Help Orion
Donation protected
Hi anyone,
My baby is sick.
Orion is my sweet 7.5 year old Wheaten Terrier. I've had him since he was nine weeks old.
Orion has been undergoing some diagnostics for the past three months to try to figure out what is going on with him. He has had issues with throwing up and not being able to eat. Currently I have him on a decent diet, but he has lost eight pounds, going from 38 pounds in October 2017 to 30 pounds yesterday February 2018. He has had eight blood tests, an x-ray, four ultrasounds, and a minimally invasive biopsy (for which he had to be fully sedated) that came back inconclusive . He has had elevated calcium levels in his blood for these past few months which can negatively impact his kidneys, but his kidney values are fine for now. However, the elevated calcium can be because it's being released from a tumor or tumors. The past three ultrasounds have been of his neck because he has multiple masses growing there. The masses have been putting pressure on his trachea and esophagus and causing him to not be able to eat solid food and limiting his airway slightly to where he has been snoring in his sleep and coughing every day. He is taking a steroid to help reduce what inflammation can be reduced, but since the masses are growing, it is minimal.
Yesterday, I received some not so great news from the internal medicine vet I've been seeing. He had another blood test and ultrasound of his neck. The calcium is increasing and the size of the masses are increasing. It is suggested that he has some sort of cancer, but a definitive diagnosis cannot be determined without a surgical biopsy of a mass. I have been using a medical credit card to pay for his diagnostics so far that have totaled $2,450.
The vet told me I have two options right now.
1) Proceed with a surgical biopsy of a mass to see what's going on and what could be done about it, likely radiation, if anything.
2) Proceed with how we are caring for him now. Which ultimately would mean the masses keep growing to where he would have difficulty eating at all and eventually his airway would be blocked. At that point, I'd have to decide whether or not it would be worth that quality of life for him to keep him alive.
I started crying in the exam room.
The reason I am trying this is because even the possibility of figuring out what is going on with him and potentially saving his life is limited to the fact that I can't afford it.
I have enough on this medical credit card to cover the surgical biopsy ( I think) but that's it. After that I wouldn't have anything left to go towards treatment if it's available.
He still has at least half of his life to live. He is energetic and loves everyone. Even more than his will to love and be loved is my love for him. I don't want to leave his life to getting more and more sick until he has to be put down because that isn't fair to him. He is still so young and it is heartbreaking to me to think about every day. For me to think about every time he is laying on the floor just looking at me with those amber eyes of innocence that expect me to care for him. I don't expect many to help or for it to be successful or to even be able to do anything at all except for give him all of my love every day, but I have to try. This is a step in trying. I can't just let my baby go without trying.
If you are able and willing to help me by donating then I would be forever grateful and never know how to repay you. Thank you for even listening.
My baby is sick.
Orion is my sweet 7.5 year old Wheaten Terrier. I've had him since he was nine weeks old.
Orion has been undergoing some diagnostics for the past three months to try to figure out what is going on with him. He has had issues with throwing up and not being able to eat. Currently I have him on a decent diet, but he has lost eight pounds, going from 38 pounds in October 2017 to 30 pounds yesterday February 2018. He has had eight blood tests, an x-ray, four ultrasounds, and a minimally invasive biopsy (for which he had to be fully sedated) that came back inconclusive . He has had elevated calcium levels in his blood for these past few months which can negatively impact his kidneys, but his kidney values are fine for now. However, the elevated calcium can be because it's being released from a tumor or tumors. The past three ultrasounds have been of his neck because he has multiple masses growing there. The masses have been putting pressure on his trachea and esophagus and causing him to not be able to eat solid food and limiting his airway slightly to where he has been snoring in his sleep and coughing every day. He is taking a steroid to help reduce what inflammation can be reduced, but since the masses are growing, it is minimal.
Yesterday, I received some not so great news from the internal medicine vet I've been seeing. He had another blood test and ultrasound of his neck. The calcium is increasing and the size of the masses are increasing. It is suggested that he has some sort of cancer, but a definitive diagnosis cannot be determined without a surgical biopsy of a mass. I have been using a medical credit card to pay for his diagnostics so far that have totaled $2,450.
The vet told me I have two options right now.
1) Proceed with a surgical biopsy of a mass to see what's going on and what could be done about it, likely radiation, if anything.
2) Proceed with how we are caring for him now. Which ultimately would mean the masses keep growing to where he would have difficulty eating at all and eventually his airway would be blocked. At that point, I'd have to decide whether or not it would be worth that quality of life for him to keep him alive.
I started crying in the exam room.
The reason I am trying this is because even the possibility of figuring out what is going on with him and potentially saving his life is limited to the fact that I can't afford it.
I have enough on this medical credit card to cover the surgical biopsy ( I think) but that's it. After that I wouldn't have anything left to go towards treatment if it's available.
He still has at least half of his life to live. He is energetic and loves everyone. Even more than his will to love and be loved is my love for him. I don't want to leave his life to getting more and more sick until he has to be put down because that isn't fair to him. He is still so young and it is heartbreaking to me to think about every day. For me to think about every time he is laying on the floor just looking at me with those amber eyes of innocence that expect me to care for him. I don't expect many to help or for it to be successful or to even be able to do anything at all except for give him all of my love every day, but I have to try. This is a step in trying. I can't just let my baby go without trying.
If you are able and willing to help me by donating then I would be forever grateful and never know how to repay you. Thank you for even listening.
Organizer
Cara Matrone
Organizer
Gainesville, FL
