Why am I writing this?

I have known many, many people who have had their dogs die from cancer. In many cases, the cancer was too far advanced to treat. Of those who did treat, you don't know the details of what they went through. It sounds quite simple when summarized with 'we went though chemo and he lived 2 years'. There is a whole lot more emotion and decisions to be made. Treatment is not always simple.

This blog is my own personal experience. Some days are filled with frustration, others are filled with laughter. If anyone is offended, I can't apologize for my emotions. I typed what I felt at the time. It does not mean I feel the same today. If you want clarification, just ask. No matter my frustrations, I know my vet and oncologist are doing a fantastic job of caring for Arri. He just is not co-operating by being a 'typical' case.

Friday, January 27, 2012

December 6, 2011:

Surgery #4.  The cancer was indeed back and removed.  Unfortunately, this type of cancer often grows in ‘fingerlings’. Gardeners might think of it like a tuber.  There is the main growth but cells travel out from that and sprout new growths.  Dr. Mike removed the growth and did what he could.  He used a ‘football’ incision which removed some of the skin above but he knew he did not get clean margins and the cancer would resurface.  Unfortunately, the incision made healing more difficult.  There isn’t a whole lot of extra skin around the ankle and so it was pulled tight to close.  In addition, the nerve was poked and prodded so that left some discomfort.  And then there were the two other growths I found before surgery and asked them to look at.

As a result, Frankenstein was what I picked up post surgery.  The growth on the upper shoulder was removed and the fatty tumor, on his foreleg, was in the way of the IV so they took it out.  My poor boy had 3 incision sites and 21 staples.

This was by far the most painful surgery for him.  Normally he bounds out of the office like nothing happened.  But that day he was crying in pain. 

After 2nd surgery to remove cancer

Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)