March 10, 2021 at 4 PM – Just over a year after amputation, Lilly had to be put to sleep. Her cancer spread to her spleen…It was a 3 year fight with mast cell tumors. She was just under 8 years old..gone too soon. She was loved and will be sorely missed. The night before, she could not get comfortable, tossing and turning all night. Her legs were wobbly and she could not jump onto the couch. The previous weeks, she had bouts of diarrhea, would not take her pills or eat her food. When vet came to the house, she may have already started to hemorrhage. Her belly was full of fluid and her gums were white. It was a nice day outside. I laid her in her little bed and she peacefully went to sleep.
Lab results are in…..
A week has gone by, and we got the lab results.
Although the mast cell tumor that was on the amputated leg was a High Grade level 2, there was no cancer in the two lymph nodes that were removed. We may have just bought Lilly a little more time on this planet!
Day 3 – A Breakthrough
Monday morning…I go to work at 6AM. I leave Lilly sleeping.. She is dropped off at my sister’s shortly after I leave. Lilly amazed us all! She was walking, she ate by herself and went to the bathroom unassisted.
In the evening, I pick her up and she hopped across the room to greet me! My heart melted. She stood by the door and was ready to go home. I put her on the floor in the front seat of my car and she jumped up to the passenger seat. This is where she always sat and she would not have it any other way.
Day 2 Post Operation
It’s 10AM Sunday morning, nurse lets Lilly walk into the room! She walks in and then takes a break.
Wow, what a difference! The doctor arrives and says she is ready to go home today. That was not what I was expected. I thought for sure she would be there until Monday night (that was my plan). Lilly was ready…but I was scared! What about pain meds, how do I take her to bathroom, the incision!!
The doctor assured me.. she would be ok…When we got home, she slept most of the day. I carried her and held her. At one point, we both enjoyed a nap on the recliner. She was exhausted.
Post Op Meltdown & Day 1
Everything happened so fast. I didn’t have time to process it. Well, I had a meltdown. I felt guilty and upset. How could I do this to my baby? What if it comes back and I tortured her with this surgery for nothing
Surgeon asked me .. Do you want to visit her? I was afraid. What am I going to see? What if she gets too excited to see me and I can’t take her home? All these thoughts going through my head. But when nurse said maybe you can try to feed her, those thoughts went out the window. I had to go. When I got there, her tail wagged. She could not balance on 3 legs yet and had to be carried. I held her and my mom hand fed her… At that moment, I realized things are not going to be the same.. I am going to have to work on this and learn how to support her and make the best of it. I was glad I went and scheduled time for the following day to feed her breakfast!