Awww....thanks so much, Linda! And they are predicting 7 more inches here overnight...so we may be here an extra night!

(((hugs))))xxxx

Thanks so much, Rene (I finally figured out that YOUR name is NOT Jerry) , Paula, and Sally! They did remove Susie's stitches today!!! That was a huge relief, and well worth the drive last night in harrowing conditions (and two nights' unplanned stay at the Holiday Inn Express here). And (drum roll!) the surgeon we saw (not the same one who oversaw the surgery) did agree to prescribe Gabapentin for Susie's Phantom Limb Pain. The only problem is I'm a bit worried that Susie has been almost in a coma since I gave her the first capsule. Part of that extreme sleepiness may be from going through her ordeal at K-State today. (I'm sure she was worried that I was going to leave her there again for four nights!) Does the sedation from the Gabapentin ease up after the first day or two?

The surgeon still wants her off the Meloxidyl as soon as possible, because of the possibility of bad side effects. But the oncologist said it would be okay if she stayed on it for a brief time, as long as she had blood tests periodically to make sure her liver and kidneys weren't being affected.

I asked about Rehab, and they all were against it, thinking it was a waste of time and money. They all thought Susie would learn to balance on her own. (That doesn't mean I won't pursue it on my own, as soon as Susie is more recovered.)

Then the oncologist (not the one I'd seen before) did a consultation with us about chemo. She said she had no idea if it would work or not, as there hadn't ever been any studies done on Susie's very rare form of cancer, since there have been so few dogs diagnosed with it. There are no protocols whatsoever. She said, because of the cancerous cells found in the lymph node they removed, she would consider the chemo to keep the cancer from spreading, not from reappearing--and that sooner would be better than later. However, she said it would be a good idea to let Susie heal from the surgery first. She also said there are no right or wrong answers. I asked what the point would be of doing the chest X-rays, abdominal ultrasounds and lymph node aspirations every three months, and she said, once the cancer metastasized to the lungs, the point of doing chemo would be just to buy time.

The oncologist was very willing to give of her time, even though we didn't have an appointment with her. I have found that to be true with all the doctors at K-State. They seem willing to spend as much time as you need when you're asking questions, even if they've got a million more things to do. (And they always do have a million things to do, it seems.)

I'll give the Gabapentin a couple more days to see if the side effect of sedation lessens. Has anyone else had a problem with their dog being too sleepy when on it? She also seems disoriented when she wakes up, and has trouble walking. (But she's only had one dose, so far!)

We are definitely staying an extra night in Manhattan to give the snow plows time to dig out the Interstate!

Michelle,

Thanks! The oncologist we saw yesterday did mention Carboplatin as the preferred chemo drug to use first, and then she mentioned metronomics . I asked if Susie would lose her hair, and she said it was indeed possible, but it would grow back. (She said even her eyelashes would grow back.)

They did blood tests on Susie before the biopsy, and then checked her kidney and liver functions again right before her amputation. So far, so good.

It was tough saying good-bye to the veterinary student at K-State who took care of Susie throughout her four-day hospitalization earlier this month, and then was there for the removal of Susie's stitches. I gave her three cards that I'd made with Susie's photos on them, plus a book on places to travel with your dog. (She'd told me that she was going to be traveling in California with her two dogs after she graduated this spring.) She was so sweet to Susie and developed a bond with her.

Nancy (& Susie)

Awwww...Sally, your posts always make me feel so happy (and relieved...and reassured--and everything good!) You're the BEST! Thanks so much for being YOU!

I can't tell you how much less stressed-out I feel, now that the stitches have been removed. Now I don't have to worry that Susie will pull her stitches out the second my back is turned. (You may remember that none of the Cones of Shame I bought for her worked out.) They do want her to continue wearing her Thundershirt for another week, as it has kept her from licking the incision, and they said it (the incision) will be getting really itchy at this point.

I'm starting her out now with just one dose of the Gabapentin at night, to see how she does. Night time is when she is most restless, and when she seems to experience the Phantom Limb Pain the most, anyway.

Thanks for saying I asked all the right questions. I had a "cheat sheet"--a piece of paper that I kept writing questions down on the past couple of weeks! (I didn't get Rene's link in time before the appointment.) There were a couple of things, of course, that occurred to me on the ride home in the car, but those are things I can ask Susie's new local vet once she has her appointment. (I'll be starting a new "Cheat Sheet" tomorrow! haha)

Thank you so much again!

Love,

Nancy (& Susie)