Tessa Update

It has been a few weeks, so I figure it is probably time for an update on Tessa.

Unfortunately, her lymph nodes still have not gone down. In fact, it seems as if they have actually gotten somewhat bigger. We are halfway through a month of antibiotics (that are really just a precaution). I called the vet on Wednesday to talk to him again and he said that he truly just believes that they are going to take a long time to go down. He reassured me that we have ruled out all of the "really scary" things.

Even so, I am still apprehensive about it. I guess the thing that bothers me most is just not having an answer. There is no definitive diagnosis for her condition, so the mystery is what frustrates me.

At this point, we're at least trying to wait it out through the end of the antibiotics. Although, the doctor admits that he doesn't think the antibiotics are what will cause the lymph nodes to go down. He thinks that when they do eventually go down (IF they ever go down!), it will just be on their own.

I did talk to a woman online who said that her dachshund's lymph nodes have been swollen like this for most of his life. I think she said he's 6 years old. So yeah... who knows. Just more waiting and hoping and wondering...

I had to include this photo of Tess. That object? The one she has clenched between her teeth and is holding onto with a death grip?

It's Michael's winter hat.

It seems as though Tessa believes that this is her personal toy. Last winter, she got a hold of it and actually ripped a little bit of the fold around the edge. So Michael's hat has a permanent little sign that "Tessa was here."

A couple of weeks ago, I was sitting on the couch and all of sudden, Tess comes from around the corner with Michael's hat in her mouth. Defiantly, as if it belongs to her. Michael proceeded to pick her up and try to get it away from her, but she held on. Tightly.

Bad dog. :)