Hello friends,
It has been a little while since I have posted as Sammy's brother Leo (non-diabetic) seems to have taken a turn for the worst. What we thought was perhaps fatty liver, has revealed itself as an a malignant tumor. It has attached itself at the exact location where his small and large intestines join together. After an ultrasound and aspirate of both the mass and swollen lymph nodes nearby, it appears to be cancerous, however the cytology report was inconclusive. Leo and Sammy are both 8 years old which has made decisions about next steps very difficult. The vet explained that a specialist could attempt to surgically remove the tumor. But, given the location, the surgery would be risky and there is no sure way to prevent (or know) if it has spread to other areas. She also expressed that based on the research available for this type of surgery, life expectancy ( in a best case scenario) is about one more year. My fiancé and I have been painfully grappling with this over the last two days and have one of two options 1) attempt the surgery 2) essentially provide hospice care by giving steroids (which could buy us a few weeks to a few months according to the vet). More than anything we want to make sure we are making th best choice for him and not one that soothes our own pain and sadness. The other issues at hand are also a suudeen arythmia, a weak liver, and a mild case of asthma; all with a suddenish onset with this most current problem. My gut tells me to give him the steroids which will make him comfortable and perhaps have a few weeks to a few months of stress and pain free life versus putting him through surgery with even the best outcome being about a year with no guarantee that this cancer hasn't spread to other places and pop up soon after. I love Sammy and Leo more than anything and wanted to consult the experts! If anyone has experience with this, can offer guidance, or prayers, I would be so appreciative. I'm so devastated as Leo has been so healthy up until the beginning of July. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this community and for the thoughts, advice, prayers, and support. I don't know what I would have done without it.
It has been a little while since I have posted as Sammy's brother Leo (non-diabetic) seems to have taken a turn for the worst. What we thought was perhaps fatty liver, has revealed itself as an a malignant tumor. It has attached itself at the exact location where his small and large intestines join together. After an ultrasound and aspirate of both the mass and swollen lymph nodes nearby, it appears to be cancerous, however the cytology report was inconclusive. Leo and Sammy are both 8 years old which has made decisions about next steps very difficult. The vet explained that a specialist could attempt to surgically remove the tumor. But, given the location, the surgery would be risky and there is no sure way to prevent (or know) if it has spread to other areas. She also expressed that based on the research available for this type of surgery, life expectancy ( in a best case scenario) is about one more year. My fiancé and I have been painfully grappling with this over the last two days and have one of two options 1) attempt the surgery 2) essentially provide hospice care by giving steroids (which could buy us a few weeks to a few months according to the vet). More than anything we want to make sure we are making th best choice for him and not one that soothes our own pain and sadness. The other issues at hand are also a suudeen arythmia, a weak liver, and a mild case of asthma; all with a suddenish onset with this most current problem. My gut tells me to give him the steroids which will make him comfortable and perhaps have a few weeks to a few months of stress and pain free life versus putting him through surgery with even the best outcome being about a year with no guarantee that this cancer hasn't spread to other places and pop up soon after. I love Sammy and Leo more than anything and wanted to consult the experts! If anyone has experience with this, can offer guidance, or prayers, I would be so appreciative. I'm so devastated as Leo has been so healthy up until the beginning of July. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this community and for the thoughts, advice, prayers, and support. I don't know what I would have done without it.
