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CHESTER WAS BORN IN SEPTEMBER OF 1998. HIS BREEDERS WERE GOING TO EUTHANIZE HIM BECAUSE HE HAD SEVERAL BIRTH DEFECTS THAT MADE HIM AN UNDESIRABLE PUPPY FOR THE PEDIGREE BUYER. ONE OF THE DEFECTS, A SPLIT NOSE, MADE HIM VERY MEMORABLE AND WON OUR HEARTS. HE SPENT THE FIRST 5 YEARS OF HIS LIFE VISITING THE ELDERLY IN THEIR HOMES AND NURSING CENTERS. HE WAS ALSO A HIT WITH DAY CARE CHILDREN. HIS LOVES IN LIFE ARE CHASING BIRDS AND RIDING A MOTORCYCLE WITH MOM. HE ALSO LOVES SWIMMING, PLAYING BALL AND MAKING SNOW ANGELS.
THIS LITTLE DOG IS THE REASON I BEGAN CREATING DOLLS. I COULDN'T LEAVE HIM AS A PUP, SO I HAD TO WORK AT HOME. HE HAS LOYALLY SAT BY MY SIDE DURING THE CREATION OF EACH AND EVERY DOLL.
3 AM SATURDAY JANUARY 26, 2OO8, WE HEARD A LOUD PANTING AT THE FOOT OF OUR BED AND ASSUMED CHESTER HAD TO GO OUT. WHEN WE TURNED THE LIGHT ON WE NOTICED HIS BACK LEFT LEG WAS PARALYZED AND IMMEDIATELY TOOK HIM TO OUR LOCAL VET AS AN EMERGENCY. AFTER BEING PULLED, POKED AND PRODDED HE SENT US TO MATTHEW J. RYAN VETERINARY HOSPITAL IN PHILADELPHIA. CHESTER WAS SNAPPED FROM MY ARMS AND TAKEN INTO THE EMERGENCY ROOM. THEY TOLD ME HIS CONDITION WAS BAD. BOTH OF HIS BACK LEGS WERE PARALYZED NOW AND HIS WINDPIPE WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY SHUT. HE WAS RUSHED TO INTENSIVE CARE, SO THEY COULD TRY AND STABILIZE HIM. I WAS ADVISED THAT IT MAY BE TIME TO SAY GOODBYE. I JUST KNEW IT WASN'T HIS TIME TO GO. ALL DAY THEY TRIED TO TALK ME INTO PUTTING HIM DOWN BECAUSE THEY FELT THERE WAS NO CHANCE OF SURVIVING THE SURGERY HE SO DESPERATELY NEEDED. I TOLD THEM HE WAS A FIGHTER AND I WOULDN'T GIVE UP ON HIM. A DISC IN HIS BACK BROKE APART AND HE NEEDED A STENT PUT IN HIS TRACHEA. I GAVE THE GO AHEAD FOR SURGERY AT 3PM AND WAITED FOR THE PHONE CALL SAYING HE DIDN'T MAKE IT. AFTER SIX HOURS, THE SURGEON CALLED WITH DISBELIEF IN HIS VOICE AND TOLD ME HE SURVIVED AND HE DIDN'T KNOW HOW. I SIMPLY SAID "HE'S A FIGHTER". THE NEXT FEW HOURS WERE GOING TO BE CRITICAL AND I WAS ONCE AGAIN TOLD HE WOULDN'T SURVIVE. IF HE DID NOT GET A VENTILATOR HE WOULD DIE. THE COSTS WERE HIGH, BUT WE WERE GOING TO GIVE HIM THE CHANCE TO LIVE. WE DID NOT HEAR FROM THE HOSPITAL THROUGH THE NIGHT. SLEEP ELUDED US. AT 8AM SUNDAY MORNING THE SURGEON CALLED AND SAID HE COULD NOT BELIEVE THE EVENTS THAT OCCURRED. THEY ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE VENTILATOR ON HIM AND HE THREW HIS LITTLE BODY BACK AND PULLED IT OUT. HE THEN FOUGHT THEM SO THEY COULDN'T RE-ATTACH IT. MIRACULOUSLY, HE BEGAN BREATHING ON HIS OWN AND HELD HIS OWN ALL NIGHT. THE SURGEON HAD BECOME A BELIEVER AND TOOK UP THE FIGHT SAVE CHESTER. HE IS STILL IN ICU AND HAS SUFFERED SOME LUNG DAMAGE, BUT THE SURGEON FEELS HE WILL IN TIME RECOVER THE USE OF HIS LEGS. IT IS GOING TO BE A LONG HAUL, BUT HE WANTS TO LIVE AND MANY PEOPLE ARE IN THE THICK OF BATTLE WITH HIM. HIS 24 HOUR BILL IS OVER $10,000.00 AND CLIMBING.
JANUARY 28TH - THE PHONE RANG AT 4AM THIS MORNING AND CHESTER STOPPED BREATHING AND DIED FOR A MOMENT THEY HAD TO HELP HIM BREATHE. ONCE AGAIN WE WERE TOLD TO THINK ABOUT SAYING GOODBYE. HE HAD DONE SO WELL ON SUNDAY, WE WE’RE SO HOPEFUL. I COULD NOT DECIDE ANYTHING UNTIL I SAW HIM. WE WERE VISITING HIM AT NOON.
AT 9 AM WE RECEIVED ANOTHER CALL, HE ONCE AGAIN DODGED THE VENTILATOR AND STARTED BREATHING ON HIS OWN. HIS PNEUMONIA WAS WORSE TODAY, SO THEY WERE GOING TO TRY AND CHANGE HIS ANTIBIOTIC. HE WAS STILL IN OXYGEN, BUT RESTING COMFORTABLY.
THE NOON VISIT WAS AMAZING. HE WAS ALERT, CLAWING AT THE GLASS FOR ME TO PET HIM AND BRAT BARKING. THE ICU DOC SAID HE STARTED BARKING ABOUT AN HOUR BEFORE. WE ARE IN DISBELIEF, HE WAS ON DEATH’S DOOR A FEW HOURS AGO. ONE CONCERN WAS THAT HE HADN’T EATEN, SO THEY ASKED ME TO TRY FOOD AGAIN. I STARTED FIRST WITH WATER WHICH HE LAPPED UP, THEN GRAVY WHICH HE LICKED OFF OF MY FINGER AND FINALLY SOLID FOOD. HE ATE THE WHOLE THING. EVERYONE IN ICU GAVE A LITTLE CHEER. WE CUDDLED FOR ABOUT A HALF HOUR AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD AN ESCAPE PLAN. HE BECAME VERY ANXIOUS WHEN WE LEFT HIM YESTERDAY, SO TODAY THEY WERE GOING TO GIVE HIM A LITTLE SEDATIVE SO I COULD SLIP AWAY.
JANUARY 29TH- THE PHONE DIDN'T RING UNTIL 9AM. DR. STEINBERG SAID HE CRASHED THIS MORNING AND HIS TEMP WENT TO 106 DEGREES. HE FELT THAT CHESTER NEEDED TO COME HOME OR THEY COULD LOSE HIM. HIS MENTAL STATE WAS STARTING TO DETERIORATE AND HE DIDN'T WANT HIM TO LOOSE HIS WILL TO LIVE. HE WAS GOING TO TRY AND SEND HIM HOME TODAY.
AT 1PM WE ARRIVED TO THE HOSPITAL AND I WAS PREPARED TO GET A QUICK LESSON IN CRITICAL CARE. WE WENT INTO A SMALL COZY WAITING ROOM AND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN DAYS HE PUT MY BOY IN MY LAP. I WAS ABLE TO GET HIM TO EAT AND DRINK A LITTLE. AMAZINGLY HE KICKED HIS RIGHT LEG. THE DOCTOR WAS IN DISBELIEF. HE SAID HE HAS NEVER SEEN DOG LIKE HIM AND HAD NO EXPLANATION ABOUT HOW HE COULD SURVIVE. UNFORTUNATLEY HE WAS UNABLE TO SUSTAIN GOOD OXYGEN LEVELS IN HIS BLOOD DURING OUR 1/2 HALF HOUR VISIT AND HE COULD NOT COME HOME.
9PM - CHESTER WAS RESTING COMFORTABLY.
JANUARY 30TH- NO CRASH THIS MORNING AND WE ARE THANKING ALL OF THE PRAYERS AN GOOD WISHES FOR THAT ONE. HE WAS ASLEEP ON HIS LITTLE STUFFED BIRDIE WHEN WE ARRIVED. HE IS ABLE TO RELIEVE HIS BLADDER NOW AND IS REGAINING SOME MOVEMENT TO HIS BACK RIGHT LEG. I DECIDED TO FEED AND WATER HIM IN HIS LITTLE GLASS SAFETY ZONE. IT SEEMS HE FEELS SAFE THERE. WHEN THEY BRING HIM OUT HE STRESSES WAY TOO MUCH. HIS BREATHING SEEMS MUCH BETTER TODAY AND HE HAS A LOOSE COUGH. DR. STEINBERG TOLD ME THAT DURING HIS NEUROLOGICAL EXAM EARLIER, CHESTER GAVE HIM A SQUIRRELY EYED LOOK AND TRIED TO BITE HIM. THEY ARE STARTING TO SEE HIS FEISTY SIDE, WHICH WE ALL KNOW AND LOVE. I PICKED HIM UP AND PUT HIM ON THE FLOOR, HE WAS ABLE TO PUT BOTH LEGS DOWN. HE ALSO WAS ABLE TO BE OUT OF OXYGEN FOR A HALF HOUR WITHOUT STRUGGLING TO BREATHE. WE ARE ALL SO PARANOID ABOUT BEING HOPEFUL, BUT HOPE WAS ALL AROUND ICU TODAY.
ALL WAS WELL FOR THE REMAINS OF THE DAY AND I DIDN'T RECEIVE ANY CALLS THROUGH THE NIGHT.
JAN. 31ST- CHESTER CAME HOME TODAY. WE WERE TERRIFIED HE WOULD BE OXYGEN DEPENDENT BECAUSE OF HIS LUNG DAMAGE, BUT HE ONLY STRUGGLED FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES IN THE EVENING HOURS. BOTH OF HIS LEGS ARE SHOWING MOVEMENT AND HE TRIES TO RUN WHEN WE PICK UP HIS HIND END. THANKS TO A DONATION FROM A FRIEND, WE HAVE AN OXYGEN TANK AT HOME IN CASE WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY. HE MISSES HIS DOCTORS AND NURSES AND SEEMS A LITTLE CONFUSED. THE BIG PROBLEM WE ARE HAVING IS HIS MENTAL INABILITY TO VOID IN THE HOUSE. HE STRESSES FOR HOURS AND REFUSES TO GO. WE NEED TO FIND A NEW SOLUTION. HE HAS BEEN HOUSEBROKEN SINCE HE WAS 4 WEEKS OLD AND HAS NEVER GONE IN THE HOUSE. HE HAS A LONG ROAD AHEAD, BUT I WILL BE THRILLED AT EVERY MOMENT WE HAVE WITH HIM.
IT HAS BEEN 5 YEARS SINCE HIS SURGERY AND CHESTER IS STILL WITH US. HE LOST HIS YOUNGER BROTHER REGGIE AND GAINED A SISTER, PEACHES. HE HAS CHASED HUNDREDS OF BIRDS, MADE HUNDREDS OF SNOW ANGELS AND TAKEN MANY RIDES ON THE MOTORCYCLE. HE CONTINUES TO MAKE FRIENDS WHEREVER HE GOES.
WE WANT TO THANK ALL THAT HAVE DONATED TO HIS FUND OVER THE YEARS.
UPDATE: ON 1/18/2013 CHESTER HAD A MASSIVE HEART ATTACK WHILE IN MY ARMS. HE SURVIVED, BUT IS NOW BATTLING HEART FAILURE AND PNUEMONIA. HE IS THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER, BUT OLD MAN TIME IS CATCHING UP WITH HIM. HE IS COMFORTABLE, MOBILE AND HAPPY. THANKS FOR ALL OF YOU PRAYERS AND GOOD WISHES.
UPDATE: CHESTER SAW A CARDIOLOGIST 1/26/13 AND WE WERE TOLD HE HAS OLD AGE CHANGES TO ALL OF HIS VITAL ORGANS AND HIS HEART VALVES ARE MILDLY LEAKY, BUT (GREAT NEWS) HE IS NOT IN CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE AT THIS TIME. HIS PNEUMONIA IS GONE. HE IS DOING WELL AND HAS BOUNCED BACK NICELY FOR AN ELDERLY GENT.
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