we went almost 3 months without a PCV...
that was basically just based on how consistent her days have become.
her water intake is extremely high.
the past diabetes and cushing tests all came back negative so its very odd that her water obsession is so out of control.
she is also peeing far more often than normal and her bladder function seems to not nearly be as strong.
but still she had seemed well.
for me she seems like she goes up and down every other day.
she might have 2 days where she looks pretty normal, and then the next morning she will look completely anorexic, looking visually like she lost 7/8 pounds overnight.
this will then normalize by the next night and it is a constant cycle.
but as far as her energy level, it stays the same, she moves around well, she goes out biking with me and leads the charge. she is amazing.
anyways, a few weeks ago her PCV revealed a 21% ... so she had declined from the 26% in july.
we cultured her urine again to check for diabetes.
she actually had to stay overnight at the vets in order to do a water deprivation test.
that is where they withhold water from the animal and repeatedly check the urine thruout the day.
this revealed that sway was not concentrating her urine very well.
dr. woods & dr. dodds came to the conclusion that sway likely has diabetes insipidus.
it was suggested that we start her on DDAVP drops, and that is where we are...
thanks for the prayers for sway.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Thursday, July 10, 2008
...and then amazing news!
sway's newest blood panel revealed a hematocrit count of 26% which is 10% higher than it was just a week ago.
...and it's almost the highest she has ever been since being diagnosed back in july of 2007.
so that is really reeeeeeeeeeally good news.
she does have another UTI so she is back on cipro for that.
we are culturing both the urine sample from saturday and the new sample that was taken when i met with dr. dodds yesterday.
the panel didn't show any red flags for diabetes and dr. dodds is running another test to *hopefully* rule out cushing's.
should get all the results shortly,
her water intake remains as crazy as ever but in sway's case it just seems to come with the situation we find ourselves in.
thanks for the prayers.
...and it's almost the highest she has ever been since being diagnosed back in july of 2007.
so that is really reeeeeeeeeeally good news.
she does have another UTI so she is back on cipro for that.
we are culturing both the urine sample from saturday and the new sample that was taken when i met with dr. dodds yesterday.
the panel didn't show any red flags for diabetes and dr. dodds is running another test to *hopefully* rule out cushing's.
should get all the results shortly,
her water intake remains as crazy as ever but in sway's case it just seems to come with the situation we find ourselves in.
thanks for the prayers.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
difficult news
she is dropping again,
last weekend she was down a few points to 20%
this weekend she is down further, to 16%
i've been concerned for months.
thing is, her body is dwindling again, only this time...slower.
i don't know how to explain it but once you've been through it, you then develop an eye for even the slightest of change.
it's different this time than it was during our outset.
she was on such high doses of meds last year, and it broke her body into pieces...
it was a drastic dive into the ground; and with it came setback after setback.
for months she was a skeleton of a dog and it was just a nightmare that held her on the edge of death, literally.
then we got an answered prayer.
and here we are 9 months later...
yet what happens now?
at this moment the meds are reduced so much, and the changes in body are so slight that it's hard to know when to panic.
but those numbers can sure make your heart sink.
it's been a year now since she was diagnosed, and this is the first time since mid-september (and since the use of durabolin) that she has been below 19%
yet if you look at her weight, it's close to normal.
if you watch her interaction, it reflects an interested and capable dog.
from september of 2007 to june of 2008 sway has been holding a RBC count between 19-29%
this had become our 'new normal' and for the time being i was okay with accepting that.
but with each passing week i wondered to myself and aloud, why won't her count go any higher?
why has her skull not filled back out?
why is she so damn dependent on drinking as much water as she can get her hands on?
i know the steroids create a greater desire for water, but this is above and beyond being obsessed.
if sway had it her way she would never take her mouth out of the water bowl.
i keep in touch with dr. dodds and a few folks who have pets going through this same disease (like patrice) ... and the obvious thought is there's got to be something we are missing with sway.
so a few days ago i setup another in person with dr. dodds for july 9th in irvine, she is in australia right now.
the first time i met dr. dodds, sway was in the 24 hour hospital and so i was actually unable to bring her with me.
now, the hope is that we can take this a step further and possibly pin point what...if anything, we are missing.
i tell you,
just meeting with dr. dodds is such a morale booster.
i can't explain how recharged i felt after meeting with her in 2007.
it was like she validated that everything i was doing was okay.
in a situation like this, that is really important for someone to do.
i struggled daily with how terribly bad sway was doing physically.
it's tough to look back at that awful time and i'm praying that history does NOT repeat itself.
but my point is that dr. dodds replenished my conscience with a dose of hope that i desperately needed...
at this point her blood spin from a few hours ago has made everything much more urgent...
especially if her holding period is now over.
i have no clue what our next week is going to be like,
i have no clue what to expect.
please think of sway and send some good vibes her way.
my heart goes out to everyone who has a pet dealing with this disease,
may they all be given the strength to battle through it.
last weekend she was down a few points to 20%
this weekend she is down further, to 16%
i've been concerned for months.
thing is, her body is dwindling again, only this time...slower.
i don't know how to explain it but once you've been through it, you then develop an eye for even the slightest of change.
it's different this time than it was during our outset.
she was on such high doses of meds last year, and it broke her body into pieces...
it was a drastic dive into the ground; and with it came setback after setback.
for months she was a skeleton of a dog and it was just a nightmare that held her on the edge of death, literally.
then we got an answered prayer.
and here we are 9 months later...
yet what happens now?
at this moment the meds are reduced so much, and the changes in body are so slight that it's hard to know when to panic.
but those numbers can sure make your heart sink.
it's been a year now since she was diagnosed, and this is the first time since mid-september (and since the use of durabolin) that she has been below 19%
yet if you look at her weight, it's close to normal.
if you watch her interaction, it reflects an interested and capable dog.
from september of 2007 to june of 2008 sway has been holding a RBC count between 19-29%
this had become our 'new normal' and for the time being i was okay with accepting that.
but with each passing week i wondered to myself and aloud, why won't her count go any higher?
why has her skull not filled back out?
why is she so damn dependent on drinking as much water as she can get her hands on?
i know the steroids create a greater desire for water, but this is above and beyond being obsessed.
if sway had it her way she would never take her mouth out of the water bowl.
i keep in touch with dr. dodds and a few folks who have pets going through this same disease (like patrice) ... and the obvious thought is there's got to be something we are missing with sway.
so a few days ago i setup another in person with dr. dodds for july 9th in irvine, she is in australia right now.
the first time i met dr. dodds, sway was in the 24 hour hospital and so i was actually unable to bring her with me.
now, the hope is that we can take this a step further and possibly pin point what...if anything, we are missing.
i tell you,
just meeting with dr. dodds is such a morale booster.
i can't explain how recharged i felt after meeting with her in 2007.
it was like she validated that everything i was doing was okay.
in a situation like this, that is really important for someone to do.
i struggled daily with how terribly bad sway was doing physically.
it's tough to look back at that awful time and i'm praying that history does NOT repeat itself.
but my point is that dr. dodds replenished my conscience with a dose of hope that i desperately needed...
at this point her blood spin from a few hours ago has made everything much more urgent...
especially if her holding period is now over.
i have no clue what our next week is going to be like,
i have no clue what to expect.
please think of sway and send some good vibes her way.
my heart goes out to everyone who has a pet dealing with this disease,
may they all be given the strength to battle through it.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
just an update...
hello ya'll, we are still hanging in there...
last test was about a month or so ago and she was in the low 20's and holding.
(up a few points from the 19% in april)
we are just playing the cards that we were dealt and hoping that they will eventually improve.
i'm just thankful she continues to hold this number.
her number is very low compared to a 'healthy' dog, but it's not dropping below a certain level and i am thankful for that.
point is, it could definately be worse.
we have been there and fought thru some really difficult times and i don't ever want to be back in those darkest of days.
she gets another test on saturday so i will let you know if her numbers have improved.
thanks for thinking of us.
last test was about a month or so ago and she was in the low 20's and holding.
(up a few points from the 19% in april)
we are just playing the cards that we were dealt and hoping that they will eventually improve.
i'm just thankful she continues to hold this number.
her number is very low compared to a 'healthy' dog, but it's not dropping below a certain level and i am thankful for that.
point is, it could definately be worse.
we have been there and fought thru some really difficult times and i don't ever want to be back in those darkest of days.
she gets another test on saturday so i will let you know if her numbers have improved.
thanks for thinking of us.
Monday, April 21, 2008
setback
sway's latest PCV revealed a drop of almost 10% points :(
at the beginning of march she was at her highest level since diagnosis, 28%
friday's spin showed she was now at 19%
...it was an office spin and not a sample that was sent to the lab, so it's always possible there was a mistake made,
still is devastating though.
at the beginning of march she was at her highest level since diagnosis, 28%
friday's spin showed she was now at 19%
...it was an office spin and not a sample that was sent to the lab, so it's always possible there was a mistake made,
still is devastating though.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
pictures of the progress
the top picture is sway at one of her weakest points,
the bottom picture is sway 2 weeks ago, march of 2008.
(click the picture to enlarge it)
the bottom picture is sway 2 weeks ago, march of 2008.
(click the picture to enlarge it)
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
PCV = 28% !!!
since my dog was diagnosed with AIHA she has not had a net gain in her RBC % ...
and since june she has battled through different phases of this disease,
the 8 blood transfusions and in-ability to hold any kind of count,
the complete breakdown of her body,
the stroke followed by a weekend of near literal death,
the anabolic steroid and miracle hold,
the continued hold but with no re-generation,
the continued hold with signs of re-generation but no RBC gain,
the months of waiting with no RBC gain,
and now the first signs of building up her cell base!
this is the greatest thing for us, thank you God.
and since june she has battled through different phases of this disease,
the 8 blood transfusions and in-ability to hold any kind of count,
the complete breakdown of her body,
the stroke followed by a weekend of near literal death,
the anabolic steroid and miracle hold,
the continued hold but with no re-generation,
the continued hold with signs of re-generation but no RBC gain,
the months of waiting with no RBC gain,
and now the first signs of building up her cell base!
this is the greatest thing for us, thank you God.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
PCV = 20%
still no gains, very minimal drop ... as of saturday the 19th.
it seems that her body is working hard to produce them, yet they are just very small compared to the size of a normal cell.
...so even if she is now producing a decent number of new cells, the volume/size of those cells are so small that they are not making up any ground in the overall %
it seems that her body is working hard to produce them, yet they are just very small compared to the size of a normal cell.
...so even if she is now producing a decent number of new cells, the volume/size of those cells are so small that they are not making up any ground in the overall %
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