Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Update!

Well, it has been a few days of events.

Namely, since last I wrote I was struck with a difficult situation: After a day of hot hiking, Flow collapsed and went into a critical situation known as an Addisonian Crisis, which is associated with Addison's Disease. Addison's, in effect is a failure in the adrenal glands to produce the needed Corticosteroids in the system. Well, after nearly dying Flow pulled through, and $1600 later, she was diagnosed with this rare disease and told that she will need a shot a month and a pill a day for the rest of her life. My general skepticism of the Western Medical Institution, my dislike of pharmaceuticals, and my faith in the human body and the natural condition, leave me fighting tooth and nail this negative prognosis--the prognosis, with this regimen of pumping my dog with steroids, is actually good, and would allow her to live a normal life for many years, and then eventually the pills would kill her.

In any event, I am heading to Austin t find a new vet, and hopefully get a second opinion. The 10mg a day of prednisone they prescribed her has her twitchy, panting, and aggressive, so I am slowly weaning down her dose as we speak. I am going to wean her off them and hve her blood retested, along with the ATCH Addison's test they performed, which was done before she was fully stable from the crisis, and could lead to a false positive.

I am practicing worrying less about it all, and simply being positive and attentive to Flow. My mom was super invaluable in the whole process, and she offered me not only wisdom and perspective, but the venue to simply speak my emotions and concerns. Her and my dad helped with the bill, which will allow me to spend some money on a second opinion and further testing. I am going to be going to a doctor who runs a small practice, and whom started out as a military veterinarian back in the 60's--I am done with big business vet clinics!

Aside from that, I am on the road to Austin. The car is packed and the wheels are rolling. I am caravanning with my friend Joe who just graduated from the Navy SEALS, and who is moving out to Virginia Beach to meet up with his platoon. In any event, he is driving a big moving van, I am in the faithful 4Runner, and our respective dogs are riding with their respective owners. We are using walkie talkies to coordinate our driving efforts, and to talk about random shit from time to time. Today was a long haul from LA to Tuscon, AZ. Tomorrow, who knows where we will end, but it will most likely be a La Quinta Inn, as they charge $60 a night and no pet deposit for three dogs.

GOOD NIGHT!

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