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Patti, I'm so sorry that your Lupus has flared up. I hope that can get better.
Thinking of you and Tipper.
hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin
Praying for you and Tipper too!!
Hi Everyone:
Well I called Dechra yesterday and explained the dilemma of Tipper being hungry and me not knowing if it is the cut back on food, or the cortisol rising. They told me I must test her before she can be put under, which I knew. I called the Vet and made arrangements to take her Monday at 11:00 for an ACTH. We need to get it back by Wednesday as I may have to cancel her IMS appt. depending on the results. I need to make sure she is safe above all other things. This is another added expense I did not count on so, I guess I better get out some crackers to eat this month! I do believe it is the cushings as she is drinking more water. I will let you all know her numbers when we get them on Wednesday. It is a shame this happened as the hospital called and said they could take her Monday instead. Told them I couldn't come, as she needed to be retested to see her cortisol level. Just when you think things are on an even keel a curve ball comes at you. I have dealt with a lot of medical issues during my time, with family members etc. but never anything as horrible as this disease can be. I hope Tipper's cortisol is not out of control, and that we can find out her breathing problem. She had mucus in both eyes this morning as I did not do the Benedryl last night. God Bless Us All and all our babies.
Patti
I'm glad that you got the right answer in time to reschedule Tipper's appointment! Try to relax and enjoy the weekend.
Hey Patti
Sorry you have hit another bump, best to be safe, fingers crossed the results are in before the 11th
I do think the vetoryl causes some congestion as I saw it myself with Tia. This disease is so complicated so I think you are doing the best for Tipper by checking it out, let's hope it doesn't cost as much so you can dine on more than crackers this month
Hope you both have a relaxing fun weekend
Big hug, kiss for sweet tipper
Mel
Xxxxxxx
good morning patti !!! i just wanted to pop in to wish you and tipper a peaceful,easy weekend.... patty(milo)meka xoxox
Hi Everyone:
Just a little update. Tipper was not real great yesterday. She paced a lot and was forcing me to feed her early by moaning, and getting into mischief to get my attention. I am sure her cortisol is rising as this is the same behavior she exhibited before when her cortisol was still to high. I t makes me a nervous wreck as she wants food all the time and I can't give it to her, she is the kind of persistant dog that will not let things go. She will keep on bugging you until she gets her food. It was an exhausting day to say the least. She was doing so well now this had to come up. Last night she was very restless also, was having trouble breathing, and wanted to get up at 5:00a.m. I know it is the cortisol, as when we finally got it under control all this had stopped. I noticed her starting all the licking etc too. If she has to go onto 40mg I guess I will be buying a 30 and a 10mg. I just do not want to have it compounded. So that will double the cost per month. It seems like you can never win even the tiny battles with this disease, it always roars back with a vengence. I have done nothing but cry, as I can see my girl get sucked in further and further by this disease every day. I will be on pins and needles waiting to here her results from the lab, although I am resigned to the fact that the cortisol is rising. Tipper has to go for a laser therapy treatment on Tuesday. She has to have touch ups every 4-6 weeks to keep up her initial therapy. I am going to get a bag packed up, in case she still is going to the hospital on Thursday so I am ready and don't forget anything. God Bless Us All, and all the babies we so willingly care for.
Patti, did Dechra say where they wanted Tipper's numbers to be prior to surgery?
Zoe was 7.1 or 7.2 and our surgeon and IMS okayed her for surgery but she had a spinal block as well so they did not need to use a lot of anesthesia, which is a different situation from Tipper.
I was concerned about Zoe having enough cortisol to handle the stress of surgery so we did not give her her Vetoryl the morning of surgery but we did resume it that night. I saw a definite spike in her cortisol after surgery and it took almost two months to come back down.
I am concerned for you and Tipper if you would have to increase Tipper's dose and then do surgery at the same time. I did that with Zoe last summer and that was just a minor surgery and I did not know which end was up.:o:o
I'm just a worry wart is all:o:o
Addy:
Dechra didn't give me any numbers for Tipper. When I get them Wednesday I will call them asap. I will also post them as I am wanting your opinion before proceeding with anything. If nothing else I will call Wednesday and postpone the hospital procedure. I am beyond a nervous wreck at this point. God Bless You and your baby.
Patti
Oh Patti,
this is not good news.
I know what you mean about Tipper being persistent! That is why Daisy's middle name is "monster". She bangs the food dish around when you're not fast enough with the food. I ignore her. Dachshunds gain weight easily and she doesn't need to add back problems to her list.
I know how aggravating this is. I'm sorry that all of us are going through this.
Take care sweetie.
Sharlene:
You are right I did have a consultation with Dr. Peterson. I just want to say right up front it was not cheap. I called his clinic in New York and left a message. His secretary called me back and we got the ball rolling. Be fore warned he will not do any consult or talk to your Vet without the fee being paid in advance. It cost me 400.00. I am now not so sure the money was spent wisely as I got much better help on here. When you are scared to death you do anything in an attempt to save your dog. My personal opinion is an IMS would be just as good, unless there are a lot of problems. Hope this helps. God Bless Us All and all our babies.
(Administrative note from Marianne: I've also placed a copy of this reply in Nicole/Chester's thread)
Mel:
So glad to hear from you. Glad you are making it alright. I barely slept a wink last night thinking of putting Tipper thru this ACTH today. It breaks my heart to have her go thru all this. I am going to call Dechra and set up a time on Wednesday to go over Tipper's results, and get some guidance. I need to know if her cortisol level will be ok to go under, and if she should have her pill that day etc. If not I will be calling and cancelling with the hospital for Thursday and rescheduling. I have gotten to the point I am so depressed I cannot stop crying. It is just overcoming me all day long. I have no family for support they are all passed on. I am alone in this and very afraid for my baby. All I have is the support of the wonderful friends I have made on here. I am so scared the diagnostic tests will cause other problems for her, or they will tell me something really bad. I am trying to be strong for her. I am going to have to find some type of work I can do from home as this disease has taken all my savings and then some. I need to be able to pay for Tipper's bills, and it is becoming extremely hard to do with my income. If anyone knows of any work at home that you can do please let me know. I will not leave her, so I must work from home. Sorry to ramble on, I am so tired I am just not well today, but I will go on for my precious baby. God Bless Us All and all our babies.
Patti
Patti, Thinking of you and Tipper. Praying all goes well for both of you. Believe me. I know exactly how you are feeling. It is so hard.
Hugs to you both.
aww patti i so understand what you are going through right now.we try everything humanly possible to help fix our babies.the last year with milo was exhausting and very taxing.i wish you some peace and quiet with your tipper and also pray that you can find some work to help you out with those bills,this is truly an expensive crap disease...sending you love,light and xoxox patty(milo)meka
Hi Patti,
I so understand your fears and pray all goes well today, that Tipper does well, and you have some answers and a plan soon. You will be surrounded today by your family here, lending you our strength, faith and hope.
Finances at my house are precarious to say the least. For several years I have often passed up refilling my own meds and going to the doc so I could pay for vets visits and dog meds. Where we live, there is a utility program for those under a certain income level that will pay your bill if you can't. When you participate, your utility bills are rounded up and the differences go into this fund every time you pay your bill. I have had to let them pay my bill twice - and it is humiliating but I am grateful this program exists. I also qualify for a program that exempts you from having to pay personal property taxes. You might check into programs like this in your area that might help with your bills.
For over a year I have tried to find something I could do from home to bring in a little income but it can't be reported income or I lose programs through SS that help with prescriptions and doctor bills that I cannot do without; I haven't found a single viable option yet. So, I have set up a page on Facebook where I am selling treasures that I have collected over the years, my own things, my grandmother's, aunts, mother's as well as some of my daughter's things - which is killing me. I have been blessed with a modicum of creative talent and will be adding ceramic pieces I am painting to this page to sell as well. Until this Monday, I was seriously considering selling my truck since keeping it insured and maintained is almost beyond my ability and takes funds my babies need. But the thought of having an emergency and not being able to get to the vet quickly made me decide to keep it for now.
I've talked with our PG vet and he understands my situation. He can look at the size of Squirt's file alone and know it's not that I don't want to spend money on them, it's that I no longer can afford to as I once could. He has said he would allow me to work off payments if necessary. Doc has been very good to us.
I don't know what your skill sets are but take a look at them then start looking into areas where those skills would be valued and see if someone might need an extra hand with something you can do on your computer, or phone, etc. If there is a university or such near by, post a flyer that you will type papers for a fee or help with research, etc. If you are like me, you will lose all pride and beg on your knees if needed.
Keep your chin up! I hope it helps a little bit to know you aren't alone in this struggle either.
Let us know how today goes and remember we are right by your side.
Hugs,
Leslie and the gang
Leslie:
I am blessed and comforted by your words. I will do whatever I have to to keep my Tipper going. I to thought about selling my car. How would I get her some where in an emergency though? I will figure something out if it kills me. I will let you know if I come upon anything to do from home. It is so sad that we have to deal with all the ramifications of this disease, and then worry about money too. This disease is merciless. I am waiting for the IMS to call about Tipper's appointment- I called them and explained the situation, and waiting for Dechra to call me back. Hope I can get her results tomorrow then I can formulate a plan easier. The IMS jsut called and said to fax over Tipper's results as soon as I get them and she will also give an opinion on whether or not to keep the appointment. God Bless You and your precious babies.
Patti
Hey Patti
Just wanted to know I am with you in spirit right by your side holding your hand today. Am supposed to be working but couldn't let this conversation pass by without you knowing this
Fingers crossed for decent ACTH results so you don't have to worry about that. If not for the strength and guidance from all those professionals to do the right thing for sweet tipper
Big hug, love
Mel
Xxxxxx
Patti,
there are organizations that may help with vet bills.
Please read the information on the following links:
http://www.humanesociety.org/animals...nary_care.html
http://www.aspca.org/about-us/faq/fi...vet-bills.aspx
Praying for you and Tipper.
I'm unemployed (soon to run out of benefits) and have exhausted what little I had. I know exactly the position that you're in sweetie.
Since I've been taking care of my father, I have yet to be approved or reimbursed from the VA too so I don't know what we're going to do after this.
xoxoxoxo
Hi Everyone:
I just came back with Tipper from the ACTH. We did an early detection blood panel, and a urine also. The Vet came in special as Tipper needed these results by Wednesday. I so appreciate him doing that for me, not something he would normally do. It seems he had some empathy for me today. He said aren't you well and I said my Lupus was acting up, and I can't sleep. I asked him if I could pay half her bill now and half on the 17th and he said yes. That will help me out as I have to pay the hospital everything when she goes. Tipper was very upset and just really dragged out, & panting, when I got her. These tests are really taking a toll on her. She has just about had enough. I guess we will have to tweak the meds if the cortisol comes back high. I guess after the hospital procedure we will get on that problem as Addy said she will need a little extra cortisol for her procedure, and I don't want her goin into Addisons. I still have 2 boxes of 10 mg Vetoryl left from her previous dose, so she will probably go to 40. So I have 30's now. At least I won't have to buy any for a month or so. I am trying to pull money from anywhere I can to make it work for my girl. I just hate to tweak meds as that means another ACTH in a month. I don't know how many more tests she can do. Her body is so misshapen from the cortisol wasting her muscle. It is heartbreaking to see knowing how muscular and strong she was. I am praying for that miracle for her. She has done all that I have asked of her with much grace. She is such a wonderful and intelligent girl, I must forge on for her sake. God Bless You All and all your babies.
Patti
Mel and Valerie;
Thank you gals so much, I am relying on your strength. I am applying to all websites for financial aid. The problem is a lot of them have no funds. Must have applied to 30 or so, some do not even respond. I will resort to selling any and all valuables I can to make it somehow. I will not let my Tipper down. At least the Vet gave me a break today and let me pay half now and half later. You girls aregetting me thru this thank you so much. I am glad to here Daisy has the snap back in her step. She is such a cutie. God Bless you Both. Mel you work from home? Are they hiring anyone? I need funds badly!!
Patti
Hi
I wish I could help I work for a company which let me work from home. I work in IT and have been at this place for 15 years so it's a perk
As you and tipper walk a mile a day maybe leaflet drops could be a good idea as you could combine her exercise with it then you wouldnt have to leave her
If you ping me your location via private email I will do some searching for you if that would help.
Love
Mel
Xxxxx
i love how we are all here not only helping with our pups but also helping others with other situations....very nice of you mel.ty :) patty(milo)meka xoxox
Sending hugs to you and Tipper too!
Hi Patti,
My heart just breaks for you and Tipper. I know though that you can both come through this, one way or another. Hopefully the ACTH will come back within a good range for here to have the hospital do their procedure.
I am wondering if the MRI wouldn't be more expensive or not to get done. Maybe you can talk to them about cost and then talk about payment plans or something?
Try contacting real estate agents about maybe doing leaflet drops for them. I always see those in my mailbox. Or maybe you could take calls for them?
Pizza places also seem to have people that take orders from their homes now. That is a possibility too, call service, you could be a real estate agent or doctors office call service and you'd just need pager numbers to get old of them, or maybe set up appointments for them.
I'm throwing out ideas as I think of them so no structure here.
HUGS! right here with you Patti
Sharlene and Molly Muffin
Hi Patti ,
Just wanted to tell you I'm thinking of you and Tipper.
Julie
Patti,
I'm so glad that I could give you a place to start! Crossing my fingers that someone can help.
Ironically, I went to a local restaurant where I know the employees quite well and tried to sell a few pieces of my jewelry. No luck, it seems that I'm not the only one in financial trouble.
Be VERY careful if you decide to sell anything to strangers and make sure that you know the value of your items. A general rule for jewelry is to expect to receive one third of what the item is worth in the current market.
Of course I'm hoping that you get true value, but PLEASE don't accept less than 1/3rd. Local pawn shops might be a way to go as well.
I truly hate they we're having to do this, but we'll do what we can for our furlets.
xoxo
Hi Everyone:
Last night we got a small storm. Since Tipper has been on the Vetoryl noises really spook her. She ran into my closet and hid as it was thundering. As if she didn't have enough yesterday with all the testing. I hate to make her go back out today, but it is her "tune -up" day at the laser Dr.'s. She only has to do a treatment once every 4-6 weeks now. She does need it since the ER Dr. screwed up her leg putting it thru range of motion. She was totally exhausted last night, so I hate to do this to her, but it will help her. Her blood pressure has been wonderful since the laser treatments. Thank you all for the help with finding some work. I live in a rural town in Northeast Ohio and the unemployment rate here is ridiculous. This is a town where the Amish drive thru with their buggys. This would not even be a problem in Pittsburgh my home town. My old job was very mentally and physically demanding. They would take me back in a minute, but with my health I cannot do that anymore. I was an Account Executive, which probably has as much stress as a brain surgeon. I got a call one day form Social Security about some jobs you can do from home that will not interfere with your fixed income. I think I saved the voice mail, and maybe I will give them a call. I hope Tipper and I can have a restful day as I am beat from all this. Wishing all the babies a good day. God Bless Us All.
Patti
Hi Patti,
We lived in a camper for a while and lightening struck in during a storm while Squirt was inside by herself. She has been terrified of storms since and getting progressively worse as time passes. At first, an extra dose of melatonin would help but that lost its effectiveness after a while. I bought a Thundershirt for her and a friend told me about the TTouch Body Wrap which I use that most of the time now. The Thundershirt helps but it makes it harder for her to move. I use an ACE bandage that has the velcro end for fastening; the bandage is about 3" wide. Here is a link to the TTouch Body Wrap -
http://www.crvetcenter.com/ttouch.php
The Thundershirt can be bought online or in stores like PetCo, PetSmart, etc.
As time progressed, she needed more than the melatonin even tho she was getting up to 18 mg a day sometimes so I started using Passionflower tea as well and that combination is helping for now and she doesn't need as much melatonin with the tea. She gets 2ml of the tea. I use powdered Passionflower from Mountain Rose Herbs, 1/2 tsp of powder to 1 cup of boiling water; let it steep for about 20 min. (If you use the dried flowers you would use more of them than the powder.) Then I draw 2ml up in a syringe and squirt it down her throat or mix in her food. Passionflower has the added benefit for her of offering some pain control. Skullcap is another one I have on hand that would help and it will be added if needed - made into a tea the same way. The teas are only good for a maximum of 24 hours in the fridge.
So, that's how we "treat" thunderstorms. ;)
Hugs,
Leslie and the gang
Patti, poor Tipper! I don't thunder, but lightning scares me. Daisy is fine - ignores it all like it's simply an interruption.
I hope that Social Security can find you work!
Hi Gals;
Thanks for the thunder info. Tipper started a few years ago to be frightened of storms and thunder. For no apparent reason it just started. The Cushings has kicked it up a notch into whole other stratosphere. I did purchase her a Thundershirt a few years ago and it just simply did not work for her. I am going to try the herbal remedy Leslie. It seems I have had good luck with herbs using them for Tipper. It looks like another storm is on the horizon soon. Well we will be in the car going for her treatment, so maybe she won't get so bad. Blessings to all.
Patti
Hello Again Everyone:
I just got Tipper's blood, urine, and ACTH results. Her pre on the ACTH is low it is 1.1 and the post is 2.3. I need Addy's advise about this as this is my first experience with this problem. Her appointment is Thursday for the Hospital. I faxed the IMS the results and she said Tipper should still keep come . I am wanting to know what everyone else thinks is safe due to this change??? Her bloodwork and urine results were good. I am such a nervous wreck I do not want to do the wrong thing. I hate to say this also, but sometimes these places don't want you to cancel appointments, because of money lost. I don't want this to be the case here, as I have no previous experience with this IMS. This is a reality and these things do happen, so I am not sure what to do. I am waiting to hear from Dechra also on this. I am scared to have her put under now. Blessings to all.
Patti
Patti,
I'm so new to this that I wouldn't advise you. I'm sure that one of the more senior members will pop online soon.
We have a hospital that gets paid by the number of human patients that they see and IT IS THE WORST place to go! I witnessed an UCI nurse make a huge mistake that almost cost my father his life so, I fully understand your fear!
I would hope that these people have enough of a conscience to not treat Tipper if they don't feel that it is safe.
Crossing my fingers!
The pre number doesn't mean alot in Cushing's - it is the post number only that matters as it tells whether the meds are working or not. Tipper's post number is perfect! :)
Hi Everyone:
Tipper got up this morning acting funny, and when I gave her her food she did not want to eat. Due to the low cortisol results I got yesterday I know it is that. I did not give any Vetoryl and won't. My question is she did not throw up or anything, do I just let her go or do I need to give her the prednissone? I am under the understanding of not giving it unless you absolutely have to is that correct?? She wants to go for her walk which is a good sign. I don't think there is any immediate danger right now- just don't know. Blessings
Patti
Patti, I don't read her ACTH as being low - the post number is right where it should be and the pre number is nothing to worry about.
Patti,
A post of 2.3 is not a bad number.:) Wait to see what Dechra advises. Whom did you speak to at the hospital? Is it possible to speak to the attending surgeon? IMO, if you cannot have a conversation voicing your concern about Tipper having enough cortisol to cope with the surgery and how will that be addressed, that is a problem and you press until you get an answer that feels right to you.
You call them right back and tell them "Since we are suppressing Tipper's cortisol with Vetoryl, I am concerned she will not be able to produce enough cortisol to cope with the stress of the surgery". How do we address my concerns?". That is the same statement/question you should use with Dechra.
How long is the surgery? What is the recovery time? Will she be staying overnight at the hospital? What day is the surgery scheduled for?
Patti, every dog is different, every surgery is different. I am not a surgeon nor a vet. I can only do what I feel is best for my dog, based on my history with my dog. In my dog's case, I believe her higher cortisol helped her with her surgery, but she seems to do better symptom wise with higher numbers, some dogs do, some dogs dont.
If Tipper is not eating this morning, how often has that happened after she has had an ACTH test? Is this the first time? How is she "acting funny" beside's not wanting to eat?
Zoe's surgeon told me her policy is to not give the drug ( Veotryl or Lysodren) the day of the surgery and she may even give prednisone that day as well. Because Zoe's numbers were already higher, I was satisfied with that answer and because she did so well durring surgery, I resumed her Vetoryl that night. But she did not have a lot of anesthesia as she also was able to have a spinal block for her surgery becuase of the location. Our plan was to get her home as fast as possible to reduce the amount of stress without putting her in a compromising position.
I was lucky that all worked out. So I am asking you to ask the suregon what is the plan to make sure Tipper has enough coprtisol to help her with the surgery and you have to be satisfied with their answer based on your history with Tipper and how she handles things
I'll check in later and I am sure others will be by to voice their opinion as well.
Good luck to you and Tipper!
I'm not the test expert so I'll leave that to the others.
Hugs and xxxx
Hi Everyone:
I just talked to my Vet. He said he has a call into Dechra to the Dr. He will discuss Tipper's situation with Dr. Fertig and get back to me. He said no Vetoryl, and watch for the vomiting and lethargic behavior. Theresa also called from Dechra and told me that her cortisol is low, but not in the Addison danger area at the time. Tipper is always ravenous and never skips a meal, and I mean never. She got up just acting real slow walking around, and she did not wake me to eat which is really odd for her. She was not going to get out of bed, and then I coaxed her to get out. Made her food and she turned her nose up at it. Theresa told me not to try and encourage her to eat, just as long as she is drinking, and let the cortisol start rising on it's own. Tipper will walk if all her legs are broken, so the fact that she walked this morning does not mean to me that her cortisol is ok. She will walk when very ill out of force of habit. Just now as I am typing this a few dogs are barking outside at the refuse workers. Normally Tipper would not let other dogs bark without her responding, and she is not reaponding to it, she is just laying there. She is just slower, laying down, and not moving around a lot as she usually does. Not lethargic as of yet. The Vet is in today thank God, so if I need him in a hurry he is 20 minutes away. This is the first she has acted like this so her cortisol may have gone down even further since the test on Monday, and that would explain this as her results could actually be lower than documented from the test. I will be stuck to her like Velcro today. As far as the appointment with the IMS I am cancelling it. She cannot travel 3 hours in this condition, I would not even attempt it. That will have to go on the back burner as this is todays priority. I am not going to risk her safety for anyone. I am having my Vet look into the procedures of this IMS Addy. I will not take her for an appointment there until she gives us some answers. I guard Tipper with my life and that will never change no matter who tries to convince me to do something I don't feel good about, I won't do it. I will post as the day goes on how she is doing. Jack Russells are one of the most active and high energy breeds, even when sick, so I know my girl like the back of my hand and she is not well. I usually go with my gut feeling and am usually right so that is what I am going to do. Bless You All and thank you for the help, I can always count on you gals.
Patti
Big hug from me and a kiss to sweet Tipper
Hoping she will be bouncing around like her old self later.
Will be keeping an eye, am working hence the brief post
Mel
Xxxxxxx