I was so nervous all morning waiting for Kobi's appointment. The news was good so I felt a lot better driving home.
Of course the neurologist isn't budging from his tumor diagnosis but that's OK. I'm still ever hopeful. I think he was a little shocked to see Kobi strut into the office. He checked out his leg first. He said that there was very little muscle tone left but he still had relatively good feeling in his paw area and no signs of pain or discomfort when he manipulated it. He also said that he was amazed that he was still bearing some weight on the leg. Then he checked his eyes for signs of Homers syndrome (sympathetic nerve). At first he thought he saw a slight narrowing of the pupil but when he looked a second time he really couldn't tell. The same for the skin pinching test (forget the term). First he thought he detected a loss of sensation on the left side, then he did it a couple more times and got a good response - so????? His other limbs are all normal - YEAH!! I was worried about his front leg because he has been raising it more when he walks. I thought maybe it was over stressed and was sore. Apparently not. No pain detected. The Dr. suggested it was simply a physical compensation and was not concerned about the limb. I brought up the idea of using a leg brace for added support but he said that he wanted Kobi to maintain and build his own support on that leg. We talked a bit about the meds. The Dr. thought reducing the prednisone could cause unnecessary pain and the benefits so far out weigh the negatives. I will take his word on that - but I'm not convinced.
Bottom line was Kobi is doing better than expected and I should not see any major change throughout the summer at least. I'll see him again in the fall. Vet bill $52. Temporary relief - priceless! I can now stop worrying for a while and enjoy our summer.