We just got back from our appt with the neurologist and I feel reassured after talking to him again that we are making the right decision in having the surgery. He feels Sprite is the ideal candidate and should show significant improvement if all goes well. We went over all the risks involved, as well as the procedure itself and what that entails. These parts we need (the shunt) vary greatly in price and he's trying to source it for us at a reasonable price. The same piece can differ by thousands of dollars depending who's supplying it, so it's worth being patient for a few more days. He has already contacted the CDN Univ. Veterinary schools but they either don't do this very specialized procedure or don't have the shunts available. He expects to be able to do the surgery next week or early the following week at the very latest. In the meantime Sprite will start taking phenobarbital in addition to Kepra for the seizures. And wouldn't you know it, right after our appt while I was at the counter paying she had another seizure. I didn't realize right away until other people in the waiting room said "poor little thing" and then I looked down and there she was. It's hard to see! Thank you for the suggestion about travelling to the U.S. For the procedure. We have considered it but it's not very practical right now for us for family reasons so would be a last resort. Yes, our neurologist, who just recently relocated here from Europe, has done this procedure several times before. Thank goodness he is here because otherwise we would have no choice but to travel pretty far. Sorry for the super long post but I don't want to forget to answer anyone. As always thank you all for your support and well wishes!! |