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The woman smiled. “No worries. Let me check.”
Jo tapped her foot, while she waited for the receptionist to return. If she had a patient or family member like this, she would surely want to slap them. She returned a short while later.
“They’re just finishing up. Maybe five minutes or so and the doctor will be out to get you.”
“Thank you.” Jo went back to where Ali was and took her seat. “Five minutes or so,” she said.
Several minutes later, she stood up and started pacing again. “It’s only been two minutes,” Ali pointed out. Her tone was so even-tempered. Jo shot her a look, then grimaced. “I know you’re worried and quite frankly it’s understandable but we’re going to have faith that whatever it is, he can be treated, and everything will be fine.”
Jo sighed and nodded. “You’re right.” She walked back over and took another seat. “I’m trying not to fret, but it’s so hard.”
“Babe, I got you.” Ali patted her knee. Displaying this much public affection was probably not something that they should have been expressing, but the waiting room was bare, and Jo needed it. Ali grabbed her hand and squeezed it. Jo leaned in and rested her head against Ali’s. If Maverick got through this, then she would make sure that she always aimed to be the best human possible.
“Ms. Vialdi?”
She jumped up and looked to the woman that entered the lobby. “Yes?”
“The name is Dr. Penelope Yassir.” Jo shook her hand. “I have some results that I would like to go over them with you.”
Jo nodded and looked over her shoulder. She stared at Ali for a minute. “Do you want to come with me?” she asked.
Ali smiled. “Do you want me to?”
Jo nodded and Ali was quick to be by her side. She reached for Jo’s hand, and they followed the doctor to a room. Jo wished that Maverick would have been there, but she knew that was probably all about policy and giving the doctor the chance to speak what was on their mind.
“Have a seat.” Both Jo and Ali took a seat, with Dr. Yassir across from them. “Coming to the vet is never a pleasant experience for a family. I know that as I have three cats and two dogs of my own. It comes with the territory when you’re a Vet. You tend to adopt pets on a regular basis.” She gave a genuine smile.
Jo, however, wanted to scream to just get on with it. She knew that it probably wasn’t good, because an animal didn’t act that way if they weren’t hurting. But the more time that went by, the more her fears would clamp down and never leave her.
“But I should just get on with it,” she continued. “Unfortunately, it’s not great news. Maverick has developed a disorder known as Immune-mediated Hemolytic Anemia. It’s also known as IMHA. It’s where the immune system attacks its own Red Blood Cells.”
“I know what it is,” Jo mumbled. “I’m a nurse.” She motioned to Ali. “We both are. What’s his hematocrit?”
“It’s 8%. Typically, in a dog, we want to see 37% or higher. Now, the thing is, this is common in Cocker Spaniels.”
“Okay.” Jo released a breath. “So, what does this mean? What needs to be done? I need to know statistics, survival rates, etc.” Ali reached out and touched her arm, calming Jo a tad as Jo released a long breath. “I’m sorry. I’m just trying to take it all in.”
“I understand. This is a lot to take in and digest. You see there are no set rules to IMHA. It depends on severity and how long he’s had it, etc. and so forth. So, I understand that you want all the answers, but right now I can only give you what I know. And I know that he’s in a severe stage of it. Truth is, in order for him to get any better, you have to act fast.” Jo opened her mouth. “I don’t want to concern you any further, but as a nurse, I’m sure you realize it’s best to just get the cold hard truth out there.”
Jo gave a slight nod. “So now what?”
“With this severe of a case, he needs a blood transfusion ASAP. He needs to be kept in an oxygen kennel while he recovers.” Jo slowly released a breath. “And with IMHA, he needs to go on Immunosuppressive medication. This could be necessary for months, so he doesn’t experience a relapse.” She hesitated. “Maybe we should take a breather.”
Jo shook her head. “I need to keep hearing about this.”
As Dr. Yassir kept talking, Jo tried to focus her attention on it, even though the words were heavy to hear. She stared out past the doctor, with Ali attempting to pull her closer. Jo wasn’t ready to take it all in.
“Are you listening?” Dr. Yassir asked, her tone a little irritated. Jo nodded, but she couldn’t focus her eyes. “Ms. Vialdi this is serious, and Maverick is in critical condition.”
Jo turned her head and Ali stared at her. Ali turned back to the doctor. “So, you want to keep him overnight?” Ali put the question out there, where Jo was struggling to formulate her words.
“Yes, I want to start this as quickly as we can. The sooner the better. Unfortunately, with that comes the business of discussing what all this will cost.”
Jo leaned back in her chair, her head spinning. On top of everything, they were going to have to discuss that? She just wanted to see Maverick and tell him that she would do whatever it took to make sure he was all better.
“Then let’s go over that,” Ali calmly stated.
“This is the estimate for the next twenty-four hours.” Dr. Yassir held the paper out to Jo, but it was Ali that grabbed it. Jo looked down at it, but her eyes were already watering.
