Hobbit Posted December 17, 2002 Share Posted December 17, 2002 :evilbat: :evilbat: FIRST --- BREATHE HOBBIT, BREATHE. Okay, my spouse took Guy to the vet today for his checkup. I am livid! Good news >> we have moved the leg 1/2 inch in length. It was an inch shorter than the other leg, due to the growth plate closing prematurally. BAD NEWS --- he's grown a 1/2 inch! Please insert [b]PRIMAL SCREAM [/b]here. Which translates into -- we have done nothing. All the pain for nothing. This is something we discussed SEVERAL times before the surgery. And he assured us that he'd leave plenty of room for him to grow. HE MUST HAVE FORGOTTEN THAT BIT OF VITAL INFORMATION. :x Oh...here's the part where I'm glad I wasn't there because I would have asked the vet to STEP OUTSIDE (wouldn't want Guy to see me kick the vet's butt or vice versa ....). He said, "Hum...it looks like the bone has grown back together, so we may have to operate again and rebreak it". :o :evilbat: HIS calculations were off. Well, we are NOT paying for that nor are we going to put Guy thru another one of HIS mis-calculations. FREAKING mis-calculation!?! Yeah, the bone grew more than he anticipated. WHAT?!? I am so mad I can't see straight. So, he wants us to double the adjustments (the pulling and spreading) & he gave us more pain meds -- because it's going to be painful. The pain med's are making him vomit now --- heellllo! No.....we're going back in on Monday for another x-ray; a conference with HIS boss; and if the bone has grown back together because of HIS mis-calculation they are taking the halo off and we are going to see an attorney. All this right after I choke the living crap out of him.....not really, but the thought of it makes me feel lots better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bullygirl29532 Posted December 17, 2002 Share Posted December 17, 2002 oh hobbit how sad. how is guy hanging in there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbit Posted December 18, 2002 Author Share Posted December 18, 2002 He is a happy go lucky boy. Never complains, always willing to do anything you put before him. His patience is starting to wear thin. He's starting to want to bite when we adjust the halo. He is so tired and weary -- you can see it in his face. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yellowlabsrule Posted December 18, 2002 Share Posted December 18, 2002 How horrible! I'd probably get an attorney to! How much did the surgery cost? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbit Posted December 18, 2002 Author Share Posted December 18, 2002 $3750.00 and every visit is $150.00 --- we go once a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yellowlabsrule Posted December 18, 2002 Share Posted December 18, 2002 YIKES, I'd definitely sue! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepseasnake Posted December 18, 2002 Share Posted December 18, 2002 first off, iy was quite funny for me to read your post Hobbit because Ive got [b]Black Sabbath's [/b][i]psycho man [/i]playing, so it made perfect mood music to your ranting to strangle the vet :lol: how long have you been using this vet? and are you in an area that offers a variety of vets or are you kinda rural? hey I'll extend the same offer to you that I did to Mei, [img]http://users.telenet.be/eforum/emoticons4u/violent/sterb110.gif[/img] you just let me know if you want the problem solved :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted December 18, 2002 Share Posted December 18, 2002 OH NO! That is terrible. I'm so sorry. Poor Guy. I can't even imagine your fury. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mouseatthebusstop Posted December 18, 2002 Share Posted December 18, 2002 :cry: so sorry Guy has been through all that for nothing, yes sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbit Posted December 19, 2002 Author Share Posted December 19, 2002 [quote name='deepseasnake']first off, iy was quite funny for me to read your post Hobbit because Ive got [b]Black Sabbath's [/b][i]psycho man [/i]playing, so it made perfect mood music to your ranting to strangle the vet :lol: how long have you been using this vet? and are you in an area that offers a variety of vets or are you kinda rural? hey I'll extend the same offer to you that I did to Mei, [img]http://users.telenet.be/eforum/emoticons4u/violent/sterb110.gif[/img] you just let me know if you want the problem solved :wink:[/quote] Deep, unfortunately it wasn't something that was easy that a general vet could take care of --- no, it had to be Orthopedic Surgury...by of course, an Orthopedic Surgeon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbit Posted December 19, 2002 Author Share Posted December 19, 2002 :cry: :cry: We've been home about 20 minutes (it's 10:46pm). Guy tried to bleed to death about 4:00pm today. One of the wires was rubbing an artery and it just rubbed it until it rubbed a hole in the artery wall --- dear Lord you have seen all the blood. Guy was out for his daily walk and it was like a pressurized water hose wide open. Blood was spurting everywhere. His wrap was literally soaked and dripping. Of course, we headed for the house --- trying to put pressure on it to make it stop, Guy would move, it was spurt --- blood on the wall, glass door, many places on the floor, porch and a trail from where it started. Two wash cloths, and 3 kitchen towels --- soaked. More towels and finally got it stopped. His leg swelled twice it's normal size (from the blood draining into the tissue). We loaded him up and took him to the Surgeon (2 hrs away). He pulled one of the pins out and said he needed to keep him over night >> gee, ya think?!? He also said, something like this isn't supposed to happen ( :o ) ... okay, it did. He said it's very rare, but can happen. YEP...it happened. The nice thing, Guy saw the nurses and the Surgeon and started wagging his tail. He was giving them all kisses. He really likes them > so, it's hard to be mad at someone your dog likes! So, we wait for him to call us tomorrow and hopefully Guy will get to come home. Poor Guy. I'll be glad when this is all over. I looked at the x-rays (some that I hadn't seen) and he has made GREAT progress with the leg, but it's all the other stuff that goes along with it that sucks. Something that made me do :o was we talked about other options. One option, he said was to leave everything like it was and continue and hope the Radius has not grown back together. Option 2 - go back into surgery and re-saw the Radius in half and keep lengthing the leg. Option 3 (the :o ) or amputate the leg. #3 is NOT an option! :x His leg still functions, it's just an inch shorter -- at no fault of Guy's (not genetic fault, a break fault). Anyway, I'm rambling --- it's late and I'm going to be in about 10 minutes. What a nightmare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbit Posted December 19, 2002 Author Share Posted December 19, 2002 Thanks. When we started all this, we never imagined all this would happen. I was just thinking to the day that the halo came off and he had a month of recovery, therapy, swimming to build him back up, and then on to do what he LOVES more than life --- herding the goats around. Never imagined this ---- I've appologized and asked forgiveness for this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted December 19, 2002 Share Posted December 19, 2002 Poor Baby Guy. I know it's hard on you, too. I'm wishing for good news for your boy tomorrow. Hobbit, I don't know how things work in your country, but most vets here in the U.S. (not all) do not charge for rechecks after surgery let alone $150 a clip. Is he a veterinary orthopedist or a general vet? Good thoughts for Guy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbit Posted December 19, 2002 Author Share Posted December 19, 2002 Pat, unfortunately he's an Orthopedic Surgeon and they charge for EVERYTHING --- on our itemized bill, I wanted to laugh but was just rolling my eyes > they charged for the medicine bottles that his med's came in. Yep, .75 for a pill bottle. Connie we asked the same thing. He just said, well -- THIS wasn't supposed to happen in the first place. So, he could not guarantee it wouldn't happen again. It's not likely, but our luck isn't likely anyway. What are the odds that the pin was placed in that particular region exactly next to major artery? If you didn't know, right next to the artery or in a bundle, are nerves. So, you know how painful that must have been > arching and sparking on a nerve as well as the artery. :-? I forgot to add, after he pulled the pin out, he surtured the hole closed in an effort to get the bleeding to stop. And he is back on Butorphanol (Morphine derivative). On the way to the hospital, he'd look out the window at the cows and look at me --- look at the cows --- and beg to go work them. He'd get excited when we pasted some in a pasture. Such a workaholic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepseasnake Posted December 19, 2002 Share Posted December 19, 2002 Hobbit, Ill bet that dog doesnt even know what hurt is. its like when you break a finger in a football game just play through it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted December 19, 2002 Share Posted December 19, 2002 My God. Poor Guy. He has been through too much already in his short life. Isn't he around 7 mths old? I'm very sorry that you and him and your wife have to go through this. At least his spirit is good... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted December 19, 2002 Share Posted December 19, 2002 Ok fly him or drive him up here and take him to NC Vet hospital. I will pick him up and take him. Ok unrealistic but just a thought. :-? Poor little man.. I was screaming the same thing in my head when I read the first part about him growing!!!!!!!!! What makes them think that a dog will not grow is beyond me!! Anyway as I try to get past this.... Could the pin have not been moved or placed in a different location? Lawyer..yes..I thought that post op visits were included in the total price? Even with a Ortho. Surgeon...I knew meds cost. but not the post op visits.. I WOULD talk to the vet that he talked with via phone in NC and ask him what happened and why no one looked for the bone to grow and other things.... I bet his opinion and say is different. For every door that closes another opens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbit Posted December 19, 2002 Author Share Posted December 19, 2002 The Surgeon just called and said Guy done well overnight, but wants to keep him until Friday late. He said he'd wave the ER call for last night and the next two days. Whew. Why? Well, my theory is because he's writing a research paper and since he MUST do so many a year to keep his job > he'd hate to lose this paper. Since Guy is the first dog in Texas to have the halo. Jacsmom - we discussed the charges and post op visits; it's like this with every "surgeon". A regular vet wouldn't touch Guy's leg and we obtained several oppinions. They all refered us to Orthopedic's. They are going to do some intensive therapy for the next 2 days to make sure this doesn't happen again. Makes me feel better. I worried because if it happened on a weekend, or when the Surgeon is off for Christmas (Dec 23 to Dec 31), we would either have to wait until he got back or use another Dr --- who was a "fill-in". If we take the halo off now > he is going to have to plate the Ulna because it still has a nice gap (it's all the Ulna's fault! :) ) It's growth plate closed too early -- that caused the leg to bow, because the Radius wasn't finished growing and caused the elbow to the pulled out of it's socket (OUCH). So, the elbow has been repaired. AND the ripple effect has stopped. Good thing. So, we are between a rock and hard place. We are just going to take this one day at a time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted December 19, 2002 Share Posted December 19, 2002 [quote name='Hobbit']The Surgeon just called and said Guy done well overnight, but wants to keep him until Friday late. He said he'd wave the ER call for last night and the next two days. Whew. Why? Well, my theory is because he's writing a research paper and since he MUST do so many a year to keep his job > he'd hate to lose this paper. Since Guy is the first dog in Texas to have the halo. Jacsmom - we discussed the charges and post op visits; it's like this with every "surgeon". A regular vet wouldn't touch Guy's leg and we obtained several oppinions. They all refered us to Orthopedic's. They are going to do some intensive therapy for the next 2 days to make sure this doesn't happen again. Makes me feel better. I worried because if it happened on a weekend, or when the Surgeon is off for Christmas (Dec 23 to Dec 31), we would either have to wait until he got back or use another Dr --- who was a "fill-in". [color=red][b]Well, he obviously gets paid the big bucks. He should be on call for the week he's on vacation for Guy, DANG IT![/b][/color] If we take the halo off now > he is going to have to plate the Ulna because it still has a nice gap (it's all the Ulna's fault! :) ) It's growth plate closed too early -- that caused the leg to bow, because the Radius wasn't finished growing and caused the elbow to the pulled out of it's socket (OUCH). So, the elbow has been repaired. AND the ripple effect has stopped. Good thing. So, we are between a rock and hard place. We are just going to take this one day at a time.[/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbit Posted December 19, 2002 Author Share Posted December 19, 2002 He's going to Canada. :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted December 19, 2002 Share Posted December 19, 2002 Oh. Well then. Off to see Jac and Forest it is, I guess! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbit Posted December 20, 2002 Author Share Posted December 20, 2002 Thanks. It really helps and means alot that everyone sends their well-wishes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted December 20, 2002 Share Posted December 20, 2002 Ok so no need to send the Calvary and Deep to the Ortho. Surgeon Office Yet??? Were there any Pugs around to keep Guy company?? :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carolk9s Posted December 20, 2002 Share Posted December 20, 2002 Sending my heartfelt best wishes to Guy and his loving humans. Hope he will be ok and you will get through this without crashing yourself due to the worry. Hang on little Guy, lots of love coming your way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbit Posted December 20, 2002 Author Share Posted December 20, 2002 [quote name='Jacsmom']Ok so no need to send the Calvary and Deep to the Ortho. Surgeon Office Yet??? Were there any Pugs around to keep Guy company?? :lol:[/quote] :lol: not yet. The Airlines won't ship an injured dog; so we'll just have to drive him to NC! No, Pugs this time. The vet said he was walking Guy and a Boston Terrier came wiggling up to him and he just froze, then hid behind the vet. The weenie! He said Guy had no problem with the larger dogs, but didn't know what to think about the small ones. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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