UPDATE: Fluffy's lump

Sending lots of purrs for Fluffy and for you; I'm glad you're trying to find
a way for her to fight this.
Christine
"Yowie" wrote in message
...
Just got back from TED

Not good news.

Its a hard mass, this suggests a tumour.

Her back lymph nodes are also 'up' which may either be from 'fighting' the
tumour or because it has already mestatisised and its in them - there's
little point finding out which. Still, the mass is entirely contained in
the breast tissue, and that she's in otherwise good health for a dog her
age. She hasn't lost any weight since last year (in fact she's put half a
kilo on) and is just as goofy as she's always been. He major form of
suffering would be from the lack of socks to eat and sheep to herd than
anything medical.

Unless the pathology is cheap (which I doubt) I won't bother to find out
what sort of tumour it is, because it doesn't really matter. She won't be
put through chemo or radiotherapy even if it was an agressive variety -
she's an old dog and at this point its more quality of her remaining life
than curing everything that ails her.

Anyway it turns out, the current treatment is a lumpectomy. Its is simple,
quick, surgery, with minimum risk. I can't afford to give it to her, but
she's having one anyway - I'm hoping the tax check we will get later in
the year will keep the credit card company from coming to eat us.

The logical part of me knows she'll have to go 'sometime', and that
'sometime' keeps getting closer each day that passes. The emotional part
wants to hang on to her as long as I can - for as long as she's happy
being the Fluffster and being a really clumsy, graceless cat in a giant
dog suit.

Yowie :-(

Yowie wrote:

Just got back from TED

Not good news.

Its a hard mass, this suggests a tumour.

Her back lymph nodes are also 'up' which may either be from 'fighting'
the tumour or because it has already mestatisised and its in them -
there's little point finding out which. Still, the mass is entirely
contained in the breast tissue, and that she's in otherwise good health
for a dog her age. She hasn't lost any weight since last year (in fact
she's put half a kilo on) and is just as goofy as she's always been. He
major form of suffering would be from the lack of socks to eat and sheep
to herd than anything medical.

Unless the pathology is cheap (which I doubt) I won't bother to find out
what sort of tumour it is, because it doesn't really matter. She won't
be put through chemo or radiotherapy even if it was an agressive variety
- she's an old dog and at this point its more quality of her remaining
life than curing everything that ails her.

Anyway it turns out, the current treatment is a lumpectomy. Its is
simple, quick, surgery, with minimum risk. I can't afford to give it to
her, but she's having one anyway - I'm hoping the tax check we will get
later in the year will keep the credit card company from coming to eat us.

The logical part of me knows she'll have to go 'sometime', and that
'sometime' keeps getting closer each day that passes. The emotional part
wants to hang on to her as long as I can - for as long as she's happy
being the Fluffster and being a really clumsy, graceless cat in a giant
dog suit.

Yowie :-(

I'm so sorry it didn't turn out well. But you're doing exactly what
I would do in your position. Remove the thing that's obviously there and
shouldn't be, and then hope for the best - meanwhile helping her to be
as comfortable as possible. Like you, I wouldn't give her chemo or
radiation at this stage, unless I were swimming in cash. It is sad that
it comes down to money, but that's the case for most of us, and you
and the rest of your family need to survive, too. So to me it sounds
like you're doing the most sensible and humane thing - a good combination
of what your head and heart want.

Purrs for Fluffy to feel better and have a good life for as long as she
can.

Joyce

--
I will not sniff at my male human's feet after he takes his shoes off,
freeze my mouth open in disgust and then sniff my private parts to compare
odors. -- Cat Resolutions

On 5/06/2010 11:07 AM, Yowie wrote:
Just got back from TED

Not good news.

Its a hard mass, this suggests a tumour.

Her back lymph nodes are also 'up' which may either be from 'fighting'
the tumour or because it has already mestatisised and its in them -
there's little point finding out which. Still, the mass is entirely
contained in the breast tissue, and that she's in otherwise good health
for a dog her age. She hasn't lost any weight since last year (in fact
she's put half a kilo on) and is just as goofy as she's always been. He
major form of suffering would be from the lack of socks to eat and sheep
to herd than anything medical.

Unless the pathology is cheap (which I doubt) I won't bother to find out
what sort of tumour it is, because it doesn't really matter. She won't
be put through chemo or radiotherapy even if it was an agressive variety
- she's an old dog and at this point its more quality of her remaining
life than curing everything that ails her.

Anyway it turns out, the current treatment is a lumpectomy. Its is
simple, quick, surgery, with minimum risk. I can't afford to give it to
her, but she's having one anyway - I'm hoping the tax check we will get
later in the year will keep the credit card company from coming to eat us.

The logical part of me knows she'll have to go 'sometime', and that
'sometime' keeps getting closer each day that passes. The emotional part
wants to hang on to her as long as I can - for as long as she's happy
being the Fluffster and being a really clumsy, graceless cat in a giant
dog suit.

Yowie :-(

Joel very gently pointed out the disturbingly large numbers on the
electricity bill and the credit card statement today.

I didn't complain when the dishwasher blew up at the beginning of last
month, and nor was I silly and didn't immediatley go out and buy another
on credit. I just started doing the dishes by hand hoping we'd have
enough to get a new one in the tax cheque. I didn't whinge when the
microwave stopped working a week later, again, I didnt use the credit
card to replace it, I am just not using microwave cooking/defrosting and
figured the tax cheque would cover that too. When the printer died a
fortnight ago I rationalised - there's a printer at work if I truly
needed to print anything, and that could certianly wait till the tax
cheque - I would have put it on the credit card years ago, but I'm more
sensible now. And when the couch collapsed under us a week ago, we
patched up the lounge with bricks and cardboard and duct tape, so it
would give another 6 months ago and hoped we'd get a really good tax
cheque so we could replace that as well rather than getting ourselves
into further debt, knowing for sure now that the usual 'treat' we gave
ourselves with the annual tax cheque was now out of the question. I
didn't whinge about any of this, I thought we were being *sensible*.

But having to make Buckley's choice between electricity, which is going
to *have* to go on the credit card, and the lumpectomy, now, thats when
I'm gonna whinge. Either way (and its gonna have to be the electricity)
the tax cheque will now go solely on keeping the credit card wolves at
bay and we will just have to 'get by' on what we still have.

Life just isn't fair.

(*&)(*^*&*&*_(^$%##@#@()&(**^$ (#*^% (*&(*% *&^&^%#%$#$^*&_(*&*&^
*%^&^~!$#@$#!@!~#%#$|+_+_) |+_)+|(#(&)*(& *&^&%$#$%@#@##%#$
~@!$#*(&(*&%$^%$%$#$@#@#@!%#$#!@%% &^%&^)()_
(*)(*&^%#@~|+_)+_)+_)_)))))+++==-=- (*&)(*^*&*&*_(^$%##@#@()&(**^$ (#*^%
(*&(*% *&^&^%#%$#$^*&_(*&*&^ *%^&^~!$#@$#!@!~#%#$|+_+_) |+_)+|(#(&)*(&
*&^&%$#$%@#@##%#$ ~@!$#*(&(*&%$^%$%$#$@#@#@!%#$#!@%% &^%&^)()_
(*)(*&^%#@~|+_)+_)+_)_)))))+++==-=- (*&)(*^*&*&*_(^$%##@#@()&(**^$ (#*^%
(*&(*% *&^&^%#%$#$^*&_(*&*&^ *%^&^~!$#@$#!@!~#%#$|+_+_) |+_)+|(#(&)*(&
*&^&%$#$%@#@##%#$ ~@!$#*(&(*&%$^%$%$#$@#@#@!%#$#!@%% &^%&^)()_
(*)(*&^%#@~|+_)+_)+_)_)))))+++==-=- (*&)(*^*&*&*_(^$%##@#@()&(**^$ (#*^%
(*&(*% *&^&^%#%$#$^*&_(*&*&^ *%^&^~!$#@$#!@!~#%#$|+_+_) |+_)+|(#(&)*(&
*&^&%$#$%@#@##%#$ ~@!$#*(&(*&%$^%$%$#$@#@#@!%#$#!@%% &^%&^)()_
(*)(*&^%#@~|+_)+_)+_)_)))))+++==-=- (*&)(*^*&*&*_(^$%##@#@()&(**^$ (#*^%
(*&(*% *&^&^%#%$#$^*&_(*&*&^ *%^&^~!$#@$#!@!~#%#$|+_+_) |+_)+|(#(&)*(&
*&^&%$#$%@#@##%#$ ~@!$#*(&(*&%$^%$%$#$@#@#@!%#$#!@%% &^%&^)()_
(*)(*&^%#@~|+_)+_)+_)_)))))+++==-=- (*&)(*^*&*&*_(^$%##@#@()&(**^$ (#*^%
(*&(*% *&^&^%#%$#$^*&_(*&*&^ *%^&^~!$#@$#!@!~#%#$|+_+_) |+_)+|(#(&)*(&
*&^&%$#$%@#@##%#$ ~@!$#*(&(*&%$^%$%$#$@#@#@!%#$#!@%% &^%&^)()_
(*)(*&^%#@~|+_)+_)+_)_)))))+++==-=-

The only solace is that Fluffy has lead a healthy & happy life, she's
used up several of her her 'cat' lives through the kindness and
generosity of this group, and she's well past the 'normal' age for a dog
of her size & breeds. I don't know how long she'll be OK with the lump
there - it doesn't bother her at the moment and may not bother her for
quite some time. Rationally, I know she has to go because of
'something', the timing royally sucks though (but then again, would it
be any easier at any other time - probably not).

I hate looking into her trusting and loving doggy eyes - it feels like
I'm betraying her.

Yowie

Yowie wrote:
snip
The only solace is that Fluffy has lead a healthy & happy life, she's
used up several of her her 'cat' lives through the kindness and
generosity of this group, and she's well past the 'normal' age for a dog
of her size & breeds. I don't know how long she'll be OK with the lump
there - it doesn't bother her at the moment and may not bother her for
quite some time. Rationally, I know she has to go because of
'something', the timing royally sucks though (but then again, would it
be any easier at any other time - probably not).

I hate looking into her trusting and loving doggy eyes - it feels like
I'm betraying her.

Yowie

{{{{{{{{{{{{ Vicky }}}}}}}}}}}}
--
Adrian (Owned by Bagheera & Shadow)
Cats leave pawprints on your heart
http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk

"Yowie" wrote

But having to make Buckley's choice between electricity, which is going to
*have* to go on the credit card, and the lumpectomy, now, thats when I'm
gonna whinge. Either way (and its gonna have to be the electricity) the
tax cheque will now go solely on keeping the credit card wolves at bay and
we will just have to 'get by' on what we still have.

Oh Yowie, so sorry to hear that. Much as we all hate to admit it, we
understand that sometimes we just can't *afford* pet's medical bills.

Sometimes here, the local no-kill places will take them and fix them up then
pass them to new owners who can maintain the ongoing medical bills. Thats a
really hard choice to make but it's how a neighbor of mine got his pooch.

"Yowie" wrote in message
...
On 5/06/2010 11:07 AM, Yowie wrote:
Just got back from TED

Not good news.

I don't know if this is any consolation at all, but remember all you
can do is the best you can do. You've done that. Your situation
might be the same as ours with our poodles or it might not. Once they
got older (over fifteen) all four of them developed lumps one place or
another. In each case, the vet said yes they were tumors, but that
removing them would not is his opinion be the right thing to do for
the dog. (Money wasn't a consideration) He said they were unlikely
to be cancer, but even if they were removing the tumor was unlikely to
make much difference as long as the dog was doing OK and not in pain.
They each lived several more years and died of unrelated old age
causes.

Sometimes we can get fixated on something we'd like to do but can't,
in this case get a definitive diagnosis, and decide we have to find a
way. That isn't always a good choice or necessary.

Jo

On Jun 6, 5:51*am, Yowie wrote:
On 5/06/2010 11:07 AM, Yowie wrote:





Just got back from TED

Not good news.

Its a hard mass, this suggests a tumour.

Her back lymph nodes are also 'up' which may either be from 'fighting'
the tumour or because it has already mestatisised and its in them -
there's little point finding out which. Still, the mass is entirely
contained in the breast tissue, and that she's in otherwise good health
for a dog her age. She hasn't lost any weight since last year (in fact
she's put half a kilo on) and is just as goofy as she's always been. He
major form of suffering would be from the lack of socks to eat and sheep
to herd than anything medical.

Unless the pathology is cheap (which I doubt) I won't bother to find out
what sort of tumour it is, because it doesn't really matter. She won't
be put through chemo or radiotherapy even if it was an agressive variety
- she's an old dog and at this point its more quality of her remaining
life than curing everything that ails her.

Anyway it turns out, the current treatment is a lumpectomy. Its is
simple, quick, surgery, with minimum risk. I can't afford to give it to
her, but she's having one anyway - I'm hoping the tax check we will get
later in the year will keep the credit card company from coming to eat us.

The logical part of me knows she'll have to go 'sometime', and that
'sometime' keeps getting closer each day that passes. The emotional part
wants to hang on to her as long as I can - for as long as she's happy
being the Fluffster and being a really clumsy, graceless cat in a giant
dog suit.

Yowie :-(

Joel very gently pointed out the disturbingly large numbers on the
electricity bill and the credit card statement today.

I didn't complain when the dishwasher blew up at the beginning of last
month, and nor was I silly and didn't immediatley go out and buy another
on credit. I just started doing the dishes by hand hoping we'd have
enough to get a new one in the tax cheque. I didn't whinge when the
microwave stopped working a week later, again, I didnt use the credit
card to replace it, I am just not using microwave cooking/defrosting and
figured the tax cheque would cover that too. When the printer died a
fortnight ago I rationalised - there's *a printer at work if I truly
needed to print anything, and that could certianly wait till the tax
cheque - I would have put it on the credit card years ago, but I'm more
sensible now. And when the couch collapsed under us a week ago, we
patched up the lounge with bricks and cardboard and duct tape, so it
would give another 6 months ago and hoped we'd get a really good tax
cheque so we could replace that as well rather than getting ourselves
into further debt, knowing for sure now that the usual 'treat' we gave
ourselves with the annual tax cheque was now out of the question. I
didn't whinge about any of this, I thought we were being *sensible*.

But having to make Buckley's choice between electricity, which is going
to *have* to go on the credit card, and the lumpectomy, now, thats when
I'm gonna whinge. Either way (and its gonna have to be the electricity)
the tax cheque will now go solely on keeping the credit card wolves at
bay and we will just have to 'get by' on what we still have.

Life just isn't fair.

(*&)(*^*&*&*_(^$%##@#@()&(**^$ (#*^% (*&(*% *&^&^%#%$#$^*&_(*&*&^
*%^&^~!$#@$#!@!~#%#$|+_+_) |+_)+|(#(&)*(& *&^&%$#$%@#@##%#$
~@!$#*(&(*&%$^%$%$#$@#@#@!%#$#!@%% &^%&^)()_
(*)(*&^%#@~|+_)+_)+_)_)))))+++==-=- (*&)(*^*&*&*_(^$%##@#@()&(**^$ (#*^%
(*&(*% *&^&^%#%$#$^*&_(*&*&^ *%^&^~!$#@$#!@!~#%#$|+_+_) |+_)+|(#(&)*(&
*&^&%$#$%@#@##%#$ ~@!$#*(&(*&%$^%$%$#$@#@#@!%#$#!@%% &^%&^)()_
(*)(*&^%#@~|+_)+_)+_)_)))))+++==-=- (*&)(*^*&*&*_(^$%##@#@()&(**^$ (#*^%
(*&(*% *&^&^%#%$#$^*&_(*&*&^ *%^&^~!$#@$#!@!~#%#$|+_+_) |+_)+|(#(&)*(&
*&^&%$#$%@#@##%#$ ~@!$#*(&(*&%$^%$%$#$@#@#@!%#$#!@%% &^%&^)()_
(*)(*&^%#@~|+_)+_)+_)_)))))+++==-=- (*&)(*^*&*&*_(^$%##@#@()&(**^$ (#*^%
(*&(*% *&^&^%#%$#$^*&_(*&*&^ *%^&^~!$#@$#!@!~#%#$|+_+_) |+_)+|(#(&)*(&
*&^&%$#$%@#@##%#$ ~@!$#*(&(*&%$^%$%$#$@#@#@!%#$#!@%% &^%&^)()_
(*)(*&^%#@~|+_)+_)+_)_)))))+++==-=- (*&)(*^*&*&*_(^$%##@#@()&(**^$ (#*^%
(*&(*% *&^&^%#%$#$^*&_(*&*&^ *%^&^~!$#@$#!@!~#%#$|+_+_) |+_)+|(#(&)*(&
*&^&%$#$%@#@##%#$ ~@!$#*(&(*&%$^%$%$#$@#@#@!%#$#!@%% &^%&^)()_
(*)(*&^%#@~|+_)+_)+_)_)))))+++==-=- (*&)(*^*&*&*_(^$%##@#@()&(**^$ (#*^%
(*&(*% *&^&^%#%$#$^*&_(*&*&^ *%^&^~!$#@$#!@!~#%#$|+_+_) |+_)+|(#(&)*(&
*&^&%$#$%@#@##%#$ ~@!$#*(&(*&%$^%$%$#$@#@#@!%#$#!@%% &^%&^)()_
(*)(*&^%#@~|+_)+_)+_)_)))))+++==-=-

The only solace is that Fluffy has lead a healthy & happy life, she's
used up several of her her 'cat' lives through the kindness and
generosity of this group, and she's well past the 'normal' age for a dog
of her size & breeds. I don't know how long she'll be OK with the lump
there - it doesn't bother her at the moment and may not bother her for
quite some time. Rationally, I know she has to go because of
'something', the timing royally sucks though (but then again, would it
be any easier at any other time - probably not).

I hate looking into her trusting and loving doggy eyes - it feels like
I'm betraying her.

Yowie- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I'm really sorry, Yowie. It is indeed a confluence of unhappy
circumstances. Vet bills and all other bills can really clobber us,
sometimes. There's no good time to say farewell to beloved animals.
It maybe that you'll spare Fluffy some real suffering and pain going
this way. But reality sucks. Your family has to survive these hard
times.

Melissa

Purrs and hugs for all of you. You're right; life isn't fair.

--
Joy

Quit worrying about your health. It'll go away.

"Yowie" wrote in message
...
On 5/06/2010 11:07 AM, Yowie wrote:
Just got back from TED

Not good news.

Its a hard mass, this suggests a tumour.

Her back lymph nodes are also 'up' which may either be from 'fighting'
the tumour or because it has already mestatisised and its in them -
there's little point finding out which. Still, the mass is entirely
contained in the breast tissue, and that she's in otherwise good health
for a dog her age. She hasn't lost any weight since last year (in fact
she's put half a kilo on) and is just as goofy as she's always been. He
major form of suffering would be from the lack of socks to eat and sheep
to herd than anything medical.

Unless the pathology is cheap (which I doubt) I won't bother to find out
what sort of tumour it is, because it doesn't really matter. She won't
be put through chemo or radiotherapy even if it was an agressive variety
- she's an old dog and at this point its more quality of her remaining
life than curing everything that ails her.

Anyway it turns out, the current treatment is a lumpectomy. Its is
simple, quick, surgery, with minimum risk. I can't afford to give it to
her, but she's having one anyway - I'm hoping the tax check we will get
later in the year will keep the credit card company from coming to eat
us.

The logical part of me knows she'll have to go 'sometime', and that
'sometime' keeps getting closer each day that passes. The emotional part
wants to hang on to her as long as I can - for as long as she's happy
being the Fluffster and being a really clumsy, graceless cat in a giant
dog suit.

Yowie :-(

Joel very gently pointed out the disturbingly large numbers on the
electricity bill and the credit card statement today.

I didn't complain when the dishwasher blew up at the beginning of last
month, and nor was I silly and didn't immediatley go out and buy another
on credit. I just started doing the dishes by hand hoping we'd have enough
to get a new one in the tax cheque. I didn't whinge when the microwave
stopped working a week later, again, I didnt use the credit card to
replace it, I am just not using microwave cooking/defrosting and figured
the tax cheque would cover that too. When the printer died a fortnight ago
I rationalised - there's a printer at work if I truly needed to print
anything, and that could certianly wait till the tax cheque - I would have
put it on the credit card years ago, but I'm more sensible now. And when
the couch collapsed under us a week ago, we patched up the lounge with
bricks and cardboard and duct tape, so it would give another 6 months ago
and hoped we'd get a really good tax cheque so we could replace that as
well rather than getting ourselves into further debt, knowing for sure now
that the usual 'treat' we gave ourselves with the annual tax cheque was
now out of the question. I didn't whinge about any of this, I thought we
were being *sensible*.

But having to make Buckley's choice between electricity, which is going to
*have* to go on the credit card, and the lumpectomy, now, thats when I'm
gonna whinge. Either way (and its gonna have to be the electricity) the
tax cheque will now go solely on keeping the credit card wolves at bay and
we will just have to 'get by' on what we still have.

Life just isn't fair.

(*&)(*^*&*&*_(^$%##@#@()&(**^$ (#*^% (*&(*% *&^&^%#%$#$^*&_(*&*&^
*%^&^~!$#@$#!@!~#%#$|+_+_) |+_)+|(#(&)*(& *&^&%$#$%@#@##%#$
~@!$#*(&(*&%$^%$%$#$@#@#@!%#$#!@%% &^%&^)()_
(*)(*&^%#@~|+_)+_)+_)_)))))+++==-=- (*&)(*^*&*&*_(^$%##@#@()&(**^$ (#*^%
(*&(*% *&^&^%#%$#$^*&_(*&*&^ *%^&^~!$#@$#!@!~#%#$|+_+_) |+_)+|(#(&)*(&
*&^&%$#$%@#@##%#$ ~@!$#*(&(*&%$^%$%$#$@#@#@!%#$#!@%% &^%&^)()_
(*)(*&^%#@~|+_)+_)+_)_)))))+++==-=- (*&)(*^*&*&*_(^$%##@#@()&(**^$ (#*^%
(*&(*% *&^&^%#%$#$^*&_(*&*&^ *%^&^~!$#@$#!@!~#%#$|+_+_) |+_)+|(#(&)*(&
*&^&%$#$%@#@##%#$ ~@!$#*(&(*&%$^%$%$#$@#@#@!%#$#!@%% &^%&^)()_
(*)(*&^%#@~|+_)+_)+_)_)))))+++==-=- (*&)(*^*&*&*_(^$%##@#@()&(**^$ (#*^%
(*&(*% *&^&^%#%$#$^*&_(*&*&^ *%^&^~!$#@$#!@!~#%#$|+_+_) |+_)+|(#(&)*(&
*&^&%$#$%@#@##%#$ ~@!$#*(&(*&%$^%$%$#$@#@#@!%#$#!@%% &^%&^)()_
(*)(*&^%#@~|+_)+_)+_)_)))))+++==-=- (*&)(*^*&*&*_(^$%##@#@()&(**^$ (#*^%
(*&(*% *&^&^%#%$#$^*&_(*&*&^ *%^&^~!$#@$#!@!~#%#$|+_+_) |+_)+|(#(&)*(&
*&^&%$#$%@#@##%#$ ~@!$#*(&(*&%$^%$%$#$@#@#@!%#$#!@%% &^%&^)()_
(*)(*&^%#@~|+_)+_)+_)_)))))+++==-=- (*&)(*^*&*&*_(^$%##@#@()&(**^$ (#*^%
(*&(*% *&^&^%#%$#$^*&_(*&*&^ *%^&^~!$#@$#!@!~#%#$|+_+_) |+_)+|(#(&)*(&
*&^&%$#$%@#@##%#$ ~@!$#*(&(*&%$^%$%$#$@#@#@!%#$#!@%% &^%&^)()_
(*)(*&^%#@~|+_)+_)+_)_)))))+++==-=-

The only solace is that Fluffy has lead a healthy & happy life, she's used
up several of her her 'cat' lives through the kindness and generosity of
this group, and she's well past the 'normal' age for a dog of her size &
breeds. I don't know how long she'll be OK with the lump there - it
doesn't bother her at the moment and may not bother her for quite some
time. Rationally, I know she has to go because of 'something', the timing
royally sucks though (but then again, would it be any easier at any other
time - probably not).

I hate looking into her trusting and loving doggy eyes - it feels like I'm
betraying her.

Yowie

On Jun 4, 9:07*pm, Yowie wrote:
Just got back from TED

Not good news.

Its a hard mass, this suggests a tumour.

Her back lymph nodes are also 'up' which may either be from 'fighting'
the tumour or because it has already mestatisised and its in them -
there's little point finding out which. Still, the mass is entirely
contained in the breast tissue, and that she's in otherwise good health
for a dog her age. She hasn't lost any weight since last year (in fact
she's put half a kilo on) and is just as goofy as she's always been. He
major form of suffering would be from the lack of socks to eat and sheep
to herd than anything medical.

Unless the pathology is cheap (which I doubt) I won't bother to find out
what sort of tumour it is, because it doesn't really matter. She won't
be put through chemo or radiotherapy even if it was an agressive variety
- she's an old dog and at this point its more quality of her remaining
life than curing everything that ails her.

Anyway it turns out, the current treatment is a lumpectomy. Its is
simple, quick, surgery, with minimum risk. I can't afford to give it to
her, but she's having one anyway - I'm hoping the tax check we will get
later in the year will keep the credit card company from coming to eat us..

The logical part of me knows she'll have to go 'sometime', and that
'sometime' keeps getting closer each day that passes. The emotional part
wants to hang on to her as long as I can - for as long as she's happy
being the Fluffster and being a really clumsy, graceless cat in a giant
dog suit.

Yowie :-(

Thoughts and prayers for the lumpectomy to turn out well, both
medically and financially, and for that to completely resolve any
issues.

Donna, Captain, Stanley, and Mini

my heart goes out to you, Yowie. Hugs and purrs for you and for Fluffy.
Christine
"Yowie" wrote in message
...
On 5/06/2010 11:07 AM, Yowie wrote:
Just got back from TED

Not good news.

Its a hard mass, this suggests a tumour.

Her back lymph nodes are also 'up' which may either be from 'fighting'
the tumour or because it has already mestatisised and its in them -
there's little point finding out which. Still, the mass is entirely
contained in the breast tissue, and that she's in otherwise good health
for a dog her age. She hasn't lost any weight since last year (in fact
she's put half a kilo on) and is just as goofy as she's always been. He
major form of suffering would be from the lack of socks to eat and sheep
to herd than anything medical.

Unless the pathology is cheap (which I doubt) I won't bother to find out
what sort of tumour it is, because it doesn't really matter. She won't
be put through chemo or radiotherapy even if it was an agressive variety
- she's an old dog and at this point its more quality of her remaining
life than curing everything that ails her.

Anyway it turns out, the current treatment is a lumpectomy. Its is
simple, quick, surgery, with minimum risk. I can't afford to give it to
her, but she's having one anyway - I'm hoping the tax check we will get
later in the year will keep the credit card company from coming to eat
us.

The logical part of me knows she'll have to go 'sometime', and that
'sometime' keeps getting closer each day that passes. The emotional part
wants to hang on to her as long as I can - for as long as she's happy
being the Fluffster and being a really clumsy, graceless cat in a giant
dog suit.

Yowie :-(

Joel very gently pointed out the disturbingly large numbers on the
electricity bill and the credit card statement today.

I didn't complain when the dishwasher blew up at the beginning of last
month, and nor was I silly and didn't immediatley go out and buy another
on credit. I just started doing the dishes by hand hoping we'd have enough
to get a new one in the tax cheque. I didn't whinge when the microwave
stopped working a week later, again, I didnt use the credit card to
replace it, I am just not using microwave cooking/defrosting and figured
the tax cheque would cover that too. When the printer died a fortnight ago
I rationalised - there's a printer at work if I truly needed to print
anything, and that could certianly wait till the tax cheque - I would have
put it on the credit card years ago, but I'm more sensible now. And when
the couch collapsed under us a week ago, we patched up the lounge with
bricks and cardboard and duct tape, so it would give another 6 months ago
and hoped we'd get a really good tax cheque so we could replace that as
well rather than getting ourselves into further debt, knowing for sure now
that the usual 'treat' we gave ourselves with the annual tax cheque was
now out of the question. I didn't whinge about any of this, I thought we
were being *sensible*.

But having to make Buckley's choice between electricity, which is going to
*have* to go on the credit card, and the lumpectomy, now, thats when I'm
gonna whinge. Either way (and its gonna have to be the electricity) the
tax cheque will now go solely on keeping the credit card wolves at bay and
we will just have to 'get by' on what we still have.

Life just isn't fair.

(*&)(*^*&*&*_(^$%##@#@()&(**^$ (#*^% (*&(*% *&^&^%#%$#$^*&_(*&*&^
*%^&^~!$#@$#!@!~#%#$|+_+_) |+_)+|(#(&)*(& *&^&%$#$%@#@##%#$
~@!$#*(&(*&%$^%$%$#$@#@#@!%#$#!@%% &^%&^)()_
(*)(*&^%#@~|+_)+_)+_)_)))))+++==-=- (*&)(*^*&*&*_(^$%##@#@()&(**^$ (#*^%
(*&(*% *&^&^%#%$#$^*&_(*&*&^ *%^&^~!$#@$#!@!~#%#$|+_+_) |+_)+|(#(&)*(&
*&^&%$#$%@#@##%#$ ~@!$#*(&(*&%$^%$%$#$@#@#@!%#$#!@%% &^%&^)()_
(*)(*&^%#@~|+_)+_)+_)_)))))+++==-=- (*&)(*^*&*&*_(^$%##@#@()&(**^$ (#*^%
(*&(*% *&^&^%#%$#$^*&_(*&*&^ *%^&^~!$#@$#!@!~#%#$|+_+_) |+_)+|(#(&)*(&
*&^&%$#$%@#@##%#$ ~@!$#*(&(*&%$^%$%$#$@#@#@!%#$#!@%% &^%&^)()_
(*)(*&^%#@~|+_)+_)+_)_)))))+++==-=- (*&)(*^*&*&*_(^$%##@#@()&(**^$ (#*^%
(*&(*% *&^&^%#%$#$^*&_(*&*&^ *%^&^~!$#@$#!@!~#%#$|+_+_) |+_)+|(#(&)*(&
*&^&%$#$%@#@##%#$ ~@!$#*(&(*&%$^%$%$#$@#@#@!%#$#!@%% &^%&^)()_
(*)(*&^%#@~|+_)+_)+_)_)))))+++==-=- (*&)(*^*&*&*_(^$%##@#@()&(**^$ (#*^%
(*&(*% *&^&^%#%$#$^*&_(*&*&^ *%^&^~!$#@$#!@!~#%#$|+_+_) |+_)+|(#(&)*(&
*&^&%$#$%@#@##%#$ ~@!$#*(&(*&%$^%$%$#$@#@#@!%#$#!@%% &^%&^)()_
(*)(*&^%#@~|+_)+_)+_)_)))))+++==-=- (*&)(*^*&*&*_(^$%##@#@()&(**^$ (#*^%
(*&(*% *&^&^%#%$#$^*&_(*&*&^ *%^&^~!$#@$#!@!~#%#$|+_+_) |+_)+|(#(&)*(&
*&^&%$#$%@#@##%#$ ~@!$#*(&(*&%$^%$%$#$@#@#@!%#$#!@%% &^%&^)()_
(*)(*&^%#@~|+_)+_)+_)_)))))+++==-=-

The only solace is that Fluffy has lead a healthy & happy life, she's used
up several of her her 'cat' lives through the kindness and generosity of
this group, and she's well past the 'normal' age for a dog of her size &
breeds. I don't know how long she'll be OK with the lump there - it
doesn't bother her at the moment and may not bother her for quite some
time. Rationally, I know she has to go because of 'something', the timing
royally sucks though (but then again, would it be any easier at any other
time - probably not).

I hate looking into her trusting and loving doggy eyes - it feels like I'm
betraying her.

Yowie