Winston’s Medical Journey

About Winston & His Medical Journey

It is no understatement to say that Winston is very a special dog. Anyone who knows him, and even those who have simply encountered him out and about town, can tell that he is magically one-of-a-kind. Winston is a 6.5-year-old, happy-go-lucky pup who loves life in spite of some early health challenges he has been dealt; and he is equally emotionally intelligent as he is show-stopping. Winston brightens the day of every person he meets.

 

Winston comes to calmly sit by you when you are feeling sad or anxious, and puts himself in the way of any perceived argument, physically and emotionally protecting you from harm. He has been at Shir’s (his mom’s) side through the process of coming out, through navigating trauma, and through numerous life milestones. Winston has even held the honor of being Best Man at his two moms’ wedding in October 2021, walking Shir down the aisle. Winston is a true companion in every sense of the word, and we are hoping that the impact of his friendship can help save him, now when he truly needs our support the most.

 

In February 2022, Winston was diagnosed with Bacterial Meningitis, likely caused by a middle ear infection. This diagnosis came after almost a week of uncertainty, during which several vets could not locate the cause of his symptoms and discomfort. After initially receiving a misdiagnosis and sensing that something was still not right, his moms brought him into Penn Veterinary Hospital where, shortly after, he had two seizures, and his condition was discovered. He was released after a 3-day hospital stay and was prescribed antibiotics and anti-seizure medication, which he now receives twice daily. At his 8-week follow up on April 22, 2022 it was confirmed that Winston would need a Ventral Bulla Osteotomy or VBO surgery to his left ear to remove a Cholesteatoma Mass rom his middle ear, which had grown since his first visit. Since the mass  will only continue to grow, and since it is responsible for the emergence of bacterial meningitis, this surgery is Winston's best chance at a full and happy life.

Winston's moms, Shir and Ashley, are a young queer couple who live in South Philadelphia, PA. They are newlyweds who are hoping to embark on family planning (not the easiest or cheapest feat as a queer couple) in the next year or two. They are one another's main familial support. So far they have used up the majority of their savings and wedding gift fund to support Winston's medical expenses (which, before surgery, have totaled about $9,000 -- see breakdown below). Ashley and Shir, were forced to back out of their honeymoon, which was scheduled for the weekend following Winston's admission to Penn Vet, losing out on both their trip and the funding that they had put towards it. Finally, Winston's upcoming, life-saving surgery is estimated to cost up to another $10,000, setting the couple back even further. Shir and Ashley are humbly grateful for any support, no matter how small--literally every dollar and re-share on social media helps--so that they can save Winston and keep him as the shining ray in their and so many other peoples' lives. Once Winston is all healed up, his moms hope to finish his therapy dog certification, so that he can continue to inspire those most in need with his journey of resilience.

 

For Winston's full medical journey and updates, read on below...

 

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Winston's Medical Journey Log:

April 28, 2022 Update:

The Surgical Team reached out to discuss Winston's MRI results and next steps. The MRI showed a sizable mass (seen circled in red in the scan below). After 8 weeks of antibiotics everyone had anticipated that the mass would have reduced in size, yet it remained the same or may have even grown marginally and impacted nearby bone structures. This lead to the team to affirm that this is likely a Cholesteatoma, rather than just debris or inflammation--though this will be confirmed upon surgery. The team talked through the risks involved with surgery, including excessive bleeding, inflammation, and breathing complications. Still, surgery was deemed to be the best option, as allowing the mass to remain and continue growing would almost certainly be fatal. The surgical team was extremely compassionate and thorough in answering all of the questions and assuring that he is in good hands. Winston's family is so grateful to have such a devoted and competent team of veterinary professionals on his side. 

At the conclusion of the call, the surgical team conveyed that they would be able to prioritize Winston's case and proceed to surgery this Friday, April 29th. While this feels incredibly soon, Winston's family wants to see him on the mend as early as possible. The spent the day giving him hugs, and love, and memories, and preparing for tomorrow's emotional procedure. They are grateful for all of the support that has been coming through here and on social media and for everyone's kind thoughts. They remain hopeful for a positive outcome for Winston and can't wait to bring him back home.

April 22, 2022 Update:

On April 19th, Winston had a consultation with the new Lead Surgeon in the Soft Tissue department, the Dermatologist, and related associates to come up with a holistic plan for treatment. With consultation by a Neurologist, there were several options for moving forward. The recommended option was to proceed with an MRI. They determined that the MRI was preferred above a CT (which they had initially intended to do) because the MRI would offer a better comparison to Winston's initial exam. The veterinarians were all hesitant to proceed with surgery since Winston was clinically showing great signs of improvement that suggested he may not even need such an invasive surgery.

 

On April 22nd, when Winston returned for his MRI, the vets informed Shir and Ashley that the inflammation in Winston's middle ear appeared enlarged from his initial screening when he presented back in February. This lead the vets to diagnosis him with a Cholesteatoma Cystic Tumor. As he was under anesthesia for the MRI, Winston also received a Myringotomy to flush out debris in his other (right) ear and culture the bacteria in order to determine the best antibiotic for continued treatment. While the bacterial infection in Winston's brain stem seemed to have cleared, the increase in size of the mass in the middle ear cavity poses an urgent threat to Winston, in that it can continue to grow and lead to paralysis, reoccurrence of bacterial infection, and shortened lifespan. Though the surgery was deemed to be invasive and challenging, with a 50% chance of mass reoccurrence, it is his best bet for recovery and a normal life. Shir and Ashley intend to proceed with the surgery upon upcoming discussions with the team of surgeons, and would appreciate any support so that they can afford his surgery.

 

March 28, 2022 Update:

The original Soft Tissue Surgeon who we consulted with is no longer available to complete Winston’s CT scan and possible procedure. He was re-assigned to an experienced faculty member, which may turn out to be an even better fit. She will re-examine Winston on April 19th with his CT scan/possible surgery scheduled for April 22nd. There is a possibility they may decide to wake Winston up from anesthesia and perform the surgery at a later date. It will depend on what comes up in the scan, as a benign mass which could be common may warrant a longer procedure. These masses tend to bleed in excess and so the vet would like more time if she does uncover a mass upon CT scan. We will keep you posted. For now Winston seems to be doing pretty well and happy. His treatment schedule has been particularly difficult, because his anti seizure medication has to be administered every 12 hours without any flexibility. Fortunately they’ve recently found a reliable pet sitter in the event Ashley and Shir are out of the house at pill time.

 

Initial Post - March 23, 2022:

On the evening of February 17th, Winston started showing signs of discomfort. It started with a decreased appetite and by the middle of the night he was panting and shaking. As concerned parents, Shirley and Ashley took him to PASE ER nearby at 4:00 a.m., only to be sent home with an inconclusive exam. The ER suggested taking Winston to his primary vet later that day, and kindly did not charge for the inconclusive visit.

 

Throughout the day Winston continued shaking and panting, but he made it to his 5:00pm vet visit with his primary provider. The doctor examined him, and was unsure about the cause but decided to draw blood for some labs. The vet also treated his ears in the event that this was an ear infection (something Winston had suffered from in the past). Unfortunately, the lab results would only be available by Monday, but Winston's symptoms continued to progress over the weekend. By mid-day Sunday, he was uncontrollably shaking and so Shir and Ashley decided not to wait, and brought him to Penn Vet ER. After hours of waiting, Winston received an original (mis)diagnosis of Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD), a common disease in French Bulldogs that resulted in these symptom . As this was almost certainly the cause (per the vet), Winston was discharged and given multiple pain killers as a course of treatment. Winston received the medication immediately, and even under heavy sedatives, he was still shaking and showing signs of discomfort. By Monday night, he was having trouble walking, climbing stairs, and getting comfortable. The IVDD seemed to make sense until Winston threw up. Ashley and Shir immediately rushed him to Penn Vet again, still worried that something could be wrong.

 

Upon arrival to Penn, Winston--typically a quiet and docile dog--began panting and crying in the car. The ER rushed him to the back immediately. Within minutes the physician came out to inform us that Winston had a seizure, catching Ashley and Shir completely off guard as it happened within minutes upon arrival. A few hours later, the attending physician informed that he had a second seizure and she was suspicious he had an autoimmune meningitis, and that they were doing everything in their power to keep him stable while under critical care. Ashley & Shir were sent home with assurance that they would be called in case or emergency and that Winston would be seen by a neurologist first thing in the morning.

 

The next morning the neurologist properly diagnosed Winston with Bacterial Meningitis. He was put under anesthesia and the veterinarians conducted an MRI with a spinal tap to culture the bacteria. They were able to confirm the diagnosis of meningitis, but as a result of a middle ear infection and that it was not not autoimmune-related. Winston was stabilized and remained at Penn Vet until Thursday the 24th.

 

Prior to the onset of Winston's symptoms, Ashley and Shir were packing and preparing for their official honeymoon trip. They had an all inclusive trip booked to the Dominican Republic and were planning to fly out on Saturday, February 26th. Unfortunately, even though Winston was released on the 24th, they made the decision to cancel their trip and ensure Winston was healing at home and in good care. The next few days were critical, with a strict course of treatment that anti-seizure medication and antibiotics every 12 hours. He was scheduled to see a Soft Tissue specialist in 4 weeks to determine if a TECA/VBO surgery was necessary to completely clear out the diseased tissue.

 

Winston started to improve day by day, and seemed to be doing great after just two weeks of treatment. While his recovery was expected to be linear, he did have a set back where he was unable to eat or move his mouth about a week later. Winston has pre-existing facial paralysis, but this seemed to be a progression of earlier symptoms. Winston was brought back to Penn Vet ER, but Shir and Ashley advised that due to the prolonged inflammation in his ear, the pressure can cause a waxing and waning of paralysis since the facial nerve runs through this area. The neurologist recommended continuing his medication.

 

On March 14th, Winston saw the Soft Tissue surgeon who, upon examination, was very hesitant to recommend surgery since Winston visibly seemed to be doing better. However, this opinion was contradictory to the Neurologist, Dermatologist, and Primary Vet's opinion. In fact - the Neurologist informed that the antibiotic alone would be very hard to penetrate the middle ear infection and often patients find their way back in the ER with a reinfection because of residual debris and infected tissue. The recommendation was to consider the TECA-VBO surgery to ensure the infection does not return. This surgery is highly invasive and the Soft Tissue Surgeon expressed some pushback. Due to the contradictory recommendations, Shir and Ashley asked him to speak with the Neurologist and come up with a cohesive strategy for Winston. They advised that in 4 weeks, we should return to do a CT scan to see if the infection has significantly improved with medication. Upon scan, they would make the call to go immediately into surgery if warranted since he will already be under anesthesia.

 

Between the initial veterinary visit, the losses for missing their honeymoon, and preparing for a possible surgery in a few weeks, Ashley and Shir are looking at close to $20,000 in medical expenses. They are completely devastated and did not imagine that their first year as a married couple would come with such financial challenges. Any help from friends, family, and community would be incredibly appreciated.

 

Medical Expense Timeline & Breakdown

 

Total costs incurred to date: $8,904.04

 

Maximum projected surgery cost: $10,000.00

 

Honeymoon losses, after flight credit and courtesy $800 refund: $2,700