Mulder
We received some devastating news yesterday. Mulder has lymphoma.
I was petting him on Saturday and it felt like the glands on his throat were swollen. We got him into the vet on Monday, and she took a bunch of tests which confirmed the diagnosis. She could feel that it was not just the lymph nodes at his neck, but all of them that she can feel, they are all swollen with fluid. After the diagnosis yesterday, she then sent out for some more tests to determine what kind of lymphoma he has. What we know so far is that it is ‘intermediate to large cell, high grade’, and the next test will tell us whether it is T cell or B cell. Once we have that information, we will talk to an oncologist. We have that appointment next Thursday, September 1st.
We do not know yet what our options are. We do not know how long he would survive without treatment, nor how long he would survive with treatment. We do know that there are a lot more treatment options out there now, but that lymphoma in dogs is almost never cured, just goes into remission, and almost always recurs. He is 7 years old, and his breed typically lives about 14 years. Chemo is very expensive, and we do not have pet insurance. We looked into it several times, but it never seemed to make sense as it wouldn’t cover the routine blood work and things we expected to deal with, and it is expensive. It would have covered chemo though, so now I wish we had it.
We don’t know how hard the chemo would be on him, either. If the doctors say that in his case, he wouldn’t suffer too much and it would extend his life several years, we may do it if we can afford it. If they say that it’s only likely to extend his life a few months or 1 year, I doubt we will put him through that. In that case we would seek the advice of his vet to determine the best way to help him be comfortable for as long as possible.
Ted is adamant that he does not want Mulder to suffer, he felt like we waited too long with Genevieve and she DID suffer. Maya I think would like to do whatever we can to keep him longer, though of course she does not want him to suffer either. I am in the middle, and feel like if he is not in pain and still has some decent quality of life, it will not be time to put him down.
This is really hard on all of us, but most strongly on Maya. She is devastated and cannot stop crying. I’m not far behind her on that, I haven’t been sleeping much and I’m feeling it all in my gut. Ugh.
I know we have all had beloved pets get sick, so you understand how this feels. And the chemo/$$ question really SUCKS.
What also sucks is that I am supposed to leave for my vacation to France on September 9th. I don’t know what to do about that. For now, I am not making any decisions, just waiting until after our consultation on the 1st. I have purchased refundable everything, and trip insurance, but (my cousin) Carey booked our hotels using her time share points, and those are non refundable from 21 days out, which we have passed. So she would be out a lot of money on that. Perhaps she would go alone if I can’t go, not sure.
If there is any good news in all of this, it is that at this point, Mulder feels absolutely fine. He is his normal happy self, not one sign of anything wrong (other than the lymph nodes). His vitals and blood work all look really good, so if we do decide to try to fight this battle, he is healthy and strong for the fight.
BLAH! Life sucks sometimes.
6 Comments
Ally Bean
This is not good news. I don’t know what I’d do in this situation. Putting aside the cost considerations, what’s best for Mulder? Don’t you wish he could tell you his wishes?
J
Ally, we really really do. And there is so much unknown until we talk to the oncologist next week. If the treatment is horrible, I doubt we would put him through it. I have talked to people whose dogs had a rough time and they stopped treatment. I have talked to other people whose dogs tolerated it well and went into remission for at least a few years. If that is an option, we may do it if we can afford it. Ugh.
nance
Oh, Julie. I’m so very, very sorry. What huge, monumentally sad news. And having to wait even a day to talk to an oncologist feels like forever, let alone a week. I’m sure you’re thankful that Mulder is feeling chipper and very much himself during this time so that you’re not burdened with that worry as well.
It’s all terribly unfair. He’s such a sweet and handsome boy, and I know he’s been a happy addition to your family.
I know you and Ted (and Maya) will do what’s best when it’s time to make decisions. You’re smart and compassionate people. I’m sending you my love. XO
J
Thanks Nance! This has been SO HARD. It’s Sunday night as I write this, and I’m feeling stronger and a bit more optimistic. The vet said that the results of his second test say that the type of lymphoma he has is usually treatable. So now we have to find out (when we talk to the oncologist on Thursday) if that is true (meaning, has it spread to other organs?) and whether we can manage to pay for it. Generally, dogs go into remission for a couple of years. If that were the case for him, I think we would do it once, and then if it comes back, try to make him comfortable. I wish it weren’t so damn expensive. I seem to remember the insurance being a hundred or more a month (Ted remembers $300) when we looked into it a year and a half ago. And there are SO MANY THINGS it does not cover. Sigh.
Joared
So sorry your dog has this medical problem. I do hope his lymphoma has not spread to other organs and can be successfully treated relatively inexpensively. I recall a pet we had who developed much less serious medical issues and what that entailed. I concluded at one point later in his life that it seemed we had spent more on medical costs for him than both of our kids combined had required. Hopefully all will work out well for your dog and your plans for France.
J
Thanks Joared,
Yes, medical for Mulder is going to be expensive no matter what. I think it’s already been about $1,000 worth of tests, and we’re not even finished with those yet. I think to myself, “Would I spend $1,000 to buy a dog? No.” What is different now of course is that we all love him so very much, and don’t want him to suffer.