Dear Humans,

Mom said I could have laptop privileges again this morning, while she tries to take a nap.  She keeps muttering something about how waking her up every two hours is forbidden as a form of torture by U.N. convention, but then I asked what the U.N. has to say about feeding me diuretics and then not letting me go outside, so she keeps letting me out anyway.  AND giving me a door treat AND a bedtime treat when I come in, so who am I to complain?

I mean, SHE's complaining, but she's always such a whiner anyhow.

I scared her a bit yesterday with my not wanting breakfast, but I came around eventually.  A bit of discomfort last night with my bloating, but I'm starting to get used to it.  And my fwappity fwappity tail is still going strong!

She's had to help me onto the couch a couple of times, because all this water makes it hard for me to get up.  Mom says the anaemia probably doesn't help, either.

But I licked ALL the spoons this morning, and ate my breakfast and morning medicine.  And now I'm cranky, because Jasper got to go for a walk in the woods with all our friends, and I've been left behind.  I saw Michelle's car come in the driveway, and was really excited, but then she grabbed Jasper from the side gate and didn't even come in to see my fwappity tail!  I hate her, she's not my real woods-walker.  (But I wish she was.)

So Gráinne and I are in the front foyer together, looking wistfully out the windows.  Gráinne is more interested in the birds, I'm more interested in willing Michelle to come back with the power of my mind, so she will take me to the woods with my friends.  I guess I need to work on that.

Mom says I must be feeling better, because I'm bored and being a pain in the ass.  But she's laughing when she says it, so I'm hoping she still loves me.  I have been reduced to playing with Cadeau, who is no longer afraid of me, and is very intent on stealing my food.  Why did Mom want cats again?

Mom said since I seem to be feeling better, she's going to try and actually get some work done today, because she's got a bunch of new music she has to learn in only a couple of months, and because she's an old lady now, she can't do the same sort of last-minute cramming she used to be good at.  Apparently attempting to lift me has exacerbated her stupid wrist injury from Pandemic Summer #1 (when she got stubborn with a lilac branch and the wrong pruning tool and her tendon lost the battle), so she can only work in small bursts.  Also, her brain has gotten stupider, and she's tired of playing the "is this C-PTS or menopause or long COVID?" game, and if she sees a shiny thing on the way to the studio she might forget why she went up there in the first place, so best to get at 'er when she remembers.  Humans are weird.

She says if I keep having the same sass I have this morning, though, she might let me go to Ruff Haus for a couple of hours, but not as long as she lets my stinky brother go, because she doesn't want to kill me.  Meh, I know she was ready to kill me last Sunday and Thursday, which is why I showed her all my tricks, because bitch, please...  (I'm allowed to say that because I'm a girl dog, even though I'll never be a bitch, because of that first surgery they made me have).

Mom said this month has been a good lesson about living in the present and understanding that everything is impermanent and life is out of your control.  But she'd like it if the universe could just shut the fuck up with these teachable moments, because she's already gone back to school anyhow, and hasn't she just fucking learned enough at this point?

Mom swears a lot when she's upset.  Is it any wonder I grew up to have such a potty mouth?

She says to promise everyone that once she's off her fainting couch, she'll keep everyone updated throughout the day.  There should be a call from the vet at some point with the results of my blood tests on Friday.  Think positive thoughts!

Love and schlurps and my fwappity fwappity tail,
Macie

2:15pm edit

Dear humans – I made it up the back stairs all by myself AND jumped on to the studio couch with no problem, so Mom is practising cello now.  🙂

4:20pm edit (no, not THAT 4:20)

Dear humans,

I have taken over the laptop again, because Mom is busy making an idiot of herself.  She is SOOOOO embarrassing…

The vet called to check up on me, and give Mom the results of my latest blood test, and talk about next steps.  My absolute FAVOURITE "next step" is that once my sulcrate suspension is finished, I don't have to renew that prescription.  Which is amazeballs, because that shit is gross, and I'm the one who likes to eat barf and bunny poop, so you know it's vile.

For those of you who were planning my funeral, sorry, suckers!  Looks like I still have a chance of being older than my mom in dog years this spring.

Mom's favourite part of the phone call is that my ALT has gone from the 1538 U/L that started this whole ordeal in January, DOWN TO 705!!!!  Less than half what it was, even when I was totally asymptomatic.  😀 💃🏻🐕‍🦺🦴🍨

It's still high – the ideal is between 12 & 118, so Mom's trying not to get TOO excited just yet – but they've come way down from the super-scary levels, and quickly.  So the treatment is working.

My Albumin is still low, which is why I look like I'm pregnant with twin water buffalos, and is a sign that my whole liver is still not doing great, but hopefully it'll catch up with the ALT soon.  My AST has also gone up slightly, which made the vet raise her eyebrows a bit, but we've decided to ignore that for today, and just be excited about the ALT.  (She will be consulting with my internal specialist to see what it all means and what to do next.)

I'm still anaemic, although have gotten a little better in that department.  There is evidence of my body building new red blood cells (apparently it takes 5 days for a healthy dog to build a new red blood cell, who knew?), and of my liver trying to regenerate itself.  So there is "potential to respond" to treatment, and Mom can hold off on the catastrophizing for now.

So I'm still full of abnormalities (watch it, sassy ones), and still anaemic, so not completely out of the woods, but the ALT heading halfway home is great news.

And did I mention I only have to take that horrid sulcrate suspension a couple more times before it's over?  They're probably going to renew my prednisone and omeprazole for a while, but I don't mind those so much, because they're usually hidden in my pumpkin.

Now if I can get Mom to stop dancing the happy dance WITH THE CURTAINS OPEN, I will be a happy girl.

Love and schlurps and butt wiggles,
Macie