Nicki's Story

Hello Friends;
 
I would like you to meet Nicki (scroll down).  I rescued her from a high kill shelter a week ago Saturday.  I was told that her owner had died, and no one in the family wanted her so they put her in a cage and left her there to die from starvation.  Somehow, she ended up at this kill shelter.  She only weighs 4 lbs too. When I got her home, she was so weak she could not even stand up or walk. I immediately took her to my vet. The neglect and abuse was so severe that she was dehydrated, had lost most of her hair which you can see in the 2nd picture. The hair around her face was sticky and matted so I was able to trim her up a little.  Her back bone was protruding from starvation, and you could count every bone in her little rib cage. She has  a very bad skin condition, she has an URI, cough, snotty nose and her nails were so long that several had started to grow into her skin. She had an inner ear infection so bad that when she was finally able to stand, all she did was walk in circles. Around and around and around until she fell over. The vet suggested that might have been caused by a blow the the head. (sigh).
 
I took her home to nurse her with 3 medications, A/D food and Rebound liquids and shampoo for her skin.
 
She was back at the vets office on Tuesday because she was coughing all night long and pacing and again on Thursday.  I dropped her off at the vet on Friday morning, and I picked her up on Friday after work. By now, she had pneumonia. It was 4:00, by 7:00 that evening she had gone down hill so fast that it was just a shock.  Her tongue was hanging out and colored blue, she was having agony breathing and gasping, her eyes and nose was filmy and runny.

I tried to give her fluids but it just ran out the side of her mouth. She could not lift her head or move. It was the worst experience for both me and her and I haven't cried like that since my mother passed away. I was distraught and was afraid to move her from fear that might kill her but if I didn't she was going to die. I was just a basket case. At one point I thought she was dead and just held her for the longest time. Then ........... she lifted her head and looked at me. I was in shock. There was hope.
 
I rushed her to the Louisville Veterinary Emergency hospital in Middletown. They immediately put her in an oxygen incubator where she still is at this moment. Dr. Messenger said it would  be touch and go for her. I cried all the way home that evening. I've visited her every morning and evening since. When I talked to Dr. Messenger this morning, she discovered she had a tape worm which she has treated. Her heart is enlarged and she has a heart murmur too.

She has a hernia near her tail which causes her pain when going to the bathroom. She was not sure if this was caused by trauma or not. She will need surgery for this when she is stronger. If she doesn't it could kill her. I saw what she was talking about. She said for now, I could push it back in but it would just pop back out. So, I'll have to do this until she is strong enough for surgery.  I know....could it get any worse for this little baby.

My plea is for donations. As much as I hated to ask for this, I cannot afford this entire bill and Nickie so deserves a chance at life. If I knew who did this to her, I would send them the bill. It's because of the neglect and abuse  that she is in this shape.   I had to put down a deposit, and Shamrock has committed to $200. The bill is going to be .... well, I can't even imagine right now what it will be including the surgery.  They did estimate the hospital stay could be at $1,500.

If you would like to donate to help this little girl have a chance at life, please send any donations to:
LVSES
(Louisville Veterinary Specialty Emergency Services)
12905 Shelbyville Rd.
Louisville Ky.  40243
and just indicate at the bottom of your check "Nicki Watson" and don't forget, your donation is tax deductible.











































Update November 9, 2006

I wanted to give you the latest news about Nicki.

I went home for lunch yesterday and I decided to stop by DQ and pick up a grilled chicken sandwich for Nicki. I thought if she ate a little bit of roast beef maybe she'll  eat some chicken. It was about 2:00 when I got home. She was circling and circling in her cage. She was disoriented and agitated. I picked her up to try to distract her but she didn't seem to want me to hold her. She seemed like she needed to use the bathroom. She knocked her head several times while circling so I put her back in her cage for safety. I called the hospital and explained what was going on and they said to bring her in.

Of course they were waiting with her file in hand. They took her back for evaluation but said it may be awhile as they had 3 emergency surgeries waiting. I drove home crying the whole time.

It's 6:30  now. The doctor just called. She ask me some additional questions and said she had done an exam. A rectal exam to be exact. The hernia is pushing into the rectum and it's blocking it a bit. That's why she feels like she needs to go a lot. She said the surgery is not an emergency right now because she has to get much stronger before she can have the surgery. There's no way they could put her under with her having pneumonia. She said that is a very complicated surgery and they don't do it there. I think my vet does do this surgery though.

She's still having a small issue with breathing but that is better. She's still coughing from the pneumonia. At that time she told me that she may not make it. That even some people die of pneumonia. I told her that I understood  and did not want her to suffer but that I wanted Nicki to  have every opportunity to get well.

She took additional x-rays to check her bowels and they are not pushing through the hernia so that's good news.  Her temp was good but she had lost 1/2 lb since I got her that Saturday.  I went to see her last night at 8:00. She seemed to be resting. I held her for a while and she just curled up on my check and went to sleep .  The doctor told me that she noticed on the x-ray that Nicki has a pin in her leg due to a fracture. Remember I told you that her back leg  didn't seem  right. Well, that's the leg. And remember the doctor said this hernia could have been caused by trauma. She said it was extremely rare that a female dog have a perianal hernia.  I have my own opinion how that might have happened so I'll leave that alone.

The doctor called me at midnight and said she was resting and they have done all that they can for her and it's up to Nicki now. She is certainly a fighter but I know her little body can only take so much. I have so many mixed emotions about this ordeal.  I'm so mad because I know this did not have to happen had she not been so neglected. 

I called the hospital this morning and it was about the same. She was resting but had had bouts of circling and straining. They did feed her and she took that well.

The doctor said she would call me this evening so I guess we'll go from there.
I'll update you all as soon as I can ...

The hospital said they have received so many calls for her and donations have started to come in. They said a lady walked in today and made a very large personal donation. I almost cried.  I called her to thank her myself. I know I cannot do that with everybody so please just know that we are so very appreciative of your help and prayers. I am just overwhelmed with all of this.

Update November 10, 2006

I visited her in the hospital last night. A friend met me there and she was holding Nickie.
Nickie just curled up and fell asleep on her bosom for the longest time. She seemed to be resting very comfortably. :) The doctor did give me news that I found very disturbing.
She discovered that Nicki has a rupture ear drum which was probably due to some sort of trauma. (growl) It just keeps on going for this little thing. I mean, what else could go wrong for her.

I called this morning to check on her. I was told that she was having difficulty breathing and they would keep a close eye on her to see if they needed to put her back in oxygen. I told them not to hesitate for a moment to put her back in. But....there is good news.  She did eat solid food on her own. Yeaaaa!! She ate some chicken and they had mixed some dog food in there as well. Of course, she needed more calories so they did have to syringe feed her too. But that was wonderful news. I'm going to the hospital right after work today. I was hoping to bring her home but since she's having trouble breathing, I may have to wait.

Update November 13, 2006

Well, it's Monday and little Nicki is still in the hospital. I was hoping to bring her home over the weekend. She's really not gotten much better at all. Maybe I'm expecting too much to quickly. The doctor suggested last night that she try another antibiotic. She tried to do an Echo on her heart but she got so stressed out and turned blue so they stopped. She's going to try again today. She wants to see if there is any heart damage since she does have a murmur.  If so, we need to get her on medicine as soon as possible. She was able to take a blood sample. That looks pretty good she said other than the thyroid. She said we would have to take another thyroid test at a later date.

The pneumonia is the same. She's still breathing through her mouth and coughing and hacking. Her nose is snotty and her eyes were watery and filmy. She's not eating at all. I was happy when she ate some chicken the other day but she's not eaten anything since then. They are still syringe feeding her. At least she has maintained her 4 pound weight. Her prognosis is still very guarded and sometimes I think the doctor is trying to prepare me for something.

She says things that make me feel that she believes she's not going to make it. I don't want to even think anything along those lines. I cry just thinking about it. She has been a fighter so I just know she's got to make it. She's been through so much. The doctor keeps reminding me that she has so much wrong with her and if she does make it, she may be sickly for the rest of her life. She ask me last night if I was willing to deal with that. Well.....of course!  Just because she's a little sickly, that's no big deal. The way I see it, if she gets over this pneumonia she can have the hernia surgery. Well, that two of the biggest problems right there. She can take medicine for the heart murmur and thyroid. And if the ear rupture hasn't cleared by the time she has the hernia surgery, I'll have them to fix that too.
 
The hernia is the same. She's got to get much stronger so she can have the surgery.
If you scroll down, you'll see a couple of pics I took while visiting her this weekend. I go every morning and evening and I just hold her for about 30 minutes and talk to her.
She stays bundled in a blanket or towel so she can stay warm. I know her hair looks awful. I would like to give her a little wash clothe bath but I'm afraid she'll get to cold plus the doctor said that might stress her out to much right now. She doesn't have much hair except around her head and face. I'll try to get a body shot of her soon so you'll see what I mean.

That's about it. I know, not much of a change. I stay worried about her all of the time. It's hard to concentrate at times. I go to bed thinking about her and I wake up thinking about her. I want to bring her home but I'm so very afraid too. I'm going to the hospital right after work and then again tonight to talk to the doctor.
 
I've been getting a lot of emails from people praying for her and keeping her in their thoughts. I can't tell you how much that means. There's also a little dog by the name of Lexie in the hospital. She's very sick right now too. She's a rescue as well. Please say a prayer for her as well.


























































Update November 14, 2006

I received an email from someone today asking me to remove them from my email list. She said she was under enough stress and did not want the additional stress of my sad stories about Nicki.

I certainly appreciate the everyday stress that we all have.  I know how hard it is to hear about abuse and neglect especially when there's a little face staring at you. That really brings it home. If you would like me to remove you from my follow up emails about Nicki, please let me know, it won't upset me.
 
On a good note........Nicki was much brighter last night. She ate some chicken (on her own) and she was walking around the room a little bit. The hernia was poked out like a golf ball but she seemed to feel better regardless.

They are trying her on another antibiotic starting last night. Apparently, it's a stronger one and may upset her tummy so they will keep a close eye on that. They are not sure if the pneumonia is bacterial or fungus. The only way to be sure is to sedate her, go down her throat and extract some fluid. The doctor said if they tried to do that, it would kill her. So they are treating it as bacterial. They were not able to do the Echo again because it just stressed her out to much. They will keep trying. She has 2 doctors. One is more hopeful than the other. I too am very hopeful and if she continues to eat on her own, I may get to bring her home by the weekend. Wouldn't that be nice.

Lexie, the other sick dog I ask you to pray for made a complete turn-around. She was eating and barking and got to go home with her foster mom last night...AND when she's completely recovered, she has a forever home with one of the vet techs at the hospital.

Update November 15, 2006

I'll start off by asking if it could get any worse but I suppose the answer would always be... yes it could. The doctor was able to finally do the Echo. And yes, (sigh) Nicki has heart disease on top of everything else. I just wanted to sit down and cry. They immediately put her on heart medication which she will be on for the rest of her life. She said the medication will slow the progression of the disease but will not prevent it all together. She feels that if she can get through this pneumonia and then the hernia surgery, she could  have a few good years before the heart disease takes it's toll. She also said Nicki could really go into heart failure at any time but let's just hope that doesn't happen.
 
They have sent her medical records to specialized surgeons at Metropolitan. I'm calling today to make an appointment for her, hopefully for next week. They will decide if she is a candidate for hernia surgery and when.  The doctor could not really say whether or not she thought she could have it. She did eat again on her own and they've taken her off of the nebulizer treatments. She also said that Nicki's ears are still infected. She said I should have the surgeons to do a deep flush when they have her under sedation. She said she would be surprised if Nicki could hear at all. She felt that due to the infection and the ruptured ear drum, that Nicki could not hear out of one ear and probably very little out of the other.
 
I wish I had taken my camera with me last night because one of the techs there had cut some of her hair around her face because it was getting kind of matted from the feedings. She washed her face and head and put a newborn t-shirt on her with the Gerber baby on the back. It was actually a bit big for her too. She was the most adorable little thing. I just wanted to squeeze her. When they brought her into me, for a moment, I thought Nicki actually smiled.  She seemed so happy to see me. Then she just curled up and went to sleep. The tech had carried her around all day so it must have worn her out. :)   I think they've fallen in love with her too.
 
She gets to come home on Friday. I'm happy...I'm scared....and I'm so stressed.  Do you ever get a fever blister when you're stressed out?  Well, I have several now and my nose is so sore I can't even touch it. Geez.....I guess I had better start taking some medication too. One pill for Nicki and one pill for me. :)
 
I guess that's about it.  I'll be going to the hospital right after work today and I've got my camera with me. If she has on that little shirt, I'll get a picture of her.
 
I want to thank everyone for their donations but especially your words of encouragement and prayers. Some of you have sent me recipes to fix for her to help her eat, information on canine influenza and pneumonia and ideas to help with her breathing. That has been such a tremendous help to me.

Update November 16, 2006

I just had to send these today. I took them last night while I was visiting her at the hospital. I am sooooo excited. Doesn't she look good?    She was very alert last night and had eaten (again) on her own.  The 2nd picture is me, of course, and her . The 3rd one....well, I know it looks like she is poo pooing but she isn't. It's just her normal stance. It' because of the hernia pushing on her that she feels like she has to poo poo all of the time. The second I put her down, she started circling so it was hard to get this pic until she stood still. But I just had to get one of her in her baby t-shirt. The vet tech washed her little face and brushed her hair and she just looked wonderful. They are really going to miss her when she comes home but she's ready to come home! 
















































Update November 20, 2006

Here are some new pictures of Nicki.  The first and second were taken last night at bedtime.  She had just eaten her chicken and her belly was full. The third is yesterday. She was walking around exploring. The fourth one is this morning. Notice...she has her own little baby pillow. She's really starting to look pretty good. Her skin is looking really good and the yeast has cleared up. Her hair is growing back but still a bit bald in some spots around her back, leg and  chest area. I think she is beautiful though.









Update November 29, 2006

Before I get into my update, let me apologize if I may have worried some of you yesterday. I certainly didn't mean to but I have been so worried, so stressed out and have not had a lot of sleep in the last 4 weeks. Everything that I have done has revolved around  her and trying to get her well . I just love that little furry baby. I am so emotionally invested and as you may have guessed by now, I'm a very devoted feeling person. With that being said, here's the latest on her condition. 

First, I'll tell you a bit of good news. She's gained 5 ounces. Yea! That's a lot for her and her belly is starting to fill out. You can't see her ribs anymore and her back bone is not quite a protruded.  We saw the surgeon on Monday at 1:00. Of course, there were alot of Q&A.  Of course, some answers I didn't know because I've only had her a month.  He examined her eyes with a very bright light and she didn't even blink. He stomped and whistled and she just went about her business and didn't even look his way. He said there were no visible signs, no cataracts, no glaucoma, no obvious reason why she should be blind or  deaf.  I know she can see a little even though she does bump into things. She's even bumped into one of my cats. I do think she can hear somewhat because when I yell her name, she starts looking around for me even though I'm standing right there in front of her.

He examined her entire body, belly and back. He turned her this way and that way  and even upside down .  Examined her legs and joints.  He ask if she ever tilted her head. I said not that I noticed. He asked me to put her down on the floor. She started to circle as usual and  did walk a little.  After all that, he told me she had all of the signs of a brain tumor. He felt that the hernia was the least of her problems. His concerns were her heart, her lungs and her brain.

I'm just standing there not believing what I've just heard.  I'm crying by now because I was not expecting this at all. He advised me to run additional tests so he could get a better idea of what was going on. He said I would have to leave her for a few hours. I walked out crying  and  with a busting headache. I just couldn't believe that it could get any worse for her.

I picked her up about 5:30. Kas went with me.  I needed someone else there to hear what he was telling me  and to help me to understand it all.  He consulted with another surgeon  there and both felt she did have a brain tumor. He suggested a CT scan which would cost $800 in addition to the $500 for today's visit and tests. I wasn't expecting $500 much less an additional $800. He also said they would have to sedate her to do the CT scan and that in itself would be risky. Well, if she dies during sedation, I would rather her die during the hernia surgery trying to fix her than to die during a CT scan that won't help her anyway. I asked  him if she did have a tumor what could be done. He said there was nothing they could do for her. I thought, then why do the scan . If nothing could be done for her.   No surgeon in Kentucky does brain surgery. He knew of one in Tennessee but it would cost thousands of dollars and it would kill her anyway.  Her heart is enlarged  and diseased but was not in active failure. He did say that even though she still has a cough, it was not related to the pneumonia because according to the xrays, that was cleared up. Gee,  it's about time I had some good news here.

The cough was due to her enlarged heart pressing on her esophagus. He said the heart medication she is now on was appropriate for this condition. The blood work showed signs of  high liver enzymes. I guess medication will take care of that.  My mind was starting to zone out so I missed that part. Her other organs seemed to be ok.

He told me that her bladder could , at any time , rupture through the hernia. I asked him how would I know this. He said she would become sick and would not be able to urinate. So, I'm watching for that now just in case. He advised me to cut her stool softener in half so she would not have so much diarrhea.  I feel so sorry for her because she is straining all of the time. Apparently, that is what will cause the bladder to rupture. When I hold her I always have one hand on the hernia to keep it pushed in. She seems to feel better. I asked him if she could have the hernia surgery. He said he didn't see why not. He said the risk was high though. I asked him how much it would be. His estimate  his cost was $2000.  I don't have anywhere near that much money so I asked if he would give me a discount. I thought it couldn't hurt to ask. But he said no. I asked if my vet performed the surgery,  would the risk be higher and he said no. He did call my vet to consult with him later that day.  I went to see my vet yesterday at 5:30  to also talk with him . He had an emergency at home  and had to leave before I got there so I spoke to his partner  instead . I explained that at this point it didn't matter if she had a brain tumor since there was nothing that could be done about that. I'm just not going to even think about it now. If she dies of a brain tumor or if she dies of heart failure,  who knows when that could be. He did say if she did have a tumor, she could eventually start having seizures. If and when that would happen, I suppose we'll have a different discussion.  I at least want her to have some quality of life before that happens. The hernia is causing her a lot of discomfort so if she can withstand the surgery, then let's do  it  so she can at least be comfortable until her life comes to an end be it in a few months or a few years.

Other than the hernia, she is not suffering. I would never ever be selfish and let her suffer. They feel that there is hope and have not suggested she be put down.  I have told them that at any time, if they feel like she is suffering, they need to tell me.  My vet is going to call me today and we'll talk about the hernia surgery and the cost.  In talking to his partner last night, he told me that this surgery is very complicated and he himself would not and could not do it. But if my vet could do it, he would assist him.  He did suggest that if the surgery can be done, it should be done sooner and not later because of the possibility of the bladder rupturing. This is the second time the bladder has come into conversation.  So, if my vet can do it, I'm going to ask him about scheduling it tomorrow. 

She did not eat very well last night or this morning but she was resting well. I, on the other hand, was sick most of the night and somewhat this morning. This has been so stressful on everyone involved. But by gosh, if Nicki has some quality time left then I want her to have it. A friend ask me if I was going to place her once she was well.  hmmmm, I don't think she will ever be truly "well" and I would be surprised if anyone would want to take this furry child on.  So, she'll stay with me until her life (or mine) quietly comes to an end...which ever comes first. :)

I want to thank Vickie and Angie for the beautiful sweaters they gave to Nicki. She'll really need them soon and I'll get pictures of her in them.
 
As soon as the surgery is set, I'll let you know.

Update December 5, 2006

I consulted with my vet Saturday morning about surgery options. Unfortunately, her hernia has doubled in size. It is as hard as a rock and as big as a small egg. It looks awful. I can't even push it back in anymore. He did tell me that her surgery was doable and that he COULD do it. That was great news. He said to call him Monday morning and we'll schedule it. She ate very good over the weekend and seemed to rest alot.

Sunday night about 11:00 she became very restless. It did not worry me because she's been restless many nights in the past few weeks. I put her to bed as usual. A short time later, I heard her crying. My first thought was "ooohhhh that spoiled little brat, she just wants up in the bed" She loves to sleep with me and I've put her in the bed many times. I had never heard her cry so that's what I thought the problem was. I got her out of her bed and put her in with me. She would not settle down and was up and down, up and down. After a short while I put her back in her bed. She continued to cry  and  began to circle. Again, I put her in with me. We went back and forth like this until 2am. She had diarreah twice in her bed and I cleaned her up as usual. She sometimes goes through 4-5 puppy pads a night. At 2am she had vomitted in her bed. That was very unusual as she has never done that before. I then thought that her tummy was upset and that now she may feel better and settle down, just like us humans....but no such luck. So I got my a blanket and pillow and laid down on the floor with her as I did not want to take the chance of her falling out of bed. She still would not settle down. At 3am, she started  spinning  so fast that I could not stop her. Usually, if I put my hand on her, she will stop but not this time. I jumped up and turned on the light. She was really going by now and was bumping her head. I tried to pick her up to stop her. She was so aggatated that I could not hold her. Within seconds, she was disoriented and lost her balance. She could not stand and her back legs  had   collapsed. She then started screaming. That's right...screaming! I had my clothes on so fast and was out the door within minutes headed to the hospital. I had called them so they were ready when we walked through the door.  By the time we got there, she had settled down somewhat but had lost control of her bladder. She had had a seizure.  I'm sitting in the waiting room crying for fear that I may have to make a decision. Fortunately, that was not the case.

The doctor felt she was not ready to leave this world yet. I was relieved. I got home about 4:45am and was up for the entire day. Have you ever been so tired, worried and worn out that you just could not sleep? That was me. I called in sick to work. I just could not deal with it plus I looked and felt absolutely horrible.  I  then started  making arrangements for her surgery and aftercare. I washed all of her blankies and bed so she would be ready to come home and rest. I picked her up at the hospital later that day.  She did pretty well the rest of the day.  She had one of the best nights she's ever had. She was very alert this morning and very hungry. I hated that I could not feed her. I dropped her off at 8am this morning for her surgery. I probably won't know anything until  at least 3:00. Her surgery will start at noon. So please keen her in your thoughts around that time. She is the only one they have scheduled today.

I will pick her up after work today and then immediately transfer her back to the hospital where she will stay until Friday. I felt this was the best way to go since there is a doctor there 24/7. The hospital agreed. I don't want to take any chances especially with this (new) latest episode. I'm telling you, the staff and doctors at this hospital are absolutley wonderful there and they truly care about, not just Nicki, but all animals. This is not just a job to them. Once she comes home, she will continue on her heart medication for the rest of her life. She will start on an anti-seizure medication and may also be on some type of medication that will help her rest at night. Gee, can I get some of that? :)

As we all know, she is a very high risk during this surgery. Let's pray it all goes well.

I'll send a quick update once I hear from my vet.

Update December 5, 2006

Nicki is out of surgery and is doing great. She is just now starting to wake up. She tolerated the anesthesia really well.  He said, in some what of a surprised voice, that her bladder had started to push through.  Maybe that's why the hernia had doubled in size. Since she had had infection in both ears, he also did a deep flush and said they looked good. I will pick her up after work today, talk to him and then take her to LVS where they will take care of her until Friday. I will take her back to the vet on Saturday for a recheck and we'll talk about seizure medication then.
 
More good news.......with the donations that have actually been received and what has been promised, we will have enough to not only cover her surgery but to cover this hospital stay as well.
 
I just don't feel that I will ever be able to truly thank everyone for the support, prayers and donations. You all have been a blessing to Nicki as well as me.  It's amazing that strangers from as far as California to New York to New Hampshire to Kansas have all come together to help this little baby have a chance at a happy healthy life...no matter how long or short it may be. She is a survivor and I know she will take advantage of every moment she has from here on out. I will continue to keep you updated and will send pictures next week.
 
Thank you all for this wonderful early Christmas present.
Bev. and Nicki

Update December 7, 2006

I went to see her last night at the hospital. Of course, they had her wrapped up when they brought her in to me. Since she can't really see very well, she naturally did not see me standing there. But when I said "Hi Nicki" in a loud excited voice, she perked up.

I mean, I've never seen her so happy to see me. She was so excited that she almost wriggled out of my arms. I almost cried just from pure joy.

I sat there with her and scratched the back of her ear and her chest area. Usually, she doesn't really care one way or another but last night, she truly enjoyed the attention and it really seemed to feel good to her. I think she can hear much better since her ears were flushed out and a deep cleaning was done. She was very alert and was looking all around at every little sound.

She has a pretty good size incision but it looks really good. The vet said that alot of her bladder has ruptured through the hernia. But you sure could not tell it had been there. I put her down on the floor and she just took off. She walked in and out of every room and all around the waiting room. Of course, she had to pee about 3 different times. Before the surgery, she would squat every few steps but nothing would ever come out but now, when she did, she actually did pee. Even though it was all over the floor and I had to clean it up, I was glad.

She's eating good but had not poo poo'd yet. Hopefully, she will do that before she comes home tomorrow. I'll send out new (Christmas) pics next week. :)

Update December 12, 2006

Here are some new pictures.  In the first one, I was putting up the tree. Nicki was on the move so she was walking around. The next thing I knew, she was under the tree....my little present.  :) The second one is with my other little one, Lucy (she's a Chiweenie). Lucy has been trying to get close to Nicki since she got home but Nicki didn't want to be bothered. Apparently, she changed her mind. I did not put them in there. Lucy just climbed in there herself and snuggled under the covers. The third is, of course, her resting. Believe it or not, Lucy put that little dog there. I just had to take the picture.
 
Nicki has been doing so well since her surgery one week ago today. She went for her follow up on Saturday and he said her incision looked great. For the first time in 7 weeks, she finally had a solid poo poo on Saturday afternoon. I can't tell you how happy that made me. I was afraid it was going to hurt her but it didn't seem too.  She is eating really good and walking everywhere. I've discovered that she loves bagel chips and Lays Ruffles. I don't give her to much because she's on prescription food.  For the first time last night, she was actually playful and running around a little putting her paws up in the air. I know some may be wondering about her circling. Yes, she is still circling but not quite as much. Not spinning like she was. I've read some info on brain tumors. From what I've read, I do believe she has one. Where and how big, who knows. Her right eye is not in sync with her left eye and at times, she is a bit unstable in her walk. She walks like a little soldier...legs straight out, not bending. She's so cute.  It's obvious that she can hear better and I'm so glad about that. If the weather is warmer this weekend, I'm going to try to put a sweater on her and let her walk out in the front yard a bit. Get some fresh air.  I'm thinking of having her picture taken with Santa. If so, I'll send it out. That's about it for now. I know I've said this many times, but I can never say it enough. Thank you all so very much for your donations and keeping her in your thoughts and prayers. Because of us all, she is still here and has a chance at a better life.







Update December 18, 2006

Hello Friends

Nicki had her picture taken with Santa on Saturday so I thought you may want to see them. She also had on a red sweater and a Santa hat too. She did really well sitting in his lap and riding in the car. She's a great traveler.
 
She saw her hospital doctor on Friday night. Her heart sounded good and she thought she really looked good too. You can tell in the last picture that she is still missing some hair on her legs and around her butt area but it's really starting to grow back. The lack of hair around her butt is due to the surgery.
 
She put her on a new medication for her cough. She coughs allllll night because of her enlarged heart. The medication really helped her and she didn't cough at all on Friday or Saturday night. She did start to feel bad Saturday afternoon though. She didn't eat much at all the entire weekend and had diarrhea. She didn't even eat her KFC chicken which she loves. I noticed her straining some so I watched her like a hawk the rest of the weekend. Then I saw it.............a hernia poking out on the other side. I just couldn't believe my eyes. I felt it and sure enough, it was there. I've already called my vet and we're doing this surgery on Thursday.  I don't want it to get as big as the first one. He does feel that she is strong enough to handle this one too. I told him that she did have a seizure on Sunday. I'm certainly not an expert on seizures but it was not nearly as bad as the very first one she had. There is very little money left over from the first surgery (and the 2 hospital stays)  which I was going to use for her medications. I'm just going to bite the bullet and have it done no matter what. I ask him if I could pay half now and half next week. He said not to worry, he would work with me. I just love that man. He is the kindest most caring vet. She's not urinated much this last couple of days and I wonder if it's because of this new hernia. The surgery specialist that I took her too did think she had a bi-lateral hernia but neither of my vets could detect it. I couldn't either until now and was just hoping he was wrong about it.

I think this hernia popped out because she coughs so much and that really puts a strain on her. Again, I'm not an expert so I don't really know. This new medication has really helped that cough at night but I guess we just didn't get it in time. So, be thinking of her on Thursday at 12:00. That's when they will start this surgery.
 
As usual, I'll let you know the minute it's over.
 
Thanks to everyone for your continued prayers and thoughts of her.







Update December 22, 2006

Hello Friends

I know many of you are biting your lip waiting to hear about her surgery. My email was down allllll day yesterday. I know, of all days....

She came through it with flying colors. My vet is amazed at her. She's such a fighter. He did have to make 2 incisions. Just try to visualize this...if you are looking at her from behind, there is the incision on the left side of her butt from the first surgery. The new hernia incision is on the right side of her butt and then he had to make another incision under her butt. Like a smiley face or a half moon. He just wanted to make sure there were no more hernia's. He said the entire back part of that area is weak. I guess that muscle wall is weak. I'm not sure why. I think it's probably due to some sort of trauma. That's just my guess. Remember we talked about that in one of the very first emails. One of the vet techs tried to clean up her face a little bit because her hair was getting long and sticky.

I had to laugh because she meant well but she's no groomer. Poor little Nicki looks like she's been butchered. It's my fault. I ask her to try to do it before she woke up. A friend said I should have a t-shirt made up that says, all I got for Christmas was my a** cut open and a bad hack job. I had to laugh. I'm not sure I'll be taking any pictures soon. :)

The main thing is that she made it though yet another surgery.  I took her straight from the vets office back to the hospital where they will watch her and take care of her until I get off work today. I'll pick her up around 5:00. Nicki's primary doctor was working last night and today so she took her and will watch her closely.

She seemed to be in alot of pain because she was crying and whimpering which she doesn't do so as soon as we got there, her doctor gave her a pain injection. She will be on her usual heart medication, an antibiotic, a stool softener and pain medication for a couple of weeks. She will probably be on pain medication for a long long time due to her severe coughing. That is the only thing that keeps her from coughing. If she doesn't take it, she coughs alllll night long and it's just so hard on her little body and it's hard to watch her do it and not be able to help her with it. So, this medicine does help alot and helps her rest...and me too. She's not eaten much this week so I hope her appetite picks up after she comes home. I'm going to try to change her diet some what to more healthier foods. But at this point, I'll just be glad that she's eating. She's lost a few ounces and she really needs to gain them back. She's at 4.7 lbs but still up from when I first got her.

That's about it for now.

I'll update everyone later in the week. Be assured that she will have around the clock care for the next 9 days. And I will be staying home for Christmas so we're just going to do the movie thing all day. I am looking forward to the rest though. I've been pretty tired lately and it's staring to catch up with me. I have talked to other people and even some organizations that said they would not have spent the money on Nicki and would have had her euthanized. All I can say is God has a plan and there's a reason for Nicki just as there is for us all. As long as we are here for her, she will continued to be cared for and travel on the road God has put before her. And when she cannot travel that road any longer, we will still be there to help her onto her next journey.

We are all of God's creatures and we must continue to help these little furbabies.... If we don't, who will?
 
I know I've said this many many times but thank you all. It's been hard and at times I'm not sure I could have kept my sanity if it had not been for your encouragement, your friendship and your phone calls. Not to mention your donations.  I want to take a moment to thank Donna. She is with a Yorkie rescue group out of Ottawa Kansas. I just found out that her organization donated a very large sum towards Nicki's ever growing bills.
 
Bless you all and have a very Merry Christmas.

Update January 2, 2007

Hello friends

Here's the latest picture of Nicki. It was taken about a week ago after her 2nd hernia surgery. As you can see, her hair is really looking good and really growing back in all of the right places. You can see that her butt and tail area had been shaved due to the surgery. I did take a really good picture of her surgery area that shows all of the incisions. I won't send it unless you want to see it but if you see it, you'll feel her pain I'm tell'n ya. I had her face cleaned up somewhat because it was hard giving her medication. It would get sticky and her hair around her mouth would clump. So, off with the facial hair. But she still looks cute to me. She went for her follow up on Friday. He said she looked great. He was a bit surprised that the hernia sutures were holding. That muscle is thin and weak. But it has so far.

She takes Torbitraul (I'm not sure if I spelled that correctly) But that medication keeps her from coughing so much. That has really helped. Had she continued to cough like she was, I don't think it would have held. But the medication causes her to be moody and snappy. I'm telling ya, she's a 5lb stick of dynamite. She will be on this medication for, probably, the rest of her life. Oh, lucky me. She seems like she's felt pretty good but she takes a notion and she won't eat. She did not eat one bite yesterday. I was ready to start the syringe feeding this morning but then she finally ate some A/D. The longer I have her the more I discover things about her. Sometimes she's like a little brat but then she wags that little stumpy tail and she's so happy then... I'm just washed over with emotions. Ahhh, the joys of motherhood.  :)
 keeps my other 4 dogs in check. They try to stay clear of her. Smart dogs.....

That's it from here.
Thanks again for being there for Nicki.
Bev.



Update January 10, 2007

Hello my little Nicki friends

I just wanted to let everyone know that Nicki is continuing to get stronger by the day. She's a little fire ball too. She walks around all over the house. Sometimes she'll just stand there and bark. I think she tries to tell me that she's hungry. She'll get in moods where she won't eat for an entire day and then she'll eat everything on her plate. I'm really getting to know her ways, her moods and her personality. At times she is so loving and other times, I have to throw a blanket over her just to pick her up. She's quick and she gets me sometimes. I always try to stay one step ahead of her but ever so often, she'll nail me with those little teeth. She might be 90% blind and 90% deaf but there's nothing wrong with her teeth. Her hair is looking so much better and really growing. Her skin condition has cleared completely.

All of her surgery incisions are healing perfectly. The doctor said she looks great. She's at 5 lbs and hopefully will stay around that weight. She's only had 2 other seizures but they were small ones and she came out of them ok. She takes medication 3 times a day for her cough which is due to her heart disease. Since she's not coughing as much, that should help keep any more hernia's from rupturing through. She takes her heart medication 3 times a day too. And that's it for her medication.

She still circles but not nearly as much as she did. I'm hoping to schedule an MRI soon to check for that brain tumor. At least we'll know for sure if she has one, where it is and if there is a treatment for it I've stocked up on puppy pads. I think I might have 225 left. :)  She was going through about 5 a day and she's down to about 3 a day now. She still has diarrhea most but not of the time even though I do not give her a stool softener anymore.
As far as all of her medical bills......everything has now been paid in full.  I just don't know what I would have done without all of your financial and emotional help.

I know in my heart that it was (not me) but all of us that saved little Nicki's life. For whatever reason, it was not her time to go home with God. She's suppose to stay here. There have been times that I thought that I should place her with someone, maybe retired, that could take care of her 24/7. I thought long and hard about that. I only want what's best for her. Well, I've come to the conclusion that she is suppose to be with me. She seems happy and she's definitely loved and she's very well cared for. She's treated and fed like a queen, she has several soft warm beds to choose from and she has many people that love her. She's not ever going anywhere  :) I've attached what I'm calling our Christmas picture. Without you all, this picture would not exist. I hope to send another one next Christmas.

I will, periodically, send updates and updated pictures of her.
Thank you very very much
Bev. and Nicki



Update February 6, 2007

I wanted to give you a quick update on Nicki. As you can see she's looking really good. She has maintained her weight of 5 lbs, she barks all of the time and she actually wants to play for a minute or two. She's had a few seizures recently, one being this morning. So far, none have bee too serious. She sleeps really well now and she's not coughing at all anymore. I can't remember the last time I heard her cough. The medication she's on now has worked wonders for her. She loves to walk around and sometimes, I've even seen her trotting. She's so darn cute to watch. Her hearing has improved greatly. She still can't see much but that doesn't stop her one bit. I can tell that she's happy. She's very comfortable and she's always warm and covered up with a blanket. She's definitely spoiled and pampered. I'm so glad that she decided it wasn't a good day for her to die. I sure would have missed her. Nicki has decided that she wants to have a little get together for her new friends to personally say thank you. Nothing big. Just a chance for you to come by, meet her and see what your donations and prays have done for her.Please mark you calendar for March 10th. More details to follow.
See you soon.
Bev. and Nicki





Update February 28, 2007

Hello Friends
As you know, Nicki is having a party. Instead of an open house she's decided to call it her open "dog" house party.  There are times when I donate money to a needy dog (or cat) and always wonder how that dog is doing. This is just an opportunity to for you to meet her and to see for yourself what your donations and prayers have done for her. Hopefully, she will inspire you to continue to give whenever the need is there. This is not a "gift" party so you don't have to bring her a present. I'm just going to have some refreshments and snack foods. Again, just an chance for you to meet her. The party is on March 10th. Anytime between 1:00 to 4:00   Just stop by to say hello. I've attached a map to our house. I know a lot of you are not going to be able to make it since you live out of state so I'll send pictures afterwards. Please call me or drop me a quick email to let me know if you can make it. Oh, and Nicki is getting professionally groomed (for the first time) on Friday for her big party  :)
See you soon
Bev. and Nicki

Update April 19, 2007

Hello Friends

I just wanted to give you a quick update on Nicki.  She had a check up last week. She weighs 5.5 lbs and is really a little butter ball. The vet said she looks great. Her surgery was a complete success and everything has healed wonderfully. ALL of her hair has grown back and her skin is a pretty pink. She eats her favorite Arby's roast beef for dinner every night. She snacks on 2 dogs treats before she goes to bed.

She loves to go outside when the weather permits. I usually stand with in 2 feet of her but she doesn't go anyway. She just stands there and sniffs the air. Sometimes, I take her bed out there and she'll just lay in there and nap while I'm working in the yard. Let me explain the picture below. One of Nicki's friends, Julie, recently went to Mexico. She bought Nicki a hat while she was there. Well, the minute I saw the hat, I thought, uh oh...there's no way. But I thought I would at least try to put it on her. hmmmm...you can tell that she was not going to participate in this event at all. But I tried. No, that's not a smile on me or her.  I was backing up a bit and dropped the hat before I got nailed. She's a feisty little thing and she'll tell it like it is.
 
Bev
Update September 5, 2007

Hello Friends I wanted to give you a short up date on Nicki. I've had her 10 months now. It started out pretty  tough   for this sweet baby but now, she's a little fire cracker. I've attached 2 recent pictures of her below. In the first one, she's giving Max a piece of her mind. He looks really worried doesn't he?  She was barking up a storm and her little tail just a wagging. He could care less. He just wanted what I was fixing for supper.
 
Apparently she wore herself out so much that she needed a nap  with her favorite friend. 
 
She recently had her first  " official "  vet visit since her surgeries last Christmas. He had to take blood to check to make sure her liver was ok due to the medications she takes for her heart. I was a nervous wreck. But she was a real trooper...didn't even try to bite them. Not once. She didn't even flinch. I waited for the test to be completed. The vet said that her liver was in perfect shape. Her heart sounded good and her ears were fine. He said she may out live us all. Unfortunately I know that's not true but she's going to definitely try. I told the vet to go on and give her all of her yearly shots, heartworm, fecal...you name it. She had it done. Yes, it cost me a small fortune but I'll just hock my house for the payment. She's had several seizures this past few months but none severe enough for medication yet. I take that as good news that the tumor has not progressed much. We talked again about an MRI but have decided to drop that thought all together because whether or not she has a tumor, nothing is going to give her any more quality of life than what she has now. This will probably be the last update for a while because she's as healthy as she can be. I always take pictures of her so if you ever want to see her or know how she is, just let me know. I feel that each and every one of you are a big part of Nicki's life. Had you not given me the support, both financially and emotionally, I don't know if I could have gotten through her tough recovery. 
 
Your friends,
Bev and Nicki




                                                                                                        

it's been a while since I've updated you on Nicki. As you can see by the pictures below, she's hanging in there. She continues to have seizures at least twice a month. The last one she had was about a month ago and it nearly killed her. It took almost a week for her to recover. That's when I decided to put her on anti seizure medication. So far, she's not had another one. We had a pretty good snow a few weeks ago which is very unusual for us. Nicki seemed very curious about it so I let her check it out. I think she would rather stay in her warm bed. :) 

Who would have thought 18 months ago that she would have still be with me and I'm just so thankful that she is. She's a little trooper and a fiesty one at that. I just love her dearly and wouldn't take a million dollars for her.
 
Update March 27, 2008

 

Hello Friends

 

it's been a while since I've updated you on Nicki. As you can see by the pictures below, she's hanging in there. She continues to have seizures at least twice a month. The last one she had was about a month ago and it nearly killed her. It took almost a week for her to recover. That's when I decided to put her on anti seizure medication. So far, she's not had another one. We had a pretty good snow a few weeks ago which is very unusual for us. Nicki seemed very curious about it so I let her check it out. I think she would rather stay in her warm bed. :)

 

Who would have thought 18 months ago that she would have still be with me and I'm just so thankful that she is. She's a little trooper and a fiesty one at that. I just love her dearly and wouldn't take a million dollars for her.

 

Nicki sends her love.

Update June 17, 2008

 

Friends

Most of you know my little Nicki and have kept up with her progress since I rescued her 19 months ago from a very neglectful situation. My little sweet baby passed away Sunday at 7:00 PM. As you know she not only had heart disease but a brain tumor which caused seizures. Sunday, she had 3 seizures back to back. I took her to the hospital and they evaluated her condition. She was given a dose of valium and said I could take her home or leave her over night. I decided to take her home but if she continued to have siezures I was to take her back immediately. When I got her home, she stared having seizures every 20 minutes. She started spinning so fast and running into the walls. I knew then that she was completely blind and disoriented. When I got her back to the hospital she was still seizing. The vet told me then that her brain was gone. that the tumor had most likly started to rupture. I was devastated and could not believe what I was hearing. Surely there had to be another option other than what the vet was suggesting to me. But there wasn't. It was absolutley the hardest decision I've ever had to make. I just kept saying no no no....that she would come out of it. But when they brought her back into me, I knew. I craddled her and kissed her as she took her last breath. She will be creamated and I will bring her home next week. I am just beside myself with grief and have not stopped crying. I can't tell you how much I miss her and the love I have for her is so deep that it just makes the pain even worse. The thought of her not coming home with me just had not even entered my mind. I was not expecting it and am just lost. I want to thank everyone that not only helped Nicki by donating money towards her surgeries early on but your continued support and prayers. And I want to thank God for bringing Nicki into my life. I've attached 3 pictures of my baby below. There are no words to describe the joy she brought to me. She gave me so much love and my life will forever be changed by her strength and her fight for life

Thank you all

Bev.