On November 29th, my little athlete, Henry, went to the vet for a post-dental check-up. I had no concerns and it was supposed to be a good visit, and unfortunately, a firm lump was discovered on his upper leg.

We did x-rays that day as well as a fine needle aspirate to try and determine what was going on. The x-rays came back excellent with no apparent bone involvement which was our first checkbox of good news. The cytology of the aspirates came back inconclusive, and while that is frustrating to not have a diagnosis, anytime we can avoid a blatantly bad diagnosis is a bit of a win too. With this news, we scheduled a tissue biopsy to get a better sample for diagnosis.

That took place this past Monday, December 16th. I paid extra for stat results and two days later, we got the terrible news that Henry's lump was a Grade 1 Soft Tissue Sarcoma.

I brought him to see a surgeon today to discuss options and we discussed the following:

1. Mass Removal: requires an ultrasound to understand if this is going to be a good option for Henry. Could result in less clean margins, but not necessarily, and could save his limb.

2. Limb Amputation: no ultrasound required, best chance for clean margins, Henry loses his front right leg

I miraculously got an ultrasound scheduled for Friday, December 20th and I hope from there, we will have good information to make a plan and get it scheduled.

I want to make the best decision for Henry that will result in him having the best chance at a long life, with low chance of recurrence, fewer procedures overall, and without doing him a disservice either way.

As everything has gone on with Henry, I've also had an extremely challenging time with Harry losing his eye and subsequent cryptococcus infection. I have been trying so hard to stay above water, take care of my babies, and get us through to the other side, all while carrying this immense grief of approaching the one year anniversary of losing my Baby Doug.

My vet bills have been high for months with Harry's worsening eye troubles, but the last 30 days in particular have been very high and I'm several thousand in. As hard as it is to post this, I've been asked how people can help, and this is absolutely the best way to help. I won't have a true estimate until we see the ultrasound report and determine next steps, but our ballpark rough estimate is looking to be in the $4500+ range.

Getting my boys the care they need to thrive is non-negotiable to me. If they can come out the other side with great quality of life to come, I want to pursue that for them. I also need to know what we're working with to be able to make these decisions, and having two cats with big problems at once, has been heartbreaking and stressful. Chasing after the absolute best care and best outcomes at the fastest pace we can for my babies is my highest priority, and this past month has resulted in many overwhelmed tears wondering how I'm going to pull this off.

I need my babies, and I need to pull this off.

I appreciate all of the love, prayers, messages, hugs, and so much support we have received. Those alone have REALLY helped give me boosts when I was/am at my lowest. I read and reread so many of your words of encouragement. If you feel so inclined to do more, please know you'll have my deepest gratitude. ❤️

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.