Please pray for my little guy

[lulusmom]

My boy, Jasper, is in for exploratory surgery this morning in his nasal cavity. He has had recurring and worsening infections, violent sneezing and increased difficulty in breathing through his nose for the last three months. He had extensive dental done about six weeks ago that included removing several teeth, two of which were absessed at the root requiring closure of fistules with gum flap surgery. We were hoping that would solve the problem but it didn't. This is extremely invasive surgery in an area that tends to bleed so we had to get blood donations. My good friend, Jenna, stepped up and took two pit bull shelter rescues to the hospital last week as blood donors. They checked out fine so there is plenty of healthy blood on hand. The surgeon is board certified but that doesn't still the fear inside of me right now. Please think positive thoughts and/or pray for my precious boy. He's been through so much and I just want him to feel good again.

Glynda

P.S. This is Jasper

775

[Roxee's Dad]

Oh Dear Glynda,
We are here, sending prayers, positive thoughts, all fingers and paws crossed.

Going to light a candle for Jasper now....


(((HUGS)))

[labblab]

Oh Glynda, prayers are flying your way!

Marianne

[Squirt's Mom]

Holding you close in my thoughts, prayers and heart. Healing, strengthening energies flying your way, honey. Please let us know how he is doing when you can.

Many hugs and much love,
Leslie

[frijole]

Done. Stay strong little guy. kb

[mytil]

Oh Glynda, I am so very sorry. You bet!!!!

big hugs to little Jasper!!!
Terry

[Harley PoMMom]

Oh Glynda,

I am so sorry, and tons of prayers are being said and sent.

Sending healing thoughts and much love, Lori

[lulusmom]

Thank you all so much for the prayers well wishes. I just spoke to the surgeon and they are getting ready to start surgery. She explained that there are two spots to check out, one closer to his nose and the other much farther up his nasal cavity. He will have an open spot on top of his nose which will take 7 to 10 days to close over. Until then, they will leave a tube in that will be in the top of his head, to let the air escape so that it doesn't collect under his skin. It will be six to eight weeks before we'll see any real improvement and he will probably continue to sneeze and have a discharge but should be clear as opposed to mucousy. If it's a tumor, the biopsy won't be back for at least a week. My stomach is in knots.

[Budsters Mom]

Done and many more prayers to follow. Hang in there Jasper! What a sweet looking little boy.:)

[Budsters Mom]

We are all right by your side praying with you Glynda. I hope the waiting room is a big one. Many hugs my dear. Xxxx

[Trish]

I know what those hours spent waiting feel like Glynda, so as I head off to work I will be sending good wishes to you and Jasper to get through this surgery with flying colours, he is gorgeous xx

[molly muffin]

Oh gosh Glynda, I just saw this. You know my thoughts are with you and Jasper.
Come on Jasper!!

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[lulusmom]

Thank you everyone for being here for us. Your prayers and good vibes worked! The surgeon just called and it wasn't necessary to do the invasive rhino whatever you call it surgery. They were able to reach the involved area with a scope and remove debris that looked like it could have been dental tartar but they aren't sure what it is. Several samples are being sent out for biopsy and we should know the results in a week to 10 days. Keeping fingers crossed and praying that it's not cancer.

I could also use some of your good JuJu for my other boy, Buster. He's displaying signs of cushing's but I am more inclined to rule out diabetes first as he appears to be losing weight in addition to the PU/PD and a lot more interest in food. He's 11 years old and hasn't peed in the house since he was trained as a puppy. We have several accidents a day now. He actually stops mid stride and pees right in front of me, like it's perfectly normal. He is wearing #3 baby diapers now which don't seem to bother him in the least. I noticed droplets of blood in his urine in the last couple of days so he's on Clavamox. We'll be seeing the vet this week to find out what in the heck is going on with him.

[Roxee's Dad]

Just stopped in to check on Jasper and happily read the good news... Still sending you the good juju for continued success on Jasper and Buster.

(((HUGS)))

[lulusmom]

Wanted to share an email I just got from the surgeon, updating me and the rest of Jasper's medical team.


Hello! So as a summary, I just called Glynda to let her know that we didn't do the rhinotomy today since we instead saw & removed an abnormal area of material with rhinoscopy. That material will be biopsied and we also took a culture swab from the area. These results should be back within the next week. Jasper did well under anesthesia and is waking up now. He may sneeze and have more bloody discharge for a few days from what we did. Please let me know if you have questions and I'm anxiously awaiting results (as I'm sure you are too). Thank you for the opportunity to help this cute little boy! Take care!

[molly muffin]

That is a really nice note from the surgeon. Hoping everything is going to be very positive for Jasper and that you will figure out what is going on with Buster too.
Keeping these little ones in good health is a full time job it seems. :)

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[Squirt's Mom]

Oh, yay yay yay!! I am so glad it is over and not as invasive as first thought it would be! :cool::):cool: I know he'll be so glad to be home in your arms again. Let us know how he does over the next few days and the prayers continue for a clear path report as well as for sweet Buster.

Hugs,
Leslie

[Budsters Mom]

I just checked back in to see if there was news about sweet Jasper. I am so glad I did!:D I know that you waiting for results, but he came through the surgery well and it was less invasive. That is still wonderful news! Go Jasper!:D I will continue to pray for a speedy recovery for Jasper and add Buster to my prayer list too. When things are less hectic, please add a picture of Buster so we can see him too.

Many hugs,

[infoviewer]

Praying that little Jasper is out of surgery and doing well. Love, JoAnne

[mcdavis]

I've just seen this and I'm so very pleased that Jasper came through the surgery and they were able to do the less invasive procedure which will hopefully mean a much faster recovery. What a lovely note from the vet - it's so nice when they care.

Jasper, Buster and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.

[Simba's Mom]

Just saw this too, glad it went well for your precious Jasper, sending hugs!!

[Squirt's Mom]

How is Jasper this morning?

[lulusmom]

Jasper is amazingly alert, perky and acting like nothing went down yesterday. He had a serious sneezing and snorting jag early this morning but otherwise, is none the worse for the wear. He got a healthy steroid injection so I'm sure that has done an amazing job of reducing inflammation that has been ongoing for months. Mom, on the other hand, is still recovering from a serious string of panic attacks brought on by the worst case of worrywartitis ever in the history of the world. :D

[Squirt's Mom]

Worrywartitis! :eek::eek: Oh, no! it's contagious! :p:p:p I have set the bar for this, ya know! :D

I am so glad to read this post! Go, Jasper, go! :cool::cool::cool:

[mcdavis]

Yay - pleased to hear that Jasper is doing well today, and hope Mom feels better soon.

[infoviewer]

So glad Jasper is perky this morning and feeling fine. Sorry mom worried so. I think that must be our job. I worry so much it is hard to get a good night's sleep, while my little dog and husband snore away. I think God programmed all us that way. I saw Jasper's picture, what a beautiful furbaby. Love, JoAnne

[Trixie]

Just saw the news on Jasper. So glad he has recovered and is doing well! ;) It's great that the more extensive surgery didn't have to happen! Love Jasper's photo...what a cutie!
That worrying is just awful when it takes hold. Everyone here knows about that. Thank goodness for this board when the panic sets in!! Hopefully now that Jasper is better you will feel less worried too!

Barbara

[addy]

Oh Glynda, I am so sorry I missed all of this.

BIG HUGS

[molly muffin]

Go Jasper. :)

I hear the crash after a bout of worrywartitis is a doozy. Hope you are getting some rest too.

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[Budsters Mom]

Worrywartitis is highly contagious Glynda. You probably caught it from the rest of us.;) I am thrilled that Jasper is doing so well today.
Go Jasper!

Love and hugs to you, Jasper and Buster too!:):p

[Roxee's Dad]

How are the kids today ???

[Budsters Mom]

Yes, I'm just dropping in to check on the kids also. I hope they are both doing well.

[lulusmom]

Jasper is doing great...taking a nap at the moment but not yet his old self. I dropped Buster off at the teaching hospital this morning for a complete work-up. The vet student just called and gave me the preliminary results. His blood work looks excellent with no abnormalities but his USG is lower than expected for a first morning catch. I collected the specimen this morning. He is ready to go see the vet now who will be checking his heart. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they will have time to do an ultrasound and ECG. I'll report back when I know more.

I just got back from having a wellness check for my insurance at work and my blood pressure was perfect and you all played a hand in that. I so appreciate you all being here for us. It means more than you know. I went into this trying to prepare myself for the worst with my boys and right now, things look pretty miraculous for both of them. Prayers and good Juju are amazing things. :D

((((Big Group Hug))))

[Roxee's Dad]

((( Hugs )))

[spdd]

Seems like it's good news all around. :):):) It's nice to hear.

[Harley PoMMom]

(((Hugs)))

[molly muffin]

Great news!!
Super hugs
Sharlene and Molly muffin

[Budsters Mom]

Wonderful News! ((((((((((HUGS))))))))))

[Budsters Mom]

How are the boys doing now? Continuing to send thoughts, prayers and healing energy your way. Xxxx

[lulusmom]

The boys are doing well but I still have some concerns. Jasper is the best he's been in months with no sneezing jags or trouble breathing through his nose. That's great news but he did get a hefty steroid injection to help inflammation. It's possible that when the effects of that injection wears off, the inflammation could return and he'd start showing the same sad symptoms. All I can do is hope and pray that whatever they took out of his nose is benign and gone forever.

While the vet student told me that Jasper's bloodwork was great, she left out a very important fact. His albumin was actually low so they ran a special test to check his ionized calcium levels and results were low. The vet said it could be from his diet or it could be that we've put too much stress on the kidneys with heavy lasix dose. Right now he is on calcium supplementation and we've eliminated the evening dose of Lasix. He goes back on Wednesday for a recheck and another xray or ultrasound to check a suspicious spot that they couldn't really identify because Buster was full of crap. We all walked him all over hell and back and he would not poop for anybody, not even mom. Next week we're going light on dinner the night before. I'll keep you all posted.

[Budsters Mom]

Thanks Glynda for the update. I'll keep the prayers going or your little guys.:p xxxxx

[Squirt's Mom]

Prayers, healing energies, and positive thoughts continue flying your way. Jasper, Buster and you (and your mom ;)) are named when I light my candles in the mornings, too. Let us know how things are going.

Hugs,
Leslie

[goldengirl88]

Glynda:
Many prayers going out for your baby, Tipper and I will pray for them every night. Hoping it all works out. Blessings
Patti

[Budsters Mom]

Heh Glynda,

How are your little guys doing?

[Trixie]

Hoping Jasper will do just fine with less lasix, and even after the injections wear off I hope he will still be doing great...sending positive thoughts for your little crew!

Barbara

[Jan W.]

I just started reading this thread tonight - I have another dog that has a history of violent sneezes also. We noticed that she had damaged a tooth one time and did not know how it happened and took her to a dental vet and he wanted to do a root canal and while in there he would clean her teeth which cost us over $2000 that time. I was taken aback that we would be spending that much money for root canal on a dog rather than just pull the tooth if it abscessed, but I decided I didn't want her to be missing any teeth. Well, this happened again. And again we had a root canal done. He said that she had the beginnings of an abscess so felt lucky that we were doing this at this time. But this time I noticed that she hit her head on the ground during a violent sneeze and questioned the vet about this being the cause. He stated that he had another dog on the operating table ready for a teeth cleaning under anesthesia and the dog did a violent sneeze in front of his eyes and hit the table hard and broke one of his large teeth off.
So wondering if your little guy may have gotten an abscessed tooth or teeth this way. But none of it explains why they do it in the first place. I have heard that some dogs will be sniffing around and suck up something like a foxtail into their nose which can cause all sorts of problems and I suppose violent sneezing.
Now my dog is doing something new - excessive drooling in cool weather and when she gets excited like eating snowballs. Thought this may be a side effect of whatever is causing her to sneeze. No one seems to know and when she drools like that it lasts for several minutes to hours and she acts like she is scared or uncomfortable.
Anyway glad to hear that things are looking up and everyone is wrapping their arms around you all for hugs and prayers. Jan W.

[lulusmom]

Hi Jan,

Sorry for the delay in responding to you but I just got back from several days without any real computer access. i have a Smart phone which is much smarter than I am so that isn't real handy for me either. Anyway, to answer your question, Jasper had a ton of dental work done before they finally scoped him. I told them four months ago that I thought he had a sticky pod from one of my trees up his nose. They didn't seem to believe me and launched into a full scale dental procedure. His two front canines were supposedly abscessed at the root with big fistulas from the root to the nasal cavity. He was under anesthesia for 3.5 hours while they removed the teeth and performed gum flap surgery. When that didn't seem to help, they had me take him in to anesthetize him again to check out the surgery site and check for any other possible causes. We went through this crap for four months and he was still suffering. He too was sneezing so violently that he was drilling his face into the floor. I'm surprised he didn't break anything. It was frightening.

I finally went to an internal medicine specialist who didn't want to do anything until a dental specialist did complete dental xrays and exam under anesthesia to rule out root remnants, etc. That was going to cost me from $1500 to $2000. The IMS didn't care that Jasper had already had extensive dental work done and that the last dental xray showed no remnants but did show something in the nasal cavity that showed calcification or mineralization. I was so pissed off. I went back to the original vet who referred me to that facility and who also a professor at a teaching hospital. She sent an email to the entire faculty explaining Jasper's case and the next thing I know, I get a call from the vet who said the hospital made it possible to set up a rhinoscopy to be done by a board certified surgeon who pretty much donated her time. She removed the tissue that was calcified and sent it out for biopsy as well as a culture. Biopsy came back as benign but culture showed a bacteria that was not being addressed by Clavamox so he was put on Baytril. Right now we're waiting for the antibiotics to continue to do their job in the hopes that whatever was causing the problem is gone and it's just a matter of getting the inflammation under control. The surgeon said that it could very well have been the sticky pod and it was broken down and absorbed after all this time, leaving the mineralization and inflammation. Ugh. If only I had bitten the bullet and gone with my gut.

[addy]

Dang, Glynda, that is some journey.:( I sure hope Jasper starts feeling better and you can put this all behind you.

I sure do know that ticked off feeling though;) Hugs and love and belly rubs to Jasper.

[Budsters Mom]

Glynda,
How are your boys? Xxxx

[lulusmom]

Hi Kathy,

My boys are doing okay at the moment. Jasper finally had a rhinoscopy and the culture and biopsy were both benign. I suspect that he inhaled a tiny sticky pod that our poplar trees drop every year. The vets at the teaching hospital wanted to rule out dental so did xrays and found two abcessed teeth requiring major surgery (gum flap/grafting). That surgery just about did him in and he wasn't himself for days. Once recovered, he continued to do the same snorting and snocking like something was in his nose. The teaching hospital told me I should take him to an internal medicine specialist to have a rhinoscopy. So off I went to the specialist, who didn't want to touch him until their dental specialist ruled out remnant roots, etc. I explained that the dental specialist at the teaching hospital already did that but they seemed unimpressed and wanted to move forward with a complete dental exam which was going to cost between $1500 and $2500. I was floored. I called the vet at the teaching hospital and told her what happened. She was already feeling guilty for not identifying the problem sooner so she asked me to give her time to talk to the staff. She ultimately recruited a board certified surgeon to do the procedure at a fraction of what a specialty hospital would charge. They explained that they thought it was a foreign body that his body absorbed but surrounding tissue had calcified. So far so good for Jasper.

I've not shared this with many people but I'm feeling strong enough to share with my family here. I'm going through a costly divorce, leaving me no choice but to sell my home in California and move to my second home in the Arizona mountains. The value of that house has plummeted so I'm under water with no way to sell it. What I wasn't prepared for was for the vet to tell me that if I took my boys with me, Buster would most definitely not survive long due to the lack of oxygen at this altitude and they couldn't guarantee me that Jasper would survive either. I was beyond devastated and had no idea what I was going to do. I couldn't imagine not having my boys with me but short of sleeping in my car with them, which I couldn't do because there would be no room for my elderly mom, whom I care for, the only option I had was to try to find someone I trusted to adopt them. I was emotionally crippled at that point. I had already lost Jojo and Lulu and now I was going to lose my other babies.

When I took Jasper back for his recheck, I told the vet what I was going through and she cried with me. Thinking back, I do think I was pretty pitiful. :o She was there when I got the bad news that I could kill my boys if I took them to the mountains. I crumpled to the floor that day and sobbed, asking God why this was happening. Then she told me the most amazing thing. She said she and Jasper had become good friends during the numerous days he'd spent at the hospital with her and that he melted her heart on the first day. She had talked to her husband and her two daughters and they all agreed that they wanted Jasper to be their boy. The wave of emotions at that moment was something I'll hopefully never experience again. I'm shattered because I'm between a rock and hard spot and I can't figure out a way to stay with my boys and now I have this wonderful vet, who carts Jasper around in her lab coat all day is actually telling me she loves him enough to want him to be part of her family. The gut wrenching heartbreak of losing him to anybody was momentarily tempered by the elation of this news, which was immediately overshadowed by the realization that this was real and I was going to have to say goodbye to my baby boy. It was almost too much for me to bear.

The boys and I had been staying with my good friend for two months after selling our home in California. When I got to her house that night, with tears streaming down my face, I finally told her everything. She grabbed me by the shoulders, looked me in the eyes and told me that nobody but her would have Buster and that she would take very good care of him for me. So Buster is with my best friend, who even though calls herself Aunt Brenda, I know she's his mom now. He has five canine siblings who he came to know before I left. Jasper is with his new family who adores him. He has two human sisters who fight over whose going to sleep with him and two canine siblings, who readily accepted him into the family. God listened to my prayers and sent Christine and Brenda to me at the worst time of my life. I keep in close touch with them, get frequent family photos and progress reports. I do plan on trips to California on business but I'm not sure if I could bear saying goodbye to them again, but only time will tell.

I am not without a canine companion, however. I have Sophie, a permanent foster Brenda was taking care of. She took Buster and I took Sophie, a very old gal with a perfect heart that can handle the altitude, but she is not without issues. She is underweight, a picky eater, has a fused disc, pretty bad arthritis, separation anxiety and incontinence when sleeping. She's a good girl and she's my shadow. We're helping each other heal right now and I anticipate we'll both be a work in progress for some time to come. I'm 62 years old and have never experienced this kind of emptiness and hurt. There is rarely a day that goes by that I don't sob...not cry but sob. Telling the story again has unleashed a new flood of tears. Thank goodness I telecommute now and don't have to worry about hiding my swollen eyes. :)

You just never know what life will bring so cherish your babies and enjoy their presence every minute of every day.

Glynda

[molly muffin]

Glynda, I don't even know what to say at the moment, that is such a life devastating event on so many levels. I'm very happy that your babies have a good home though just at the time it was needed.
I'll send you buckets of love and hugs.
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[Roxee's Dad]

Oh my gosh Glynda, I am so sorry to read this. These days life is hard enough without all the emotional ups and downs you have been going through.

Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers and hoping everything begins to turn around soon.

(((HUGS)))

[Budsters Mom]

Hi Glynda,
OMG!:eek: My heart hurts for you. I sent a PM. (((((Hugs))))) Kathy

[Bo's Mom]

(((((hugs)))))

[Squirt's Mom]

My dear sweet friend, you know how very much you mean to me and to my babies. You made us a family, you brought Light and laughter into my world through Trinket and Brick during one of the darkest periods of my life. You have been a shining example to me in so many areas I can't list them all; you teach me almost daily and guide my steps on many paths by your stellar example. Any opportunity to say, "Glynda is a friend of mine" is one of the greatest blessings in my life. That your "husband" failed to see what a blessing he held in his hands is beyond me and the words I have to express this fully are not suitable for this venue. To sum it up - he's a freakin' fool.

I want you to remember something and take it to heart. In Nature, Chaos is the foundation for change and growth - without Chaos, there would be no flowers, no trees, no birds, no butterflies....in short, no Beauty. For plants to grow, the seed must be destroyed. For birds to fly, the egg must be destroyed. For the butterfly to emerge, the caterpillar must be destroyed. The same is true for the human species. It is through Chaos that our true beauty can come forth, that our true strengths are discovered, that our true purpose is made clear. I know without one single doubt that my friend Glynda is going to rise from the ashes of this destruction like the Phoenix, blazing in Beauty and Strength.

I love you, dear friend, and am here anytime you need a shoulder.
Hugs,
Leslie

[spdd]

Oh Glynda... I can relate to you in so many ways. Here I am the same as you and going through a divorce. Although my circumstances are different, I know exactly how you feel. I didn't want to upset Keesh and couldn't bear to part with him, so I've hung around a loveless, household now for much longer then I ever expected. I said when Keesh goes, then there's no reason to come back to this house anymore. The little guy is hanging in (thank goodness) so here I am too. I do have the luxury now though of at least getting the house in decent shape to sell, the downside was I had to give up the most lucrative part of my business to start the divorce process. It's even harder without that cash coming in.
This isn't my first rodeo either, but it doesn't make it any easier.
I am so thankful that you found such loving, caring people to take your babies and what a blessing that you have another "shadow" to keep you occupied.
If you want to vent or just have another shoulder that understands what you're going through, please feel free to email me. The worst is still ahead of me, so who knows, I may be on here just ranting and raving soon.

[Harley PoMMom]

Sending huge, loving, and comforting hugs, Lori

[scoora]

Glynda, I'm so sorry to hear what you have been through.
Big hugs!

[Budsters Mom]

Thinking of you Glynda and sending love.:) ((((((HUGS)))))

[goldengirl88]

Glynda:
Praying for you and your little guy. You have been through a lot, and I hope it all works out. Blessings
Patti

[FemaleK9]

Glynda, I'm SO sorry for all you are going through. You have been such a rock for so many frantic dog owners here, I wish we could do more for you.

[mcdavis]

I am so very sorry to hear about everything that you are currently facing, especially when you have done so much for so many people.
However I was so pleased to read that you had found such loving homes for your boys and that you had a wonderful companion.
I truly hope that things get better from now

[Budsters Mom]

Hi Glynda,
Popping in to deliver many more loving hugs to you. A belly rub for sweet Sophie. Xxxxx

Kathy

[addy]

If anyone can persevere through such a traumatic event, it is you for you have more strength and courage than anyone I have ever "met". Life can be very unfair at times and you certainly only deserve the best life can offer, not this.

When I was going through a rather nasty divorce my very wise employer at the time told me "Addy, I know you don't believe this now, but one day, life will be beautiful again."

You have been asked to give up a lot and had your entire life turned upside down this past year. You have lost so much and it should not have been asked of you but Glynda, please know that one day, life will be beautiful again.

lots of love