January 13th: everyday I go to work I take my dog to my moms house, I’m a paramedic and work really long days so I’ve never left her home. She was fine before they went to dinner, and when they came back, said she had thrown up and was acting sad as if she was in trouble for puking, but they noticed something was definitely wrong and took her to the vet.
Around 9pm: I was told she was severely anemic and bleeding into her abdomen, that at the place she was taken initially there was nothing they could do for her and that they could call this other place to see if they would even be willing to do what they “think may need to be done” which was an emergency exploratory surgery with terrible odds of her surviving.
She was just 6 years old at this time with her birthday being literally in a few days, 5 days from this decision I had to make right now. They told me it was more than likely an appendage that had burst, they didn’t know which one, that the surgery could go so many different ways and if it was “X” she could survive if it was “Y” I would need to make a decision on the phone with her on the operating table to put her down in that moment.
I elected to take her to the next place, we got there about 1030: they were able to do more diagnostics than the original place. Something HAD ruptured but it was too cloudy from the blood to tell via the image, I elected for the emergency exploratory surgery. I had to leave her there, they told me the team was on their way in, that they’d call if she couldn’t be saved and that they’d also call once she was done.
It was about 130am they told me the surgery would begin, I was sick, I prayed to God repeatedly, I bargained, I cried, I sweat. And finally got a call at 430 am, I made my mom answer as I truly couldn’t stomach the thought of answering.
She made it, it was her spleen that had burst, that they didn’t see any spread of nodules but that they’d send her spleen in for further diagnostic.
January 23rd: I found I’m pregnant and 10 mins later get a call, “it’s hemangiosarcoma” at best she will live 1-3 months unless I elected for chemotherapy which “could” extend her life to 3-6 months. I elected for no chemotherapy.
May 1st: NOTE; I gave her a rawhide chip that morning, which I don’t like those but she does so I let her eat them with supervision. I come home and she had pukes all over my bed, not normal for her, when I left for a few hours, it was longer than normal, but she just seemed not herself. She has also peed herself on my carpet which she’s also never done. I felt her belly and it was fatter but not hard, she wasn’t wincing and I was pressing hard.
May 2nd pukes again in the early hours of the morning. She more tired than normal but was still eating and drinking. Pooping and peeing. But her poops were small in comparison
May 3rd she pukes again in the early hours of the morning. She seems so tired, she’s not pulling me on the leash, she’s taking small poops. Again perked up at the end of the day, still eating and drinking.
May 4th: I take her out and she takes a MASSIVE poop what I had been waiting for, but when we come back in she drank a whole bowl of water and puked the whole thing up about a minute later. Since then, she’s been fine, she’s perked up. I took her to my mom’s where she has 4 other dog friends, she played, ate well. High energy and DID NOT PUKE
May 5th: currently today for me, I take her to an appt at 8am to go over all of this. I want to be lice so badly it was the rawhide chip and that she swallowed a piece and had an intestinal blockage, but with this diagnosis they said it was more than likely a bleeding episode that she reabsorbed on her own.
I know I’ve gotten more time than most with this diagnosis, most days I still feel like their diagnosis was wrong. I was given the option this morning to do an ultra sound and X-ray to see “the spread or how bad it is” I elected not to.. I don’t want to know. She hates the vet also and is so upset every time i take her there, and she would of had to stay all day until she fit into their schedule that already had 4 before her and if any emergencies came in.
I’m feeling somewhat guilty about not doing the scans, but either way I was going to take her home.
This has been the hardest thing ever. I don’t know what I’m looking for, but this is where I’m at. Advice, support, really anything as I am well, I’m sure if you’re reading this you know where I’m at. 😕 See