Update after Stanford Appointment

[AmyBL]

Caligirl & ElectLive -- Thank you for your responses. Right after posting, I went to cardiac rehab (I signed up for a prevention program immediately after my diagnosis in January and completed it six weeks ago or so. Now I can go in whenever to ask questions and be put on the monitors.) The nurse, who is a master at "talking me down" when nervous checked her records. She said that based on the echo completed in January, the ascending aorta was measuring in the 4.6-4.8 range then, too? if that is the case, then yesterday's echo may be no change from the last one. I do have an appointment with the cardiologist in early July so the mystery will likely be solved then.
The restrictions I have now are no running and no heavy lifting. I will look for those Thoracic Disease Guidelines as the information seems very helpful. If by chance he orders a CT and it is growing rapidly, then I will likely have many more questions!:confused2:
Teddy, my big dog has about the same strength as Tina, my medium sized dog. She is so strong that one time when my boys were out riding their bikes, one of my twins got tired and began complaining. My husband attached the handlebars of his bike to Tina and she took off like a shot! The complaining of my son stopped immediately and now we call her "Turbo-Tina!" I will look into a gentle pressure collar but it is difficult to believe they make them large enough for this behemoth!
Thank you both again for the information and support.
Amy

 

[AgilityDog]

Dog collar related.
I have a history of carpal tunnel syndrome. Plus labs develop laryngeal paralysis as they get older (lots, not all) so collars that put pressure on the dog's neck are a no-no to me.
I am very fond of the pinch collar. I know it looks evil, but it's not. It's lots of little pinches, and is much kinder to the dog's neck than any other.
What you do is buy one with tiny, 1 inch links, then buy enough links to make it fit your dog. You get a better fit this way. DON't buy the huge ones with honking 2 inch links. They don't work, they don't fit, and you can't get them on and off! Of course, with a Mastiff you might spend 75$ to get enough links! it costs me about $25 to fit my lab.

If your dog will tolerate a halter, the Gentle Leader is great. My lab flips out wearing an halter (literally throws fits, flips and sumersaults), and I'm afraid she'll break her neck.

There's also an easy walk harness, where the leash attaches in front of the dog's chest. It works for some dogs, but not others. It works eh? for Jet, and I use it at agility trials where the pinch collar, for PR purposes, is not permitted. the harness is better for her than a slip lead or buckle collar because she'll pull until she vomits. She's waaaayyyy too excitable.

 

[sood]

Amy sorry to hear about your situation. As far as restrictions I've only been told not to lift weights and do exercises that put strain on my aorta, like push ups, etc.. I can only lift 5-10 lb weights as far as exercise goes. Other than that I haven't been told about any exercise restrictions. I asked the surgeon what to do about day to day life, my 2 year old son weighs 40 lbs, picking up groceries etc.. He didn't seem to concerned with those things and he said "don't try to move the refrigerator".

I would demand a CT scan or MRI if I were you, those are more accurate then echo's as far as aorta measurements go. I'm going to post an update on my thread I created too if you guys want to keep up with the latest on me.

Hi Caligirl and sood -- From a native California girl/woman to another (me to you) and sood, too. I just had my first follow-up echo yesterday and was told my ascending aorta is now 4.8 (6 months ago it was 4.5) but my valve looks great. No stenosis or leaking. Growth of .3 in six months seems rapid to me. What is wierd is that my blood pressure is excellent and has been my entire life.
Did you two mention physical restrictions? I was just about to take out my big dog for a walk (and I mean BIG -- 155 lb. St. Bernard/Mastiff mix) but became frightened that if he pulled too hard it might be too much pressure on my aorta. I get the ticking time bomb thing.
Anyway, if you could post what you have been told about physical restrictions, I would appreciate learning about your situations.

Thanks,
AmyBL