April 19b, 2005
Gem of the Day: Gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.
~G.K. Chesterton~
SEE A SHORT VIDEO OF BABY BLOSSOM AND I WHEN
SHE CAME INTO THE CLINIC LATE FRIDAY NIGHT.
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Baby Blossom's has had just an unbelievable roller coaster of a ride tonight at Texas A&M University!
She was supposed to have gone into surgery at 1:30 p.m. today. Then they moved it back a couple of hours. I think they might have wanted her to have more time on the Lasix, the drug for the congestive heart failure, that she was experiencing. She had fluid around her lungs. She was what they call, "Wet."
At around 4:30 P.M. this afternoon, they told me they were taking her into surgery to do the coil technique. What they do is this. They make a small incision in the thigh, and insert a tiny video camera into the femoral artery. After that, they insert a tiny plastic coil which travels to the heart and forms a blood clot in the heart!
Now, I know that sound terrible, but in reality, the blood clot FILLS IN the HOLE...WHERE THE MURMUR IS COMING FROM!
The blood clot soon becomes permanent tissue, thus repairing the heart murmur, and giving the dog a normal life with a normal life span!
When we first starting doing these surgeries, the weight limit was four pounds. The dog had to weigh at least four pounds in order to be coiled.
After we were doing them for a while, the doctors found a place in France or Spain, I believe, to make even SMALLER coils just for us...so that they could do the coil technique on THREE POUNDERS!
Anyone under that three pound mark, automatically had to go in for the ligation...the crack the chest open surgery, because their veins were too small!
So, tonight we had a first.
At over six pounds, Baby Blossom was more than big enough for the coil. They had her on the table and inserted the first coil...which promptly went to her lung instead of her heart!
Now before you get upset, this happens sometimes. Some of our own Heart Murmur Babies are sporting what the Docs there affectionately call a "Texas Heartworm."
Normally, the loose coil in the lung causes no problem at all.
Now what DID cause a problem tonight was this. Remember I told you guys how bad this murmur was? Well, it was too LARGE to coil. The saw they would not be able to finish coiling her, so they took her across the hall to the crack the chest open surgery.
They had to spread one of her ribs to get to the thing, but after they did...THEY WERE ABLE TO SEW UP THAT HOLE IN HER HEART AND HER MURMUR IS NOW REPAIRED!
She was under anesthesia for over three hours! I was pacing with that cell phone attached to my ear, waiting for news!
I wasn't home tonight while all of this was going on.
My husband Dale and I, took my Dad, and his room mate from the nursing home, Norman, out to dinner at Luby's Cafeteria. (It was Senior Night!)
So I wasn't home to send out an emergency SOS prayer request after learning of the problems she was having! Vicki Furstenburg sent it out throughout the teams in Texas and Oklahoma, and one of the Blanketeer's got it out on their message board.
Enough of you were praying, I guess! At about 8:45 tonight the phone rang. I gulped, and answered it, "Dr. Roland??? Did she make it?"
Dr. Roland answered back, "Now how did you know it was me calling?"
I already knew the news was good by the tone of her voice! In the past, I have gotten the other kind of call, and the tone sounds totally different. Trust me on this one.:(
She said...."SHE MADE IT!!!! She is waking up now! She is still very cold, and they are warming her up now."
I was at the nurses station of the nursing home, checking the guys back in when this call came. Anyone who has been near me in this type of situation knows exactly what I did. Just know that a very loud, "THANK YOU JESUS! THANK YOU GOD!" went echoing throughout the halls of Grace Living Center in Jenks, Oklahoma!!
I had to explain to the nurses what was happening and then they too were rejoicing with me!
The vet school just called again a little while ago. I looked down and saw it was A&M and was afraid to answer.
It was the fourth year vet student calling to tell me they had to spread one of her ribs, and it would be painful for her. They are keeping her knocked out with pain killers in an oxygen tent, to help her breathe. She won't be able to go home before Thursday or Friday.
For surgeons to be there at night, doing surgery, this had to be an emergency. I thank GOD they were available, and that we had volunteers who were off work and able to help us transport her down there!
I thank Dave Hagadorn who drove her to Wichita Falls Texas on Saturday morning. I thank Jim and Vicki Furstenburg, who used their private plane to pick her up on Saturday in Wichita Falls, Texas. I thank Rosie Welch who drove to meet them on Sunday and took little Blossom back down to her home, 30 miles from Texas A&M. I know Rosie was worried Blossom was going to croak on her watch, but thankfully, A&M took her in as an emergency!
Everything has worked together for the good of those who loved...this one tiny baby. Everything fell into place!
I know the bill will be higher than expected...but until I know how much more, I don't want to ask you for anymore help yet unbtil I do. As soon as we know the extent of the rest of it, I will let you know.
For tonight, hug your Bichons...hug your schnauzers, maltese, poodles, and every other breed that you love. Thank God for their health and Thank God for being with this tiny, precious one, when the chances were really against her.
When I first felt her chest, I knew were in trouble, and had no time to waste.
Thanks to each of you, whether you gave $500.00 or $5.00. Each of you helped to save this precious life...and we don't even know yet the human lives who will be touched for years to come, because strangers from all over the world came together...in prayer and in love, focusing on one tiny life...one tiny life...a life you had never even met yet...all because of this magnificent obsession called Small Paws Rescue.
I thank you for this from the bottom of my heart. Thank you! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! All my love, Robin
Robin Pressnall
Executive Director
Small Paws® Rescue
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