Update On Blind Brynn

I had a call this evening from Dr. Kristin Gablehouse, one of the equine surgeons working on Brynn, with an update on our little foal.  The doctors did another round of endoscopy today.  They were hoping to find that Brynn's two ectopic ureters -- the tubes that normally take urine from the kidneys to the bladder but are ending up in her vagina instead -- were in close proximity to her bladder.  Specifically, they wanted to see if her ureters were laying across the outside of her bladder wall and might actually share some tissue with the bladder wall.

In that case, it would be relatively simple to tie off the ureters at the open end, just before they enter the vagina, and then from inside the bladder punch a hole through the bladder wall and into the ureters.  This would allow the ureters to empty straight into the bladder, like they were designed to do.

Unfortunately, they found the ureters are NOT that close to the bladder, so Plan A went out the window today.  This means more diagnostics tomorrow ... and then we'll find out what Plan B is!

Dr. Gablehouse and her colleague Dr. Ragle are trying to find a way to "fix" Brynn's plumbing that can be done under sedation if at all possible, rather than general anesthesia.  Because of Brynn's hole in her heart, called a ventral septal defect, or VSD, she is at risk for anesthesia.  Anesthesia is always risky, but the hole in her heart puts Brynn at greater risk.  If she has to be put under anesthesia, the surgeons will first do an echocardiogram of her heart to find out if the hole has gotten any larger and determine the specific level of risk.

I took the photo above of Brynn several weeks ago when  Alayne was walking her back to her stall in Beauty's Barn.  It has nothing to do with this update, but I think it's always nice to see the animal you're reading about.  The blanket Brynn is wearing was a Christmas gift for her from some very sweet kids here in Montana.

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Alayne and I wanted to thank everyone who posted on our blog such wonderful, heartfelt and supportive comments about Claude, or who emailed those same sentiments to us.  It means a lot to us, and we are very grateful for your support, believe me.  We try to share as much as we can about what goes on here, both the happy stuff and the things that break our hearts.  But it's particularly difficult when we have to make really tough decisions, like we did on Claude, and do so very publicly by writing about it on the blog.  We're never quite sure how folks are going to react to the decisions we make, but we feel all we can do is explain what we're thinking and why, and then let everyone decide for themselves if they agree or not.  Alayne and I were very touched by all of the notes and comments we received about Claude ... thank you so much.

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(Click on photo for larger image.)

Comments

[Nina]

...sure hope Plan B will be the answer to solving Bryn's plumbing problems! This girl is so precious and seems to have so much spunk and life. I look forward to further updates.

[Lauren Berrouard]

I haven't able to keep up with reading the blog very much lately, so seeing these pictures amazes me!! She's so big!! I hope that her medical issues get solved soon, she looks like such a sweet girl.

[Leilani]

I noticed Brynn's blanket right away; it looks so rich and beautiful on her!
Luckily, there are many more letters in the alphabet, so she has more options for surgery. :-D

You have to make some difficult decisions and choices when caring for the animals. As one of your supporters and daily blog readers; the information and history of the animals you provide is very well written and transports me to a place where I can often experience the situation you're dealing with. However, lacking the knowledge and experience you have, I trust in knowing you and Alayne make the right decision for what's best in any particular case. You thoroughly examine all choices and seek expert advice making a final decision in a foundation of love, compassion and quality of life. I'm simply grateful and humbled by who you are and what you do.