Taking care of Lilly now that the vaccine-induced meningoencephalomyelitis has reared its ugly head again means noticing what she can and cannot do. Here are a few examples you might find interesting.
Local radio has been playing the song “I will wait…” by Mumford & Sons a lot lately. It has become a sort of anthem for me and Lilly — whether you consider it a recovery song, decision song, or potentially a crossing-over song. Video and lyrics below. See what you think.
I’ve been told in the past perhaps I pay too much attention to the little details of Lilly’s presumed recovery from vaccine-induced meningoencephalomyelitis (inflammation of the brain, lining of the brain, and spinal cord). However, since we are together pretty much 24/7, it’s hard not to notice subtle differences. Here are some thoughts on how this recovery compares to her first recovery, right after the vaccine was given in late January 2012.
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.
Monday, we showed you some agility highlights as Lilly recovers from her neurological troubles. Today, we prove that it isn’t always pretty.
At our last veterinary neurology appointment, Lilly got the OK to do agility and other more strenuous tasks so that her brain can start figuring out how to rewire certain movements. I convinced myself that Lilly jumped differently and weaved weirdly, but after looking at old agility videos, it seems more like Lilly exaggerates her movements following her “brain injury.” Videos, ahoy!
Blame it on the steroids and other medications required to treat Lilly’s eningoencephalomyelitis / meningoencephalitis (inflammation of the brain and lining of the brain and spinal cord). Two weeks ago today, Lilly ate 1/2 of a canvass totebag while I was away at a work meeting.
