OT: Sophie update

[AnnLmla2]

Hi Friends of Sophie,
    Sophie has "graduated" and does not need any more checkups! She is doing wonderfully, Dr. Stanley said. She found a stitch that remained in her anal area and removed that but otherwise it was an easy time for Sophie there. She got her picture taken twice by Dr. Stanley. Not her face, ha! The vet student, Andrea, was so funny and kind. Dr. Stanley said I can start weaning her off the lactulose so she can be set free in 6 weeks, I was so happy to hear. She said that the surgery has taken very, very well and I don't need to worry about her straining too much or anything as far as being cautious. She can eat anything she wants to now, too. That draining fistula is entirely healed up now, also.  She escaped at MSU when the vet student took her out of the examining room to weigh her!  She was running down the hall so fast, whoosh,  but luckily the new students were coming the opposite way so 20 pairs of hands reached out to catch her. 

The only problem with the trip was that Sophie freaked out big time. I have never seen her so bad. I guess she was too sick before to care much about the trip to vets but now she knows and cares. For almost 2 hours on the way there she alternately cried loudly and drooled a river and then she puked big time, filled up the bottom of her carrier and I had to stop and dump the newspapers she was lying on, they stank so much. She also panted like a maniac all wild eyed. I started worrying wondering if a cat can have a heart attack from stress. On the way back she had diarrhea all over her carrier. I tried to clean that up a bit when we pulled over and she found an area to lie in that was clean and was pretty quiet for the rest of the trip. I put on my "Spirit Sojourn: Nature Quest" tape on the way back because it is very lovely instrumentals with sounds of nature in the background, like running water and birds and she seemed to like that. It was funny because she didn't want to fall asleep but her eyes got very heavy listening to the tape. Every once in a while she would wake up and give me a soft meow but she would be too drained to move. I am so glad that is over and that the report was so good.

   I have had a bag all ready with supplies for Sophie that I took with me everytime we had to go to the vets, things like wipes and paper towels and Feliway to calm her, a baggie of dry food, things like that.  The last two times before we went to Michigan State I also took along a blue and white checked blanket with me because my vets had me believing that the only kind thing would be to euthanize her, so I had considered it twice and had the blanket ready just in case to wrap her up in if she were to be put down.  Well, guess Sophie decided to tell me and the world what she thought of that idea because she pooped dead center in that blanket!  :-)

   I am still trying to figure out how to make a web page for Sophie.  I have gotten to lesson 4 of Learning HTML so hopefully soon I will get it done.  I just have forgotten how so it is not hard learning it again, just time consuming.  I want to be able to post several pictures of her on the web page.  I will let you all know when it is done. 

   Well, I just wanted to share the good news.  Sophie sends mews and headbutts and I send you my sincere thanks for being her friend and helping with your interest and caring and donations toward her surgery. 

Anne and Sophie and the bunch