Friday, July 4, 2008

Some Good News

Travis had bloodwork done this morning and his biliruben was normal which was a huge improvement. The point of putting him on fluids for a few days was to flush the blood of the biliruben, but I don't think such an improvement was expected. The other liver enzymes were a little elevated, but better. My understanding is that the biliruben is what causes the jaundice which Travis is not at this time. The vet who examined him today said that clinically he looked fine. He suggested that I take him off the Prednisone just in case Travis was fighting an infection. Prednisone suppresses the body's immune system and keeps it from overreacting. It is sometimes good for surpressing some cancers which Travis may have, but if he is just fighting an infection, it would be best if he had full use of his immune system. So fingers still crossed. It certainly gives me a reason to quit crying and to have some hope.
We picked Travis up around 2 PM. I'm so glad he is home and has the catheter out. He's a little thin and starting to look and feel like a couch potato, but otherwise he seems fine. He is eating well. I am going to keep a journal of his days to keep track of his progress. We have all of his medicines and supplements organized. I am going to feed him cooked food several times a day while he is on the antibiotics. My thought is that if he continues to do well, I will recheck blood a few days before the drugs start to run out. If he starts to decline, I will recheck it then. Thanks for all of the support!