Lilly vs. Rattlesnake (part 3)

I’m glad Lilly got to come home because the longer she was there … the more anxious she got. I think the first time we left her Saturday night. She felt so awful, and it was such a shock that we left she resigned herself to the situation.

So, I wonder if us visiting Sunday morning, then leaving her AGAIN really freaked her out. She was NOT herself yesterday morning at all. She let us pet and hold her, but it was like she didn’t recognize us or could not focus on anything. And, according to the staff, she never really calmed down.

The technician told me that Lilly tried to make a daring escape when someone took her outside to potty in the afternoon. Thank GOODNESS she did not jump their fence because the hospital is on a very busy road. I felt sick when I heard that. I tried to convey to them the extent of her fear/anxiety, but in an emergency situation, it’s hard.

As she started to feel a bit better phsycially, she got more and more amped up. I brought her anxiety meds when we visited her Sunday morning, and they finally gave them to her after she tried to make a break for it outside and then would NOT settle down once they got her hooked back up to her IV and into the cage.

I asked if the meds helped since clearly the veterinarians and technicians were seeing Lilly at her most panicked state, and they said yes … she calmed down quite a bit. So, that’s an interesting outside perspective. I think.

I was SO relieved when they brought her into the discharge room because she flew into my lap squeaking and kissing and wiggling. That’s when I knew she was somewhat back into her own body and brain. That she was feeling well enough and thinking clearly enough to respond to me normally.

I had to fiddle with some paperwork before we left, so Tom took Lilly out to the car, and I guess she ran as fast as she could to the car, then howled with JOY when he loaded her into her crate.

Lilly ONLY howls without prompting for one reason … she was really, really, really happy.

It’s the sweetest thing. She used to howl like that when we turned up the road to classes with Gigi, our trainer in Boulder, back when class was always at the same park.

So far, she’s only cried out in pain once and that’s when she went to scratch her ear and missed … hitting herself in the mouth.

We let the dogs sleep wherever they wanted last night, and Lilly chose right up against me in bed. Ginko took up a guard position on the end of the bed. I don’t think he slept all that much. I got the feeling he felt like he needed to protect Lilly.

It does my heart good to see her resting comfortably at home. By all reports, Lilly slept little (if at all) while she was in the hospital.

All this worry, all this care-taking, it NOT how I hoped to spend the last weekend of summer, but I’m beyond grateful she is going to be OK. I’d be lost without her.

If you’re wondering, her 24-hour stay at the emergency/critical care hospital cost me just under $1,000. It will be interesting to see if her insurance covers this injury/accident. They should. I checked her policy, and it looks like there’s a $100 deductible, then they should cover 70-80% of the rest. I’ll mail off the receipts and forms tomorrow, and we’ll see what happens. If it goes well, I should have their reimbursement check before my credit card statement arrives.