Okay, the latest on Spot after tonight's appt. is that we are checking by
CBC for nephritis, helicobacter is a very vague possibility, the most likely
candidate right now (barring bad results form the blood test) is that he has
another bout of the colitis he's been plagued with on and off since he had
ECE about a year and half ago plus he look like he has what may be a mast
cell tumor on the palate.  I'd forgotten, but years ago we have another boy
with a mast cell tumor there.  Spotty's is very responsive to prednisone --
it was so small that Hanan couldn't see it today, but it still bleeds some
each day, sometimes quite a bit.  Before the daily pred it looked like a a
good sized blood blister and bled more.  Spot's not doing too badly, but
he's uncomfortable.  (Whereas 'Chopper who is dying (may be anytime or as
long as 3 months) is as comfy as a pig in mud and having a grand old time
thanks to all her heart meds.)
 
Have heard from some others about illnesses with mouth sores.  Some people
and shelters have encountered something which does not appear to be
helicobacter and isn't standard ECE, but presents like a combination of the
two at their worst, sometimes with mouth sores.  The places with this have
seen a very high mortality; there's a lot of bleeding out
gastro-intestinally and there's bad and rapid dehydration.
 
I also heard that some places are afraid to mention these situations openly
because they are afraid that folks will criticise them at a time when they
are scrambling madly trying to provide supportive health care and save as
many as possible.  Please, I don't want to hear of anyone giving these
people a hard time.  They are going through a tough enough time as it is,
and if they begin to feel that they can discuss these problems openly then
maybe they'll have a better chance of running into shared solutions, and we
all will benefit down the road.  We should be helping them cope with their
heart-ache; that's the traditional FML way and one of the reasons it was at
the fore-front of improving care for multiple medical conditions.
 
If they are still afraid then maybe Bill can help them post anonymously for
now if they'd prefer?  Bill, any advice or directions for them? ***BIG***
 
Sukie
 
[Moderator's note: I'd take the anonymous posts on a case-by-case basis,
though it would probably work.
 
But, definitely yes, I think we'd all be better off if information like
this is shared.  That's what this is all about, and sharing has/will
benefit us greatly.  BIG]
[Posted in FML issue 2387]