Guest vahoundlover Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 I'm glad Maddie had a somewhat better night...hopefully tonight will be even better. I totally understand feeling like you need your mom, you guys have been thru so much and still not sure what your dealing with...it's very scary! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tricolorhounds Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Keeping that Maddie continues on the road to recovery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest greytpets Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 hugs and thoughts for better days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest itdoesnotmatter Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 ugh. things are okay, but certainly not as good as i'd like. the ranula is still huge but i'm really trying to wait till tomorrow's appointment to see if they can lance it. i just don't want to go back to the VCA! mattie's still having trouble eating, partly because her tongue is so swollen and partly because her saliva is still SO thick! i just really hope tomorrow's appointment solves a lot of my problems and answers some questions. on a brighter note, since i couldn't get mattie to drink water to rinse out her mouth after eating, i gave her a bowl of heavy cream. she seemed to enjoy that immensely Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xan Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Glad she was able to enjoy the cream. Others might be able to be more specific, but I think at some point it would pay to be careful of how much rich food she gets, since it can lead to pancreatitis, which you don't need!! Were you able to find someone to come with you tomorrow? Hang in there! Quote My Inspirations: Grey Pogo, borzoi Katie, Meep the cat, AND MY BELOVED DH!!!Missing Rowdy, Coco, Brilly, Happy and Wabi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest itdoesnotmatter Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 no one is coming with me tomorrow, but i feel pretty good about the appointment. don't worry, mattie only got a little bit of the cream - "bowl" was sort of an exaggeration. and since the vets told me to give her whatever she wants for now (including ice cream), i figure a little extra fat won't do her any harm. other than that she's eating quite healthily - a natural dehydrated food my mom bought her (chicken, veggies, and quinoa), plus powdered vitamins and a liquid vitamin as well, plus a tablespoon of mayo here and there. the doggie fro yo is very low in fat. thanks for your concern mattie and i appreciate it! -mara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xan Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 You bet, Mara. Have a good day with her today, and good luck tomorrow! We'll all be waiting to hear what happened! Quote My Inspirations: Grey Pogo, borzoi Katie, Meep the cat, AND MY BELOVED DH!!!Missing Rowdy, Coco, Brilly, Happy and Wabi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliforniaGreys Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 I'm getting in here late, but I actually got a call from a friend just a short time ago who told me to read this thread. Sure wish Dr Cuoto was here because it has been said that he's the best. I know my vet knows him well and speaks of him with the highest regard.Your Mattie is lucky to have someone who loves her like you do. I'm in California and I have more free time than most so if there is anything at all I can do to help, I don't care if it's to go with you and Mattie to the vet....fianancial assistance or anything else, please, please don't hesitate to yell....because I am more than happy and willing to help. Post it here....email me...whatever. But I would like to help, in any way I can. We do it for Mattie....ok? My email address is cbudshome@aol.com Quote Missing my little Misty who took a huge piece of my heart with her on 5/2/09, and Ekko, on 6/28/12 For the sick, the lost, and the homeless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lotsagreys4me Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 I am sure there are many of us that would like to go with you as moral support. Working and distance gets in the way for me. Thoughts and prayers will be with you. I don't know of Dr. Cruto but I see others on this list think highly of him. Lets hope he can get this treatment under control. Will be standing by for the outcome of the appointment. Hang in there, you have lots of support here. What about your adoption group. Are they a San Diego group? If so, contact them. They would no doubt help you with transportation, moral support and just being there for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batmom Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 Thinking of you and sending along some more hugs. I'd be giving her cream (or ice cream) too, if she wanted it. Quote Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in IllinoisWe miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest vahoundlover Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 Hoping tomorrow brings answers and some relief for Mattie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Vinnie Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 I just saw this thread - that topic line is scary enough - I can't imagine the fright you had when she came out of the surgery. I am so glad that you will be taking her to the other vet, especially one associated with the GCA - then you know it's someone who understands our wonderful and special greyts. I hope you are able to get the answers you need tomorrow to help put you at ease and your baby girl out of pain. If your oncologist gives you more info, I would not hesitate to forward it to Dr. Cuoto for his review - especially if she ends up needing chemo of any kind. There may be things he can do or his study can provide. Hopefully your baby will not need further chemo or anything and that they were able to get everything, especially since they took so much from her jaw. We will keep you both in our prayers along with your DH as he is deployed and protecting what we all hold dear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CyndiW Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 I am so sorry that you and Mattie are going through this alone. My husband was just home in January for 30 days and then just a few days after he went back overseas, Alex was dx with intestinal lymphoma. He feels horrible that he is not here to help with weekly dr appts 2 hours away and all the daily care. In 2003, the first time he was deployed, one of my other greys was dx with bone cancer right after he left and I had to go through the amp/chemo alone while living in another state where I didn't have any help. It was very scary but we made it. Then the following year in 2004, another one was dx with mast cell - same thing, me alone taking a dog for surgery and chemo. Of course when my husband is home for a year at a time - no cancer. It is hard to do alone while working full-time but I rely on my parents and friends a lot now that I am back in my hometown. My co-workers have also been very understanding and helpful. I am glad that your mom is able to help you with Mattie. Hang in there. I have been following this thread and you both have definitely been in my thoughts and prayers. Mattie is very lucky to have such a wonderful mommy to care for her through this difficult time. Hope your appt goes well and I will be checking for updates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest vahoundlover Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 Wondering how the appt went today Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliforniaGreys Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 Also wondering how you and Mattie made out Quote Missing my little Misty who took a huge piece of my heart with her on 5/2/09, and Ekko, on 6/28/12 For the sick, the lost, and the homeless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tamborine Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 Thinking of you and Mattie - hope the dr. appt went ok. Quote Maryann, Bama (TW Beltram), Stephanie (Tom's Stepinhi) & Henderson the Cardigan Welsh Corgi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliforniaGreys Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 With all you are dealing with I hate to even make another suggestion, but maybe it's a good idea to ask Dr Couto if he will recommend someone here you can see. I know he knows some of the vets out here.Keeping you and Mattie in my prayers, and again, if you need any help at all, please don't hesitate to just say the word. Quote Missing my little Misty who took a huge piece of my heart with her on 5/2/09, and Ekko, on 6/28/12 For the sick, the lost, and the homeless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest itdoesnotmatter Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 hello everyone. i'm sorry i didn't write yesterday to follow up, but the sad truth is that yesterday morning i made the very difficult decision to put my baby girl to rest. the oncologist came in to see mattie first and he was very concerned the second he saw her. she had dropped down to 47 pounds and was lying on the ground through our entire visit. he said a feeding tube needed to be put in right away. radiation, if we got to that point, would be 20 days in a row. he called in the radiation oncologist next. she was horrified by mattie's mouth. she said that radiation was not even a consideration at that point, because mattie would need to gain weight and strength before anything could be done. she also said a feeding tube would be the first step, but she was very concerned by the exposed bone on the left side. she called in the head surgeon, who was also extremely upset by what he saw. he said that having exposed bone like that is "not normal" and he would want to do a surgery asap to cover the bone. he said "dr. mullen must do mandibulectomies differently than we do" but he didn't go into detail. they started talking about the feeding tube (the radiation onco was concerned because she said feeding tubes in greyhounds can be problematic, and that mattie's mouth was such a mess that she might never eat through her mouth again - ie, the feeding tube might have to be permanent). i was there for a total of four and a half hours and mattie only got up once to pee. the rest of the time she was lying on the floor on a blanket the vets provided. i asked what they thought about putting mattie down now and they said they thought that was a very reasonable thing to do given her condition. they said normally mandibulectomies are well tolerated, but that because her mouth was still such a mess, she might never recover anyway. the thought of putting mattie through more surgery before we could even do radiation was too much. i couldn't do that to her, and i couldn't stand to watch her suffer anymore. the vets were very nice. a fellow greyhound owner came and sat with me while they put mattie down. it was the hardest thing i've ever done in my life, but i stayed with her the entire time. coming home to my empty house broke my heart. telling my husband was even harder. he loved that dog more than anything. she was his little girl - he shared his ice cream cones with her, gave her anything she wanted, spooned on her dog bed with her, kissed her on her big wet nose all the time, and would carry her on his shoulders like a goat if she got tired on hikes. i've never seen anyone love a dog as much as he loved her. he is devastated, of course. i decided to have mattie cremated and got the plaque with her paw print on it so john would have something to remember her by. mattie's racing name was "itdoesnotmatter." i always thought that name was sort of insulting, like they couldn't come up with anything to name her so they just said "it doesn't matter." but now i know that "it does not matter" was the perfect name for her. it didn't matter who we were as people or what mistakes we made in our lives - mattie loved us unconditionally, no matter what. she was the best dog i've ever known. everyone loved her, even people who didn't like dogs, because she could worm her way into your heart with just one look at her big brown eyes. mattie would walk quietly up to people and stick her long nose into their leg or hand and before they knew what was happening, they were petting those velvet ears and getting down on her level to tell her how beautiful she was. she was our little angel, and i will miss her so very much. of course i am furious with the people at vca, and dr. mullen in particular, for neglecting mattie the way they did. when i went in on tuesday she told me mattie would be fine, that she was not dehydrated, etc. the people at cvs yesterday couldn't believe mattie's condition. they said she was extremely dehydrated and should have had a feeding tube in much sooner. when i asked dr mullen about a feeding tube just a few days after the surgery, when she'd already lost so much weight, they blew me off and said that it wasn't necessary. when we asked about the exposed bone three days after the surgery, they told us it would heal on its own. every single question or concern i had was blown off. i should have trusted my own instincts, but my father-in-law is a vet and my own father is an oncologist. i've grown up believing i could trust doctors. clearly i was wrong. thank you all for your prayers and kind words over the past few weeks. i couldn't have made it without knowing i had someone on my side through all of this, even if you were complete strangers! i tried my best to help my girl, and it just wasn't enough. my only consolation is that she isn't suffering anymore. my best to all of you. -mara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burpdog Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 Be at peace little girl...... Mara: please put a thread in rememberance forum and tell us all about her, before she got sick. Quote Diane & The Senior Gang Burpdog Biscuits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tamborine Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 Mara, I'm so sorry that Mattie and you had to go through this. You and your husband will be in my thoughts. Even though he's not at home with you, you're not alone in this: you've got many GT friends all over the country, and the world, holding you in their hearts. Please put a thread in Remembrance, as Burpdog suggested. I'd love to read about your girl, and see some pictures of her. Godspeed, Mattie. Quote Maryann, Bama (TW Beltram), Stephanie (Tom's Stepinhi) & Henderson the Cardigan Welsh Corgi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lotsagreys4me Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 Mara, I am so sorry for all that Mattie had to go through. She is running free now with no pain. You are in all our thoughts now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robinw Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 oh mara, i was so hoping for a different outcome. i'm so, so sorry Quote Xavi the galgo and Peter the cat. Missing Iker the galgo ?-Feb.9/19, Treasure (USS Treasure) April 12/01-May 6/13, Phoenix (Hallo Top Son) Dec.14/99-June 4/11 and Loca (Reko Swahili) Oct.9/95 - June 1/09, Allen the boss cat, died late November, 2021, age 19. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batmom Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 {{{{{{{{{{Mara}}}}}}}}}} I'm so sorry. My heart goes out to you. I hope you will post a remembrance of her when you can -- your loving and oh so special girlie. Godspeed, Mattie. Quote Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in IllinoisWe miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MP_the4pack Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xan Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 Oh Mara! I'm so sorry! :bighug How wonderful there was another greyhound owner there that was willing to be with you through the very sad moment of letting her go. That's so loving. I'm glad you got home safely afterwards, too. I love what you say about her name. That knowing her, that learning her, that loving her is what makes even the pain of losing her worth the joy of having had her with you. We're here for you as long as you need us. :bighug Quote My Inspirations: Grey Pogo, borzoi Katie, Meep the cat, AND MY BELOVED DH!!!Missing Rowdy, Coco, Brilly, Happy and Wabi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.