What a stinking day. Last night I was stroking Misty's tummy that she had rolled over to make it convenient for me to do so
I found a nipple (she has long been a spay) that was enlarged, very pink with an irregular lump underneath.
We got in this afternoon for her to be seen, a needle biopsy brought forth a large amount of cystic fluid (surprise number 1) and the cells she could see on a slide, indicated further testing as it is probable it is mammary cancer. As we discussed lumpectomy (hoping for a benign tumor) versus going straight to a mastectomy of all breasts on the one side, we decided to get x-rays done and bloodwork, and if she looked okay for anesthesia (and no signs of issues in the lungs - which is where feline mammary cancer tends to spread), the lumpectomy would be done tonight.
The look on my vets face when she walked back in
Surprise number 2 -Misty has a huge tumor in the thoracic area of her chest, almost as large as her heart. It is either that yes, she has mammary cancer and it is aggressive and has already spread to the lungs, or it is a hugely swollen lymph gland, again indicating there is probably mammary cancer, or a kind of benign tumor that must nonetheless be removed or it will compromise her by compressing a lung.
There is no reason to put her through a lumpectomy if what is in the chest is a spread of the cancer, but if it isn't cancer, we need to get going because this chest tumor is huge.
So...xrays went off to the radiologist, as did the needle biopsy findings, and the next step IF there is any hope, is a biopsy of the chest tumor guided under an ultrasound.
The odds are not good here, not at all, and we are stunned. She is only 11 years old, the spitting image of her Poppa Chris who I lost just over a year ago. We expected her to be with us for at least another 6 or 7 years. I have to call her breeder (owner of the mom, Chris just supplied the papa genes), once I know for sure what is what (a friend, I can't bear to tell her this, she is so fond of her girl).
So....we have beat the odds just once, with Ophelia and her 'thought to be' bone cancer that wasn't...please say a prayer we beat the odds again, and that Misty then handles one minor and one major surgery well.
Thanks.
We got in this afternoon for her to be seen, a needle biopsy brought forth a large amount of cystic fluid (surprise number 1) and the cells she could see on a slide, indicated further testing as it is probable it is mammary cancer. As we discussed lumpectomy (hoping for a benign tumor) versus going straight to a mastectomy of all breasts on the one side, we decided to get x-rays done and bloodwork, and if she looked okay for anesthesia (and no signs of issues in the lungs - which is where feline mammary cancer tends to spread), the lumpectomy would be done tonight.
The look on my vets face when she walked back in
There is no reason to put her through a lumpectomy if what is in the chest is a spread of the cancer, but if it isn't cancer, we need to get going because this chest tumor is huge.
So...xrays went off to the radiologist, as did the needle biopsy findings, and the next step IF there is any hope, is a biopsy of the chest tumor guided under an ultrasound.
The odds are not good here, not at all, and we are stunned. She is only 11 years old, the spitting image of her Poppa Chris who I lost just over a year ago. We expected her to be with us for at least another 6 or 7 years. I have to call her breeder (owner of the mom, Chris just supplied the papa genes), once I know for sure what is what (a friend, I can't bear to tell her this, she is so fond of her girl).
So....we have beat the odds just once, with Ophelia and her 'thought to be' bone cancer that wasn't...please say a prayer we beat the odds again, and that Misty then handles one minor and one major surgery well.
Thanks.
