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Originally Posted by Sashabear0430  Please tell me more of your experience going to UT and how your baby healed after the surgery |
We flew in to Knoxville on Wednesday evening and had the scintigraphy Thursday morning. They confirmed that she did have a shunt. She stayed that night and was spayed, had her teeth pulled and had the shunt repaired Friday morning. I was by myself, so I stayed mostly at the hotel and waited for phone updates from the hospital. My flight was scheduled to return home on Monday, but they called and told me I could pick Lola up on Saturday evening if I would stay in Knoxville Saturday night "just in case". I picked Lola up around 4:00 on Saturday and was surprised at the size of the incision...it was bigger than I thought. She had a collar on to keep her from chewing, but I took that off and put a human baby "onesie" on her as soon as we got back to the hotel. She did fine with that and never bothered her sutures. She never seemed to be in pain. She seemed to be sore, so when I picked her up, I would use a soft blanket so that my fingers would not press into her little sides. They did have her on pain medication for 3-4 days, but I think she would have been fine without it. I did give it to her. She wasn't on any other medications except her lactulose. She was very clingy back at the hotel and wanted to be right by my side, so you must be careful not to leave your baby on the bed or chair or they may jump to try to get to you. I changed my flight and we flew home Sunday and she did great. I kept her confined in a baby playpen for 2 weeks after we got home to keep her from running and playing too much. It got really hard the 2nd week because she felt so much better. You must keep her from running too hard and jumping until the ring closes. By the end of 2 weeks, it was like I had a new puppy...she was so alert and happy and wanted to tackle this new world that she had discovered. Her stitches dissolved on their own and we have not had a problem since. Her appetite has improved dramatically as well as her energy level. This is the best thing you can do for her!