Just when I thought Yani�s troubles were at an end and life now was starting to look good for her more problems developed. The magic weight gain was going as her weight was now dropping again dramatically.

Just a few weeks later a blood test showed that her platelet count was low. Abdominal exam also showed that her spleen was enlarged. Her weight was 28kg no. This was monitored very closely with platelet counts being down weekly. On Thursday 30^th August it was obvious Yani was not well. Her weight was 26.5kg. She was taken to the specialist who did an ultrasound. The spleen did not look too bad on ultrasound, the enlargement was not great, there was a shadow at the top of the intestine though not obviously blocking things. Cautious observation  was recommended as the surgical risk for her was too high. We got through the weekend and on Monday a check at the vet showed not a great deal of improvement but no deterioration other than her weight was now 25.9kg. The question of splenectomy came up and the risks discussed.  If it was bad she would require blood transfusion. Most dogs can accept a universal donor but not the case for Yani because of her animal protein allergy. A very close friend offered his GSD for cross matching. There was a relationship between his dog Henny and Yani. Henny�s grandfather was Yani�s great-grandfather. The results came back as a perfect match. We had our necessary donor. Thursday I could not stand it, they might not think there was a deterioration but I did. I saw the same vet on the Thursday as I had on the Monday (my regular vet was overseas). As soon as she saw Yani she phoned the specialist and we had to go straight over. Once again Yani had got to the point of near death. The specialist took another ultrasound and blood tests. He said he would ring me with the results. I had just walked in the door when the phone range. Yani�s platelets were under 100,000 her spleen had grown a lot larger I had to make a decision there and then whether I would let her have surgery first thing in the morning. The odds were given to me as less than 20% chance of surviving the surgery and less than 50% chance of getting through the post op period which would be lengthy due to her being on Prednisone and the delayed rate of healing it causes. Without the surgery Yani was not going to last the weekend. I decided to give her a chance albeit slim. She was taken into surgery the following morning. She might need to be transfused they said if  there is a problem. We had a blood donor all set up and he was to accompany her to the hospital.

I phoned at mid-day, no there was no answer she was in surgery. I phoned at 3pm, no there was no answer she was still in surgery. What was going on? I said I wanted to speak to the specialist. I was leaving work and would be home by 4 pm. At 4.15 pm I had a call, come on over quickly we don�t think Yani is going to make it.

Once again I was looking at a 45 minute trip on a good day, once again it was Friday 4.15 pm Rush Hour through central Auckland Motorway system. Why doesn�t things like this happen when there is not traffic. 

On my arrival I was taken through to the post-op area where Yani was on the floor on a hot water bed, they had drips going through her with warm fluid, drips with antibiotics, she was hooked up to an echocardiogram, she had a clip on her tongue. The specialist took me aside and said that her platelets had dropped to 65,000 she required a blood transfusion before surgery that is one of the reasons it was so long. 

Yani and her blood donor Henny

During surgery she was resuscitated twice, I later heard from one of the vet nurses that Mark Robson really went all out to save Yani the second time, saying that if a dog deserved to live this one did. They had called me because her heart rate was not getting over 20 and they had been giving her atropine injections to keep it at that rate. So far she had had 5 atropine injections.

I went to her side and knelt on the floor and held her head in my lap and cried. I stroked her and talked to her trying to let her know I was there for her. The nurse said, her heart rate is dropping again. I lent down to her ear and talked to her, the nurse gave her another atropine, it is 20 again, but her body temperature is too low, they bought more blankets. I kept talking to her, saying that she had fought so hard, please be brave I love you so much but if you need to go, if you are tired you go I won't stop you, but I am not ready so please fight all you can. The nurse then said her heart rate is 36, keep talking to her she is responding. I sat with her for hours and hours, she did not need anymore atropine, her heart rate at 11 pm was 58 and her body temperature was rising. 

Denise with Yani

I was reluctant to leave but was reassured that she would have someone monitoring her all night and they would phone me and gave me their cell phone number in case I was worried about her, and please call (which I did).

8 am the next day saw me there again. Yani was in a large area with her drips in and awake. She had been to the toilet outside. They could not get over her getting through. She was very weak and needed to stay in hospital. I spent the day with her just sitting and talking and she got better and more alert as the day went on. After two days in hospital she was allowed home. They gave her morphine for the trip home and for at least a week. Her weight was 23kg.

I then got the info on the surgery. Her spleen had weighed 8lb. It had extended down to the pelvic outlet. By the time she was in surgery she only had a matter of hours left to live. They opened her stomach while they were there and discovered bits of tennis ball covering, plastic, and eye from a dog toy and numerous unidentified foreign objects. None of which would have passed through her system.

Mark had told them that there was no way he was going to let this dog die. He had never seen a dog more cherished than what he had witnessed with Yani�s care and he was not going to let her go without a fight.

Her post-op period had it�s ups and downs, but we got there. It is now 3 months since surgery and she is starting to grow her hair again and her weight is 27kg.

We have had to find an alternative enzyme for her as the anthrax scare has put off bringing in Prozyme. No powders are allowed, they will break the seals. After many, many phone calls a company called Solgar said they had an enzyme in their range but it wasn�t on the NZ listings but they would see what they could do in getting it in. This was to my favor and they were able to bring it in. They now phone me each month to see if I want some and they get it in for me. That is one problem solved.

It is now 2 days before Christmas. One year since the shattering news that Yani had Pancreatic Insufficiency. Despite all that has happened and the money it has cost, I don�t regret one penny or one minute of the time spent to get her well. We have another Christmas together, something I did not think would happen.

Whoever says miracles do not happen� has yet to meet Yani.  

(updated December 28, 2001)
(the final chapter May 6, 2002)