So as many of you know, Celeste, my beloved dog, has been a part of my life for over 10 years now. My sister and I adopted her on a whim in January of 2011 from North Shore Animal League when she was only 9 weeks old. She has been one of the few constants in my life. Has been there with me for all of the major milestones in my life and continues to be integral and important part of my family.
She is 10.5 years old now and was in perfect health. What a lot of people don't know is that she has not been doing well for about 6 weeks now. On the weekend of March 27-28 she was not really acting herself. Was going outside a lot, whining, pacing, looked anxious and uncomfortable and she wasn't eating much but drinking water. On Sunday night 3/28 she was crying and wanted to go outside around midnight-1. This was VERY unusual for her and she never wants to go out that late to use the bathroom. I let her out and she came inside but didn't want to go back upstairs into our bedroom and I left her in the living room thinking that was very strange. The morning of 3/29 Katie and I work to diarrhea all over our house. Celeste looked more comfortable, was whining less, and wasn't going outside as frequently. Still didn't have an appetite but was drinking plenty of water. Before I left for work that night she seemed to want to finally have an appetite so I cooked some bland chicken for and she gobbled it right up and I left for work happy thinking she was doing better.
That night while at work, Katie called me telling me that she threw up all of the food that she ate and was acting strange again wanting to constantly go outside. She called again even later in the night saying that she was having more frequent diarrhea and that it now had blood in it. Celeste didn't want to come inside the house. I left work in the middle of the night to come home and had to gently bring her inside the house and Katie slept on the couch with her to keep an eye on her.
On 3/31 I brought her to vet because she looked very uncomfortable. I have been going to Dr. Wexler since I adopted Celeste and trust her with my heart and soul for Celeste's care. She immediately took a look at her and didn't like what she saw. Celeste had a fever and needed to stay overnight to receiving antibiotics, bloodwork, IV hydration, and medications for nausea and diarrhea. Celeste has never required hospitalization so this broke my heart. The following day Dr. Wexler informed me that she was doing well and I was able to pick her up and had to giver her some medications for a couple of days. Over the next couple of days Celeste improved, started eating well again and her diarrhea seemed to subside.
Shortly afterwards Dr. Wexler called me that she was worried about Celeste's blood work. It showed that her liver enzymes came back extremely elevated. She asked how Celeste was doing and I let her know that she was improving. She recommended that I come back in 1-2 weeks to repeat her bloodwork to see if her levels improve. We made an appointment and told me to come earlier should something happen to Celeste. Over the next week or so Celeste was kind of up and down. More tired and lethargic than usual. Not really herself. She wasn't even enjoying her walks and that made me really concerned.
On 4/19 Celeste went back to Dr. Wexler's office to have some bloodwork repeated and they told me that the result would be back in a day or so. I received a call on 4/21 that her bloodwork came back and her liver enzymes were still extremely elevated. They told me that I would have to bring her back and drop her off for additional blood testing. I dropped Celeste off on 4/23 to have a steroid stress test to see if something was wrong with her adrenal glands that would be contributing to liver issues. I picked her up later that night and she seemed to be okay.
The following week Celeste was doing okay and I anxiously waited for her results. On 4/28, of course when I was out of the state in Florida, I was informed that her tests from the week before came back unequivocal and that she would now need imaging at a specialized center. They made a recommendation to a facility to use. I immediately coordinated this from Florida and was able to schedule her an appointment for an ultrasound the following day at Bluepearl Pet Hospital in Queens. On 4/29 Katie took off from work and took her to the facility first thing in the morning so they can do an ultrasound of her abdomen so they can see what's going on. Katie called me about 1-2 hours later and the news destroyed my heart.
Celeste was found to have a large left sided liver tumor r/o hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). I felt an immediate crushing pain that went through my very soul. Working in the medical field you sometimes can't help but think about worse case scenarios and this was the worse case scenario. These results were immediately relayed to Celeste's primary team. After a long discussion with her team we agreed that Celeste needed further imaging and that she would need it quickly. I was told that the cat scan is going to lead me in the decision on how aggressively they want to treat Celeste. If there were signs that this tumor was localized we would do one approach and act aggressively. If it looks like the tumor was inoperable or there were signs of metastasis or spreading then we may have to go towards a palliative/comfort approach. Hearing this very frank discussion is what every pet owner doesn't want to hear. The thought of losing my pup, my best friend destroyed me and I couldn't help but cry. They again recommended several facilities they use for what would now be a cat scan of her abdomen. After what felt like a million phone calls, I was able to coordinate an appointment that same very day in the afternoon for Celeste to get her imaging. Katie was able to take her right away, this time to Atlantic Coast NY Veterinary Specialist. Katie told me that they would have to sedate her and that they would inject a dye to highlight the vessels and organs in her belly. Celeste tolerated the procedure well and after she recovered from anesthesia, Katie was able to pick her up and take her home.
The following day I was scared and anxious more than ever. I waited and waited for the results and I was finally informed that the results were sent over to Celeste's primary team. The cat scan confirmed what we already knew. Celeste has a large slightly heterogenous contrast enhancing mass that deforms the liver margins and measures just over 10 cm on the medial margin of the left lateral liver lobe. Immediately called Celeste's primary team and had a long discussion about the results and what the plan was next. There is no way to completely say it is HCC. Celeste's team said that they would do a needle biopsy to figure out what kind of tumor/cancer it is just to get more information. The other option was that the tumor looks like its very localized to a specific part of her liver and there aren't any signs of spread throughout her body. They recommended an aggressive approach to Celeste's care and recommended emergency tumor resection surgery. They believe that should it be HCC that should act quickly and assume it is and take the tumor out and while they are in the operating room performing surgery to take sample and send it out to categorize and grade the tumor to see how aggressive this cancer may be.
They immediately spoke with an advanced surgical/oncology team for direction.
After all of this I am sad, but hopeful, in saying that Celeste will be having emergency surgery on Thursday May 6 with Dr. Lombardi and Dr. Infernuso and their team at the Animal Surgical Center. They are going to remove a large portion of her liver and resect as much of the tumor as they possibly can. They are also going to be doing a biopsy intra-op and sending it specimens out to specialized labs to get an official cancer diagnosis. Based on those results, Celeste will probably have to see an oncologist and start chemo/radiation based on the type of cancer she has. Celeste will be staying in the ICU the same night and will require 2-3 night stay in the hospital to make sure she is okay, barring any complications.
To say that I have been stressed over the past several weeks, especially over the past week, is a gross understatement. I felt like my world was crashing down when I was first told of her tumor. This is something that I would never want for any doggo-parent. For any of you who have had the pleasure of meeting Celeste, you know how much she means to me. You know how much she means to Katie. Celeste is my world. My first rock. My first love. All she wants is belly rubs and treats. She's the sweetest girl and has been there every step of the way in my life, in Katie's, and now in my daughter's Ellie. She is an integral part of my family and I can't imagine my life without her.
Over the past couple of weeks I have been fronting all of the costs required for Celeste to get the best care possible. Luckily for us, Celeste has doggy insurance that covers a portion of her bills but not all of it. Celeste's surgery is expected to cost several thousand dollars and that is if everything goes okay. I do not know what oncology services cost as we have not reached that point yet but will know after her surgery is complete.
All of the money raised through this will go directly to her care related to her new diagnosis. I will be speaking with the surgery team before her surgery to talk about post-operative care and to see if she needs anything special. No amount is too small or too large. Celeste is not a pet. She is family to me. She means the world to me and I'll do everything that I possibly can to save her life.
I love you guys all so much for just taking the time to read this. I can't thank you guys enough in helping me in this endeavor and I know Celeste appreciates it tons. Let's all come together to help Celeste get better. She's a puppy at heart and has a lot of life to live. I want her to continue to grow old and continue forming a bond and relationship with Ellie. I don't know what I would do if I lost my beloved Celeste.
Thank you in advance. I will be updating this as much as I possibly can. Wish her luck in this challenging period in her life!
She is 10.5 years old now and was in perfect health. What a lot of people don't know is that she has not been doing well for about 6 weeks now. On the weekend of March 27-28 she was not really acting herself. Was going outside a lot, whining, pacing, looked anxious and uncomfortable and she wasn't eating much but drinking water. On Sunday night 3/28 she was crying and wanted to go outside around midnight-1. This was VERY unusual for her and she never wants to go out that late to use the bathroom. I let her out and she came inside but didn't want to go back upstairs into our bedroom and I left her in the living room thinking that was very strange. The morning of 3/29 Katie and I work to diarrhea all over our house. Celeste looked more comfortable, was whining less, and wasn't going outside as frequently. Still didn't have an appetite but was drinking plenty of water. Before I left for work that night she seemed to want to finally have an appetite so I cooked some bland chicken for and she gobbled it right up and I left for work happy thinking she was doing better.
That night while at work, Katie called me telling me that she threw up all of the food that she ate and was acting strange again wanting to constantly go outside. She called again even later in the night saying that she was having more frequent diarrhea and that it now had blood in it. Celeste didn't want to come inside the house. I left work in the middle of the night to come home and had to gently bring her inside the house and Katie slept on the couch with her to keep an eye on her.
On 3/31 I brought her to vet because she looked very uncomfortable. I have been going to Dr. Wexler since I adopted Celeste and trust her with my heart and soul for Celeste's care. She immediately took a look at her and didn't like what she saw. Celeste had a fever and needed to stay overnight to receiving antibiotics, bloodwork, IV hydration, and medications for nausea and diarrhea. Celeste has never required hospitalization so this broke my heart. The following day Dr. Wexler informed me that she was doing well and I was able to pick her up and had to giver her some medications for a couple of days. Over the next couple of days Celeste improved, started eating well again and her diarrhea seemed to subside.
Shortly afterwards Dr. Wexler called me that she was worried about Celeste's blood work. It showed that her liver enzymes came back extremely elevated. She asked how Celeste was doing and I let her know that she was improving. She recommended that I come back in 1-2 weeks to repeat her bloodwork to see if her levels improve. We made an appointment and told me to come earlier should something happen to Celeste. Over the next week or so Celeste was kind of up and down. More tired and lethargic than usual. Not really herself. She wasn't even enjoying her walks and that made me really concerned.
On 4/19 Celeste went back to Dr. Wexler's office to have some bloodwork repeated and they told me that the result would be back in a day or so. I received a call on 4/21 that her bloodwork came back and her liver enzymes were still extremely elevated. They told me that I would have to bring her back and drop her off for additional blood testing. I dropped Celeste off on 4/23 to have a steroid stress test to see if something was wrong with her adrenal glands that would be contributing to liver issues. I picked her up later that night and she seemed to be okay.
The following week Celeste was doing okay and I anxiously waited for her results. On 4/28, of course when I was out of the state in Florida, I was informed that her tests from the week before came back unequivocal and that she would now need imaging at a specialized center. They made a recommendation to a facility to use. I immediately coordinated this from Florida and was able to schedule her an appointment for an ultrasound the following day at Bluepearl Pet Hospital in Queens. On 4/29 Katie took off from work and took her to the facility first thing in the morning so they can do an ultrasound of her abdomen so they can see what's going on. Katie called me about 1-2 hours later and the news destroyed my heart.
Celeste was found to have a large left sided liver tumor r/o hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). I felt an immediate crushing pain that went through my very soul. Working in the medical field you sometimes can't help but think about worse case scenarios and this was the worse case scenario. These results were immediately relayed to Celeste's primary team. After a long discussion with her team we agreed that Celeste needed further imaging and that she would need it quickly. I was told that the cat scan is going to lead me in the decision on how aggressively they want to treat Celeste. If there were signs that this tumor was localized we would do one approach and act aggressively. If it looks like the tumor was inoperable or there were signs of metastasis or spreading then we may have to go towards a palliative/comfort approach. Hearing this very frank discussion is what every pet owner doesn't want to hear. The thought of losing my pup, my best friend destroyed me and I couldn't help but cry. They again recommended several facilities they use for what would now be a cat scan of her abdomen. After what felt like a million phone calls, I was able to coordinate an appointment that same very day in the afternoon for Celeste to get her imaging. Katie was able to take her right away, this time to Atlantic Coast NY Veterinary Specialist. Katie told me that they would have to sedate her and that they would inject a dye to highlight the vessels and organs in her belly. Celeste tolerated the procedure well and after she recovered from anesthesia, Katie was able to pick her up and take her home.
The following day I was scared and anxious more than ever. I waited and waited for the results and I was finally informed that the results were sent over to Celeste's primary team. The cat scan confirmed what we already knew. Celeste has a large slightly heterogenous contrast enhancing mass that deforms the liver margins and measures just over 10 cm on the medial margin of the left lateral liver lobe. Immediately called Celeste's primary team and had a long discussion about the results and what the plan was next. There is no way to completely say it is HCC. Celeste's team said that they would do a needle biopsy to figure out what kind of tumor/cancer it is just to get more information. The other option was that the tumor looks like its very localized to a specific part of her liver and there aren't any signs of spread throughout her body. They recommended an aggressive approach to Celeste's care and recommended emergency tumor resection surgery. They believe that should it be HCC that should act quickly and assume it is and take the tumor out and while they are in the operating room performing surgery to take sample and send it out to categorize and grade the tumor to see how aggressive this cancer may be.
They immediately spoke with an advanced surgical/oncology team for direction.
After all of this I am sad, but hopeful, in saying that Celeste will be having emergency surgery on Thursday May 6 with Dr. Lombardi and Dr. Infernuso and their team at the Animal Surgical Center. They are going to remove a large portion of her liver and resect as much of the tumor as they possibly can. They are also going to be doing a biopsy intra-op and sending it specimens out to specialized labs to get an official cancer diagnosis. Based on those results, Celeste will probably have to see an oncologist and start chemo/radiation based on the type of cancer she has. Celeste will be staying in the ICU the same night and will require 2-3 night stay in the hospital to make sure she is okay, barring any complications.
To say that I have been stressed over the past several weeks, especially over the past week, is a gross understatement. I felt like my world was crashing down when I was first told of her tumor. This is something that I would never want for any doggo-parent. For any of you who have had the pleasure of meeting Celeste, you know how much she means to me. You know how much she means to Katie. Celeste is my world. My first rock. My first love. All she wants is belly rubs and treats. She's the sweetest girl and has been there every step of the way in my life, in Katie's, and now in my daughter's Ellie. She is an integral part of my family and I can't imagine my life without her.
Over the past couple of weeks I have been fronting all of the costs required for Celeste to get the best care possible. Luckily for us, Celeste has doggy insurance that covers a portion of her bills but not all of it. Celeste's surgery is expected to cost several thousand dollars and that is if everything goes okay. I do not know what oncology services cost as we have not reached that point yet but will know after her surgery is complete.
All of the money raised through this will go directly to her care related to her new diagnosis. I will be speaking with the surgery team before her surgery to talk about post-operative care and to see if she needs anything special. No amount is too small or too large. Celeste is not a pet. She is family to me. She means the world to me and I'll do everything that I possibly can to save her life.
I love you guys all so much for just taking the time to read this. I can't thank you guys enough in helping me in this endeavor and I know Celeste appreciates it tons. Let's all come together to help Celeste get better. She's a puppy at heart and has a lot of life to live. I want her to continue to grow old and continue forming a bond and relationship with Ellie. I don't know what I would do if I lost my beloved Celeste.
Thank you in advance. I will be updating this as much as I possibly can. Wish her luck in this challenging period in her life!