Once in a while, one finds someone who truly deserves the title 'hero'. They don't wear capes,…read moretights or bold letters on their chests, my hero wears a sport shirt with a white coat over it. Let me tell you about Roxanne's vet, Dr. May. When Rox was 9 yrs old, about 2 1/2 yrs ago, I was told she had a heart murmur. The cardiologist vet prescribed enalapril and said 'see you in a year'. When I took her for a follow up at my old vet, I didn't see him, I saw his 'associate'. When asked about Roxanne's prognosis, this twit told me 'she'll probably live a year'. It was like a jolt to my heart. I cried all the way home, my little girl lying on the seat next to me, looking at me with that 'what's wrong mommy' expression they get.
I told some friends and the son of one of my friends said, 'Go see Dr. May.' Best thing I ever did! When told what the twit told me, he said, 'Young, recently graduated from vet school? Let me just say this...bullshit! I'm not going to let this girl die. How's that!' And he didn't. Yes, Roxanne has been taking three pills every morning and night, and after a month of wheezing, I brought her to see him yesterday. After an X-ray, Dr May told me that she has, as she always had, the curse of the breed, a collapsed trachea. This is the reason we hear that goose cough they do. But age does make it worse. Dr. May said we have two options, we can try a new med that helps open the bronchial tubes, and if that doesn't work, there are two veterinary surgeons who are very successful putting a shunt into the trachea. They are Cornell grads like he is, and perfected doing this method microscopically. Yesterday, I started Rox on the new meds, yup, she now gets four pills twice a day, (she's catching up to me). Today, my old girl ran around like a puppy, playing with toys she hasn't touched in months.
Yes, Virginia, there are heroes in this world!