My niece Marissa left for Spain on Monday. She's on a scholarship to teach English in middle school. She'll return sometime next June. She hopes to enter graduate school not too long after. I'm sure this is going to be quite an adventure for her!
Also on Monday, I brought Stella to the vet. She had some blood oozing from her scar, not a lot, but it concerned me. In addition, I was concerned about a thick lump that my sister-in-law Linda discovered next to the scar. Fortunately the scar is okay and the lump is a hemotoma from the surgery. Another sigh of relief.
This weekend I'm going up to the Villages. My friend Maxine arranged a mass for John Saturday evening.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Good news!
For a change.
Stella's mast cells came back as grade 1, thank you Jesus! Benign would have been the best outcome, but this is second best and I am grateful. We just have to be on the lookout for any new growths. I was literally making myself sick with worry. I couldn't take another piece of bad news.
Linda came with me to my oncologist appointment yesterday. Everything went well. He congratulated me on 2+ years post-lumpectomy. I'll continue to see him every 6 months. I asked him about having my yearly PT scan, but he said I don't have to have it, but if it would give me piece of mind, he'd order it. I opted to have it done next month.
Marissa sat with the dogs while we were gone. Thank you!
Stella's mast cells came back as grade 1, thank you Jesus! Benign would have been the best outcome, but this is second best and I am grateful. We just have to be on the lookout for any new growths. I was literally making myself sick with worry. I couldn't take another piece of bad news.
Linda came with me to my oncologist appointment yesterday. Everything went well. He congratulated me on 2+ years post-lumpectomy. I'll continue to see him every 6 months. I asked him about having my yearly PT scan, but he said I don't have to have it, but if it would give me piece of mind, he'd order it. I opted to have it done next month.
Marissa sat with the dogs while we were gone. Thank you!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Is it the middle of September already?
Stella's doing well. She's eating, drinking, pooping, peeing. She still is moving a little gingerly and I have to keep her from licking her scar, but she's good. I give her a pain pill once a day and an antibiotic twice a day. She really doesn't seem to be in pain, so she may not need the pain meds tomorrow. I hope and pray she will be fine going forward.
Thursday I have my long-delayed appointment with my medical oncologist. I have an MRI scheduled for early December and I should have my yearly PET scan in October. I'll ask him about that.
I was worried about leaving Stella since I'll be gone for 2 or 3 hours, but my sister-in-law Linda will come over and hang out with her. THANK YOU!
Thursday I have my long-delayed appointment with my medical oncologist. I have an MRI scheduled for early December and I should have my yearly PET scan in October. I'll ask him about that.
I was worried about leaving Stella since I'll be gone for 2 or 3 hours, but my sister-in-law Linda will come over and hang out with her. THANK YOU!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Now the wait
Back home with Stella. She has a big, ugly scar with lots of stitches. He removed 3 other growths near the one bad one. Hopefully they are just fatty tumors. Histopathology report should be back by Friday. Now we just have to wait. I'm not very good at that. :(
Out of surgery
Stella's out of surgery. She did well. She was going to be ready to go home at 2:00, but I want to speak with Dr. Bailey, so they told me to come at 3:30. He removed 5 growths. I don't know if he thought they were all mast cells or not, which is why I want to talk to him.
Trusting
I dropped Stella off at the vet's this morning and spoke to the doctor briefly. They will call me when she's out of surgery. They probably won't release her till the end of the day. I'm a nervous wreck, but trying to trust God. Sigh.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Waiting for rain, sweet Vinnie and Stella stuff
A lot of rain is in the forecast today. I hope it starts soon so I have an excuse to crawl into bed and read a book. C'mon rain!
Picked up Stella Thursday afternoon. My vet says a bump we have been watching for awhile looks very much like a mast cell tumor under the microscope. Another one looks suspicious but is inconclusive. The other ones look like normal cells. Mast cell tumors are a very common type of skin cancer in dogs. Usually, surgical removal is the only treatment needed. They tend to continue to pop up so the ongoing treatment is to remove them if and when they do. He believes the cells are a grade 1, which would be great, since that has the best prognosis. We won't know for sure until it's removed and pathology takes a look. I'm very worried, but yesterday the vet called me with the results of the bile acid test and although it was elevated after the test, he consulted with a specialist who said she considers the level to be in a safe range. One of the things my vet was concerned with was the possibility the liver was involved with the skin cancer. The specialist assured him it is highly unlikely this is the case. She advised him to remove the mast cells, see what grade they are and retest the liver enzyme in 6 months. I am feeling a little bit better about it all. Stella has surgery Tuesday. Please keep her in your prayers!
Today is a sad day. Joe's family's Italian Greyhound passed away around 1:00 a.m. this morning. He just turned 14 last week and his health had been failing for quite some time. He spent the last 2 weeks sleeping a lot and not eating or drinking much. The dogs and I saw him Thursday and yesterday. He was a sweetie and Stella and Bella have known him since they were born and they loved him. We will all miss him. :)
Picked up Stella Thursday afternoon. My vet says a bump we have been watching for awhile looks very much like a mast cell tumor under the microscope. Another one looks suspicious but is inconclusive. The other ones look like normal cells. Mast cell tumors are a very common type of skin cancer in dogs. Usually, surgical removal is the only treatment needed. They tend to continue to pop up so the ongoing treatment is to remove them if and when they do. He believes the cells are a grade 1, which would be great, since that has the best prognosis. We won't know for sure until it's removed and pathology takes a look. I'm very worried, but yesterday the vet called me with the results of the bile acid test and although it was elevated after the test, he consulted with a specialist who said she considers the level to be in a safe range. One of the things my vet was concerned with was the possibility the liver was involved with the skin cancer. The specialist assured him it is highly unlikely this is the case. She advised him to remove the mast cells, see what grade they are and retest the liver enzyme in 6 months. I am feeling a little bit better about it all. Stella has surgery Tuesday. Please keep her in your prayers!
Today is a sad day. Joe's family's Italian Greyhound passed away around 1:00 a.m. this morning. He just turned 14 last week and his health had been failing for quite some time. He spent the last 2 weeks sleeping a lot and not eating or drinking much. The dogs and I saw him Thursday and yesterday. He was a sweetie and Stella and Bella have known him since they were born and they loved him. We will all miss him. :)
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Blue
Time flies. I can't believe it's September 9th already. I also can't believe I haven't posted here since August 26th.
I've been kind of blue lately. Not exactly sure why, but I just am. I've been busy with Inspiretees. I like working on the site. I'm learning a lot about managing a website. I'm thankful for the opportunity.
Stella goes to the vet tomorrow for a bile acid test. One of her liver enzymes is elevated. She has to fast for 12 hours. A real challenge with her appetite. The doc will draw blood then feed her something high fat, and several hours later, draw blood again. She is also developing a lot of little bumps under her skin. So between these two things I'm nervous. My little pumpkin.
P.S. I just realized something. Today is 09-09-09. Weird.
I've been kind of blue lately. Not exactly sure why, but I just am. I've been busy with Inspiretees. I like working on the site. I'm learning a lot about managing a website. I'm thankful for the opportunity.
Stella goes to the vet tomorrow for a bile acid test. One of her liver enzymes is elevated. She has to fast for 12 hours. A real challenge with her appetite. The doc will draw blood then feed her something high fat, and several hours later, draw blood again. She is also developing a lot of little bumps under her skin. So between these two things I'm nervous. My little pumpkin.
P.S. I just realized something. Today is 09-09-09. Weird.
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