Erik

[cellio]

I talked with the surgeon. Erik is not coming home tonight. Probably tomorrow.

Biopsy report: severe cholangial hepatitis, severe pancreatitis, and by the way they found e coli in his gallbladder but IIUC the drugs they're giving him are knocking that down. Usually you starve e coli, he said, but (in his words) "we need to keep pushing the groceries into him".

White blood cell count is normal. He's anemic, but apparently that's normal given his condition. (I don't know if that means normal for this surgery, normal for one of the conditions he has, or what.)

He said probably the way to treat the pancreatitis is with steroids, but that can't start until he's healed up from the surgery. There's nothing we can do right now.

He was already being treated for the hepatitis; dunno if there's a dosage change coming or what. I need to review all of this with his regular vet, of course.

He declined to make a call on prognosis for all of this.

Meanwhile, I've talked with my manager about ways to accommodate the need for feedings every six hours (for a week or so). I'd been assuming mid-day runs home, but asked optimistically about taking over a small unused room and just bringing him in with me. (Probably won't work, but we need to ask the powers that be.) He suggested working half-days from home; I'll have to see if I can make that work.

Comments

[sekhmets-song.livejournal.com]

Way cool that the powers that be at your job are willing to help you out on this. I hope the experiment works!
We are pulling for you and Erik (pocketbook and health, respectively). Our kitties (save one) are getting way up there in years and that can make it a bit of a challenge. Luckily, so far (knock wood!), nothing major has gone wrong with them, but my mother is dealing with endcare for one of my childhood (okay, teenhood) kitties right now and it is really rough on her. He responds to therapy, but never gets to completely well. She hates to continue to put him through the IV, cortisone, vet trauma routine, but doesn't want to give up on him. It's rough, for sure.
My thoughts are with you and Erik for a speedy and complete recovery!

[cellio]

Thanks.

Way cool that the powers that be at your job are willing to help you out on this.

I was pleasantly surprised. I thought for sure I was going to be looking at alternate schedules or something.

I'm glad your kitties are doing well so far. I'm sorry about your teenhood cat (and your mom).