Sallie in the Hospital

Alien here,

After finishing our reports with the FBI, Sallie and I headed home for the holidays.

Looking back, the symptoms were all there: weight loss, drinking lots of water, frequently wanting to go outside...

Busy with visiting relatives and the New Year, we were caught off guard when Sallie suddenly became ill. We rushed her to a 24 hour emergency vet hospital, nearly fifty minutes from our house. They took her vitals. She was digagnosed with diabetes with severe complications. Insulin, ketones, cataracts, hospitalization, extended stay...Dawn broke down when they handed her an estimated bill of nearly six thousand dollars. Four thousand of which they wanted now.

A million thoughts ran through Dawn's head. If she sold herself on the street corner, would she make  the money in time? There was a car dealership nearby. Would they give her cash? But she needed transportation to get back and forth from the vet...There was a 25% chance Sallie could die! The vet stood over us. "The percentage increases the longer we wait."

Nearly two hours later, after haggling like a fish wife for them to accept 700 dollars as a down payment to begin treatment, the hospital agreed to keep Sallie for twelve hours. It wasn't much, but it would buy some time.

 Faced with coming up with 1200 dollars for the next twelve hours of care, or having Sallie put out on the street, Dawn called everyone she could think of, trying to raise money and find a vet or doggie hospital with some form of financial aid. She finally found North Shore Animal League. They could help Sallie for a fraction of the cost. They would let Dawn have a payment plan to pay the bill off!

The problem was that NSAL was another hour away, two hours from home. They opened at 9am. Sallie was payed up until midnight. What would happen to her in the nine hours between when she wouldn't be on medicine to bring her blood sugar level down? Was she stable enough to move? How much would they charge for the extra hours? It always came back to money!

Maybe it was the telephone calls from all the local vets Dawn called during the day, including Sallie's usual vet requesting documents and asking questions. Maybe it was the visits from concerned friends, or Dawn wailing in the waiting room with wads of tissues piled around her--Dawn thinks it was the fact that Nicole from North Shore Animal League volunteered to call the vet and speak to them---but whatever the reason, the hospital allowed Sallie to stay until the morning and continue receiving care for the same price. She would only be off the medicine for the hour it took to transport her.

We picked Sallie up and took her to North Shore Animal League. They took her into the doctor right away. They said, "Lets take care of Sallie first and discuss money later." Finally! This was how it should be! Dawn felt like crying again; only this time in relief. NSAL was our hero!

 I'm happy to report that Sallie is responding well to the treatment. As of the last report, the bad ketones had gone away and her bloodsugar level had gone down. Unfortunately, she is almost completely blind. It happened almost over night. There is a possibly she could regain some vision with surgery down the road. I know she wants to see her handsome friend Alien again! But the first thing is to make sure Sallie is well. We know NSAL is doing their best to take care of her. Please send good vibes her way!

Some friends and family have mentioned wanting to help with medical costs. We are extremely grateful! Again, NSAL has been great. They will take credit card donations over the phone and apply it to Sallie's bill. Just ask for Nicole and tell her you want to help Sallie and Alien! (516) 883-7900 (ext. 214)  email: Nicolew (at) animalleague (dot) org. You can also send a check for Sallie and Alien addressed to NSAL. Attention: Nicole The address and other information is on the North Shore Animal League website. Click Here! 

If by some miracle donations exceed the amount of Sallie's bill, all extra funds will go towards NSAL's wish list. Thank you so much for spreading the word. If you have no money but want to show some love, how about sending a card thanking NSAL for taking good care of your friend, Sallie? Everyone likes a little appreciation now and then. The staff surely deserves it. We already know you love us!

I will be flying back and forth from the hospital and visiting friend's blogs. Sadly, many of our friends have been suffering with illness too. I want to wish them well! The joy blogville brings us is incomparable. Already this new year has given me a deeper appreciation for those special people constantly supporting me.

I love you, Sallie!

Yours,