Sending hugs to both you and Flutter.

Re: the early pain patch. I have a dog who needs pain meds for an unexplained soft tissue problem. She only needs them after a long run. My vet told me to give her the meds before the run, not after. That way the pain never kicks in and Pingo never has to feel lousy while she waits for her medicine to work. Maybe your vet is thinking something with Flutter?