Dog With Brain Inflammation – 7 Things I Already Miss
Living with a brilliant, edgy, athletic dog who suffers from long-term, life-threatening brain inflammation means saying goodbye to what once was.
-
-
Uh-Oh, Do Border Collies Have More Than 9 Lives?
I set out to write a recap post for newer fans who’ve only known Lilly since her adverse rabies vaccine reaction happened (now some 19 months ago). Our canine heroine — long famous for dangerous medical scrapes — cheats death pretty often. Except, when I added up her many health scares, I realized we’re at #9 … and it made me worry.
-
Ch-ch-changes in Lilly Town
Oh, boy. We have news to share — some good, some (potentially) not so good. DIY chemo, 3 weeks off the immune mediator, this week’s blood and urine tests, and more!
-
Explaining Our Blogging Absence
On June 23, 2013, after a 6-day, whirlwind hospice vigil (ending to a long, long illness), my mom died from PSP, a rare, fatal brain disease. That’s why the blog sits silent. After a total of 3 weeks off for hospice / bereavement leave, I’m in triage mode in every area of my life. It’s hard to resume the day-to-day demands, while under the crushing weight of grief. Below you’ll find my tributes to my mommio and a few brief health updates about our intrepid canine heroine.
-
Another (Unwelcome) First – Accidental Chemo Overdose
Honestly. Every time I think Lilly’s medical saga cannot get any worse, something else that’s unexpected / unwelcome happens. On top of the not-good kidney news from earlier this week, on top of figuring out Lilly still has high blood pressure (even though she has been on BP meds since February 2012) … Lilly received an accidental “overdose” of cytarabine (a chemo drug) Wednesday night.
-
Canine Kidney Trouble – Not Good, Not Dire
Now that it seems Lilly has been free from bladder bacteria for a few weeks, after nearly 6 straight months of back-to-back bladder infections, we turned our attention to the levels of protein in her urine. Infections can produce high urine protein levels, so we checked again, 2 weeks after Lilly’s last clear urine culture — where her protein level as a 2 (zero is normal). And … it wasn’t good news.
-
Adverse Rabies Vaccine Reaction | Dog Life | Dog Training | Dog Training Video | Dog Video | Dog Video Gallery
500 Days and Counting – Adverse Rabies Vaccine Reaction
Friday, June 7, 2013, marks 500 days since Lilly received the ill-fated rabies vaccine that has forever changed all of our lives. Her widespread brain and spinal cord inflammation remains and requires numerous daily medications and others (including a chemo drug ~ 4 injections, over 2 days, every 3 weeks) to keep her alive. June also marks a full year since Lilly became completely incontinent (both ways). Taking care of her (and working a lot to pay her veterinary bills) consumes my every day. This is our new norm, and that’s OK … until I look at old videos and remember how strong she used to be. Then I’m super sad.
-
Bumping Along and Awaiting News
No real changes in Lilly’s overall condition to report, but here are just a few news items.
-
Adverse Rabies Vaccine Reaction | Dog Life | Dog Photo | Dog Trick Video | Dog Video | Dog Video Gallery
Video Update on Lilly’s Brain Inflammation
I don’t much remember what life with Lilly was like before she got so sick with an adverse rabies vaccine reaction called meningoencephalomyelitis in January 2012. Taking care of her fills my days. Our world has gotten quite small, but we feel joy at even the tiniest “normal” thing — such as playing fetch. Here, friends, is a little video update.
-
Feeling Brave-ish 16 Months into Our Canine Brain Saga
It’s official. I’ve fallen out of the habit of blogging. It’s complicated. Today, for example, my plans to finish work early so that I could clean my house (which is getting scary) got slaughtered by imminent, unexpected work demands from 3 different clients. Since it looks like I’ll be cleaning all evening, I’m trying to make some space in my brain to write a real update about Lilly. Let’s see how it goes.
