somethings not right ... i'm in tears

[haleyandmark]

I am so confused! I keep getting thrown around with all my answers! I just called back to the Animal Diagnostic Clinic and they told me the same thing as before! I asked to speak with Dr. Pickens and she is busy. Soo, they told me that I would have to be referred down to Texas A&M for the surgery??

What surgery? I didn't know surgery could fix this!! I am so confused!

Is there really a surgery that can fix this or are these secretaries getting the wrong information?

I am sitting here pulling my hair out! I do not want to wait any longer than I have to and I am because I keep getting the wrong information and it's getting old ... :(

What do ya'll think I should do? Pursue being referred to Texas A&M or what other choices do I have?? Banfield is closed today so I can't even talk to Dr. Zoltner ... I can already tell today is going to be 'one of those days'! :(

 

[luvroxy]

Oh, I am so sorry. I can't imagine how you feel. If I were you I would call that clinic back and make sure that the doctor calls you back ASAP. If you don't hear back, keep calling. This is your baby we are talking about and you want to make sure she is alright. I hope someone tells you a straight answer eventually and can hopefully put your mind at rest. You are doing better than me, I would've been waiting on the doorstep of the clinic this morning. I cannot stand for my puppies to be sick and not get immediate attention. They go to the vet for every lump, bump, scrape...you name it. Let us know.

 

[haleyandmark]

Well, I've gotten through to someone so I am breathing a bit easier ...

My Mom called me with the idea to call my cousin Megan's ex husbands dad (got that?). We are still close with his family, and we saw them just this past weekend at my grandma's funeral. He is a retired, well known, vet. Today, I got up the courage to call him (in tears, might I add)...

I told him EVERYTHiNG from what happenned on Monday morning to what I heard just a little bit ago. He told me that it is strange that she has an enlarged heart, but it's stranger that she has had absolutely no signs of heart problems until Monday (coughing, swelling abdomen, etc...). He said he is not ruling out the possibility of Boxer DCM, but he gave me a long list of other things it could've been. He saw her this past weekend and said she was a really healthy dog ... I'd have to agree! That's why this is so hard on us! :rolleyes:

Since that day, she's been fine. She didn't eat much the weekend before (too busy playing with her 'cousins'), and he was saying it could've been that she had low blood sugar. Like I said, he gave me a long list of things, but still admitted that none of those things would explain her heart being enlarged. He did say it could've just been something she was born with.

Bless Dr. Hoegemeyer's heart! He is going to call an old colleage up in Irving and one of the two men will call me back with what they think I should do or other references just to find out what is wrong with our baby!

I am about to call the Animal Diagnostic Clinic back and demand (in a nice way) that I speak with Dr. Pickens as SOON as she is not busy because I CANNOT wait ANY longer than I already have.

All these clinics are pushing me back and forth between them and all I really want is to diagnose her with whatever it is that she has (or un-diagnose her from this suspected DCM and put the blame on something other than that sweet little (big) heart of hers) so we can get her on medication, do the surgery, whatever, just make her well again!!

Sooo ... another day of our new little adventure that is exhausting me (Mark is at work so he doesn't have to deal with the phone calls :() ... we will keep ya'll posted ...

 

[Indy B's Mom]

I agree with luvroxy-keep bugging them until you have all the answers and Asia's appointments are scheduled. I know it is so hard to think straight right now and everything is so overwhelming and I am sorry you have to go through all this. My DH can be a bit of a "bully" at doctors offices if he feels that we are getting the runaround, almost to the point that I'm afraid they will ask us to leave sometimes, but he is not content until all of our questions are answered and he makes sure they take the time with us. I believe that his persistance is part of the reason that Ty is still with us. When Ty got sick, the doctor figured he just had a flu bug and originally suggested we go home and call them the next day if Tyler wasn't better-that wasn't good enough for Michael. He told them to start with one test and go down the line until every test had been run on him. He said he expected Ty to be treated like the president's dog and that we were NOT leaving until we had an answer (I told you he's a bit of a bully). They then ran a parvo test, which was positive and we were able to start treatment promptly. I'm sorry about rambling on, I just hate to see you frustrated over a lack of communication with the doctors when you have enough on your plate already. Just keep in mind that the squeaky wheel always gets oiled. I hope you can get things straightened out today and we are all still sending out the positive vibes to you, Mark and Asia!! Good luck!!

 

[baxters mom]

I agree with luvroxy, keep calling. Is it close were you can just drop in. Maybe if you are face to face with them they will give you more info. Is there another Vet you can go too? I know we got the run around at Banfield once before too.
Baxter, My Husband and I, are still sending (((postive Vibes))). Hang in there. Keep us posted.

 

[spud's mum]

Oh, I can't believe they're mucking you about this way! If it were me I know I'd be going up the wall by now. I agree, I think you should phone them and demand to speak to somebody. I'm so so sorry you're having to go through all this. I hope you get some answers soon. Keeping you all in my thoughts and prayers.

 

[luvroxy]

Well, I am glad SOMEONE was able to finally give you some piece of mind. That is good that you know a vet for reasons like this. Hopefully like he said it is something else and not the DCM.

 

[Holden's Mom]

There is no surgery to fix and enlarged heart. Obviously, the secretaries have bad information or more likely, no information. With Lewis I had two choices for the ultrasound to determine treatment. One was to have the test done here in Indy and read by an vet internist, since there is no cardiologist in this city. My other choice was haveng the ultrasound done at Purdue's vet clinic and read by a real cardiologist. Lewis was so gravely ill; I chose Purdue and the real expert on heart care. My local vet called ahead and we got in straight away because Lewis was so ill. I carried all of Lewis's results from bloodwork run earlier in the week, along with his Xrays taken earlier that day. After a quick history taken by a student, the cardiologist took Lewis and performed the ultasound. I got the results and treatment directive within an hour along with an estimate of total costs. Purdue wanted to keep Lewis until the following Monday(we were there on a Friday afternoon). Knowing the clinic would be closed at noon on Saturday and we were nearly two hours away, I took Lewis home and had the followup bloodwork and chest Xrays done on that Monday at my local vets and faxed back to Purdue. All three vets at my clinic are Purdue grads, and I did not want to stress Lewis further by leaving him in Lafayette.

I would pursue the contact at the Diagnostic clinic today and if unable to reach the doctor, I would pursue an appointment at the A amd M vet school through your regular vet. I would want to see a cardiologist as soon as I could for Asia and my own peace of mind.

Wishing you and Asia only the best. I know the word cardiomyopathy is frightning,
but the heart can be treated and even Lewis, diagnosed to be in congestive heart failure, lived another 5 years and 11 months after the trip to Purdue. He even had oral surgery a couple of years after the diagnosis Actually to me, the enlarged heart is less frightening than BCM which Holden had. There is so much more research on enlarged hearts because it is somewhat common to many species. People, cats and dogs all can be treated and the meds are pretty much the same. I was a regular ar CVS for both Lewis's and Holden's drugs.

Keep us posted and hug your baby girl from the two of us.

Pam and Pete

 

[calliehenry]

i agree with everyone whos posted thus far, and i would be pushy during her diagnosis and treating too. like holdens mom, we also have had to deal with BCM in our peanut AND an enlaged heart (i liked to think she just had so much love and that is why her heart grew so big). But she was not diagnosed until her fainting spells because there was no other reason to believe anything was wrong. That was at age 3 1/2 and she lived very normally until her last month with us a few months ago. The degrees to which the heart may or may not be having problems differ, and they CAN be managed with meds and your baby could end up living many more yeras with you. I know this is so hard and frightening, and i know how helpless you can feel at times, but you are doing everything right by contacting your "contacts" and being pushy at your own clinic! Hopefully whatever this is they will diagnose soon, and you can begin to treat her appropriately. Dont forget that, if it is her heart it does not mean she wont be around with you for a long tim eto come (so see the specialists if you can!). stay strong and i will send you many many positive vibes and keep you in my throughts and prayers. Asia has lots of boxer angels looking over her and rooting for her to stay strong adn healthy!

 

[Teressa]

I am not usually a pushy person, but I would keep bugging them and maybe even call Texas A&M myself. My dog has cardiomyopathy (his is the irregular heart beat). He was diagonised in Jauary of 2004 at the ripe old age of 3 and half. I am happy to report that as of 10 days ago, he was not showing very many VPC's. He takes Sotal (beta pace) twice a day. We go every three months for and EKC and an echo. I know he could go any day, but we have already had at least a year and half extra. He does not have the enlarged heart. When it comes to our babies, sometimes, we just have to be pushy, I am thinking of you. Wish I could be there to help you. Please let us know how things are going. Teressa