So my whole plan of "staying home to get my presentation done" ended up being me taking Wrangler to the vet at 8am to get his wound checked out because the stitches weren't holding it together as of last night. While we were there the biopsy results came in on all the skin and tumor removed from his face. It was not good. All of the tissue collected was loaded with Mast II & III cells. He went back in for surgery to try and get the wound to heal better. They think it was having a hard time healing because the cancer cells throughout the tissu his face and are angry and therefore releasing fluid enough for the wound to not be able to heal.
The vet took chest x-rays to see if Wrangler was having trouble breathing or the cancer had spread to his lungs. The x-rays were clear of tumors from what she could see. During the surgery today she gave him a shot of steroids that is supposed to last 3 days. The steroids are to calm down the cancer cells in his face enough to let the wound start to heal, but it also calms down the white blood cells that the body USES to help heal.
Rock and a hard place.
Bill doesn't get back till Sunday so I'm all by myself during all this shit. I might have to be making some pretty big/hard decisions in the next day or two. I can't believe how
hard it is to concentrate on anything else (let alone a presentation I have to give tomorrow night for class that I haven't started) with all this weighing on my heart. It's like I just wish somebody would tell me what to do. I'm having a really hard time letting him go. It wouldn't be an issue if he was in pain or uncomfortable or having trouble breathing, it's just hard to know what do because he is such a happy dog that isn't showing any of those signs.
Yuck.
Where to go from here? Hope and pray that his incision heals this time. They stapled him up good. His face looks like a zipper, and they inserted 2 rubber tubes near the incision to help drain all the nasty cell juice from the incision also to help it heal. If the incision heals, we keep him on pregnizone (sp?) for the rest of his life however long or short that is. If his incision doesn't heal because the cells are too inflamed and angry, then there is really nothing else we can do unless we him through intensive (expensive and will often make dogs SUPER SICK) chemo or flying to the lower 48 for 4-6 weeks to see a specialist w/ chemo... ALL of which I am completely unwilling to put him through.
For now, I'm keeping optimistic, loving his every minute of everyday, and hoping that he is not in pain or uncomfortable. Take everything a day at a time. He is such a good dog and an amazing friend, but there comes a point where I don't want him to have to go through anymore of this shit, and realize that I did everything, EVERYTHING in power to give him the BEST last years of his life. I know he loves me so much and hates to see me sad and stressed. Even now, he ran to lay by my side when I started crying again. He will tell me when I have to let him go.
I just wish I didn't have to do all of this on my own.
Back to my presentation...
1 comment:
you are right, you have done all you can for wrangler. You have been the best mama for him, and he will always love you. Its hard to see the one you love go. But you just have to remember that when it is his time that he will be in a better place. he will miss you and you will miss him also, you dont want to see him suffer. I hope that he is ok, spend the time you have him and enjoy it. I love you mama ginny. You are strong you will be ok.
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