Taking Care of My Ticker

So I told you that Saturday I had to go to the vet. It was a surprise visit because I was feeling poorly. I did not sleep Friday night and I was clearly uncomfortable Saturday even though I am stoic and don't complain very much. My ape knew what it probably was. I have had cardiomyopathy for awhile now. That means my heart valves and heart muscles are not perfect (even though the rest of me is) and my heart has been working harder and getting progressively larger over time. Eventually it leads to congestive heart failure which is where I am now. You can read about the problem here. There were some telltale signs.

One was that I was uncomfortable at night which we now know is from having the fluid in my chest pool on one side making breathing more difficult. As you can see I was not my usual peppy self. I was coughing and wheezing a bit and couldn't get comfortable.

Also if you look at my eyes they look droopy but that is really just noticeable because my mucous membranes are so pale because my ticker is having a hard time pumping my blood.

And then you can see that I am looking a little skinny in the rear. That's because they starve me. And I have lost 4 pounds since my last vet visit. But when I lie down I get a tummy pooch because I have fluid in my belly.

So I had to go to the vet to help my discomfort. The vet took some picture of my insides (that are not as pretty as my outsides.) Here are my gorgeous outsides:

Here's an approximation of my not so pretty insides:


There is almost no dark space in my chest because it is all taken up by my GIANT heart and built-up fluid. I am already taking a drug called Pimobendan that helps my heart beat more efficiently. And I have to take a diuretic that will help me pee out that extra fluid (and boy have I been peeing my little heart out! Er, big heart.). And I am taking an ACE inhibitor called enalapril. And the best part is that all the pills come in SNACKS! Now I just need to stay calm, get moderate exercise, and get plenty of rest. And peeing. As Patience pointed out, when the snow comes I will be able to write my name! And I am getting extra snacks and when I want a bed the peppy sheppys have to MOVE IT and I get to sleep in the people bed with my ma ape. Unfortunately my heart will not get better but I hope the new meds will make me more comfortable and I plan to MILK IT for all it is worth!


So I'm just going to live it up! And I am accepting all incoming smooches!