Alot of time has past since I blogged last until beginning our new blog here at Pug Moon. I have been asked by some how the puggies and I are doing. Thank you! Below is a brief synopsis of the past 12 months or so for us. As brief as I could make it, which is still so very long.
Uhmmm, well as most of you know, Bandit poor thing has been sick most of his life with one thing or the other breathing related and in 2007 and 2008 he was plaqued with a uti situation that wouldn't go away. We got wise and switched to a wonderful vet that finally got to the root of the problems and diagnosed him with sterile struvites causing his constant utis and also he needed a 4 part respitory surgery to help with his breathing. We went off to a surgical specialist in Cleveland, OH on October 6th of last year that corrected a malformed septum in his nasal cavity, opened his stenotic nares, shortened his elongated palette and removed everted laryngeal saccules from his windpipe. What a great improvement Bandit had after recovering, he could play and would only get winded like a normal puggy.
Shortly after his recovery, on December 10th I had a lumpectomy in my left breast. I was so excited with the preliminary report showing it was a phyllodes tumor because 98% of them are benign. Well that excitement was short lived because 3 days later when the final report came in, I found out I was not a part of the 98% but the 2% and my phyllodes tumor was malignant. Malignant phyllodes tumors don't like to respond to conventional treatment. I have a wonderful breast surgeon. Based on past cysts and calcification problems and having a gut instinct, she went to bat for me with the insurance company and on February 18th I had a bi-lateral masectomy immediately beginning expander/implant surgery that was completed May 6th. It was a good thing I opted to have both taken out because biopsies on the tissue in my right breast, even though nothing showed up in the MRI, indicated a-typical ductal cells getting ready to turn. Afterwords she told me I made the right decision. They also took out 10 lymph nodes on each side and I had no lymph node involvement what so ever, they got all the breast tissue, and I did not need radiation or chemo. Recovery and having to lay flat was not an easy feat, but I made it through with flying colors and I know have better shape breasts than even before. I do not miss them, I am not sad about it, I am relieved. I am now a 8 month survivor!
But I am and filled with constant worry for my pugs Bandit and Smokey. Paisley has always been the healthy one and only needed routine care. In the Spring Smokey started with bouts of syncope. When he played excessively showing a certain level of excitement, he would lose his breath and pass out. Twice I had to get down on my knees and give him CPR to get him back, one of those times I thought for sure he wasn't going to return to me, but he did. We ended up at a cardiologist in Cleveland that ran tests, EKG, echocardiogram. His heart and lungs are structurally fine, he has no arrythmia, we still do not know what causes this. But I have learned his triggers and as much as Smokey would love to tear up the rug, I have to put limits on his physical activity and excitement level. He has not had another syncope episode since June of this year, 2009.
I love all of my pugs, but most that know me know that Bandit is my heart pug. The one I started training with first, spent the most time with before getting pugs 2 & 3, my best friend, the pug love of my life. A few weeks ago going in for a routine dental, I got a call they couldn't complete the routine dental on recommendation of the cardiologist who read his EKG before putting him under. The cardiologist said, the anesthesia could kill Bandit, that he had a supraventricular arrythmia showing up in his heart beat that doesn't like dealing with anesthesia. An immediately xray showed his heart and lungs was structually fine, it was an electrical problem, but he also had a much larger than normal right pulmonary artery. Off we are to the same cardiologist that took care of Smokey earlier this year for Bandit on November 16th.
I am constantly praying for miracles for my puggie beloveds. And prayers work because they are still with me. We are hoping for a much better year in 2010 because they have missed out on so much fun this year, going out and about in puggy style. At home we had a nice Summer, I have spent alot of time working in my perennial patches, building a Hummingbird Haven..etc. Except for Smokey trying to add additional gray hairs to my head trying to snap at passing bees.
I am still very thankful and feel very blessed to have the 3 puggies that I have in my life. They have given me so much unconditional love, laughter, and companionship, I could never repay them for their worth in my life. So I take care of them, love them, and spoil them the best that I can.
Sorry so long. That is about it in a nutshell. Better days ahead!
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