Sorry it has taken me so long to update, we’ve been super busy! But we did actually rescan Bentley’s heart and lungs since returning from PA and now we’re even more in the dark and confused than before. Good news is that his heart seems to be 100% normal again which is fantastic!!! But, Xrays show a 5cm mass in his lungs. A mass, that was not AT ALL visible when we did chest scans last month when we were in PA. :/
The radiologist down here that read them, of course called me and gave me condolences assuming that my dog was dying. After talking with Dr. Mason however, she feels like it may be more likely something else. So yet again we come to a horrific crossroads. There are basically two possibilities:
1. The mass is in fact a tumor, and if that’s the case – it is unlikely that anything we do at this point is going to slow it down or stop it (considering it just appeared and grew to 5cm in just two weeks). If it is a tumor, we could go super aggressive and try another round of chemo or palladia and try to stabilize it or we could just go home and enjoy the time we have with him.
2. The ‘mass’ that is being seen, is located RIGHT where the lymph nodes in the chest are located. Dr. Mason is leaning more towards this, as her team has analyzed and re-analyzed everything..and they just don’t think it makes sense that it’s a tumor for several reasons. First off, she says that the other nodules that were in his chest (that we’ve been monitoring the last 3 months) HAVE NOT GROWN since the last xrays – woohoo! So, it really makes no sense that his lung mets that are visible have seemingly become stable and have not grown in the past two weeks – yes there’s this huge 5cm tumor that has all of a sudden popped up?! Secondly, Bentley is more hyper and playful and full of life than he’s EVER been..which also seems odd for a dog that is apparently quickly progressing in late stages of cancer in his lungs? Also, doesn’t make sense. And we do know that the vaccine had a HUGE immune response this last time, because of what happened to his heart. So, following this theory, it makes sense that his immune system is in overdrive attacking cancer in his lungs – which would then cause huge inflammatory response in his lymph nodes which would then be visible on xray! If this is what is happening, ANY supplements or chemotherapy agent that we add to his system – could actually suppress his immune system and stop it from attacking cancer cells. We assume that maybe this is what’s happening, especially since his other nodules have not grown at all.
So now – we either sit back and wait, hope and pray that it is an immune response and when we re-radiograph chest next week..cross our fingers the the ‘mass’ has not grown and that his nodules have stabilized or even shrunk.
OR
We assume that it’s a tumor and go ahead and up the supplements and add in everything we can and then re-radiograph again next week.
So for now we’re sitting tight and repeating chest films next week. I truly, in my gut, feel as though if this is a tumor and it is growing that rapidly – I just don’t believe there’s any miracle cure that will stop this and I want to just enjoy time with him. And secondly, I truly believe in the vaccine we did with him (otherwise i would not have driven overnight 10 hours every 3 weeks for it!), so taking into account the reaction that his immune system had this last round of the vaccine..something must be working right?!!?
Ughh. Roller Coaster ride is right..I’m so over it though. Thank you for letting me vent, I’d really love any opinions out there. Unfortunately, Bentley is the ONLY DOG in the world that has gone through this vaccine with lung mets and is still alive so we really have NOTHING to base this on..that’s why it’s all just a flip of a coin really.
Love and hugs to all!!
kate and bentley
xo
Breathe breathe. I would see & re evaluate. Its always a possibility but I am not so sure. My thoughts are with you & Bentley.
Hugs
Michelle & Angel Sassy
And Bentley has our hearts too! And his siblings jumped into our hearts too…..but …shhhh….Bentley occupies the biggest space!
Every single thing you said about all the reasons it is NOT a tumor makes perfect sense…solid, logical sense! And another HUGE indicator that this “mass” is nothing is Bentley ‘ s behavior!
Bentley feels great, looks great and IS great! I would try…try…not to worry as I really think your observations, as well as Dr. Mason’s input are very valid.
His pictures are just precious and show a very, very happy boy who feels fantastic!
Commit to stay in the present with Bentley and let NOTHING interfere with your time together! Bentley is living in the “now” and all is well in Bentley ‘ s world!
Love seeing the pics of that sweet boy! He clearly loves his “island pool”. I wanna’ jump right in with him!
Sending you positive thoughts, along with love and support!
Sally and Happy Hannah
Hmmm….I’m going with option #2. When all else fails, it’s good to go with the pawsitive outlook in my opinion. You know the worst case scenario is always in the background, that never goes away. But instead of giving that more energy, why not give the positive outlook all of your energy instead? I don’t think it’s being polyanna, it’s just giving yourself over to the goodness, that’s all. Bentley seems to be doing that, so heck, follow his lead.
I wish I had a better answer for you. But that’s what my heart is telling me, and I’m pretty sure it’s how I would feel if I were in your shoes. Easier said than done, I know, but you’ve got the power of the Tripawds Nation behind you, so you’re not alone in this, ever. Don’t forget you can always post in the Forums too for even more wisdom and insight.
xoxo
Dear Kate,
I’ve been meaning to write. First off, congratulations on your wedding. It looks beautiful, and so amazing you had your pooches with you.
Bentley is a beautiful boy and so lucky to have such awesome parents. The rest of the gang is awesome too, of course.
Since I’m just catching up, I’ll respond to this post. Several times, Sasha’s x-rays showed nodules which could not be determined what they were. One month they were there, then the next time there were new and the old ones were gone. It was a mystery. Lung mets didn’t show until Nov or Dec of 2014, 18 to 19 months after the 1st vaccine. I too believe in this vaccine and believe that thanks to it Sasha was with us for far longer than anyone expected (past 2 years since diagnosis), especially considering her cancer metastasized to other bones.
Keep the faith, no matter what. I think our attitude goes a long way in how our babies feel.
Hugs to you and all your babies!
~Liliana