing her bladder and giving IV antibiotics.  I'm going to try to talk to the doctor tomorrow, I missed his call today.  She sounds like herself now.  I guess the entire time in the ER they were giving her a fair amount of morphene because she kept falling asleep even when sitting up.  Several doctors asked me if she usually dozed off like this and I said sometimes in front of her computer, but not when she's in the middle of a conversation. 

Stay tuned . . .

Well, she didn't come home.  In fact she was in the ER from approx. 1:30 AM to 6 PM today.  Most of that time was waiting for a bed in the semi-critical care unit (I forget the actual name.)  On two hours sleep, I called in sick and went to the hospital, where I sat with her from 10 am until 5 pm.  They did not find a cellulitis area and her white blood cell, while elevated is not real high.  The problem is the blood in her urine.  There is alot.  One of her other symptoms has been passing gas from her bladder.  We had an appointment in a few weeks with her regular doctor to talk about this.  One possibility is fistula in the bladder wall that has opened and is leaking urine into her blood and some blood in her bladder.  Her blood has been high in acid and this would explain it.  Her blood pressure was fairly high and there is fluid in her lungs.  At this point, they want to stabilize all her vitals and blood work as much as possible.  To check on the fistula they need a CT scan (I think that's the one - I'm a little fuzzy right now) and there is not a machine big enough for her at this hospital.  They would need to send her to Richmond Kaiser, which isn't too far away.  Unfortunately, if there is an opening they will need to operate to close it.  This all scares the shit out of me and if I wasn't so sleep deprived right now I'd be doing a whole lot more wringing of hands.  As it is, all I can do is feed the dog, stonebender and myself and then go to bed. 

And they took dbubley away to the ER.  It is probably cellulitus again, but this time she was so cold, so shaky and feeling so sick I wasn't sure she could drive the wheelchair well enough to get in the van.  Her last bout was in Oct., she was in the hospital and post care facility for a total of 3 weeks.   I'm mad at the germs, I'm frustrated and I'm scared - mostly scared.  stonebender and I will be off to the hospital in a little bit.  I need to get some stuff together and take Pippin outside before I put her in the crate. 
As my mom would say "the problems of the living."


Edited Update: She just called and told me to stay home and come in the morning.  She's on a gurney, so her back is killing her, but they are admitting her (not that either of us had any reason to doubt they would) and I'll go in the morning.  Now if I can get to sleep.

Pippin and a few of her toys this morning. 
She is growing so fast, at 5 months she is 45 lbs! 
And her puppy bark is taking on a deeper and more adult tone. 
The orange dog shaped toy on the right is a squeaky toy. 
She loves to chew it, especially when we are trying to watch tv.

I'm out of a drug called copaxone, an subQ shot I take every night for my MS.  I thought I had one more left, so I didn't stop at the pharmacy tonight.  This is only the 3rd time since April 2000 that I will miss a dose.  I ran out one other time and I just spaced on it another time.  I hate the shot, it's a fairly large needle and it almost always hurts.  I'm sure missing one shot will not be catastrophic, but I know I will be a little hyper vigilant looking for any sign of an impending MS attack for the next few days. 

On other fun (not) health news, I went to the dentist today for a regular cleaning.  I've had some pain in the last few weeks and when my dentist took a look, she said I probably have a little crack in an old filling.  So tomorrow I go in to have it removed, she will put a temp in and fit me for a cap.  My insurance is on the calendar year; she is squeezing me in tomorrow so it will go against 2008 and save the $$ for future needs in 2009.  She's a very good doctor with a very good office staff.  Even with insurance my % will be about $350. 

On the actual good news health front - Pippin went to the vet today.  He took a scrapping for the 2nd ring worm test, but he thinks she looks great and suspects it will come back negative as the first one did.  She'll start her puppy class on Jan. 13th - finally!

A scene from The Ghost and Mr. Chicken scares you.  I think it's Don Knotts jumpiness that's making me jumpy. 

Three days before Christmas and I'm just not feeling it.  I didn't feel like decorating, although I did some.  I wasn't excited about giftmas shopping, but we did our mall-day-o'shopping last week.  I didn't have my annual open house.  I'd been throwing them since 1992 and the only other time I didn't have it was in 1999 because we had just moved on Thanksgiving weekend.  Most years we had 40 to 60 people stop by.  Is it because I'm getting old or is it a confluence of depressing crap this year?  

Depressing Crap List:

Our dog Gilly died in Sept. and I really miss her. 

The lay-offs in the city have placed me in a job I hate.  Every work day since Nov. 17th  I wake up dreading going to work.

Stacy, Guy's long time attendant, quit because she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer about three weeks ago and it's very advanced.  She helped me decorate each year.  Last year she gave me a Santa who "Ho Ho Ho'd" and then bent over, pulled down his pants and farted. 

The economy is scary and I think it's going to get worst. 

I'm sure there's more, but these are the big ones. 

Tonight I went in search of my xmas spirit.  I went out to mail the xmas cards.  I grabbed a hot coco, turned the radio to the all xmas music station, turned off the heater and drove around looking at xmas lights.  I parked across from a tree lot and watched families pick out trees.  Nothing.  I parked in front of the house with moving dioramas.  One is Santa's workshop with the elves pounding away at toys.  Another is 3 snowmen who rotate around a xmas tree.  As each one comes to the front, he stops, turns and "shivers".  They all carry signs with greetings on them.  Tonight I imagined they were strikers on a picket line.  There are several 2-D trains made of lights that blink on and off to make it look like the wheels are turning and smoke coming out of the smoke stack.  I thought of pollution. 

I decided this wasn't working and came home before I saw one more set of framed deers with white lights and moving heads and thought of Sarah Palin.  Or before I heard Wham's Last Christmas on the radio again.

If anyone has seen my xmas spirit or has any to share, please let me know. 

Her normal little puppy bark is starting to deepen.  Just now she was in the kitchen barking like a mad dog.  I peeked around the corner and she was standing between us and the box with the new vacuum cleaner.  Even though it is still all boxed up, something must tell her it contains the mortal enemy of all dogs everywhere.  Maybe it's a genetic memory thing.  ;-)