Day 140: 08/09/09 Ever since we have been using the Tetracycline we have noticed more pus coming out during lavage. We don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing but we will just keep doing what we are doing. It seems have been working over the last few weeks. I do a LOT of praying too!
Day 145: 08/14/09 I e-mailed Dr. W. Beard today to ask if the excess drainage we are seeing is good or bad. I also asked if I can start doing some ground work with Isabella to get her conditioned a little more. She runs in the pasture so I don't know why I couldn't but I'm not the expert so I've asked the expert.
Day 147: 08/16/09 There was a change today, there is hardly any drainage. Again, I'm not sure if that is good or bad or if it will change again in a day or two. I'm hoping and praying like crazy that it means the antibiotic may really be working. I am afraid to get my hopes up but it's easy to do because I want Isabella to recover so badly. Prayers for Isabella are MUCH appreciated. It's been raining a lot lately so when the mud dries up I'll get some new pictures of the dynamic duo. Now that Sky is 4 1/2 months old it is time for his vaccines. He hates needles, as you may recall he pulled his catheter out many times while he was a patient in the KSU hospital so he wants NOTHING to do with needles now. We managed to get the first shot in him before he knew what hit him but there was nothing doing with the 2nd shot. We tried and tried but he was soooo worked up it was pointless - no pun intended. Ha Ha! Randy actually managed to get the needle in three times but then as Sky jumped around like a WILD thing the needle fell out. So, we will give him a few days and try the element of surprise on another day. We will have to figure out something to get him over this or he is going to be a mess about getting shots when he is older. Good luck to us! ha ha
Day 184: 10/21/09 Izzy had a check up with Dr. Warren Beard today to see if anything has changed. Not much has which is good and not so good. Completely resolving the abscess is still a questionable feat. That is okay because we still have Izzy and she is doing well and is a happy horse!
Dr. Beard brings his team up to date about Izzy's case as they prepare to examine her.
Izzy is always a mannerly patient!
Dr. Warren Beard brings everyone up to date on his findings after examining Isabella. The abscess is even smaller!! We appreciate Dr. Beard's professional and caring attitude towards getting our girls well!!
Day 207: 11/13/09 Dr. Beard has been thinking on how to get Isabella well if at all possible. Over the past few weeks since the visit in October we have been using a product called R-gel. It is a liquid that contains antibiotic and when mixed with a powder creates a gel. We have administered 3 doses directly into the abscess over the past 3 weeks. Towards the end of week 2 the pus drainage slowed considerably! It's hard not to get our hopes up but we are cautiously hopeful this just might be working! After consulting with Dr. Beard today we have decided to buy a few more doses to give the treatment a little more time to work. Today we will administer the 4th dose. Dr. Beard says if it does't work after a couple more doses he does not believe it will work. If not, we will resume the daily lavages which I've really not missed. The drainage from the abscess has slowed but we still wash Izzy's rump everyday just to remove what has drained. It's much easier than lavage daily but if we have to go back to that route it's quite okay. As we've maintained all along we will do whatever is needed. Please pray for Isabella that the R-gel may just be the final treatment that gets her 100% well!
Day 255: 12/31/09 The r-gel didn't resolve the abscess but no harm done by trying. We are back to daily lavages but it's only a minor inconvenience and a bit cold during winter but it's all good.
Day 257: 01/02/10 The new year hasn't started out so good. This morning we found Izzy with mild colic symptoms. We immediately loaded her and headed for KSU and phoned them on the way. After several tests ranging from bloodwork to sonagrams it was suspected Izzy had a splenic entrapment. The problem is that nothing she is showing is text book for anything. Drugs were administered to reduce her spleen and we all took turns jogging Izzy for 15 minutes non-stop to see if we could get the intestines off of the spleen. Izzy showed such heart and even though she felt crummy she jogged right along with everyone and never missed a beat.
Day 302: 01/07/10 Izzy is still at KSU but with the snow storms we haven't been able to go see her daily. She is under the excellent care of Dr. Vander Werf and Dr. Davis. Izzy has peritonitis again. We think the abscess must have leaked into her abdomen. She has been started on antibiotics but her fevers are not under control just yet. We will bring her home, as soon as the roads are safe, and continue caring for her there. We will administer Doxycycline and Rifampin in an attempt to rid Izzy of the abscess that has plagued her since last May.
It was snowy outside so Izzy couldn't go out so to entertain her she got to go to the exercise stetch inside the hospital. The staff refers to the walkway as "I-70" it's a good way to at least get Izzy out of her stall for a little while each day.
Day 365: April 13, 2010 It has been 1 year since we brought Isabella home with the expectations of having to euthanize her. With the continued support over the last year of the excellent care at KSU by Dr. Warren Beard, Dr. Karie Vander Werf and Dr. Beth Davis Isabella is doing well. She is fat, sassy and very happy and we know each and every day that we are blessed to have her in our lives. Thanks to everyone for their prayers and support over the last year. Izzy is still on Doxycycline and Rifampin and as of three days ago there wasn't any drainage from her abscess. We hope and pray that this is the final stages of healing for her.