Hi Everyone! This is just a short update on Blackie's progress. Before we do that we want to say that we are very pleased that BlackSheep1 nominated Rolfyboy6's comment for a top comment yesterday. To our surprise the comment was mentioned. We want to thank brillig for including it. We are quoting the nomination here in case you missed it.
From BlackSheep1:
Rolfyboy6's comment in sable's diary Blackie: A Pootie's Tale, Happy New Year to Everyone is absolutely dead-on about the state of writers in the candidate diary frenzy (if you read down thread a bit more hilarious reactions occur).
The original comment was made downthread on yesterday's update and New Year's wishes from Blackie.
Follow me for the latest update on Blackie's journey towards complete recovery.
For those of you who are new to her saga her tale is presented here, here, here, and here. As mentioned earlier, we did another update yesterday and it is here.
What has made this such a difficult journey for all of us, but especially Blackie, is the fact that chyle occurs so rarely in cats. Because of the rarity of this disease very little research is available. That has made this all the more frustrating. Adding even more is the fact that over half of the causes are idiopathic which means the reason it appears is unknown. In a way it would be easier to know a cause, not knowing is even worse.
As we mentioned yesterday we took Blackie in for another check-up. We noticed yesterday that her spirits and her breathing continued to improve. Today's exam confirmed our observations. While she did have a tiny bit of fluid, there was no need for another tap! That means the fluid accumulation in her lungs is slowing down. Her activity levels continue to improve as well. She is definately more interested in exploring her house and her appetite continues to improve.
Blackie has another reason to feel better today. Her surgery staples were removed. If you have had surgery you know how stiches and staples can bother you and how relieved you felt when they were removed. This is another hurdle that she cleared.
We want to once again, thank everyone for the love and support you have sent Blackie. The healing mojo, prayers, healing meditations, candles that have been sent are overwhelming. We know that it has helped her on her journey. People-power is an incrdible thing. Blackie's fan club is incredible. You have been with us through our journey. We hope that we can continue to bring good news. We continue to have hope for her.
Thanks again to the members of the "Daily Kos Chapter" of Blackie's fan club.
Blackie and her parents.
Update: We continue to remain hopeful. I took her in for another check and while she did have some fluid, the amount was miniscule! This is another good sign. She is also eating a lot more. Another positive sign is that she is putting some of her weight back on.
The other question that remains is how much damage was done to her left lung. We may need to continue with the anti-inflammatory drug and hope that there will be improvement.
From what the vet said yesterday, it takes about two to three months for the surgery to completely heal. This is going to be a long journey for all of us.