Life as we know it....the liver shunt journey continues.

In the world beyond speech, Serena had her liver shunt surgery on Monday. It took the specialists at NC State's clinic a little longer than expected, but the cellophane band is in place now. It will slowly constrict the blood flow in the shunt (3-4 weeks per my online researching) and direct it back through the liver like it's supposed to go.

 She spent her recovery at the clinic in their ICU area where they have a veterinarian present 24/7. They gave us updates every day/night depending on how she was doing. The first night was a little scary as her temperature dropped too low and they had to cover her with extra towels. They also had to give her extra medicine when her ammonia levels were a little too high. Luckily (and with lots of prayers sent her way), that was the worst of it. She spent most of the time getting lots of cuddles from the staff.

Serena came home to her much forlorn cat, Simon, and human parents on Thursday. She is very happy to be back and you really wouldn't know all the rough stuff she's been through by watching her. She wants to run, jump, and play with the best of them. The next two weeks of our lives will be filled with trying to keep her as still as possible. So far, this has been a HUGE challenge as she is quite a feisty little girl.

Serena is on a special low-protein dog food and continues to take three kinds of medicine. We were worried that she'd hate the dog food because Hill's Science Diet has not had the best reception in our household. We've had two dogs and one cat refuse to eat their other products. However, she's been eating it pretty well so far.

She goes back to Raleigh in three months. They will check to make sure the shunt has closed and that no new ones have formed. I hope with every fiber of my being that this appointment will bring us good news.