One Step Back

I will not cry. I will not cry. I will not cry, I thought to myself over and over after I read the email from Heather's V-E-T. The sheer frustration of having no control while doing everything that I can and the overwhelming feeling of being powerless in a battle to achieve good health overtook me. After a year's worth of testing, close monitoring, fretting over the slightest variance in behavior and thousands of dollars in veterinary care, I was completely disheartened to learn that the slow but steady decline of Heather's ALP liver value we worked hard to achieve was no more. Much to my dismay, quite the opposite was true. Her ALP liver value spiked to 869, according to this last test - up 350 points or so since we last checked in January.

Emotions were all over the place and so, I opted to call it a night and sleep on the information I had been given before I turned to the blog to share the news. Not knowing what is going on is the hardest part and I was a wreck last night thinking about what it would mean if the Cushing's test results come back and she doesn't have it after all...Thinking rationally, however, I really wouldn't be so surprised if she is diagnosed with Cushing's disease. I don't know much about the disease (yet) but research has shown me it could be why she doesn't have as much hair on her belly as Mr. K, why her liver values have been so abnormal and even a possible explanation for why the wound on her skull opened up again, as dogs with Cushing's can devlop thin or fragile skin. On the one hand, I don't want to hear my little girl has Cushing's but on the other, it would be nice to have an explanation for these things.

Additionally, Heather's test revealed she is "antibody positive" for Ehrlichia, a bacteria the V-E-T says is trasmitted by ticks. This one doesn't surprise me because when she was rescued two years ago, she was covered in ticks. However, what stumps me is that I do not recall this having been picked up in testing before. The V-E-T says dogs can carry this for years after exposure. To be safe, I have chosen to have her platelets tested again the same day she goes in for Cushing's testing to make sure they aren't low. Last but not least, Mr. K's bloodwork came back clean. It has been nearly one year and three months since the mystery illness struck him and I think he is going to be as healthy as ever. Some crystals did show in his urine test but the V-E-T is hopeful they were only there because the urine sat a while on the way to the lab. To be safe, I'm letting them check again (this time in-house) to be sure. This does scare me a little because both Heather and Mr. K had crystals in their urine during their respective health scares last year.

Ok, there you have it: a full and complete health update on Heather and Mr. K. Be sure to check back throughout the week for updates or subscribe to receive the news as I get it. Plus, it is a big week for the Scottie Mom and kids as we will be giving our followers a glimpse into the new house before we even move in. In terms of testing, I imagine we should get Mr. K's results back rather quickly. I'm not sure, however, how quickly we'll know whether or not Miss Heather has Cushing's. In the meantime, keep the Scottie Mom kids in your thoughts and look to hear from us again on this topic soon.