From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2003-06-18 22:13:49 UTC
Subject: Update on Chiclet: weird skin thing has begun but mostly there is
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
improvement
Message-id: <a06001200bb16804088a8@[10.0.1.38]>
The feeling now is strongest that she has an infection (though other
options remain possible), and the options depend on what happens. If
she stops having progress then the node can be pulled if she is up to
it or Pred could be tried to just see what happens. The leading idea
right now is that perhaps she had a botched descenting which is
draining into her leg and which caused a life-threatening infection
but we do not know for sure what the cause actually is, yet. When
her antibiotics are done we'll also have to see if she relapses.
Right now after the node decreasing in size it has stabilized at
about one and half centimeters diameter but her fever is gone.
At this point she is more alert and stronger and is able to fit in
maybe 5 minutes of gentle play behavior (with breaks) every few days.
Mostly she sleeps but she enjoys seeing and sniffing new things every
day now and is getting to see her friends with supervision every day
since she no longer objects to having them there and no longer is so
ill that she scares them. She seems stronger though she is still
certainly sick as you can tell.
Today below her shoulder on the same side as the infection we found
something weird. She may be beginning to bruise where she gets shots
and they may be fading bruises, or she may have a secondary skin
infection beginning from being run down with that possibility being
taken seriously. Our vet has just heard a description over the phone
for now but he wants to see her soon again, of course. We are trying
the other side for her shots with careful examination continuing and
Xenodyne is being used on the circles. They have a green center with
very thin rings of yellow and then of red. They are not hotter than
the surrounding area (We used a gun thermometer which is very
accurate for surface temps, a Raytek Minitemp.) and there is no
nothing draining or oozing -- the area is dry. Nor are they raised
and they are not sensitive to touch or to alcohol. There is no rash,
no hives, no indication of systemic allergic reaction.
She is catching secondary illnesses easily while being so
compromised; when Steve had a sore throat she had one, too, for a few
days.
All in all, she is making progress, but it is slow going. She has
not been on death's door for days now and she hasn't had a fever for
about three days now.
(This is the 6 month old girl who had a huge popleteal node and a
high fever and some anemia who most likely has a severe infection but
could still have some form of malignancy.)