News on Katie's Nose

[Stacy]

Because I hate it when people say something and then never come back to update... 

I took Katie in for a biopsy a week ago Thursday and just got results this last Friday. The vet was intitally very encouraging and thought it would be something innocuous - she actually thought it was TVT, which is a transmissible venereal tumor, but when she called on Friday the pathology report said suspicious for well differentiated adenocarcinoma, but correlate with clinical findings. Not at all what I wanted to hear. So Katie is scheduled for a head CT tomorrow morning. We should have a better idea of what we are dealing with at that point. 

The proposed treatment, dependent on the CT results are stereotactic radiation at Colorado State which is supposed to be very precise and only take a week (good because it's a long way from home) or potentially palladia, which is an oral chemo. Neither option is without side effects. Neither option is inexpensive. But how do you put a price on a life? Right now I'm just trying to take it one step at a time and go from there. I have this very tiny hope that the CT will show us something different than the biopsy did. 

The vet also said that Katie is an outlier. She's too young for this disease. She's too healthy. And almost never can you see the tumor inside the nostril. So yay, we're special? 

If anyone is curious, I'll let you know about the CT results.

Stacy

[Lindsey Holt]

Keeping you all in my and Jake's thoughts and we want to hear the update.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Stacy, you are an awesome dog mom to be so observant, trusting your gut that something was wrong.  I am sorry the news wasn't positive. Since Katie is SO young and SO healthy, that has to put the odds for a cure in her favor. You and Katie will be in my thoughts and prayers.

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

Lab results can be wrong.  my best friend got a stage four melanoma lab result back from a biopsy of a mole on her leg.  I coerced, wheedled her into a second biopsy different doctor, different lab.  Result of biopsy, no cancer at all. Labs handle thousands of tests and there are mix-ups.

Have faith your vet is right,  thinking positive, fingers crossed. Let us know how it goes. Hugs

[Stacy]

We talked about the possibility of a lab error this morning when I dropped Katie off for the CT. I would be thrilled if the pathology results are wrong. The vet seems more optimistic than I can bring myself to be, but I am cautiously hopeful. I should know more by this afternoon. 

Waiting is the worst! I am not a super patient person by nature, but this is just brutal. Just tell me what's happening people! Nothing that happens in real life could possibly be worse than what I conjur up in my head!

[Lori, Daphne, Lucy & Pippa]

Hugs& prayers for you and Katie. Thank you for keeping us updated.

[Barbara, Zoey and Zeke]

Thanks for keeping us updated.  We are with you all the way!!!