I can't remember where I've updated who... but Targ has a mass on his spleen. Could be a hematoma.. could be a tumor.
My gut is telling me to leave it alone... something is nagging at me but I'm never sure if it's just my own fear of losing him on the table or if it's actually something I need to pay attention to. Life sure was "easier" when I just let people make decisions for me.
Anywho, I have a list of questions and I'm prepared to walk out if any of the following occurs:
- I get any serious or real flack over his raw diet.
- They want me to be out of the room when they examine him. (With the exception of x-rays of course.)
- The surgeon give me attitude for my questions, which I believe are valid questions, but I know the mentality around here is just "trust the doctor". Not me.
- Prognosis with or without surgery if it's a hematoma: same for if it's a tumor (incidentally hemangiosarcomas move VERY quickly)
- Long term outcomes with or without surgery including chance of bleeding out either way
- Any special needs after surgery
- meds
- activity
- expectations
- Recovery after surgery
- Time
- needs
- Expectations
- Surgical complications because of
- Age (6 is a senior dog in bullmastiffs)
- Weight
- hypothyroidism
- If this is a hematoma, what are the chances of it healing on it's own
- And this is my last consideration because, thank the gods we have an emergency fund: Cost
Good Luck today and let me know how it goes. I think your questions and expectations are exactly the same as what mine would be.
And one more consideration I might add is – what is Targ telling you?
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Yeah, I’m to close to him to really hear what he’s telling me.. my own emotions keep getting in the way.. and he has a habit of not telling me what I don’t want to hear.
Good for you to outline your questions and expectations before the appointment. A good surgeon would welcome the questions.
I’ve been in this position and it is an agonizing one. Sure hope it all works out for Tarq.
How did you ever manage to “let people make decisions for you”? That sounds very tempting.
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Thanks Jan. I don’t think he was used to people asking questions.. several times he said “well I don’t want to guess” or “I’m not a guesser”.. or “I can’t answer that without guessing”… to which I finally looked him square in the eye and said “I’m not asking you to guess.. I’m asking that based on your knowledge and experience, if it’s this then this might happen etc so I can make an informed decision”.
Then he told me that the person who did Targ’s ultrasound didn’t know what they were doing… and we should have “his” guy do it.
Good for you for asking q’s! Mum always takes a pad of notes into any meeting with trainers, vets – but she’s obsessive like that.
Are you gonna ask about what kind of anesthesia too? There are so many different kinds now. Last time on Johann and the kitties, they used the one that’s reversible. So I stayed, and then got to be with them during recovery. Loved that, even though it’s weird to see.
We be thinking about you!!!!
Johann and Mum, Leslie