Visit to the Cardiologist

Hi - Emerson here. This past week I had to have a check up with my cardiologist.
After the tech checked my vitals (including my blood pressure), we had to wait for the doctor.

There was a computer just outside the examining room door.

There was a diagram of a dog's heart on the wall, but none of a cat's heart.


After the doctor examined me, I was taken into another room for an echocardiogram. Both mommie and daddie accompanied me. The news was not very good. This is my diagnosis:

• *Juvenile-onset hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy





• *Systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve - resolved on atenolol (Yay!)





• *Moderate mitral regurgitation





• *Severe segmental left ventricular hypertrophy - left ventricular papillary muscles and the posterior free wall (Boo!)





• *Severe left atrial chamber dilation - posing a risk for congestive heart failure and blood clot events (Boo!)

*Normal left ventricular contractility (Yay!)

The doctor told mommie that juvenile-onset hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy is more serious and aggressive than the kind that develops later in life. After I was given some blood tests (which mommie did not get to witness!), the doctor prescribed some more meds for me. In addition to my atenolol (which I've been taking for over a year), I now have to take Benazepril and Plavix. If I do okay on them, the doctor might add something called Diltiazem. That's a lot of meds for my pill pocket. But I'm a good boy and I want to live as long as I can so I will take them.
To lighten up this post, you might enjoy this photo of my silly sister in her yurt.

She's an angel when she is asleep. Her yurt looks a little unstable to me.

Let me give Little Nicky a kiss.

Love,

~ Emerson

Reflections on My First Year

Note: I wrote this on June 11, but Mommie didn't post it until today, August 8, because she never added the pictures for me until now.

It's been quite a year for me. Today, June 11, is my birthday!

Right now I am recovering from KNEE SURGERY. I had an accident.

I was out on the deck with my mommie and daddie on Memorial Day weekend.

I was sitting on the back of the chaise lounge watching the birdies taunt me from their feeders.

Suddenly, I just couldn't stand it any longer! I leaped at them, but, still being a kitten at the time, I didn't think of the consequences--such as where to land. I missed the deck railing (I wasn't aiming for it) and the birdies. I flew over the rail and landed down on the grass. It's a good thing that our deck isn't too far off the ground, but I probably came down at least seven feet. Ugh. The landing didn't feel too good. Once I recovered, I tried to walk, but it hurt a lot and I limped badly. Mommie and Daddie took me to the vet as an emergency visit on that Sunday (May 30). I had dislocated my knee and tore up some of my soft tissues. The doctor said that I needed an operation, but, because I have a mild heart murmur, he wanted to send me to a cardiologist for a consultation before a specialty surgeon operated on me. He also said that I had to be kept confined in a very small space with just my litter box, bed, and food.

He recommended a dog crate.

So, I was in jail in a big dog crate. It wasn't too bad since everything was convenient, and I didn't feel like running around anyway.

On June 3 I had my operation, and I got to go home on Friday, June 4. I had pain meds, heart meds, antibiotics, and this awful collar.

That collar was the worst part. I really wanted to lick my incision and make it heal, but I wasn't allowed to. I also had to rely on Mommie to groom me. Ugh. Thursday, June 10, I went back to the surgeon, and he examined me and removed my five stitches. He said that I looked great! And that I could have the collar removed today! That was the best birthday present of all today--Mom took that thing off. (I wish I knew Jeter's secret since he didn't have to wear his collar while he healed.) I'm still in the dog crate, and will be for another 4-6 weeks, but I have adjusted well. Mommie takes me out to cuddle.

I've had other exciting things happen to me. I got to go to the beach house in May, and I survived despite the overwhelming number of dog cousins that also visited. (Mommie can't find the photos right now, but promises to post them later.)

In other DOG news, I thought that I had my neighboring dogs under control. I met several of them last fall. This golden retriever is named Utah, and he is owned by Mr. Stuff and his girlfriend.

Here is one of the dogs that lives behind me.

I wasn't scared at all.

We sniffed through the fence, and all was well.

Except in March.

It was a beautiful day; Mom was teleworking out on the deck, and she had me out with her. I wandered around the yard and tried to pay no mind to the big husky dog. He was outside and watching my every move, but didn't bark. Unfortunately, he decided to climb his wood pile to get over the fence, and he tried to maul me! I cried, and Mommie came to rescue me behind the shed. I had icky slobber and a sore spot on my side and ended up getting a mat there. At least I didn't require medical attention. Mean dog! I thought that he was my friend!

Epilogue, 8/8/10: Well, my knee has healed up nicely. I went back to the surgeon last week, and he thought that I looked good. He still wants me to take it easy for the rest of the month, so I am not allowed to play wild feather wand games. I take a half pill of Atenolol for my heart condition (hypertropic cardiomyopathy--a thickening of the left ventricle) every day. I also have been told that I DO NOT get to go outside. Maybe, just maybe, Mommie and Daddie will take the big crate out on the deck or in the grass so I can sit outside. I fear that my garden kitty days are already behind me. All things considered, I have a pretty good life and a family that loves me very much.

~Emerson