One surgery successful-- and one not so much
Most of you know that I went in for my hysterectomy on April 12. They took out all the baby-making-related bits except for my left ovary; originally they were going to leave both ovaries, but the doctor said, "It was annoying me. I removed it." It had been sticking to my uterus and bleeding all over the place, so he yanked it.
I spent the next few days in hopital on more morphine than... well, let's just say my blood had a street value for a few days. ;P I was up and walking, though albeit not far, the very next day. I spent as much time sleeping as a building full of people checking your vitals every 2 hours will allow. I came home, all is good.
My lovin' ratty Hannah went in for her surgery last night-- she would stay the night, and be operated on this morning to remove a large mammary mass. The vet had said it should be no problem, it was only being fed by one blood vessel. Unfortunately, what they didn't know until they opened her up was that the one blood vessel was the jugular. She went into cardiac arrest on the table when they clamped it off. They resucitated her once. The second time... no such luck.
She will be brought home tonight on my mother's way home from work, frodented, and buried his weekend next to her lifetime companion Midian, who made her trip to the Rainbow Bridge (as pet people call it) on March 1st. Either way, Hannah is no longer suffering. Even if we'd caught the lump sooner, they would have had to put her down, the vet having informed us that "[lump being fed by jugular] is rare, but it's the one time we have to put them down." I give the staff credit-- they tried anyways to save her, to help her, despite the odds.
Some of you may be asking if they shouldn't have just closed her back up and let us know, let her pass on in her own time. You didn't see how much pain she was in in those last couple weeks. It was, I think, worse since Midian's passing; the Midlet was Hannah's best friend, and the two of them kept each other going. Once Midian was gone, Hannah was overwhelmed by her illness, despite the supportive presence of her daughter Ginger and Ginger's bonded companion Stasia. (more on rats bonding later...) Her eyes were filled with porhyrin (a reddish fluid that is the rat equivalent of tears; also colours nasal mucuous secretions), indicating pain and stress. She wasn't having any fun any more, and the surgery would take care of the Quality Of Life issue either way. Either she'd be lump-free and happy, or she wouldn't make it.
Play happily, Hannahmuffin. May there be many yogies for you, and lots of veggies. Tell Midian we said hi, and remember that you live in our hearts always.
I spent the next few days in hopital on more morphine than... well, let's just say my blood had a street value for a few days. ;P I was up and walking, though albeit not far, the very next day. I spent as much time sleeping as a building full of people checking your vitals every 2 hours will allow. I came home, all is good.
My lovin' ratty Hannah went in for her surgery last night-- she would stay the night, and be operated on this morning to remove a large mammary mass. The vet had said it should be no problem, it was only being fed by one blood vessel. Unfortunately, what they didn't know until they opened her up was that the one blood vessel was the jugular. She went into cardiac arrest on the table when they clamped it off. They resucitated her once. The second time... no such luck.
She will be brought home tonight on my mother's way home from work, frodented, and buried his weekend next to her lifetime companion Midian, who made her trip to the Rainbow Bridge (as pet people call it) on March 1st. Either way, Hannah is no longer suffering. Even if we'd caught the lump sooner, they would have had to put her down, the vet having informed us that "[lump being fed by jugular] is rare, but it's the one time we have to put them down." I give the staff credit-- they tried anyways to save her, to help her, despite the odds.
Some of you may be asking if they shouldn't have just closed her back up and let us know, let her pass on in her own time. You didn't see how much pain she was in in those last couple weeks. It was, I think, worse since Midian's passing; the Midlet was Hannah's best friend, and the two of them kept each other going. Once Midian was gone, Hannah was overwhelmed by her illness, despite the supportive presence of her daughter Ginger and Ginger's bonded companion Stasia. (more on rats bonding later...) Her eyes were filled with porhyrin (a reddish fluid that is the rat equivalent of tears; also colours nasal mucuous secretions), indicating pain and stress. She wasn't having any fun any more, and the surgery would take care of the Quality Of Life issue either way. Either she'd be lump-free and happy, or she wouldn't make it.
Play happily, Hannahmuffin. May there be many yogies for you, and lots of veggies. Tell Midian we said hi, and remember that you live in our hearts always.