Homecoming

Wednesday, August 27, 2024

I’m still waiting for word from Pimmy’s doctors that she may come home. By yesterday, her body was working better; she was very alert and with a good appetite. The docs were concerned about her triglyceride levels and needed to follow Pimmy more.

Her hospitalization has made me scramble to learn about the relationship between triglycerides and livers, especially in equine types. Elevated triglycerides (also known as hyperlipidemia) are accumulations of enough fat in the liver to impair its functioning.

What’s happened has resulted from Pimmy’s stopping eating for several days; I didn’t recognize the seriousness of that and blamed it on her medications. Frankly, her veterinarian and I had not been communicating–we were mutually at fault. The upshot was that Pimmy’s body had pulled on stored fat to survive, sending too much fat (or triglycerides) into her liver. Finally, examining Pimmy, the veterinarian found that her liver was in failure mode.

I have also learned that, fortunately, the liver is capable of regenerating as Pimmy’s appears to be doing. I do not know what concoction flowed through Pimmy’s IV for days, but everything worked. This morning, I anticipate hearing that she has normal triglycerides and can come home.

I’m eager to bring her home and have made arrangements for maybe being late to work today.

Dear Friends: Thanks for following these incredibly challenging days for Pimmy and me. Diana