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Jane's @ Home, Recovering (probable Stroke)


Guest VelvetEars

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I just read your post on Jane and it sounds like all the symptoms of GME - which is a form of meningitis/encephalitis - a brain disease. My female grey -Sara who was sick was diagnosed in March w/it, she presented w/ lethargy 1st, loss of balance, tremors and then seizures, loss of eyesight is another part of the disease. It came on quickly and within a week she could not stand, we had the MRI done and spinal which revealed 3 areas of her brain and spinal column that were inflamed/infected w/ GME. The good news was that she was treated aggresively w/prednisone, phenabarbitol and antibiotics and then a chemo drug - cytarabine which is what turned it @ for her. After 2 days on chemo in combo w/steroids, phenabarb, she could stand again and walk again, 3 weeks later she looked great and she continues to do well 3 months later! She will have chemo for a year and she is on low doses of prednisone and phenabarbitol but it has been worth it, she chases her toys and my male greyhound and loves life. I offer you many prayers, this is so hard emotionally, please fell free to email me : robertaac@comcast.net if you need to ask more questions or just chat.

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Roberta & Michael with Furkids- Flower (Shasta Flowers 6/7/06) & Rascal the kitty - Missing our sweet angels - Max(M's Mad Max) 10/12/02 - 12/3/15, Sara (Sara Raves 6/30/01 - 4/13/12) Queenie & Pandora the kitties - gone but never forgotten

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Guest VelvetEars

Thaniks everyone. It been a long 36 hours for me - I was on call at the hospital last night on top of everything else, and spent the better part of 13 hours at the hospital helping a mom have a baby, so I came home and got a little sleep so I could make better decisions. I'd been up for close to 30 hours, and that was on top of not having much sleep Thurs night.

 

I'm going to be leaving to go get her shortly --- got to pick up incontinence supplies on the way. Sent kids to my mom's overnight so that's one less stress tonight, and made arrangements with my boss to be home Monday afternoon - DH will be home Monday morning - so she's not alone for the next few days. (I'll be working at home Tues, too.)

 

I'll post an update tomorrow sometime. We've got the living room set up as a hospital for her. I have an old plastic hospital mattress on the floor for her, and we'll add some old comforters to help make her comfortable, and I'll be sleeping on the couch right next to her.

 

I know she's coming home w/ meds - pred, antibiotic, etc. I'll ask about the chemo as an option. She's eating/drinking on her own, and her IV is out, so that's a good sign as far as I'm concerned.

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Guest wmlcml6

I'm sorry I'm just reading this. It almost sounds like a stroke of some sort, like our Curly Sue had. It happened suddenly, and paralyzed her right side, her neck and head arched to one side awkwardly and she could not focus, her eyes were strangely dilated/contracted, and she could not stand, much less walk. We got her to the vet within 2 hours of the episode (I had to get home from work). The vet gave her an acupuncture treatment for 20 minutes, followed by a slow drip iv of dexamethazone and she walked out of the vet's office, albeit slowly and off kilter. We had to do some easy physical therapy for a while, and continued the dex shots for a week. She regained most of her balance after a week or so, and enjoyed another year with us (she was 13). Our vet said the sooner you treat with acupuncture, the better the success rate.

 

I hope your girl is okay. I know how scary it is when something like this happens.

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Keeping you and Jane in my thoughts.

Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in Illinois
We miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10.

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Guest VelvetEars

She's been home since about 11 last night. She's still in pretty bad shape, and she was discharged w/ no instructions, just 2 bottles of pills (pred and an antibiotic) - we didn't even see the vet when we picked her up. She'll eat canned food (with gusto), and drinks well. We can carry her outside when she's whining to potty, and she'll get herself into a squat to pee - no poop yet, though. But it seems apparent that she's in pain, particularly when we try to pick her up. She pants a lot, cries a lot, and can't hold herself up, although her front legs are definitely stronger - and easier for her to control - than her back legs. She will try to follow me if I leave the room and John's not holding her tightly - she tries to get up and her momentum carries her for a moment and then she crashes to the floor and is very confused.

 

I have no idea what the local specialist costs, but we're getting pretty tapped out financially already, as John is on medical leave (mental issues again) and as of Tuesday he won't be getting paid. It would be a lot easier if someone could say "do this this and this, and in a week she'll be able to stand for short periods, and you'll see her get a little stronger each day for the next 6 weeks, and she'll be able to walk short distances by then." or - if this is what her life will be like forever, then i don't think we can give her round-the-clock care for the rest of her life. i hate to say that, but unfortunately, it's the reality i'm afraid i'm facing.

 

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Guest Tenderhearts

I don't know what else to say except I continue to pray for her, Meredith!

 

I can't believe they didn't send you home with any instructions. :(

 

I do understand getting tapped out financially. Skittle's sudden illness and subsequent stay at the 24 hour facility was a real eye opener for me.

 

Sending gentlest of hugs to you, and prayers for all! :grouphug:hope:candle:hope:candle:hope

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I'm sorry. :grouphug I know how difficult it can be when you don't know what is wrong and what the future holds. I wish they had given you more information or instructions when Jane was discharged. I'll continue to keep Jane in my thoughts and prayers.

Cosmo (Fuzz Face Cosmos), Holmes (He's a Dream), Boomer (USS Baby Boomer), Ella and missing our angels Clay (Red Clay), Train (Nite Train), Trip (Bock's Teddy Bear),Larry (Bohemian Frigid) and Jimmy (Bohemian Raw)
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