Drake's Healing Progress - After Mass Removal From Both Left Legs

[Xan]

Oh my goodness!! How on earth you managed to write that so coherently under the circumstances I do not know! :blink

 

That's a lot to sort through. I'll be chanting for good tests tomorrow!!

 

Many hugs:

:grouphug

[Batmom]

Good grief. My heart goes out to you in getting through these further tests and deciding what is best for your pupper.

[HopeForHounds]

My heart just sank to my toes. I can`t imagine how you are getting your head around this. Have you contacted Dr Couto at OSU to ask his opinion. If nothing else they can provide the chemo drugs at no cost to you.

[crazygang]

You're all in our thoughts.....

[Burpdog]

Sending lots of prayers!

[Guest ScottH]

[dmswartzfager]

Cripes, FL! That's just crazy! Wow.

 

Definitely get in touch with Dr. Couto/Greyhound Wellness Program at Ohio State. They'll want to have the pathology reports and surgical notes (at a minimum) sent to them, just so you know, so that no time is wasted.

 

If it's the same oncologist at CVRC that we dealt with when Tyler had his bone tumor, she trained under Dr. Couto and is somewhat receptive to having him on board. I'm almost positive it is the same doctor, but I can't find any records right now to confirm.

[Guest jerrybird]

My heart goes out to you with the hard decisions you are facing right now. Give Drake an extra hug from us.

[Guest FLT]

Thank you - Dr. Couto's name keeps coming up (and I can see why!).

 

I'm going to work with the vet's office to get the information together and faxed over to Dr. Couto's office soonest, and will give him a call to ask for the consult (and one hopes, help with Chemo if nothing else).

 

I appreciate everyone's kind thoughts. As you can imagine we are beside ourselves, and sort of flailing in place at the moment. Hoping that Drake's X-rays and Ultrasounds all come back clear today first - and then we'll see what tomorrow brings.

 

FL

 

Cripes, FL! That's just crazy! Wow.

 

Definitely get in touch with Dr. Couto/Greyhound Wellness Program at Ohio State. They'll want to have the pathology reports and surgical notes (at a minimum) sent to them, just so you know, so that no time is wasted.

 

If it's the same oncologist at CVRC that we dealt with when Tyler had his bone tumor, she trained under Dr. Couto and is somewhat receptive to having him on board. I'm almost positive it is the same doctor, but I can't find any records right now to confirm.

 

[Patsy]

White light coming your way as you and the docs make decisions.

[Guest FLT]

Heard back from the vet's office about the X-rays and Ultrasounds.

 

Chest X-rays (3-views) were all clear, no growths seen.

Heart Ultrasound was entirely clear, no growths seen.

Abdominal Ultrasound was almost clear - with the exception of one "small marble" sized nodule on his spleen. The vet said however that the odds are (not that odds have been working in our favor yet) that it is not Hemangiosarcoma because they would expect to see multiple growths and not just one. They theorize that it may be a normal non-cancerous growth that may appear on the spleen as dogs age (he said evidently that most dogs start getting nodules appear on the spleen as they get older? Anyone heard of this?).

 

While they were looking in the abdomen they also noticed that the walls of his bladder appear to be abnormally thick and the ultrasound shows debris in the bladder that does not show on x-ray. The vet said it is unrelated to cancer, but I gave approval for them to pull some urine out (using a needle - which he said was similar to a blood draw in trauma, not very bad) and test it. We would be surprised if he's got a UTI with as many antibiotics as he's on right now, but may as well test it as long as he's there.

 

I go pick up Drake after work today. They'll have copies of the medical file (surgical notes and pathology reports) available for me to take with me, so I can get it to Dr. Couto. I left a voice mail on the Greyhound Wellness Clinic line a little while ago requesting their help and letting them know I was pulling documentation together for them.

 

After we get Dr. Couto's opinion we'll finish deciding how we want to proceed. Continued suggestions and experiences are very welcome.

 

Thank you,

 

FL (and Drake)

[Patsy]

Upping the white-light quotient coming your way.

[Guest FLT]

Thank you! It is greatly appreciated!

 

Upping the white-light quotient coming your way.

 

[Xan]

Hoping hard for helpful info from OSU and the urine draw. And lots of other hoping, while I'm at it.

[sweetdogs]

I'm sorry for this diagnosis, but you'll be in good hands with OSU. Nothing but good healing thoughts to you & Drake.

[Guest FLT]

So has anyone actually taken their dog to OSU for amputation surgery, instead of doing it locally? It seems to me that they've got all the experience in the world with greyhounds - especially as relates to bleeding and recovery after surgery - but maybe that we'd have to have follow-up care locally? It's about a 7 hour drive for us, according to google maps. (We live in Laurel, MD)

 

I'm going to inquire if that's an option - but the drive may ameliorate a lot of the benefits.

 

Thoughts?

 

 

[queenwinniesmom]

Wow, I've been following Drake's story, but haven't posted till now. I just wanted to tell you what an excellent job you're doing of taking care of your boy. You have gotten hit with so much bad news at once, it's a wonder your brain isn't exploding! Right after the diagnosis is such a difficult time. Your comment about "flailing in place" describes it very accurately. You are faced with so many options, alternatives, questions, etc. And you only want to do what is best for Drake. We didn't do Winnie's amp at OSU, but I think there are some people here who did. In any case, they are invaluable as a resource, and second or third opinions. Given the unusual combination of 2 types of cancer, I think they would be very interested.

I wish I had some experience with these types of cancer so I could give you some excellent advice, but I don't (it was osteo and lymphoma with Winnie and Patsy). But so many of us do have experience with this struggle---what should I do, how should I do it, when should it happen. So when I say that we are with you and Drake in this journey, please know that it's true.

You and your sweet boy are in our prayers. Please continue to let us know how he's doing---and how YOU are doing too.

 

[Guest Fasave]

Incredible story. You're doing a great job managing the situation. My grey has had two soft tissue sarcomas in the last year. One on the front leg and one on the back. They got clean margins with both, although the leg will be questionable as they didn't get the amount of margins they like to get. I was going to pursuit radiation as follow-up for the leg but a friend was going through the same thing with her grey (same time, same location) and they didn't get clean margins. Dr. Couto recommended to her an injectable chemo that was still in "trial" phase. We live in Boston and she was able to find a vet in RI to administer it. I believe it's been 6 or 7 months since the treatment (3 shots versus 3 weeks/5 days a week of radiation & substantially cheaper) and her boy is showing no signs of regrowth. Definitely follow up with Couto. You never know what he might be working on.

[Guest FullMetalFrank]

I am sorry you guys did not get better news with the test results; but it sounds like you are being very proactive with Drake and will get him what he needs. I will keep your sweet boy in my prayers for his difficult journey ahead.

[Guest FLT]

Drake is back to the vet tomorrow for suture removal and bandage change (or possibly removal entirely) on both legs.

 

I hope to hook up with Dr. Couto as well, and get him all the information he needs to give us a second opinion before we make any final decision about Drake.

 

Thank you all,

 

FL

[tbhounds]

Gezz--sorry. I wouldn't hesitate to make the 7 hour drive to OSU! Dr Couto is THE Dr to see--IMHO. I'm sure that other folks will chime in but, I have stayed at a Red Roof hotel in Columbus--wasn't to fancy but, it will be close.

[Xan]

FL, how's it looking today? How are you all doing?

Sending hugs to you all!

[Guest FLT]

Hi everyone (and hello Xan - thanks for checking in today)

 

I'm just back from taking Drake to have his sutures removed. The rear leg is healing well, the Dr. thinks - but now that the sutures are out there is some gaping in the middle of the incision. He re-wrapped it with a pressure bandage and says it should be fine in a week. I managed to snap a VERY quick photo of it before it got re-wrapped. I insisted on seeing the legs before they were re-wrapped this time - was very demanding about it!

 

The front leg isn't doing as well. The incision itself is healing fine, and is all together nicely - however the skin on top of where some of the tumor was on top of the paw is dying. He's got an almost dime sized section where the skin has either died (as in - open wound now) or is looking like it is about to die. Dr. P was sort of hoping we had made our decision about the front leg amp, because it could of course take care of this issue pretty handily.

 

I'm still holding out to talk to Dr. Couto first - but know that we need to make up our minds sooner than later of course.

 

In the meanwhile, they pressure wrapped the front, and we'll see what it's doing in a week. I suggested hydro-therapy but Dr. P said it's a blood supply issue, rather than a healing issue.

 

Sorry I need to run to class, so I can't post that one photo just yet - lab tonight, but I'll get it posted tomorrow.. along with current photos of both pups.

 

Thank you very much, everyone - I appreciate your support and kind thoughts more than I can express. It really helps me hold it together.

 

Hugs to all,

 

FL

[Guest trevdog]

Sending many more prayers your way....

[Guest eaglflyt]

I've just ready your story updates. I'm so very sorry about the diagnosis. I'm praying for Drake and the decisions you're having to make. ((((HUGS))))