Tank's Medical Care - ended 8/15

It’s been a tough 2015 in the Nelson camp. The year started off with a major eye surgery for Tank aka “Mr. Moo Moo” to successfully remove an Adenocarcinoma (cancer). It took a little over 3 months to recover but by late April life appeared to be back on track.

Then in early July, Mary felt a fist size growth at Tank’s neck. Knowing that something was terribly wrong she went straight to the vet. The growth was aspirated and x-rayed. The lab results came back inconclusive. The next step was to biopsy it. Mary went for a second opinion to the eye care specialist responsible for saving Tank’s eye. The doctor immediately got Tank in for an ultrasound and examination as a biopsy of a mass that size could be distasterous. The opinion was that Tank had a fixed thyroid carcinoma that needed to be CT scanned ASAP to determine what it was attached to.

Tank went in for the CT scan accompanied by a radiologist, oncologist and surgeon. The CT scan confirmed that the mass was a thyroid carcinoma, attached to every vital structure in his neck and also crushing his esophagus. He went straight into the operating room where a team of specialists spent 4 hours dissecting the cancerous tumor out of his neck.






Tank recovered at critical care for 2 days and then came home only to be rushed back at 3am that night because he was having severe breathing problems and spent the next week at critical care in and out of an oxygen chamber.

While in critical care, the biopsy results of the dissection came back as “incomplete”. Although the dissection was successful and immediately lifesaving, part of the thyroid carcinoma remained encapsulated within a blood vessel in his neck. The only way to get rid of the encapsulated carcinoma is through follow up radiation and chemo. The recommended radiation involves another CT scan to map out his treatment and 16 radiation treatments where he is lightly anesthetized, followed by 6 rounds of chemo.

Since all of the follow up treatment requires anesthesia, his surgeon decided to put a camera down his throat to find out what was causing his continual breathing problems. Unfortunately, the nerve controlling the air intake was paralyzed during surgery and an additional surgery is needed to open up one side of the larynx.

The cost of all required procedures after insurance adjustments is approximately $25,000.00

Anyone who knows Mary, knows that she shows up for everyone. She is always the person who helps in any way she can and most of the time that means reaching into her wallet. We all know how much she loves Tank and believe that he is totally up for all of the medical challenges that lay ahead in order to beat this. If you don't know Mary and Tank personally please know that Tank is included in everything Mary does; he goes to the office every day, runs errands, goes to breakfast, lunch and dinner and has play dates. He is not just her pet, he is her everything.





It's time for us to show up for Mary. Let's come together and help her with these medical expenses... that come from loving a creature beyond words and stopping at nothing to give him the care and life he deserves. Tank has Mary, Mary has us.