Girly Girl Diagnosed With Os 12/3

[Guest ronka68]

I truly thank you all for the prayers and good energy. Please keep it coming. We heard from Dr. Couto today. He looked at the xrays and said it looked like a tumor but was in an odd place (her elbow). So we go for fine needle aspiration on Monday and I guess to confirm what sort of tumor we've got in there. I haven't even considered what other sorts of nasty cancers we could be dealing with. The end game looks the same regardless and it seems that amputation is the treatment for them all.

 

Today is a better day than Sunday night was. I'm holding together a little better today.

 

Veronica

[Guest Energy11]

Glad you heard back from Dr. Couto. Hoping for good results from the needle aspiration. Love, hugs and many prayers!

[Guest eaglflyt]

We're continuing to pray for your girl and you, too. I'll be hoping that the FNA can determine the tumor type and that a successful treatment plan will soon follow.

[Guest tennesseegrey]

You're going to get through this just fine. You're in great company, as many of us have been through this. I've lost 2 to the ugly OS. I know it's hard and heart breaking. I'm sorry your baby is so young and experiencing this cancer. Prayers and well wishes are sent your way.

Joy

[Guest vahoundlover]

I'm so sorry for this horrible news. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your baby girl

[Guest ronka68]

Update on Girly Girl: We went for the fine needle aspiration today but the vet didn't do it. After doing further radiographs in preparation she found that the tumor (or whatever it is) was fully contained inside the bone and so in order to get a sample she'd have to go through the bone cortex essentially making it a biopsy.

 

When she showed me the radiographs she said she wasn't entirely convinced it is a tumor and needs to show the rads to the surgeon who isn't in on Mondays (of course). In her report which I didn't read until I got home, her diagnosis was "suspect cystic bone lesion in left proximal ulna." In her discharge notes she says that there is no change in the cortex of her bone at the site which suggests it may not be a tumor. I don't dare hope that we might get the miracle I've been praying for.

[Guest eaglflyt]

OH, I hope she's right. You might want to send copies of the films to Dr. Couto at OSU for him to have an opinion, too.

 

Prayers are continuing for your girl and you, too.

 

Shelly in OK

[Guest ronka68]

I'm definitely going to, but he's out all this week :-( So I figured I'd wait and get the surgeon's opinion as well and email it all together. Luckily, this doctor had digital radiographs. Makes it easier, faster and cheaper to get them to Dr. C quickly.

 

Thanks so much for keeping us in your prayers. I truly believe everyone's good thoughts and prayers have gotten us this far.

 

Veronica

[Batmom]

What a roller coaster! How is your pupper feeling? Continued prayers that all the news from here on out is good.

[Guest vahoundlover]

Keeping fingers crossed for good news.

[Guest mountain4greys]

Keeping fingers crossed here to. :goodluck

[DaisyDoodle]

Send the radiographs to Dr. Couto anyway, espceially if you have the electronic versions of them. He may be able to look at the computer files, or one of his colleagues may be able to look at them. At least the films/files will be there when he gets back.

 

Wishing you the very best of luck for a good outcome.

 

DD

[Magdalyn58]

I am so terribly sorry that you are facing this. Please know that my thoughts and prayers are with you and Girly Girl.

:

[sweetdogs]

Send the radiographs to Dr. Couto anyway, espceially if you have the electronic versions of them.

I would second this. His staff is excellent & he is in constant contact with them. That way, you'll be able to hit the ground running.

 

I didn't see it posted in this thread, but is there any possibility that she may have been exposed to Valley Fever? If she passed through the Southwest anytime during her career it might be something to look into.

 

My girl did not do well with Artemisinin either. Very best wishes for you & Girly-girl. Please let us know how you're both doing.

[Guest ronka68]

UPDATE ON GIRLY GIRL: Sigh...Maine surgeon felt it was not a bone cyst. Somehow, though knowing better, I let hope creep in and it felt like hearing the news all over again for the first time. It was a bad day. I sent reports and radiographs from Maine docs to Dr. Couto and he was checking email while out and got back to me still recommending fine needle aspirate and suggested I try New England Veterinary Oncology Group since they are within a days drive. We visited them today and they tried to do the FNA but were unsuccessful because the bone cortex is too intact and they could not get a needle through. They bent several in the attempt and only got blood with no sample of bone let alone tumor. It seems I have no other option now but to biopsy to determine what this tumor is. Dr. Romansik also felt it was in an odd place for OS and wasn't sure what it was.

 

I am getting impatient for answers and my poor girl is in pain. We had to take her off Rimadyl due to the fact it was damaging her liver. However, it was the only thing which controlled the pain. Gabapentin and Tramadol in combo aren't helping.

 

All docs say there are no other options at this point until her liver heals up and we can try NSAIDs again.

 

Still nothing showing in her chest xrays though I know that isn't always conclusive for metastasis.

[Guest DebSzal]

Keeping good thoughts. I know this must be a roller coaster of emotions for you. Try to stay strong. You are doing a fantastic job taking good care of Girly Girl. Keep us posting. I will be thinking of you in my prayers.

[Guest MorganKonaAlex]

Poor Girly Girl. It's a tough call. I think I mentioned it in the other post, but Alex was in a lot of pain from the bone biopsy. I wouldn't put a dog through that again. Would you consider amputating without a biopsy?

[duncan41]

Sending prayers of comfort to you and your Girly Girl. This is just a heart wrenching situation!

[carronstar]

Sending more prayers and hope for your girl. Hugs for you both.

[Guest ronka68]

From bad to worse. We spent a day at the Massachusetts Veterinary Referral Hospital in the very capable hands of Dr. Karen Pastor. Girly Girl underwent abdonminal ultrasound and blood testing. More poking prodding and temperature checking. At the end, with consult from radiologist, they also thought this may llikely be a bone cyst. So we went forward with removal of "tumor" and fill of area with bone graft harvested from her shoulder. She had to stay overnight and she spent a couple days in pain but quickly bounced back and now is doing quite well. She's back to playing and jumping and I have to calm her down and hold her back for fear of damaging the healing process already in place.

 

Dr. Pastor told me after the surgery that the material she rmeoved looked like bone cyst but we'd know more in 10 days after the pathology report came back. The pathology report made it back in 8 days and Dr. Pastor called us last night to say it is cancer but they aren't sure if it is osteosarcoma or even worse, hemangiosarcoma. That possibly, if hemangiosarcoma, they may not be able to help her with an amputation. I checked online and the median survival for dogs with this cancer who undergo chemo and or radiation therapy is about 6 months post diagnosis. We've already lost 1 month trying to figure out what it was.

 

I didn't think a broken heart could break again but with this news everything feels so heavy today. It's very hard to even move around. Gravity seems to have multiplied. We've been teased with the hope of a bone cyst twice now and had it ripped away and this time for real and for good.

 

I thought I was ready for the possibility it was osteosarcoma but hemangiosarcoma caught me completely by surprise and I was in no way prepared for even less time than I am already going to have with me heart and soul dog.

 

How do you watch something you love so much die? How do you make the decision finally to end that precious life? When is it the right time to do that, when selfishly all you want is one more day and one more day and then just one more day? How do you get up every day when you know there is a giant hour glass over your head and more sand is running out of it? How do I make those priceless last few grains of sand the best for her when all I seem to be able to do is cry and sleep? And what do I do for my poor other big guy who is such a social butterfly but who has been spending his days stuck inside with a completely alien mumma and a sister who has trouble walking very far right now and who he can smell is sick. He isn't getting out, not going to meet and greets and it's definitely affecting him.

 

I guess we know for sure Monday which way our fate goes. We haven't caught too many breaks in this process. Or maybe I'm just seeing all the most negative aspects of this. It's hard to see anything else at the moment I guess. One thing I do count my blessings for is this community. Your support has meant more than I can say. You didn't know me but I posted my story on the board and you all flooded me with your best wishes, hope, advice and support. Thank you all.

 

Veronica

Edited January 7, 2010 by ronka68

[Guest Adrianne]

[Chicocat]

First, I'm so very sorry.

 

What do you do? First you cry, then you find that inner strengh that resides in all of us to put her first. For me, it was a promise that I would not allow Thunder to be in pain so I could share one more hour or one more day. When we can't change the outcome that most precious gift is all we have to give.

 

It never seems fair that the most precious gift of all is the one that hurts us the most. But I don't think my heart could stand it if we didn't have that final gift.

Edited January 7, 2010 by Chicocat

[Guest JoeyUK]

Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your sweet Girly Girl.

[Guest eaglflyt]

I'm so very sorry. I'm sending prayers and hugs for Girly Girl, you and your family.

[Guest boondog]