Guarded Optimism

Joey, Friday evening, August 27, 2010

Your 'Long and Short of it All' host 'Joey' continues to recover from his bilateral adrenalectomy and spleenectomy surgery.  Surgery took place Tuesday, August 17, 2010, and this is day 12 in his recovery.  He survived a pulmonary embolism post-surgery and is currently dealing with severe surgery-induced pancreatitis.  His pancreatitis spiked a second time a few days ago, and he was started on Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) to feed him and to allow his pancreas to rest.  He is on his second day of TPN therapy, which will run a total of three days at this point. 

And we've got good news to share!  Joey's internal medicine vet gave us a call yesterday, and with excitement in his voice, stated that he was very optimistic about Joey's recovery!  They ran another amylase/lipase, which points toward his pancreatitis, and one of the values is back to normal!  That's the first time one of those values has been normal since his surgery!   So, this is exciting news, but the real test will be whether or not he can handle some water which will be offered to him on Monday.  If he can handle the water, he will then be offered small amounts of food.  And if he can handle the food, he will soon come home!

So, obviously we're a bit guarded with this good news - the past few weeks have been a rollercoaster of emotions to say the least.  But we're remaining positive and aren't inviting the thoughts that everything isn't going to work out great when he is finally offered some water and food.  His pancreas will be fine and well rested.  It's simply got to be so.  This boy has had such bad luck thrown his way, that the entire universe has done a full 360 - and nothing but good things will be coming his way from now on.

And thanks so much for the continued well wishes, crossed paws, and prayers.  We know very well that it's all this positive energy coupled with a crack hospital staff that pushed down those values yesterday.  We're eternally grateful. 

We still read to Joey every night all of his comments and emails that he gets.  We're quite sure that the hospital staff have decided that we're certifiably insane for doing so, but so be it.  

More good news:  Joey now rests at the hospital in a playpen because he kept jumping down off his little cot.