Amputation Insight?

[MP_the4pack]

I'm so sorry you have to join such a depressing club. I too am a member (was)

 

I chose amp for my 12 yr old Diamond. Yes.....3 weeks after her surgery she turned 12. I drove all the way from NJ to OSU specifically so that Dr. Couto and team could tell me if she was physically able to be a tripod because of her age. I always thought she acted way younger than her years and they agreed.

 

Dr Couto was able to give me a break and the cost was appx $3000. I stayed with people who belong to a support group around OSU, so I didn't have a hotel bill. (ask Jane for info on that. JoeJoesmom)

 

They kept her in the hospital for 4 days, she actually surprised them with how fast she bounced back. They were expecting a longer recovery due to her age.

 

I spent Wed driving to Ohio. Thursday Dima spent being poked and prodded. Friday was her surgery. Monday evening she was released and we drove back Tuesday.

Thing is, she was ready to do things that she really wasn't ready for. She decided to jump down 6 steps from my deck to the patio before I could rush to stop her. She fell where she thought her front leg was. I thought for sure she would have broken her remaining front leg. So be extra careful to watch that Gia doesn't do too much too soon.

 

Since I have 6 steps to get into and out of the house at all exits, I put in a ramp to the back yard. She had no trouble doing the ramp. I did it myself. in a weekend. I just used thick heavy boards, 4x4s to hold it up. Brackets to clamp it to the house, cloth/rubber surface and skid stops to prevent sliding. It was cheap, relatively easy, and I just used my brains, no plans.

 

She did get an infection (maybe from the fall) so chemo was delayed to a month post op instead of 2 weeks as we cleared it up. The chemo was free and my local vets administered it for about $100 per session.

 

I have a dog door, and she never seemed to have any problems with that.

 

I did have the opportunity to work from home the first two weeks. And that seemed the critical time. She was anxious and up and down a lot. But at the two week point, when I could take her off pain meds, she calmed right down. Sometimes the pain meds make them anxious.

 

At the two week mark, I felt comfortable enough to go back to work and leave her unsupervised (she did have 3 sisters to keep her company).

 

She had a wonderful, pain free 6 months before OS hit another leg. I sent her to the Bridge on the xray table.

 

I wish all the best with you. If OSU is within driving distance, (for me that's 10 hrs) it might be worth going there.

 

Good luck.

 

By the way, I was prepared for seeing Dima without a leg, but the first day after surgery when I visited her in the hospital, I wasn't prepared for the look of panic on her face. And I doubted for two weeks if I made the right decision. I lost 5 lbs in that time from from worry. But now looking at it from today's perspective, I would NOT hesitate to do it again.

So be prepared to doubt youself. A lot.

 

And remember, the decision you're making is out of love for Gia. You are trying to do your best for her. Don't beat youself up over anything that happens.

[greytdecals]

Maggie-Mae is here to give you hope...with amputation and 6 rounds of chemo(Carboplatin/Gemzar)she is 39 months cancer free...

 

...and she enjoys every minute of her life!

 

 

She had her amputation and chemo done at OSU where she continues to go every 3-4 months for check-ups.

[queenwinniesmom]

Oh, Colleen, I'm so sorry you've received this devastating diagnosis. You've been through more than enough sadness and stress. When we got Winnie's diagnosis, I felt the same way---grief, disbelief, and agonizing indecision about which course to take. It literally consumed my thoughts every hour of the day. I do feel that this is the hardest time. Once you have made a decision and can move forward, you have other things to think about. So whatever you decide, know that it's a decision made from love, understanding what is best for her. Don't second guess. I know this is easier said than done, and I have to admit that there were times when I looked at my beautiful girl and wished that she were whole again. Some people never think this way; I did. But that was MY problem. Winnie, being stubborn, resilient, stoic and rather quirky, wasn't thinking like that at all. She was just doing what she needed to do. They really are amazing, and as Dr. Couto says, they have 3 legs and a spare, and in the animal world, there is no stigma against tripods. Winnie may have questioned the adjustment period---the only thing that ever scared her was a slippery floor---but she soon learned to live her life fully and with joy, just as much as a tripod as she had on four legs. I was the one who held my breath as she navigated the 21 outside steps many times a day, as she ran in a field with her sisters (sometimes passing them up). She went to several Deweys, several Gettysburgs, one Mountain Hounds, and a trip to North Carolina for my Mom's funeral. I don't regret for a minute that we did the amp, because she didn't regret it, and we had almost 3 1/2 wonderful years with her. A record approaching Darcy's, I know, and not everyone is as lucky, but to me, it was definitely worth it, even if the time hadn't been as long, simply because I know she was not ready to leave. Here's what I say---many times, but I think it bears repeating---cancer is a crapshoot. You do what you can, what you feel is right, and what is best for your dog, and know that you tried. Don't let the sadness of what is to come steal your precious time together away from you.

I know we'll all be thinking about you and Gia, and everyone is here when you need advice, support, or just to listen when you need to vent. Please let us know how BOTH of you are doing.

[giadog]

I haven't yet read all the new replies, but I wanted to post about what's going on while it's still fresh in my head....

 

So the dr. appointment didn’t really go as planned…. We figured we’d just be there setting up the amputation as soon as possible, but while we were doing the physical, we noticed a lump in gia’s throat, too. So now we’re biopsy-ing that as well as the leg, to see what’s going on. The three options are that the throat lump is A)nothing, a weird coincidence of dead cells, in which case we’d move forward with the surgery as planned, B)a cancer that’s RELATED to the leg tumor, which might be a good thing b/c it could mean that the leg tumor ISN’T osteosarcoma, but rather a metastasization of whatever kind of cancer is in her throat, and therefore easier to treat. We’d still do the amp in that case, but there could be a higher chance it wouldn’t come back in a year, or C) a completely different kind of cancer, in which case we’d probably NOT do the surgery then and just move on to palliative care, b/c when you’re facing TWO cancers, you’re basically effed.

 

So now we're back to waiting and seeing. They'll probably get the results of the biopsy back on Monday, so we're thinking surgery on Wednesday if that's the route we take.

 

 

[BauersMom]

Oh no. Fingers cross for some "good" news on Monday for you.

[Guest budsmom]

Oh Colleen, I am so sorry you are having to deal with this. I know all too well about having to deal with 2 different cancers, that's what took my heart kitty from me. I'm praying that the 2nd lump is a "good" lump and that everything from here on out is routine. The only other thing I might mention is that you may not want to use the UW Vet hospital in Madison. There have been several GPA-WI adopters that have had really not good experiences there, and this whole battle is hard enough without having to deal with that.

[MP_the4pack]

OH NO!

[giadog]

Budsmom, believe me, I already have my own issues with them, unfortunately! But thanks for the advice, in case I hadn't known. It's terrible when people in our position have their lot made even harder uneccessarily.

 

We got Gia home last night, and at first she was pretty out of it, but by the time bedtime rolled around, she really was feeling just like her old self (albeit pretty sore!). But it was good to see our sassy, snarky girl back in action. I wish the results wouldn't take so long, but the doctor assured us we were fine waiting a few days. I so hope the throat lump isn't anything that's going to keep us from treating her!

[Guest budsmom]

Collen, glad Gia is home, you always feel better at home! I was really disappointed to hear from several of our GPA-WI family about unpleasant experiences at the UW and am glad you have another option. We're keeping all fingers and paws crossed over on this side of the state.