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11:36pm

Gnarla's Long-Distance Sister

Featuring:

Gnarla

Yaz

I just got off the phone w/ a very good friend of mine back east in MA. For the past wk or so, his adult iguana Lucy has been having odd physical symptoms and his herp vet (and I use the term extremely loosely) kept putting him off, saying they couldn't get Lucy in to be seen til June 9th. I have never heard of any vet worth his/her salt refusing to take an ill animal ASAP, especially one who's a "regular" patient, especially one who's a reptile, since reptiles can go downhill so rapidly...Anyway, he wound up calling around town and learnt of another, MUCH BETTER herp vet whose practice is even closer to him--hurrah! Anyhow, the new vet ran a battery of tests on Lucy and the bloodwork showed anemia & a high WBC count. This was nearly identical to Gnarla's report last month. A belly tap was done which showed a lot of blood & bacteria, and then the vet recommended exploratory surgery. (This is getting way too spookily close to Gnarla's situation...)However, this vet, although he is good, had no hesitation in recommending that Lucy have her surgery at Tufts, which is one of, if not the, best veterinary hospitals in the country. Whereas most everyday clinics are good at treating basic illnesses & performing basic operations, Tufts will have the proper diagnostic equipment to do a thorough job of monitoring and assessing her.
So Dave & his mom drove Lucy up there today and left her overnight--her surgery will be tomorrow.

He was in quite a state when he called, just tremendously anxious about all the possible outcomes, going over the "shoulda woulda couldas" that I know all too well... He expressed fear that he might not see her alive again. Oh, man, do I know what that's like! The morning I dropped her off for surgery I paced like a caged cougar waiting for the post-surgery call from the vet. When I picked her up after the surgery, I was amazed at her activity level. Yes, she looked like she'd been sent out to the laundry and came back shrunk, but her energy was such a good sign! She scratched my chin scrabbling up my clothes toward my head, but I didn't mind in the least--she survived!

At any rate, Dave and I chatted for a good hour & a half tonight. His pain and anxiety brought me back immediately to Gnarla's plight--though with a month's distance, I can now be in a position to offer advice & a sympathetic ear. Dave believes that everything happens for a reason, so maybe Gnarla's illness & death have made me stronger so that I can help others going through similar situations. (I have worked in animal shelters & vet clinics for 5 years and know that deaths are inevitable. I can usually maintain my composure & professionalism while at work, but in my private life, when it's a pet of my own or that of a good friend, it's a different story.)

At any rate, I have been letting Yaz roam free in the house most of the day (I'm off work today) and after I hung up from Dave, I kept stroking his skin & telling him how special he is, and how lucky I am to have the opportunity to care for him. He did a big "bob" back, as if to agree with everything I said, which brought a smile to my face. I am fervently hoping and praying that Lucy pulls through her surgery and makes a full recovery...