Still waiting with crossed fingers!

I called this am as soon as my meeting was done but the surgeon was in surgery, if you can imagine! She has not yet returned my call - I know they are very busy and will try again tomorrow if she doesn't call tonight.

Ava has quit rice as of tonight. She would rather have kibble, so she's getting kibble and meat. I am going to add a few beans to see if she still likes them like she did!

Potties are good and her attitude is too - very upbeat and happy. She tires SO quickly - we were all in the kitchen with her today for a while and she was trying to stay awake but you could see the effort! So I took everyone out so she could relax. I think the sleeping is such a good healing thing and am glad she's doing such a good job of it.

Thank you for waiting - sorry I don't know more - but will let you know as soon as I hear something - hopefully by Monday!

I am glad to hear she is doing well. I think some dog will just tell you what they want to eat and that is that, no changing their minds.

Yes sleep is good for her. But being able to be up and about and have some interaction is good also. She will tell you when she feels up for more.

Good girl Ava.

We'll be expecting a full report by Monday. Hope Ava continues to do well and you have a great weekend too.

Oh gosh, I hope they call you over the weekend, but I bet you'll have to wait.

The fatigue is so understandable! It sounds like she is doing really well though. Just curious, was she slightly anemic when she was released?

Thanks! I only have one little work thing tomorrow and can spend the time hanging out with them at home.

She was slightly anemic going in, but I believe normal by the time she came out. I will check her discharge manifesto tomorrow.

I was just curious about the anemia, since Dad has been chronically a touch low, and he was VERY tired after his liver resection - it took a LONG time to recover from that. That was after chemo too, so he had other stuff going on. And dogs seem so resilient comparted to us!

Hope your work thing doesn't get extended and you have lots of dog time tomorrow!

Hoping you have a lovely weekend and you do hear back soon. Great news Ava is so interested in her yum yums!

I hope that Ava finds the right balance between healing sleep and healthy interaction with her loved ones, and of course your delicious cooking (because adding beans to her kibble qualifies as cooking, IMHO).

Monday seems so far away...

That is cooking right?

I think anemia and chemo seem to go together? I looked at her discharge papers this am and she was good in all but ALT (now normal) and ALKP (still high but not as much).

This morning she heard all your hopes for improved energy and was charging her kennel, barking at everyone as they went by - she's still the boss. Then she stood on her mattress, wagging her tail, barking just to bark. Today is her first day without any pain meds at all (I wanted to keep her on half doses because of the bladder infection - a former boss had one once and she said it was super painful) and she's wide awake.

She slept for a while after that - I definitely want her to rest up - I am still tired from all of this so figure she has to be too, right?

I decided to try Nina's blue inflatable donut on her this morning - she took it off while I was out of the room. ETA - tried it again, tighter, she took it off again - wish I could see her doing it! Regular cone back on - she tilts her head way back like someone with those cervical neck collars - and gives me dirty looks.

I guess, embarrassingly enough, I don't want to know the path report.

ETA2: Cornell called - I missed the call - they left a VMM and I am to call on Monday. It was hepatocellular carcinoma, as they suspected. What she said that confused me is that these are usually slow growing so she should be okay for a while - maybe it will come back? I don't know and will not speculate until I talk to her on Monday. Anyway, she will go back in June and January for an ultrasound - we will make a day of it in June with Anna going to get her echo too. So that's a pretty good plan. I need to ask how long they think it had been there.

The prognosis for dogs with massive hepatocellular carcinoma treated by surgery is good.
Liver Tumors in Dogs

Just wanted to put that line first. I suppose it's not too surprising that it is cancer. From checking out some web info (as I am sure you are doing too), it looks like surgery is pretty much the only treatment for what Ava had, not really much call for chemo or radiation following surgery.

I'm not finding a whole lot on post-surgical prognosis, but I imagine since it is an ailment primarily affecting dogs over the age of ten, by that age there are just too many variables to take into account and give an estimate on survival rates. Although I'm sure if we could harness the board's collective willpower, Ava would outlive us all.

How are you taking the news Jean?

OK, I guess there's not enough information so we can speculate, but if they didn't mention medical treatment (chemo, radiation), then it's the watchful waiting stuff.

Watchful waiting is Jean's modus vivendi anyway.

More fingers crossed for good, more complete information Monday.

Lest I forget to say, Ava sounds like she feels a lot better.

MJ

I know I posted this earlier. But it is a good read.
http://veterinarymedicine.dvm360.com/vet...e=&pageID=2



Ava, you just keep tick there girl. Sounds like you are getting back to Ava in Charge.

I love to hear the barking part, particularly when they just bark for no reason like she did - she must be feeling so much better!

Cancer really sucks, I'm sorry. Even if it's slow growing, and I so hope it is, it just sucks, and that's keeping it PG.

I agree that she must still be tired - she might not self-regulate very well, so good that you are monitoring and making sure she is getting rest.

Yes cancer really does suck. When I was a teenager we got a rescue 5 year old Doberman. We had her about 6 months when one day she vomited blood. Vets probed and poked. Thoughts were maybe something she eat. Watch and wait a few days. The next day it was massive bloody diarrhea. Back to the vet prognosis not good, possible cancer. Gave stuff to sooth and coat the stomach, anti nausea medicine. 3 days later she was put down for extremely fast moving stomach cancer. She was so so sick and got that way so quickly. We hardly had time to diagnose, treat, or even spend a comfortable day with her. She was my moms heart dog. My mom almost lost her job the week Tara Bear went through her cancer. A dog that was tossed out that my mom just happened to hear about and bring home. Since my sister and I were teens and never home and my dad had started traveling 5 days a week she had went everywhere with my mom. At the time being 14 years old, dare I say I didn't understand how painful it was for my mom to go through that. Thankfully my mom is there for me when mine have issues now even though I wasn't old enough or mature enough to be there for her in the past.

So yes cancer sucks, but the really good news is that Ava's was able to be operated on and that she is recovering. It must be at least kind of slow growing at the very least or she would be feeling sick again already. Praying that it is extremely slow growing and gives you much more time to love on her.

Hope that Ava never has any more issues related to her cancerous mass. I'm glad to hear she's back to being her vivacious self.

Ava is feeling great - I have some pics from yesterday but no time to get them off the camera yet. I took her outside with the other dogs, her on leash and with a coat on. She walked around, everyone got to sniff her well, and then she was very happy to go back in because it was quite cold! Appetite good and she has a very nice look about her.

I am really okay with the information - when you look at the study and the median for left lobe removal - plus with the ultrasounds checking every 6 months (and bloodwork), it is what I expected. I got lucky with Ava that it was operable and not diffuse. She goes 2/8 for her recheck and I will talk more with them about it.

I was reading this and other things like it: http://static-74-43-21-211.fnd.frontiernet.net/forums/t/7717.aspx

We used to live next to a monthly pesticide user. Major user - yard was immaculate so if there was a mega dose, I am sure that's what they did. Their daughter's boxer has had cancer really young - I think at 3 - he was a puppy on that lawn. I used to have to shut my windows when they would mow - and not because of allergies - my lungs would just go dead on me and I finally figured out it was because they were mowing. I just started thinking of it and jumped there because of two liver dogs and I don't use anything chemical.

That sounds more like a proud owner-than a worried owner=great news.

I know that there are a lot of toxins out there and it's disturbing. For the moment, it sounds like Ava's condition is in the treatable group, with the nice life expectancy.

Thanks for the update (and notice how there are no annoying whines for the promised pictures),
MJ

Sounds like some good liver support for all of you living there isn't a bad idea. You don't have to give it daily, but 3-4 times a week perhaps.

I am glad to hear how well she is doing after such a major surgery

I get really mad about those perfect lawn people who douse it with chemicals and fertilizers and water. So stupid! Is a green lawn really more important than the frogs and salamanders and honey bees? And not only do the dogs on these lawns suffer, how many toddlers run around in them too? I don't let too much get me angry, but this is one of those things that gets to me. Vent off.

So happy to hear Ava got out and about yesterday. I talked to my mom about her and she was encouraged by the latest news. Yay!