Recovery from Meningoencephalomyelitis

I’m sorry it took me so long to post a blog update. Lilly’s hospital discharge on Sunday, February 5, 2012, took longer than expected, so we didn’t get home until around dinnertime. All of us were / are exhausted. The headline, however, is that Lilly is home … and as of this second has been seizure free since Friday, February 3, 2012, in the late afternoon.

Today is a bit of a catch up day since it’s the first time in more than week that I get to stay on the mountain all day. So, just a few notes about Lilly’s progress recovering from vaccine-induced meningoencephalomyelitis before we try to squeeze in a nap.

Meningoencephalomyelitis: Walking and Body Awareness Still a Challenge

As you’ll see in the video below, Lilly’s walking has graduated from:

Tadpole in the mud
Through octopus on dry land
To drunken sailor

Her sense of her body in space, however, isn’t only impaired when she moves. Often, even while resting, her legs and feet end up in weird positions. Notice how her neck is cocked funny in this picture and how one of her front feet is folded under. Lilly doesn’t seem to notice or be able to fix such awkward body flops without help.

Meningoencephalomyelitis: Treatment Side-Effects

Lilly developed a bloody nose over the weekend, which is of concern, but not enough to keep her hospitalized. There is a chance she is having some bad side-effects from the chemo drug she received over 36 hours last week. They drew some blood tests Sunday, and they’ll draw more later this week to check for those things.

Right now, however, the hardest part of Lilly’s care is that the steroids make her antsy and thirsty. That means we get VERY little rest or peace because she is fussy and/or needs to pee every 30, 45, or 60 minutes … all day, all night.

It’s a bit like having a sick infant in the house. After just one night of virtually no sleep, Tom and I are both ZONKED out (hence the hope for a nap).

Meningoencephalomyelitis: Medications

I feel like I need a graphing calculator or a PhD in astrophysics to sort out Lilly’s many medications — when she gets them, how much, why, etc.

6 medicines
Some 1 x, 2 x, 3 x per day
Total of 12 doses of various things (in some cases at or after meals) between 6 am and 10 pm

I spent the morning calling around to local pharmacies looking for the best price on one of the anti-seizure meds Lilly needs. There was more than $100 difference at different pharmacies. So, let me save any local folks (and maybe others) some time. Costco has BY FAR the best prices on Keppra.

Another of Lilly’s medicines (cyclosporine, used in people to prevent organ rejection after transplants), needs to be compounded into the right dose for her. It’ll be $85/month, and there is a chance she’ll need to be on it for life. Oh, boy.

We’ve already hit an all-time-high veterinary expense in the last week (and that’s saying something for us). Ongoing meds and appointments could really add up as well, but I’m trying not to worry about that.

Meningoencephalomyelitis: Recovery Video Feb. 6, 2012

Here is a link to the latest Lilly recovery video, showing her walking down the hall under her own power. Again, nothing but high praise for the Canine Equipment Ultimate Trail Pack as our primary way of keeping Lilly safe while she walks and potties and such.

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