Sam's journey

I kept meaning to post after the last post that Sam was doing pretty well.  We got steroids and antibiotics and the last 2 weeks have been pretty uneventful. But I didn’t because I got busy.

 

i thought ” hey, they were right, perhaps I overreacted”

 

Today Sam started bleeding again. A lot.

I wasn’t there but had Mike take him to the vets where they took more x rays looking to find foreign object or tumor.  Instead they found nothing. Or, almost nothing.  Which is actually more frustrating.  There’s an area that looks like it may be a tumor/ cancer.  The only way to know for sure  is a rhinoscopy and the treatment is well, nothing we are willing to do (chemo, radiation). What the vet thinks is happening is that when the tumor grows it makes the nose bleed, is ok for a little while and then inflamed again.

 

I read this article: http://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/Nasal-Cancers-Rare-But-Deadly/

 

it somewhat highlights what we may be in for.  And that this may be an OSA met.  I won’t let Sam suffer.  He is still smiling, but not as much as I’d like to see.  Nose drops.  Some pain meds and steroids.  And hugs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s not all bad news.  But it’s not good.

My mom lives with us in the lower level of our house.  She came home today to blood.  She couldn’t find the source and I told her to take Sam to the vet and drop him off.  His incision (from almost 2 months ago) has not yet healed completely and has opened in a couple places.  The vet couldn’t find any other blood source and thought perhaps there had been a small pocket that had opened and caused the bleeding.  And there’s a nodule. Yes. A bump. Yes.That. Kind. of. nodule.

 

F*You cancer

 

We brought Sam home and while eating, noticed that there was blood in his bowl after every bite.  More blood.  This time I found the source.  His nose.  He’s bleeding from his nose.  Pretty lightly…Lightly enough that every time there’s a little bit that comes out, he licks it clean.  The blood?  I think it was nose-related and not suture.

 

We’re home now, by the time we got back from the vet it was too late to go back again.

 

He seems to be happy and not painful, but I’m a little fearful that this.is.it.  The beginning of the end.  or, if the tumor was the beginning of the end.  this?  this would be the last. the last of the end.  the part where I get sad. and say goodbye.

 

I said it wasn’t all bad news.  The good news is that I have Sam for another night.  And I can snuggle up with him and give him puppy kisses and tell him I love him.

 

Sam is eating and drinking normally and settling in to a new routine in 3 paws.  We had a few days where he was pretty off Balance  but ( paws crossed) that seems to be behind us now.  We have kind of returned to a normal existence and sometimes I forget momentarily that he’s missing a limb.

 

I bought him a new bed yesterday and he and Maizie settled right in.  They don’t typically snuggle, so this was fun to see.

 

Sam has decided that he’s such a super dog he can survive without eating and drinking.  Currently sitting in the vets  office and he’s had some drink but no food.   I’ve tried (for drinks ) water in plastic and metal bowls. Water with chicken broth. Plain broth, beef broth. Various canned food types.  A roll of Primal food raw …. The list goes on.

 

 

So, we are now sitting back at the vets office where Sam is drinking and being syringe fed some food.

I’d  love for him to eat normally because each time we do this it’s $60.

Sam is doing remarkably well.  We had a little worry yesterday and the day and before. Sam was panting, restless and not well and I took him yesterday to our vet.  They were really busy and after 3 hours waiting and an exam we adjusted meds and the vet was very happy with how Sam looked except his hydration levels.  Vet is pretty sure that he will recover well… And we work  on keeping him hydrated.

He’s out of the hospital and we are on our way home.  He did super well, is figuring out how to maneuver on 3 legs and the vet student said he yanked her down the hall.

 

I know that I wouldn’t have had the knowledge and information to go through with this surgery without the dogs I’ve read about and people I’ve chatted with on Tripawds.  More later… I have some puppy snuggling to do.  (Wish I could figure out how to rotate pics).

Sam is out of surgery and doing well, according to the vet student who called.  He will be monitored all night and should be ready to come home tomorrow afternoon… With lots of instructions one wound care and pain meds.  I’m going to have to end my vacation early and drive back to get him.  Excited to eventually get to a more pain-free pup.

Lungs were clear,  Sam goes in the OR at 2pm.  We are playing in St Louis about 1.5 hrs away.  Trying to forget about the drama.

Sam goes for amputation tomorrow morning.  His platelets and white blood cells recovered nicely.  We thought we’d do the surgery later in the week, but Mizzou had an appointment tomorrow and we jumped on it.  I’m actually out of town, so it’s my mom who’s left with dealing with this.  I really hope this is the right choice.  Will update tomorrow, the only thing that will keep is from surgery is mets to lungs.  X-rays were clear 3 weeks ago…. But this is a nasty disease so who knows…..

Sad news.  had a follow up today and yesterday and the treatment didn’t work.  The tumor is growing and Sam was exited from the study.  Not only that, but to add to it, Sam jumped from the back of the van… About 1 hour away from Columbia and fractured the bone.  Since it’s a long weekend and his platelets are low, we were sent home to think.  About amputation again.   He can’t have the surgery yet….  From the radiation.

My heart breaks and is full of regrets.  If I could turn back time, I’d have spent the money and removed that GD leg in April.  I was just so hopeful that maybe the chemo/radiation could keep the OSA under control.  Shows what I know.

 

Until next week, I’m going to hold Sammy close and try to keep him from breaking his leg more.  The sound… That came out of him…the wail?  I hope I never hear that again.  🙁

I read a post of a dog with a bucket list.  Over the next week, Sam will be creating and fulfilling his own bucket list.  Anyone have any great bucket list ideas for us?