Surgery Day

Once Jackie gets someplace she feels safe and
comfortable, like the crate in the van, she is
reluctant to give it up for some uncertainty
that lies ahead. Maya came along for the ride
to the vet's office early Friday morning.

Jackie is doing well this evening after her surgery today. It turned out to be two surgeries. First they removed the stones from her bladder, over 150 of them. Yes, that's a lot. They were filling up most of her bladder, which is why she couldn't hold much urine and had to urinate frequently. They will be sent off to a lab for analysis, presumably to give a clue as to their cause and how to prevent her from developing more, although I'll admit I'm not entirely clear on this.

The surgery became more involved when they removed her spleen after discovering some sort of growth or abnormality on it. That will also be sent off to a lab. Removal of the spleen made her post-op recovery somewhat riskier, so she didn't come home tonight. Instead, I picked her up when the surgical vet closed about 5:00 p.m., and transported her a late night/weekend emergency vet clinic so she could be monitored overnight. The vet felt that if she hadn't developed any complications in the first 24 hours she should be in the clear, so I hope to bring her home sometime late Saturday morning.

The idea of discharging a patient, canine or human, on the same day of surgery is always a little scary, so I'm actually taking comfort in the fact that she's being watched by someone who knows what they are doing for the first night. 

The old girl is tough and she's a trooper. Consider the fact that she was never exposed to much of human civilization until this point, late in her life. All of a sudden she's being driven around in town, taken to new places unlike any she's ever seen, and has people poking and prodding at her. Not only is it all very new, but it's happening when she feels like shit and doesn't know what is happening or who to trust. And yet, she's been very good and cooperative for all the treatment she's received. I hope she is beginning to feel better already.  She's still pretty drugged up, so I think that must feel better. 

I am overwhelmed by the expressions of caring and support for Jackie, financial or otherwise. It all matters and I appreciate it personally. Thank you for caring and for helping in any way you can.

The morning light makes even black fur glow, and you
can tell that her coat is looking better already.

That's a holly bush behind Jackie, to
give this post a holiday theme.

The vet's office is in a small commercial strip development
which is common to all of us but it may have been a first
for Jackie, but she walked nicely with me and took it in.

"Oh what fresh hell is this?"

This is Jackie's post-op stroll down the hallway.
Notice the IV in her front left leg.

Going from one vet hospital to another was not what she was
hoping for, I'm sure, and when we got there she wasn't anxious
to leave the comfort of the van, but she let me pick her up and
lift her out, and then she walked in on her own.