We Just Heard From Linus’ Surgeon Oh My Lord!! They Said It Went Absolutely Perfectly!!/Plus a $500.00 Matching Challenge From Another Rescue Organization for Linus To Be Met In Any Amounts!! Hallelujah!

8:00 Monday Evening, January 20, 2020 

I just now heard from the surgeon’s tech about Linus! Thank you Jesus!

The 6 1/2 hour surgery was done by Dr. James Cellini and Dr. Zach Niman.

She said Dr. Celiini had to go right into another emergency surgery but he told her what to tell us.

You better sit down. I better sit down! I am flying on air!!

IT WENT BETTER THAN EITHER OF THE NEURO-SURGEONS POSSIBLY IMAGINED IT COULD HAVE GONE!! EXACT WORDS!!

His spinal cord is now completely stabilized! Every surgery goal was met! They inserted six screws to completely stabalize his spinal cord and got the fracture completely back together!

They expect a FULL and COMPLETE recovery!!

Two Neurosurgeons, one intern, and a TEAM of others were there to make this happen!

I have already called his Foster Mom, as well as Alison Pugh, his rescuer. Both were ecstatic!

He is in recovery and is awake and being warmed. He is on three types of things for pain so he won’t be hurting.

They took pictures of Linus and the team before surgery, which they will send after the next emergency surgery they are doing now, but it will be late, so I will get them out to you tomorrow! They also took actual surgery pictures for me to see. (I’ll put them in a link so you can click to see them if you want to and ignore them if you can’t. ) 

And then something else happened today that has never happened in almost 22 years since we began. I am humbled and awed and you will be too!

Another rescue group, Garrido Stray Rescue Foundation has issued a Matching Challenge Donation in the amount of $500.00 to be met in any amounts, yes, that’s right, for our little Linus!

Here, I’ll let them tell you about it, themselves. Wow! Thank you to the GSRF! Now we need to be able to match them for Linus! (Please see my note at the end of Anna’s letter.)

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Taken Yesterday. Linus’ Foster Mom visited him at Medvet of Chicago. He is in good spirits as long as he doesn’t move in the wrong way, which makes him yelp.

She is the only one allowed to visit him, as she is a surgical tech at one of the Blue Pearl hospitals and she knows how to handle him with his unstable spinal cord.

He is such a sweet, happy dog.

The Neuro surgeons have been keeping me updated over the weekend. He remains in stable condition and surgery is planned for around 1:00 this afternoon. They had to work around the schedules of TWO neurosurgeons because it will take several hours to complete the surgery.

We won’t know anything until later tonight. As soon as I know anything, I will let you all know.

We don’t know what the exact costs are going to be or when he will come home. He will require 2-3 days in ICU for recovery. And his injuries are worse than they suspected before the imaging. But I have faith that we are going to make it.

Many thanks to EVERYONE who has donated for Linus. His life was spared for a reason, with so many people coming together.

Including one very special lady whose name is Allison. I received an email and I think it will be ok to share part of it with all of you.

 

<From: normetski@aol.com
Sent: Sat Jan 18 08:28:59 CST 2020
To: Robin Pressnall <robinpressnall@gmail.com>

Hi Robin..please issue a $100.00 challenge. The name Linus holds a special spot in my heart. Deborah and Boris<  

So that’s where we are on a very important day. The day little Linus get’s put back together, all thanks to Alison and to all of you.

 

Please keep your prayers coming.

 

I happen to know, and you do too, on a first name basis, the Great Physician, and I know that I know that I know, that HE will be there in that operating room.

 

 

All My Love, Robin

_________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

This letter is to all of you from Sara Rhodes, Team Leader to Il, among other states. Sara is beloved among Small Pawsers, everywhere.

“From: Sara Rhoades @ pacess4@att.net

Hi Robin
 
If you could please put this in the newsletter. 
This letter is coming straight from my heart. I have had this baby
on my mind for days! 

Stressed about not having a local foster home!!
Well, now we have one! 

Now stressing about the cost of the surgery, 
and thinking what can I do? 

I want to say, from the bottom of my heart.
I have LOVED this rescue since I started!I LOVE it even more now! One
reason is we are a family! 

A family of (volunteers, adopters, fosters,
donors, transporters, etc) 

We have come together to make things happen!
Right now we all need to come together and donate to help raise funds 
for this precious little Bichon, Linus, that was hit by a car, so he 
can experience the joy and love of a wonderful home!! 

He needs us! 
I challenge everyone to make a one time donation of whatever they
can afford, even if it is $5.00!! 
I am not a regular donor, but do what I can. 

One reason is I have a lot of dogs but I am going to donate tonight!

I have worked extra this month and will start with a donation 
of $200 for little Linus. 
He needs us and we are team Small Paws! We are a family! Let us all 
come together and make this surgery happen!! 

Love, Sara

_________________________________________________________

This is Linus, shaved. Today was a long day. He has NOT had surgery yet because of all they had to do today and he needs the weekend to heal from those things and from so much anesthesia. He was under for about four hours today.

We were already planning to do the recommended MRI, but we learned today that they also needed a CT scan, so they combined those two tests, today, one after the other, with Linus under anesthesia.

Here is what the neurologist told me on the phone. It was Dr. James Cellini. ( He said the picture was taken years ago and he has some gray now. I told him that makes me feel better .)

The fracture of L7 on his back shows to be worse with imaging that with just xrays, and Linus has a blood clot near the spine which they will go in and remove during surgery. Right now his spinal column is VERY unstable. One wrong twist or move and that would be it. They are keeping him in hospital over the weekend, on meds for pain and so that he stays still.

To do nothing would be a “guarded” prognosis. The grade these by excellent, good, fair, guarded down to poor. Guarded isn’t good.

This is his letter with two options.

He said that the surgery will take TWO Neuro surgeons because they physically have to move that bone back into place before they can put pins and surgical glue in it.

This surgery is to stabilize his spine and to relieve the pain from a chipped bone that digs in to the spinal cord when he moves a certain way and it is PAINFUL. Also the blood clot needs to be removed.

Now here is where we are financially. We added a CT scan to the bill today and two more days of hospitalization over the weekend.

We are right at half way there of where we need to be for surgery to take place. He said with his spine as unstable as it is, for Linus, he needs this surgery to be out of pain.

We need help. It’s a weekend and right after Christmas. We need help.

We have these matching donation challenges.

First, from Dawn Bove, at d.bove@fcpmllc.com we have this generous challenge for $250.00. Is there anyone who can match Dawn for this baby? Thank you Dawn!

Good Morning Robin: I will make a $250.00 challenge for little Linus. I  pray the surgery will be successful inspite of the delays.

____________________________________________________________

We received a call from an employee at Blue Pearl Pet Hospital, Northfield Il. 

Meet little “Linus” and he needs more than a security blanket. He needs us.

He weighs only 11.6 pounds and he was hit by a car. He was brought in by a good Sam who found him lying in the road of an intersection near Chicago. He is about 8-9 months old (he still has his puppy teeth) and he is very sweet.

Unfortunately, preliminary x-rays show that one of his vertebrae is cracked near his spine. L-7. He is on something for pain until we can get an emergency MRI done when the Neuro Team comes in, in the morning. 

He still has bowel and bladder control, which is good news when there is a spinal injury.

As you can see, he was banged up. I’m just thankful he survived being HBC .

Linus is alert when someone speaks to him and wags his little tail. He just hurts.

They have posted everywhere, online and at shelters, to try to find an owner, to no avail. There was no I.D. or microchip and so far, Linus hasn’t said a word. This happened on Monday night. We learned about him on Wednesday and got custody of him yesterday, on Thursday.

He needed a Neurological consult but they did not have a neurologist at this Blue Pearl.

One of their surgical techs has been approved to be an SPR volunteer and on her day off, Thursday, she took him over to VCA Auroro Il. where she had worked in the Neuro department, so they know her. There are two neuro surgeons there. (Thankfully, she is also going to foster Linus.)

So on Thursday, late afternoon, Linus was seen by veterinary neurologist Dr. Randy Cochran at VCA Aurora IL.

Dr. Cochran has recommended an MRI and surgery, hopefully today, Friday.

The problem was that neither of their two neurologists DO this kind of surgery, spinal fracture repair. 

So they said we had to move him to a hospital that DOES Spinal Fracture Repair.

Medvet of Chicago, the same folks who saved our little Elf last month, DOES do Spinal fracture repair.

Linus is there now. He was checked into emergency there at around Midnight, about 10 minutes ago.

Linus is still able to use the bathroom both ways and he can wag his tail a bit, so this isn’t a case of lost deep pain sensation, yet, but they told me with each passing day he may lose more motor and neurological function, if he doesn’t have this surgery by today or tomorrow, Saturday.

The estimate for the MRI and surgery, with our rescue discount is around $6,000.00.

Medvet has been good about staying on the lower end of estimates for us.

I have known many of you for almost 22 years now and I believe you would want Small Paws to try to save this precious little 9 month old Bichon. 

I will issue all matching challenges. This is most urgent. Time is of the essence they tell me.

All My Love, Robin

P.S. Little Elf, who was thrown from a moving car in December, is doing wonderfully! His Foster Mom will be adopting him! And she’s a police-woman. No one is ever going to hurt this baby again, Here he is enjoying a Puppachino.

Humphrey Sisco