Update August 12 – Adverse Rabies Vaccine Reaction Relapse

More good news today! Mentally, Lilly is so much brighter, alert, aware, and responsive. Physically, her motor skills still suck, but she can push herself up into a SIT. She needs help keeping her balance, but she can use her front legs to push up. There is a good chance she can come HOME tomorrow, so I have a boatload of housework and preemptive cooking to do. Just a few pix from today’s visit (Sunday, Aug 12, 2012).

Today’s visit began with a big pee puddle and then a monster poop, so the neurology technicians gave Lilly a quick bath for us. Apparently, the team calls the messes created by incontinent neurology patients with mobility issues “butt painting.”

In that case, let’s just say Lilly is a downright Picasso … since she still has like ZERO control of her rear legs.

best dog blog, champion of my heart, border collie
Once she was clean again, Lilly did her best to sit up for a while. She needs help once she is up, but she seemed pretty pleased with herself. From the beginning (in January), Lilly has been markedly weaker left than right, so she always leans left.

 

best dog blog, champion of my heart, border collie wrapped in blanket
Being a little damp from her bath, Lilly got a bit of a chill, so we wrapped her up in a fresh blanket. This is her YODA pose ... "Feeling strong enough to sit up, am I."

 

best dog blog, champion of my heart, border collie recovering in veterinary cage
Lilly's stamina is still quite low, so after the pooping, bath, sitting up, she needed to sleep, so we cuddled up for a while.

We’ve scheduled a tentative GO HOME appointment for tomorrow afternoon. Pending her morning in-hospital full neurological exam, our baby girl should be home recovering in her own bed Monday night.

The two 12-hour infusions of that chemo drug don’t have full effect for 7-10 days, so the improvements we’re seeing are purely from high doses of steroids (dexamethasone) twice a day since Wednesday.

Can a worried girl get an YAHOO?!

Have a nice evening. Thanks to everyone for their kind words, support, love, commiseration, help, etc.

We still have a LONG, tough recovery ahead, but we’ll be glad to have our sweetie-bug home.