Charlie’s Collapsing Trachea

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Charlie has a collapsing trachea. When I went to pick Charlie up at the vet’s office, they told me that Dr. Poteet was in surgery. But he’d asked that I wait so he could talk to me.

I knew he had performed X-rays, and that’s what he wanted to discuss.

So I sat with Charlie in my lap. I was the only one there aside from the two women who work behind the desk, Misty and Mary.

Time nearly stands still when you know you’re about to get bad news. Every minute drags on like it’s come there to torture you.

Charlie looks at me with these chocolate brown eyes, and I want to crumple and cry. I can’t stop him from aging, from being sick, though I do all that I possibly can.

I thought back to Abi, who deteriorated so quickly right before my eyes. And I thought, ‘Did I miss something?’ Is there something else I could have done?

Charlie’s Lungs:

Recently, they took X-rays of his lungs because he coughs so much. Dr. Poteet had shown me the X-ray and said that Charlie’s heart is enlarged and he has a heart murmur. Plus, he has fluid in his lungs, so he takes a diuretic.

Finally, Dr. Poteet came to get me and took me to look at the X-rays. He said that Charlie’s collapsed trachea is worse.

No use sugar coating it, I guess.

I asked him which was the most worrisome right now: the collapsed trachea or Charlie’s heart.

The Collapsing Trachea Problem:

And he said the collapsed trachea.

We discussed stents that can be inserted for a collapsed trachea, but he did not recommend it. Dr. Poteet said that it sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t.

I don’t want to put him through that.

The air Charlie breathes must be clean, purified, and have moisture. I have the cool air humidifier and two air purifiers running at all times in my apartment.

Last night, I sat in bed and cried, those thoughts swirling in my head. With the stress of what the vet had told me, which I was not at all expecting to hear.

I cried because I miss Abi, and because I can’t fix Charlie’s health problems, which breaks my heart.

Prescribing Theophylline:

Dr. Poteet prescribed Charlie bronchodilator pills, called Theophylline, which I’m now administering to him twice a day.

He said that Charlie seems to be happy, and that’s all that matters now. He told me the goal is to keep him from getting excited and overheated.

I will do my very best.

Tomorrow, Charlie will go to acupuncture, and I will discuss what Dr. Poteet said with Dr. Wallace. And I’ll ask her if there’s anything more she can do to help my Charlie boy.

I will keep you updated.