A Good Day, A Bad Day

Stella made it through the pacemaker surgery fine and her heart is now beating away with the help of modern electronics and gadgetry. The bad news is that while they were trying to take a sample of the mass in her intestine, the doctors discovered a huge mass in her spleen that appeared in the ultra sound. They believe it is a hemangiosarcoma.

From Wikipedia:

Dogs with hemangiosarcoma rarely show clinical signs until the tumor has become very large and has metastasized. Typically, clinical signs are due to hypovolemia after the tumor ruptures, causing extensive bleeding. Owners of the affected dogs often discover that the dog has hemangiosarcoma only after the dog collapses. The tumor most often appears on the spleen, right heart base, or liver, although varieties also appear on or under the skin or in other locations. It is the most common tumor of the heart, and occurs in the right atrium. Here it can cause right-sided heart failure, arrhythmias, pericardial effusion, and cardiac tamponade.

If they get in there, they'll be able to know for sure that that's what's going on. They can remove the spleen, which would add a few months to her life. But if has already spread to the other organs - say, the liver, for example, then it would probably be better to just let her live out her life - one week, one month, maybe up to three months.

Yesterday was a day of high highs and low lows. We saw Stella in the ICU around 6:00pm last night after Dr. Bottorff went over the events of the day and options with regard to the situation. Given that her ultrasounds showed no sign of trouble just three weeks ago, and now she has this huge mass, it doesn't seem good.

She'll either come home today or undergo the splenectomy and come home a few days from now. 

Stella's birthday is the 4th of July. She'll be 14.

Update: Just spoke with Bottorff. Stella has a good night and is up and around. As usual, making friends with everyone at the OSU Small Animal Hospital . . . .

A Change in Plans

Kim here. Stella has asked me to fill in while she's away.

We arrived for our 11:30am appointment to get checked in for the abdominal surgery to remove the mass in Stella's small intestine. During her intake, Dr. Bottorff performed another ECG to look at her heart since the new drug seemed to be helping. When I finally got to talk with him after an hour or so and he explained went over the results, we decided to put aside the abdominal surgery for now and immediately go to the pacemaker since her heart activity had declined further since we were there just last week. 

So tomorrow morning early she's going to have the pacemaker put in and they will take a sample of the mass in her interstines while she's under to determine what it is all about. An eleventh hour decision, but I believe absolutely the right one.

Here's what the pacemaker looks like:

 The wire will run down through her carotid artery down into the muscle of her heart. The electronic part will be place up behind her neck. Once inserted, the doctor will be able to regulate the pulse of the pacemaker until it's right for Stella. 

 In some ways, I'm relieved that we're not doing the abdominal surgery -- for now anyway. Bottorff felt, and I agreed, that the possible benefit to Stella's heart as a result of dealing with the intestinal mass would not offset the danger she's in right now. 

Providing all goes well, and I'm SURE it will, she'll come home either tomorrow night, but more likely Friday. Then she'll have to be calm and quiet for a month in order to give the pacemaker wiring enough time to fully attach to her heart muscle. Then she'll be free to run on the beach once again.

Update: The doctor just called - Stella is all tucked in in the ICU and has been equipped with a heart monitor. There will be someone in the ICU all night tonight keeping watch and making sure all is well. Her procedure is scheduled for 9:00 am.

There was a lot going on at the OSU Small Animal Hospital today. It's quite a place with a lot of heart (no pun intended). I want to give a big hello to Shadow and wish her well.

Pre-Op Day for a Bearded Collie

Getting ready to go up to the hospital. I'm not too sure I'm too happy about this, but we're going for it. Didn't have the best night last night, so my mom is having fewer doubts about whether this is the right thing to do. We're agreed - equally reluctantly. Damn the topedos, full scalpel ahead.

One thing: I'm a little miffed that I haven't had one treat today. Not one! Nothing! Not even a green bean. This could be a long day . . .

Old Age - It's Not For Wimps

Here I am approaching my 14th birthday and I'm falling apart. Overnight! I'm fit as a fiddle except for my heart that won't beat fast enough and now this mysterious blob in my gut.

Tell me - how many dogs do you know who actually have a team of cardiologists? Well, I do. Sometimes I go to my regular vets in Blugene and sometimes I have to go up to the Vet School in Corn Valley. It's kind of fun, but woof! it's a long day.

Now I have to have surgery because they wanna see what the blob is all about. They think it might be one of the reasons my heart's not keeping up with things. So under the knife I go on Thursday. My mom is crazed with worry. I do what I can to keep her heart from beating way TOO fast.

Gotta go up Wednesday around noon to get checked in and then I think I'll be home on Saturday. I can tell you this: I'd sure rather be over at the beach watching all the fireworks this weekend even though I can't stand all that noise! That's getting better though - I'm a little hard of hearing these days. I mean, I will be 14 years old on July 4, after all . . . .

Spa Day! Yeah!!

There's nothing like a day with Syndey over at Petite Paws to make a girl feel beautiful! Been coming here for more than 10 years. Have loved every minute of it!