We've been trying to not make a whole lot of noise when Rocky's sleeping, since he tends to get agitated fairly easily and won't go back to sleep. So yesterday I was trying to discreetly check my email on my phone in the morning and I got an email from the Neurologist at 9 am telling us some abnormalities had come back with Rocky's CSF (spinal tap - CerebroSpinal Fluid - the results needed 48 hrs to process) and could we please bring him in for further blood work? Long story short, lots of re-reading the email later - there is a slight possibility that it may be an abscess on his brain as a result of an infectious diseases, rather than a tumor as a result of cancer. With cancer - his spinal fluid would have come back clear. She said this is very, very rare - but definitely a possibility. Do you realize what this means? A crap-ton of antibiotics (and possibly a aspiration, but fingers crossed it won't come to that, either) - and he could be all better! So now we wait, up to two weeks, for the cultures on his CSF to come back from the lab in Colorado - so pray, please pray, that this is a bacterial infection that can be cured with $50 worth of antibiotics!
In the meantime, we treat him for both the tumor and the abscess. Poor pup currently takes 13 pills a day, in varying intervals throughout the day. We have color coded charts and alarms everywhere, as they told us it was important that his antibiotics be evenly spaced.
This is what his section of the counter - we go through about 10 pill pockets a day (we combine some of the tabs to conserve pockets)!
For the most part, you wouldn't know he's sick. A little tired, maybe - he spends most of his day like this:
(if you look close by the collar, you can see where they shaved his neck, he won't let me get a good pic)
They said with the antibiotics, if they were working, you'd see a noticeable change within 24-48 hrs. Well, not to read too much into it - but - he's currently barking his head off at me because Joe hasn't picked up his dinner off the table. AND, last night/today he's jumped on and off the couches and bed, completely unprompted. AND, he does 'paw' for treats (hey, he's getting them all day long now, he's gotta do something for them!)
AND he plays! Not long, and not hard - but you try taking that duck away from him!
So today, we're thankful. And hopeful. Please be thankful, and hopeful, with us :)
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