Never shared this when it happened. At the end of March, our dog, Cody was suddenly in intolerable pain and could barely walk.
Two pet ER trips and lots of painkillers later, we took him to a veterinary orthopedist who preliminarily diagnosed it as spinal pressure due to a bulging disc.
When they went in and scanned, the neurologist called to say they think Cody had a large tumor, very likely cancer, that was compressing his spine. He said they would not be able to completely remove all of it, just the part that was causing him pain, and would be sending a sample off to pathology, and would be referring us to a veterinary oncologist and an ultrasound of his abdomen for any metastasis. They did say his spinal cord looked normal after removing the mass and relieving the pressure, but he still likely had a very large cancerous tumor.
We were devastated, unsure if we would ever have our dog back the way he was. We really didn't know if this meant he would have to be put down immediately, if he could live and be kept comfortable for a time, or what. Could we afford the chemo, if the chemo was even worth pursuing? What the hell were we going to tell Eric if Cody never came home, or if he had to leave so suddenly again. I cried for the first time in over a decade. We were sick, we were lost. And not being able to show any emotion in front of the kids was even worse. I think I lost two years off my life in the course of that week.
Couple days later, Cody came home and seemed okay, relatively comfortable, so we were enjoying him while we could, waiting for the pathology report.
Almost exactly one week from the call telling us they found the mass in him, the doctor called. And it was NOT cancer. It's what the doctor called the most bizarre presentation of inflammation he has ever seen, and Cody is free and clear once he is done with post-op care.
It's been 5 weeks since the surgery, Cody is on moderate activity levels, and as long as things keep going as they are, he'll be cleared of all restrictions by mid-May. No follow ups with oncologists, no more ultrasounds, just our great big dark shedding companion.
Long-winded, yes. But also probably one of the most emotionally wrecking, but ultimately positive, weeks of my life. And I forgot to mention, we found out he was cancer-free the day after my birthday. Best gift ever.
This past Monday, we celebrated Cody's 8th birthday.