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[luvmyjacks]

Relapse, re-exposure, or never blasto free in the first place???  How can we know?  Last week Bosun lost his appetite and was panting.  Today he is in having a portion of his lung removed after something (not sure if it was a bulla similar to Will's) burst.  It was surgery or euthanasia so Rick took the $5000 hit.  He was on the fluconazole for six months but has been off for a little while.  Rick is now demanding the urine test even though the clinic is also insisting on x rays.  So, once again we are faced with the question of how long to treat and whether or not to maintain a low daily dosage of anti fungals forever. 
Issue number two:  Now that we are seeing more survivors than ever before on this website we are also seeing other "issues" that might very well be connected to blasto. When we go back through all the posts similarities pop up and in our case long term lung damage is one.  Again there is the question of whether the drugs and the process of fungal die off or blasto has caused the damage.
Fortunately for Bosun rick started him back on the fluconazole as soon as he noticed the symptoms and Bosun started to improve immediately.  Let's cross our fingers that the surgery goes well. 

[Jen]

I'm very sorry to hear it, and hope it comes out ok.

[gunner]

Oh brother!  When is this Blasto buisiness ever going to be enough for a poor dog!  I feel so bad for Bosun and Rick both. 

If Gunner gets blasto again, it won't be from re-exposure.  I am never taking her back to the Nature conserve where she got it in the first place and anything that looks like it could ever have been mulch is avoided at all costs.  Since her kidneys are messed up, another check yesterday shows that they are still declining, though it has slowed markedly, I can't use Itraconazole anymore so I have been adding a few drops of grapefruit seed extract to her water.  It is supposed to be a natural anti-fungal.  I don't know, it might be just so much witch-doctoring, but I really am at a loss as to what else to do. 

Where is St. Francis when you need him???  (sorry, just frustrated thinking about relapses after what all we have already been through)

[Wilson3]

oh boy this is just horrible
all they have done and gone through
i am wondering if just if maybe bosun had eye involement and they reid the new treatment i am wondering "if" by keeping the eyes did the blasto doorment? hind some where ?
i know it was memntioned to me that it could dothis
it does also seem the ones that get blasto their bodies where under soem type of stress
they will be in my prayeres you all will be
their has to be an end somewhere (and not that kind of an end)
very frustrating
wilson3

[evayola]

I truly hope that Bosun will make it through the surgery with flying colors! Definitely keep us posted on him!
Eva

[Wilson3]

lee we are all worried

any word yet?
kristin

[luvmyjacks]

Not a peep, but Rick told me he had a crazy week and Guelph is a good hour to hour and a half drive from Toronto so going back and forth has eaten into his time.  I'll e-mail him this morning. 
As well, I haven't heard how Jenna fared at her vet appt.  she's the dog from Kingston where they considered a diagnosis of cancer.  I'll e-mail them as well.  There are a few others I would like to hear about including Black Jax from the case database, Hershey and Daisy.  I think about them all the time and wonder how the treatment is going.  I obsess about my three because Sadie and Harry are pretty slim and Will is huge..... have they lost weight because he's eating their supper?  I certainly hope so because the alternative is too painful.  We are also seeing new names almost every day so hopefully these folks are finding what they need without having to post and ask more questions.

[sequinnw]

Daisy is doing well, although she threw up this morning for no apparent reason.  She took her 21st pill yesterday and the wrist swelling is almost gone; her limp is completely gone and her energy levels and mood are great.  I've been reading all the past messages and get scared yet appreciate all of the information so much.  It scares me because so many pet owners have no knowledge of this disease to push vets to consider other diagnoses.  I live in southern Michigan and no one here seems to know about blasto; yet the Great Lakes areas are a blasto site! 

[Wilson3]

well they do say no news is good news
i can only hope thisis the case with bosun
wilson3

it s wonderful to hear that daisy is doing so well give her a hug from us )

[mhitesman]

Oh, this is so disheartening and scary.  My thoughts will be with you.  Please keep us all posted.  It's so terrible.

[luvmyjacks]

I am hoping Rick will log in and give the detailed report but so far the news is good.  The surgery was difficult but a success and there "appeared" to be no blasto present.  Luckily Rick insisted on the urine test and it has come back positive with the number 2.1 so he of course is really happy he started the fluconazole again without waiting for the surgery or test results.  His vet was also on the fence about the urine test as it can give a false negative.  But, if it can't give a false positive you're still ahead of the game.  Need someone more technical than I am to weigh in on this.  Anyway, Bosun is still with us, Rick is down another $6000 but figures that wagging tail makes it all worthwhile.  Another happy ending on this forum.

[Jen]

This is very interesting, as at this time last year we didn't even know about the pee test and just how well it works.  Now he can know for sure instead of guessing, and not lose his buddy because no one knew any better.

I also have to wonder what the fairly sudden impact is having at MiraVista Labs.
Suddenly they're being deluged with requests for this test seemingly out of the blue.
I doubt they have a clue that a gaggle of chickens on an internet forum is behind it.

I guess I mean: Do you think they (MiraVista) are wondering what's going on and why?

[Wilson3]

jen you to funny!
wilson will get his first pee pee test in september when he goes for his rabies shot
unless i get worried again

i even took his temp today he felt hotter then normal (now mind you it is almost 90 outside we dohave air but it is hot out)

lee i am sooooo happy for rick and bosun 
bosunis sure lucky to have rick i really hope everything goes up hill from here for them it has toend for them

thansk for keeping us posted
wilson3

[luvmyjacks]

Jen, MiraVista is about to find out what's going on.  Rick is going full steam ahead and trying to elicit as much info as he can from them.  Given his last very long article about Blastomycosis I am hoping they will leap at the opportunity to flesh out more detail on the nature and scope of this test:  a sudden deluge in requests perhaps?  Anyway, we shall see.  I asked Rick to share every little morsel with us.  I am also going to approach my up north vet who diagnosed Roxy to do the urine test on Harry as he just seems a little "off".  I remember last Aurugst that Roxy seemed "aloof" and didn't engage with the litter of puppies I was fostering and I see Harry is lying around gazing off into the distance these days.  When we go off on walks he still runs up the mountain but I thought he was breathing just a little harder than normalthis afternoon.

[mhitesman]

I am a little confused.  Jen, you write that at that last time last year we did not even know about the pee test.  I am assuming you mean the blasto urine antigen test?  Is it that new?  Comet had that test last September, which confirmed his diagnosis of blasto.  He has had the same test three times since then because I order it every couple months since he was pronounced "cured" ... because I am so scared.  Is it the same test or is there a new one?