Saving a Life! (Graphic images)

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Originally Posted by recycling goddess

ya they used that at the hospital when my son's toe was almost severed off (got caught on the safety net of the trampoline!!!)

tim, you were right... this did bring more than one tear to my eyes... i'm sending reiki to your little angel and hoping for some pics as she grows... what a miracle she is! and what a GREAT person you are to take the time out of your busy life to give the gift of living to her! :hug:

i've always respected the heck outta ya and you just gave me another reason to respect you even more!!!

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Thanks Aleesha. I didn't mean to make you cry, but I am hoping that we could help one little snake with our care.

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Originally Posted by tigerlily

That is one lucky snake. I'm very impressed. and am humbled by your love for these animals Tim. You rock. I'm pulling for that little girl too!!

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Thanks Christie, I was too humbled with how well we were able to help her with our limited wisdom and experience. We are pulling for her.

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Originally Posted by python.princess

add my hopes and wishes onto the pile with everyone else! the stitches look awesome to my untrained eye! mad respect to you! i never could've done that! i'd have made matt do it!

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Melanie,
My eye is as untrained as yours, but I think we did the right thing for her, and I only hope that she does great. I think that she3 is in good company with all of the responses she has received thus far.

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Originally Posted by Sunny1

That is an incredible story!!! I am also hoping that she pulls through!! And we will all be expecting pics of the little one as she grows. All lives are precious and it is just so great to be able to hear your story about how you went out of your way to help this little one. She is a lucky little girl and I know will always be well loved. Definately keep us all posted!!

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Pamela, I appreciate the compliments, and I know she has a great home. I hope she is as lucky as we all think, and don't you fret, if she does well, there will be plenty of pics to follow.

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Originally Posted by Chubbz

that looks painful...i hope she pulls through

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Thanks Chubbz. It may look painful, but I didn't hear her cry once. She was a trooper throughout the whole process.

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Originally Posted by 8b8ll

Wow :eek:

Hope she pulls through...what a great thing you did for her. :rockon:



Mike

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Thanks Mike. It seems that with all of the praers here, she will end up just fine. We will keep everyone posed.

Tim you are the man! I hope your little girl makes it thru and lives to be a ripe old lady. I will say my special little animal prayer for her.

I was good until I saw the pics then my eyes welled up. She is a beautiful little creature.
It's people like you and Adam that keep me here at this site and gives me faith in mankind when so many others try to make it hard to believe in your fellow human.

How lucky is that little girl to be born under the care of such a wonderful person.

Tim, I'm not even sure that a vet would be able to do that on his own snake impromptu. Major kudos to you and Monica for taking care of this little girl! Just as an afterthought, what are you guys using to prevent any infections?

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

Way to go Tim and Monica! Add my prayers in there too and my dearest hope that the little one survives and thrives. You might want to consider that liquid bandage. I nearly cut off the top of my thumb a few months back when a knife slipped, bad enough it was just barely hanging there. It needed stitched but with no health insurance that was out so I got some stuff called Skin Shield (antispectic/pain relief type) and Tim I was amazed at how well it helped me heal. I just held everything together tightly, slathered on a layer, then when it dried, a second layer and amazingly I have no scar at all. I doubt stitching would have left such a well healed area. Might be something to consider with her to keep germs out and the skin knit together properly (just a back up to your excellent stitching job).

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True, but you may want to wait just a little while. Any Skin Shield or superglue/ liquid skin will also glue the stitches to her skin, making it hard to remove them w/o injury once things have started to close up.

Hugs :hug: and prayers to you and Monica for your little miracle baby. I hope she heals well and grows big and strong for you!!

Wow I just can't get over this. I not only found this super interesting but so heart warming. :rockon:

World needs more people like you in it.

Love to hear how she is doing in the near future.

nice way to step up to the plate and not give up on her...

big congrats on your cahones and hope she pulls threw for you..

Wow...that really is amazing! You did such a good job getting as much info as time allowed and getting down to it. The animal world (and the world in general) need more people like you....the ones that are willing to do whatever it takes to get things done. Good job, and I'll be thinking of her!! ^_^

Great job Tim and Monica! I don't know many in this business who would have taken the time to try to heal her. Thanks so much for sharing and please keep us updated on her as she grows.

Wow, Tim! That has to be the most amazing thing I've seen since being in this hobby! HUGE props to you and Monica (and Adam too)! I am most definitely praying for your little friend, and hoping that she comes through with flying colors! Please keep us posted!

Steve

WOW!!!

Rock the hell on MBM!!!

:gj:

Oh wow, great story! :clap: Amazing even.

Do we have some sort of medal we can award here? Wow! :eek:

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Originally Posted by jotay

Tim you are the man! I hope your little girl makes it thru and lives to be a ripe old lady. I will say my special little animal prayer for her.

I was good until I saw the pics then my eyes welled up. She is a beautiful little creature.
It's people like you and Adam that keep me here at this site and gives me faith in mankind when so many others try to make it hard to believe in your fellow human.

How lucky is that little girl to be born under the care of such a wonderful person.

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Thanks Jody, the pics still shake me up a bit when I look at them.

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Originally Posted by Purrrfect9

Tim, I'm not even sure that a vet would be able to do that on his own snake impromptu. Major kudos to you and Monica for taking care of this little girl! Just as an afterthought, what are you guys using to prevent any infections?

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Thanks Kasi. As for infection, I have talked to a few people, and we are thinking of just Neosporin. I am giong to wait a couple days to apply it as I want the hernia to form a dry scab. I am knid of leary about getting it damp again, as that is how I wound up here to begin with.

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Originally Posted by sweety314

True, but you may want to wait just a little while. Any Skin Shield or superglue/ liquid skin will also glue the stitches to her skin, making it hard to remove them w/o injury once things have started to close up.

Hugs :hug: and prayers to you and Monica for your little miracle baby. I hope she heals well and grows big and strong for you!!

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Thanks Rulyn. I don't think we are going to go the route of liquid band-aid, as the sutures are holding the hernia closed pretty well on their own.

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Originally Posted by Sasquatch Art

Wow I just can't get over this. I not only found this super interesting but so heart warming. :rockon:

World needs more people like you in it.

Love to hear how she is doing in the near future.

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Thanks Ashley. I am going to go check on her in a bit, and will post a little update.

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Originally Posted by lovepig78

nice way to step up to the plate and not give up on her...

big congrats on your cahones and hope she pulls threw for you..

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Thanks Joe. I think she might have bigger cahones than me.

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Originally Posted by tweets_4611

Wow...that really is amazing! You did such a good job getting as much info as time allowed and getting down to it. The animal world (and the world in general) need more people like you....the ones that are willing to do whatever it takes to get things done. Good job, and I'll be thinking of her!! ^_^

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Thanks Shannon. This is pretty typical of how I do everyting. Research for as long as is allowed and get it done however you can. Adam, and a few others can vouch for the age old Marine Corps saying, "Build a bridge and get over it".

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Originally Posted by Alice

Great job Tim and Monica! I don't know many in this business who would have taken the time to try to heal her. Thanks so much for sharing and please keep us updated on her as she grows.

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Thanks Alice. I always wanted to think that we are no different than any snake breeder out there when it comes to stuff like this, but it is sad to know that you are right. I just couldn't think of putting that snake down when I just had this gut wrenching feeling that she wasn't that bad off. We'll keep you posted.

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Originally Posted by hoo-t

Wow, Tim! That has to be the most amazing thing I've seen since being in this hobby! HUGE props to you and Monica (and Adam too)! I am most definitely praying for your little friend, and hoping that she comes through with flying colors! Please keep us posted!

Steve

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Thanks Steve. I hoped that it would be a learning experience for some, as I know it was for me, but if this thread can save one more snake with a similar probelm in the future, than it was worth it.

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Originally Posted by jeffnme

WOW!!!

Rock the hell on MBM!!!

:gj:

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Thanks Memes. I let her know she should ROCK the hell on, and I'm sure she will.

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Originally Posted by Sausage

Oh wow, great story! :clap: Amazing even.

Do we have some sort of medal we can award here? Wow! :eek:

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Thanks Anna. If you can find a medal, just give it to my little girl, as she is the one that deserves it.

UPDATE for Sunday.

We just went to go check the vitals, and it appears that the wound is healing really well. It looks like the hernia is trying to close. The only problem that we saw was that the stitch closest to her head, which happens to be the stitch that is directky over her heart, and probably one of the most important sutures, was coming untied. We attempted to retie the suture, but were unsuccessful. So, I applied a small amount of Liquid Band-aid to the knot in an attempt to keep it from coming untied any further. Other than that one small complication, it looks as if the hernia is healing very well. I'll post another update tomorrow.
Thanks for the prayers, as I think they are working.

Oh that's good news Tim! Heck I know human babies survive these sorts of incomplete closures/organs outside the body at birth and do very well, so hopefully your lovely little snake will do so as well. She's in our thoughts and prayers. :)

Tim you are an inspiration to all of us. I would have thought she was a goner but your example will teach us to be more positive in the face of adversity.

Your dedication to these animals is truely remarkable and once again very inspirational. Thanks for sharing and setting a great example to all of us.

You are the man! :rockon:

congrats on the great op hope she keeps going strong and survives and you gotta think of a speacial name for her :D

that is a great thing you did for her. There need to be more breeders like you and adam in the business.

Good job on the operation. You make my idea of once in the future becomign a breeder more understandable by the HUGE example you set forth here. You are by far one of the most dedicated souls out there I know to our little friends :rockon:

that's good to hear! i hope that stitching holds.

send her my best wishes!

Thanks for sharing the experience too.

Justin

Thanks for the update!! I really hope that stitch holds.... will be keeping all of you in my prayers!! I am glad though that everything seems to be going well so far. How long will you have to keep those stitches in? (Maybe I missed the answer to this somewhere.)

Hope everything works out for her. You did a great job. Not alot of people would have did that. Not sure i could have. As for ralphs baby that had the heart on the outside of its body. Heres the link to the page. Then click on Heart (sad) that should be the video clip.
http://www.ralphdavisreptiles.com/in...herp_clips.asp

pretty wow....I really like the Grace...simple and to the point. =)

Kudos to Adam for being the man. :)

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Liquid band-aid and super glue: my mom just underwent pretty major surgery for cancer...anyway, the point of the story for here is that they sewed her up with staples and superglue. =)

You didn't need a pharmacy; you needed Officemax.

I'm pullin' for little spider-woman!

Amazing story and pics - I hope she does do well.
One little thing that may be worth bearing in mind if you are literally suturing the heart back into the body is not to let things get too tight. If the sutures are too restrictive or it heals with tight scar tissue then the heart may get restricted and tamponade. If she takes a sudden turn for the worse then consider cutting your sutures o relieve the pressure. Here's hoping that won't be a problem. Good luck to you both!

Wow what a story. You really have a great heart. My thoughts and prayers are with you and that little snake.

Wow Tim! Keeping everything crossed for that little girl. You did a great job.....



:sunny: L

Wow, I hope she pulls through for you! That has to be tough suturing a little one like that.

Thanks for all of the replies and caring that everyone has sent her way. I have not checked on her today, as I am at work, but I will post an update later this evening when I get home.

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Originally Posted by muddoc

Thanks for all of the replies and caring that everyone has sent her way. I have not checked on her today, as I am at work, but I will post an update later this evening when I get home.

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Yea Tim let us know how shes doing.

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Originally Posted by Freakie_frog

Yea Tim let us know how shes doing.

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For sure!!!

Wow what an amazing job! Sending super healing vibes your way!;)

Good luck with her! I'm sure you know by now that we are all almost as nervous as you are about her...she's got alot of people thinking and praying for her!!

As for names, I immediately thought of these girls that I graduated with. They were conjoined at birth by the abdomen, and they weren't sure if they would survive the seperation. They were named Hope and Faith, and seeing as I graduated high school with them, I'd say they are doing just fine!! Hope your little girl pulls through as well!

MONDAY UPDATE:
She is still looking as if she is ready for the long haul. It appears that the hernia is getting drier and closing up very well. I think it may take a while for the scales to grow back together, but I have a lifetime to wait. It also appears that she may have some bruising ahead of the hernia (at least I hope it is bruising, as it could be internal bleeding, but I don't think so), but looks well overall. She is starting to look a little dehydrated from being in a dry environment, so I held her head near the water bowl while supporting her body, and she stuck her head in and appeared to drink for about 20 seconds. I did get to see her flick her tongue today, and watched her for quite a while to see if she crawled normally, as She normally stays in one spot. I put her in the front of the tub and watched her crawl to the rear near the heat, so that is fine as well. Since the wound appeared to be drying nicely, I went ahead and put a small amount of Neosporin on it today, to help with infection and protect the wound. I will keep up with the updates as long as anyone wants to read them.

Sincerely,

:hug: That's great news, Tim!! I can't wait to hear more about her/see more photos of her as she grows into a happy, healthy BP. I'm so glad that she seems to be adapting so well.

so great!!! really hope her progress keeps up!

I assure you we'd all be very upset if you don't keep them up!

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Originally Posted by muddoc

MONDAY UPDATE:
She is still looking as if she is ready for the long haul. It appears that the hernia is getting drier and closing up very well. I think it may take a while for the scales to grow back together, but I have a lifetime to wait. It also appears that she may have some bruising ahead of the hernia (at least I hope it is bruising, as it could be internal bleeding, but I don't think so), but looks well overall. She is starting to look a little dehydrated from being in a dry environment, so I held her head near the water bowl while supporting her body, and she stuck her head in and appeared to drink for about 20 seconds. I did get to see her flick her tongue today, and watched her for quite a while to see if she crawled normally, as She normally stays in one spot. I put her in the front of the tub and watched her crawl to the rear near the heat, so that is fine as well. Since the wound appeared to be drying nicely, I went ahead and put a small amount of Neosporin on it today, to help with infection and protect the wound. I will keep up with the updates as long as anyone wants to read them.

Sincerely,

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