Katie's tumor 1 year later - and is this possible?

[Stacy]

So, this just happened. But let me rewind for a minute to refresh. A year is a long time. I can't believe it's been a year. 

Oct. 13, 2017 I noticed something weird in Katie's nose. On Halloween the vet called to tell me that she has adenocarcinoma of the nose. That it was an aggressive tumor and there was a possibility that radiation that they don't do anywhere near me could help. But after speaking with several vets in several states I opted not to do that to her. The prognosis was poor. 

Over the last year she's done really well. She doesn't seem sick at all. In fact she's a little chubby, much to my chagrin. The tumor seems to be the same size, but I thought maybe it was growing inside her nasal canal where I couldn't see it. But I couldn't palpate anything, and she didn't seem tender there at all. She had the occasional small nosebleed if it got bumped, but overall normal, happy (naughty) Katie. I've been trying to just enjoy our life one day at a time, but that tumor is always there in the back of my mind. 

Today I threw the ball into my bedroom and Katie went to get it. She started violently sneezing, which means her nose is bleeding. I went over to check on her and she was having the worst nose bleed I've seen. She was dripping on the floor. I got her calmed down and it slowed. I went to look at her, and the visible part of the tumor is gone. She's bleeding from the place it used to be way in the back, but there's nothing that I can see that looks like the tumor. I wonder. I mean, I know miracles and misdiagnosis can happen, but not usually for me. The initial pathology was kind of equivocal. Could it even be possible that whatever this thing is died and she's going to be okay? I feel like we see so much sadness when our doggos get sick. It would just be so great if maybe this one time we could have a happy ending. 

Sept. 24th

Just now

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

If anyone deserves a happy ending, it's you. So I'm rooting for the miracle. :) 

[Stacy]

I just keep thinking if the initial diagnosis was wrong. If it was some sort of wart thing... It could have died in the last year and finally fell off. The one thing I've learned over the last year is that sometimes science just doesn't know the answer. All the tests we did with Ava. All the minds that worked on it trying to come up with diagnosis, no one could figure it out. Maybe they were wrong with Katie too. In any case, she seems completely fine. I'm going with that until something proves me wrong. 

But that changes everything! I think Katie would like to start going to classes too. Maybe I could have two obedience dogs! Both girls did a 3 minute sit stay in the kitchen yesterday. Katie always wants to remind me that she's a smart dog too! 

[F, Calla & Luca]

Mistaking a wart for an adenocarcinoma is unlikely. But Katie might have had an adenomaous polyp, benign, which somehow was expelled. Polyps can twist on the “stem” they are attached to etc. and strangulate. At any rate I think your plan is good.

[Stacy]

Sigh, when I push on her nose I can still seem some of the tumor tissue way up there. I don't know how to describe it, it's pink and bumpy and moist. It looks like something we should be able to use a little silver nitrate on. Whatever it is, it doesn't seem to be growing quickly. I need to try to start living like I don't know it's there. It doesn't seem to be bothering Katie. It's been a whole year. Maybe we'll get another 10 without it causing any problems. I can only hope!

[F, Calla & Luca]

I hope so too.

[Stacy]

Thank you!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I’m hoping that whatever it was, was not what was diagnosed. I hope she is just fine. I think she wants to

be your other obedience dog.