Cabal Update: What We Know...

Hello All,

Cabal developed some problems this week, if you are new to them, read the post before this one. (if you are WAY new you may have to go back and do some searching to find out about his earlier troubles)

Assuming you are up to speed, here's what's happening:

We had the Plan in place to wait a couple weeks and see if this was a disc problem that might resolve itself. I've been staying out at Boss's to be near Cabal, as he hasn't been moving real well, and in fact, Woodsman Hans built him a ramp so that he might get in and out more easily. He couldn't manage even the short bit of stairs.

This morning when we got up and tried to go outside, he was much worse. He couldn't walk more than a few steps before he would fall over, and couldn't he get up. When I did get him up, he wobbled. I called the U of Minnesota Vet Clinic, to let them know this had gone beyond "Let's wait and see if it resolves" and brought him into the ER.

It got worse very quickly this morning, last night he was having problems but nothing like he was this morning, or he would have gone in then.

They were able to get him in for an MRI.

Now the good news and the bad news.

The MRI showed no disc problems. This would be the Good News. The bad news is they then moved up the spine, and now believe it is something at the site of his previous neck surgery.

Good news: It is not an obvious Horrible Tumor. And the Thing they took out a few months ago was not a Horrible Cancerous Tumor.

But something is pressing on his Spine at the site. We don't yet know how we are going to treat it, but it does not have to be done tonight on an emergency basis. The Doctors today want his Neurologist to have a look and see on Monday.

They may have to go in and see. It may be treatable with aggressive anti-inflammatory meds. We don't know.

Cabal may get to come home tomorrow, until Monday. We are going to talk about that tomorrow afternoon. It will depend on how we think he is doing. It would be better for him mentally (and for me) if he was home with me by him. But it also may be better for him to be where a group of people who know what they are doing can be with him in case he can't walk entirely, or if he gets worse.

That's all I know.

Thank you SO much for all your love, and good thoughts. It's very hard with Boss half a world away and we're worried. But the U of MN is one of the top Clinics in the country, and we will be doing everything we can to make him well again.

Because he's such a fine friend.

Lola, as I know you will ask, is also very upset, but know that we are taking good care of her too, she does have a couple of dog friends, and we are arranging Play Dates, walks, and lots of love for her too.

Love and Cabal,
Lorraine