A few weeks ago on Twitter, someone responded to one of our posts about Lilly’s vaccine-induced meningoencephalomyelitis by saying essentially this, “It’s the price we pay for having a low incidence of rabies in the U.S.” Oh, I get the realities and perils of population medicine. Yet, the comment got me thinking about money, suffering, and a potential higher purpose.
Lilly stands on the frontier of veterinary medicine as we take on the next chapter in her attempted recovery from a severe adverse rabies vaccine reaction — meningoencephalomyelitis (inflammation of the brain and lining of the brain and spinal cord).
She represents our neurology team’s first use of subcutaneous (sub-Q, under the skin) cytarabine injections to treat brain inflammation. (Or, at least, first use in a long time).
Compared to the almost-coma-like, unresponsive ragdoll of a few weeks ago, Lilly has made great gains. Monday was a tad dicey, with a morning of dullness and lethargy, but she is doing better on several fronts. For example, she finally can wag again. Here is a report on today’s neurological exam and recheck.
It’s official. I hadn’t added everything up since the end of June, but I did on Friday, and we topped $15,000 in expenses to treat Lilly’s severe rabies vaccine reaction. To be exact … $15,095.01. People have been asking, so I’ve again set up a chip-in, if you’re so inclined. No pressure. No expectations at all.
These wild daisy-like flowers seem to shower Lilly with adoration. In truth, they lean toward the morning sun … which from this vantage point is behind where Lilly sits.
Simply put, everything makes me worry. When Lilly seems neurologically stronger, she often acts out-of-her-mind fussy from the daily steroids aimed at shutting down her most recent relapse of vaccine-induced meningoencephalomyelitis / meningoencephalitis. BUT, when Lilly stops pacing and crying all the time and curls up to sleep, it looks to me like a new relapse. What’s a girl to do?
We’re still reeling and consumed by mourning and mourning-related tasks, but I wanted to post a quick update for those who haven’t been following the news on our Champion of My Heart Facebook Fan Page. Starting Friday, May 11, Lilly suffered another relapse. The following symptoms got worse and worse over the weekend:
Here is part five (of five) of frequently asked questions dog lovers have asked me since Lilly’s ill-fated response to a vaccine earlier this year. This series of questions / answers covers the COSTS of diagnosing and treating Lilly’s vaccine-induced meningoencephalomyelitis / meningoencephalitis (inflammation of the brain and lining of the brain and spinal cord),…
Here is part four (of five) of frequently asked questions dog lovers have asked me since Lilly’s ill-fated response to a vaccine earlier this year. This series of questions / answers covers the treatment of Lilly’s vaccine-induced meningoencephalomyelitis / meningoencephalitis (inflammation of the brain and lining of the brain and spinal cord).
Here is part three (of five) of frequently asked questions dog lovers have asked me since Lilly’s ill-fated response to a vaccine earlier this year. This series of questions / answers covers the symptoms, diagnosis, and Lilly’s prognosis of Lilly’s vaccine-induced meningoencephalomyelitis / meningoencephalitis (inflammation of the brain and lining of the brain and spinal cord).
