CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547 Posted December 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2015 I promise to get this trip report back on track in the next couple of days. I got sidetracked. Within a week after we got home I suddenly had severe, cramp-like pain in my left leg. After three days it went away, and my leg felt okay. Then a few days later it started swelling up. Both of my legs had swelled up in FL, but I attributed it to the heat and the swelling eventually went away. This time the swelling just kept getting worse and worse. It would go away at night when I slept with my leg elevated. But every morning it would start swelling again. Now, I have to admit, I won't go to the doctor unless I feel like my life is in danger or I am absolutely miserable. During the past few days the pain started coming back, and yesterday I decided I couldn't take it anymore. So yesterday I spent a couple of hours going to the doctor, who said she was going to send me for an ultrasound to rule out blood clots. She didn't think I had one, but she wanted to be sure. So I spent a couple more hours in the imaging center. And they discovered clots in both my femoral and popliteal veins and sent me straight to the ER. I was a wreck. The first question the ER doctor asked me was if I had recently been on a long trip. And when I told him we had returned just before Thanksgiving, he had that "aha" moment. They hooked me up to all kinds of monitors, and of course my BP, heart rate, everything was out of control. He asked me if I was stressed out, and I said "wouldn't you be?" So I had to involuntary give up some blood. And wait and wait for the results to come back. But in the meantime I got my vitals under control and back to reasonable numbers. I was determined they wouldn't admit me. Finally the bloodwork came back okay. They gave me a blood-thinner shot in my abdomen (ouch!) and finally let me come home with a prescription for Xarelto that I was to start this morning. Today I visited my HMO pharmacy, and, surprise, surprise, they were out of the Xarelto starter pack. But thankfully they called around and located the medication for me. I just had to wait another hour or so for that pharmacy to fill it. Long story short, I've spent the last two days dealing with medical issues. I would have rather been home working on my TR! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dvccamper 32 Posted December 17, 2015 Report Share Posted December 17, 2015 So sorry to hear what you're going through but glad you found out what it was so it could be treated. Take care and feel better soon! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ivy 36 Posted December 17, 2015 Report Share Posted December 17, 2015 Hope you feel better soon. Great trip report! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
twiceblessed....nacole 433 Posted December 17, 2015 Report Share Posted December 17, 2015 Please take it easy Gwen!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tri-Circle-D 2,059 Posted December 17, 2015 Report Share Posted December 17, 2015 I'm sorry to hear about your blood clots. I hope you make a quick recovery. And, don't forget about this the next time you travel! TCD Quote Link to post Share on other sites
keith_h 420 Posted December 17, 2015 Report Share Posted December 17, 2015 Good to hear that it didn't get any worse and you were able to go home that evening. Hospitals definitely aren't a place to get rest and recuperate. Hopefully the Xarelto will prevent a another occurrence. I'm sure they told you about higher risk of bruising and things like that. One thing I found on my own was mixing blood thinners and fish oil can increase the bleeding over the blood thinner by itself. I still take the fish oil but am now aware that I need to pay more attention to cuts since they can take longer to stop bleeding. There are some other foods that have the same blood thinning effect so it is worthwhile looking at into your diet and talking with your doctor about it. Funny comment about the doctor and being stressed out. I had a minor heart attack about 15 years ago. The ER doctor was concerned about my very high blood pressure. This doctor would never talk directly to me but only to my wife and in a condescending manner. I also had two nurses, one was young and the other an obvious older veteran. As soon as the doctor left the room the older nurse took my blood pressure and told the younger one, "I told you his blood pressure would drop once she left the room." The nurse said while the doctor was one of their best ER physicians she had minimal people skills and it seems raised the blood pressure of lots of patients. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547 Posted December 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2015 So sorry to hear what you're going through but glad you found out what it was so it could be treated. Take care and feel better soon! Hope you feel better soon. Great trip report! Please take it easy Gwen!! I'm sorry to hear about your blood clots. I hope you make a quick recovery. And, don't forget about this the next time you travel! TCD Thank you all. Next time we travel I will be very careful. Funny comment about the doctor and being stressed out. I had a minor heart attack about 15 years ago. The ER doctor was concerned about my very high blood pressure. This doctor would never talk directly to me but only to my wife and in a condescending manner. I also had two nurses, one was young and the other an obvious older veteran. As soon as the doctor left the room the older nurse took my blood pressure and told the younger one, "I told you his blood pressure would drop once she left the room." The nurse said while the doctor was one of their best ER physicians she had minimal people skills and it seems raised the blood pressure of lots of patients. Funny! This doctor had great people skills and was very nice, but I still didn't want to be there! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547 Posted December 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2015 So let's get this TR back on track ... Saturday, November 7 David and I went out to breakfast at GC in Celebration. It wasn't great. Won't go there again. While we were eating Dr. Smith called and asked us to meet with her to discuss Kassie. She had heard back from the radiologist. Have any idea what the purple is outlining? It's Kassie's esophagus. She has severe megaesophagus. And she has no muscles in her esophagus to force food down and no muscles to keep it down once it reaches her stomach. That explains a lot through the years. And it also raises a lot of questions, like why our vet (who is also the breeder) never mentioned it to us. Dr. Smith had done a lot of research and gave us several pages of instructions on how to care for her. She's now on a pudding-consistency diet, and I have to hold her vertical for 15 minutes after she eats (and she has to be fed four times a day). She has elevated food and water bowls. She has good days and bad days, but we're taking it one day at a time. After we ran all our errands, we met the kids at AK. First up was EE while we babysat Miracle and Red. Celebrity Sighting -- We stopped at the rest rooms beside Nemo. There were several people leaning against both sides of the railing, and I was concerned about running over someone's toes. So I looked down the whole time I was going through until the last minute. I glanced up and thought, wow, that blonde lady looks familiar. So when I got past everyone I stopped and looked back. Only then did I realize it was Buddy Valastro (Cake Boss) and his family. The blonde was his wife Lisa! They were waiting for a CM to escort them through the back entrance to the show. And unfortunately I had left my camera with David, so no pictures. Next we visited Dinoland, where the kids played games and rode several rides. Then it was time for Dinosaur. But Red had on his crocs instead of his athletic shoes, and he was about 1/4 inch too short to ride. He was devastated. So David and I walked around with him and saw all the dinosaurs in the area. He was happy once David told him when everyone else got off the ride we would get ice cream, and he could get his first. Matthew, Erica, and the kids were going to have to start their trip home shortly and they would be stuck in the car for hours, so we decided it would be good to let the kids run around awhile at: Disney is the only place I know where parents are happy to pay nearly $100 for their kids to have the privilege of playing in the sand! Once we could drag the kids away, we went to Flame Tree for dinner. After dinner Einstein had a surprise for me. He had heard me say earlier in the week that I'd never had a popcorn bucket and would like to buy one for myself. So he took me around the corner and spent his own money buying one for me! What a thoughtful grandson! All too soon it was time for them to leave, so we made our way out of the park. We had one last photo taken together and then said goodbye ... They drove to Savannah for the night and then on home the next day. The week with the family was great, but it certainly wasn't what we'd envisioned. We had to spend so much time in the vet's office and taking care of Kassie. It could have been worse, but we really wished we had been able to spend more time with the kids. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tri-Circle-D 2,059 Posted December 18, 2015 Report Share Posted December 18, 2015 Disney is the only place I know where parents are happy to pay nearly $100 for their kids to have the privilege of playing in the sand! So true. For the record, I was never happy to waste time letting my kids play in that darned sandbox, but man, my kids loved digging in there. So I let them. But, I never liked it. The same goes for that horrible Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground in DHS, and the splash area they used to have outside of the Ariel's old meet and greet place before it was bulldozed for New Fantasyland. As for the rest of your update- that is another bunch of excellent photos! But, poor Kassie! I certainly hope your vet didn't intentionally conceal her condition from you, but it sure seems that way. And that's awful. It's good to see the food at Flame Tree looks as good as always. Especially the Onion Rings. it was closed the last few times I visited AK. I need to get back there! What a sweet story about the popcorn bucket! Thanks for sharing that. TCD Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ependydad...Doug 176 Posted December 18, 2015 Report Share Posted December 18, 2015 My kids have never played in that area. :) You have such an amazing knack for great photos of the kids and everything around. The ice cream pictures made me laugh outloud! And how sweet about the popcorn bucket. That was awesome. Good for him! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ependydad...Doug 176 Posted December 18, 2015 Report Share Posted December 18, 2015 *Double ghost post.* Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Seals 111 Posted December 18, 2015 Report Share Posted December 18, 2015 Awwww - the popcorn bucket. What a sweet boy! Sorry about your troubles with Kassie but at least you have some ways to help her now. Although I imagine holding her vertical for 15 minutes after every meal isn't the most fun for either of you. Great photos as always. Thanks for sharing your trip. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bhall 115 Posted December 18, 2015 Report Share Posted December 18, 2015 Great report. Sorry about Kassie. We lost Paprika (Pibby), a miniature schnauzer to the same condition. Her last visit to the vet was 2/15/13, 11 years to the day of her first ever visit 1 day after we got her. She was a Valentines Day gift to my wife. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547 Posted December 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 So true. For the record, I was never happy to waste time letting my kids play in that darned sandbox, but man, my kids loved digging in there. So I let them. But, I never liked it. The same goes for that horrible Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground in DHS, and the splash area they used to have outside of the Ariel's old meet and greet place before it was bulldozed for New Fantasyland. Thankfully the GKs haven't discovered the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground! Great report. Sorry about Kassie. We lost Paprika (Pibby), a miniature schnauzer to the same condition. Her last visit to the vet was 2/15/13, 11 years to the day of her first ever visit 1 day after we got her. She was a Valentines Day gift to my wife. What a wonderful Valentine's Day gift! Sorry you lost her so soon. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547 Posted December 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 Awwww - the popcorn bucket. What a sweet boy! Yes, he is! He has a sensitive and caring heart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547 Posted December 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 Sidetracked again ... Kassie had a rough weekend, so we took her back to the vet today.She has lost five pounds, which is a lot for her -- she only weighed 18 pounds. She also has a sinus infection and is now on two antibiotics plus antibacterial nose drops.But the bad news is that Alyce is now treating Kassie for myasthenia gravis. This is something that the vet at Sand Lake mentioned as a possibility. Kassie has all the symptoms. Alyce said many dogs do well for a long time on the medication, but others do well for a little while and the medication suddenly stops helping. We don't know what to expect, but Alyce made it clear that this situation is serious. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Northerngirl--Lori 5 Posted December 21, 2015 Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 I'm so sorry about Kassie's health issues. I'm saying a prayer for the best results possible . Our pets loving members of our families. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Northerngirl--Lori 5 Posted December 21, 2015 Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 I'm so sorry about Kassie's health issues. I'm saying a prayer for the best results possible . Our pets loving members of our families. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Northerngirl--Lori 5 Posted December 21, 2015 Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 I'm so sorry about Kassie's health issues. I'm saying a prayer for the best results possible . Our pets are loving members of our families. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Northerngirl--Lori 5 Posted December 21, 2015 Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 Whoops didn't mean to post that so many times, sorry Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Northerngirl--Lori 5 Posted December 21, 2015 Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 Whoops didn't mean to post that so many times, sorry Quote Link to post Share on other sites
twiceblessed....nacole 433 Posted December 22, 2015 Report Share Posted December 22, 2015 Your updates with the family were wonderful. As always, your pictures were beautiful.Sweet Kassie... I'm so sorry to hear this last update. Please keep me posted. I know thus is a tough time. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547 Posted December 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2015 I'm so sorry about Kassie's health issues. I'm saying a prayer for the best results possible . Our pets are loving members of our families. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Your updates with the family were wonderful. As always, your pictures were beautiful.Sweet Kassie... I'm so sorry to hear this last update. Please keep me posted. I know thus is a tough time. Thank you both! Unfortunately the vet didn't have the medication for myasthenia gravis on hand and had to order it. We were hoping it would arrive last Thursday, but it still hasn't come in. So Kassie is still having a tough time. Hopefully she will respond quickly once she does start taking it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547 Posted December 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2015 Sidetracked again by the holidays ... let's get this TR going once more! Sunday, November 8 Kassie was doing better, the kids were on their way home, and we had dealt with some problems at home with family members. Time for us now. David wanted to go out to breakfast and I didn't, so he went out alone. And where did he end up? Krispy Kreme! Of all places! We live in the hometown of Krispy Kreme. We both grew up eating their food. We can have it any time we want. So why go there on vacation? Beats me. We took Kassie on a long buggy ride, and then at midday we went over to the Magic Kingdom for a little while. Then we loaded my ECV into the car and drove over to the Beach Club. After enjoying the Boardwalk area we had dinner at Cape May. And of course it was dark when we left the restaurant. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547 Posted December 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2015 Monday, November 9 How do you like my new ECV keychain? Isn't it adorable? And so easy to find in my bag! Aside from the Fab Five, Eeyore is my favorite Disney character. Kassie was feeling much better this morning. We took her on another long buggy ride, then drove to EPCOT for lunch at F&WF. It took us about 20 minutes from our site to the entrance. So nice! But for the average person I'm still not convinced that driving to the parks is best. We were directed to park in the medical overflow lot, got lucky and found a space near the walkway, and had a less than two minute walk to the entrance. If we'd had to park on the opposite end of a row, walk to the tram stop, wait, and then ride the tram in, I think we'd be better off on a bus. Anyway, my first food stop was at Australia for the delicious lamb chop. Sorry, I took a bite before I remembered to take a picture. David then stopped at: and got a lobster roll: It looked better than it was. The lobster had no flavor. I stopped at Brazil and tried the pork belly: While the flavor was good, it was too fatty and I threw most of it away. I'm glad I tried it, but I doubt I'll get it again. On our way out I stopped in France for a martini slush. I don't think there was any alcohol in it. None. I stopped by and picked up my free wine glass. And cajoled David into have a PP picture made. After dinner (meatloaf and asparagus) we called it a night because we had an early morning planned. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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