... and all I got was this cruddy T-shirt!
It is POD # 27 today. This coming Tuesday will be the 4-week mark since Ozzie's surgery. I was not planning on blogging about this any more (remember, I was trying to move on with my life!), but then Oz developed a fairly serious post-operative complication last weekend. It is likely that he had a chronic small air leak from the bronchial stump after his surgery. By the time that I noticed his breathing was a little funny and took him to the emergency room, he was functioning on a third of his right lung. The left lung was entirely collapsed and the right lung was partially collapsed from air crossing over the mediastinum.
After a thoracentesis to remove a large amount of air in his pleural space, Ozzie had a chest tube placed and for a week we nervously monitored the air output and chest radiographs. By yesterday evening, the air output was miniscule and his chest radiographs had been stable for 48 hours. Thanks to the input of some very notable and brilliant surgeons (including you, Dr. C!), we felt very comfortable with his condition. The chest tube was pulled, and we were able to pick him up and bring him home. The photo above is in the "Family Room" while we were waiting for his discharge papers last night.
Anyway, we are not in the clear just yet, and even blogging about this is making me feel a bit nervous. I hope that I am not jinxing my little pup. Tomorrow, we will obtain a follow-up chest radiograph and see what he looks like. If the air has re-accumulated, then we are likely looking at an additional surgery to repair the bronchial stump.
There are so many people thinking about him and praying for him right now. This and the fact that Oz has been through so much in the past couple of months lead me to hope that his pneumothorax and the past week in the animal hospital have to be the coup d' grace of his medical history. I would sure like him to have a break from the veterinary community at this point. Plus, it is getting to that time of year when he loves to be outside ceaselessly patrolling the yard and barking at passersby! It would be a blessing if he were up to snuff in the next couple of weeks. Our little Republican needs to get back to work to pay for his healthcare.
By the way, in case you were wondering, the turquoise fishnet stocking tee comes off later today...
After a thoracentesis to remove a large amount of air in his pleural space, Ozzie had a chest tube placed and for a week we nervously monitored the air output and chest radiographs. By yesterday evening, the air output was miniscule and his chest radiographs had been stable for 48 hours. Thanks to the input of some very notable and brilliant surgeons (including you, Dr. C!), we felt very comfortable with his condition. The chest tube was pulled, and we were able to pick him up and bring him home. The photo above is in the "Family Room" while we were waiting for his discharge papers last night.
Anyway, we are not in the clear just yet, and even blogging about this is making me feel a bit nervous. I hope that I am not jinxing my little pup. Tomorrow, we will obtain a follow-up chest radiograph and see what he looks like. If the air has re-accumulated, then we are likely looking at an additional surgery to repair the bronchial stump.
There are so many people thinking about him and praying for him right now. This and the fact that Oz has been through so much in the past couple of months lead me to hope that his pneumothorax and the past week in the animal hospital have to be the coup d' grace of his medical history. I would sure like him to have a break from the veterinary community at this point. Plus, it is getting to that time of year when he loves to be outside ceaselessly patrolling the yard and barking at passersby! It would be a blessing if he were up to snuff in the next couple of weeks. Our little Republican needs to get back to work to pay for his healthcare.
By the way, in case you were wondering, the turquoise fishnet stocking tee comes off later today...
2 comments:
What a fashion plate he is in his fancy dress shirt.
So glad he is home with you now and getting ready to live the life he is used to.
Mom and I will continue to pray for Oz!
As I said in my notesd to you:
"HE WILL MAKE IT!!!"
O-zone looks fantastic in blue. I am glad he handled the chest tube drama with more patience than a human would!
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