Lucygoo - Pit. macroadenoma, endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery, trans-oral approach

Hey Gina,

Honey, don't lose hope and for crying out loud, don't start blaming yourself for anything or second guessing yourself. What hope did Lucy have without this surgery? Not much, right? You have given her the best chance she has at a normal life, the very best chance! In fact, the only real chance. If I had been in your shoes, I would have made the very same decision for Squirt. I would have been just as terrified as you were about it, just as upset now, and thinking the same things you are today. But I would have jumped at the chance for her anyway.

When a human has a serious operation, often the second and third days are the worst. The anesthesia is wearing off, the pain is unbelievable, everything is confusing and irritating and strange. I saw this happen repeatedly with my dad and the nurses confirmed that it is not uncommon at all. I know dogs are not humans and that they heal differently, but the principle still remains. It just takes time, more for some than others. And what LucyGoo has been through is certainly MAJOR!

There may be some permanent changes for Lucy, but I still have great hope that she will come home soon.

Gina, I can only imagine what you are going through mentally and emotionally. We are here if you need to talk, vent, whatever. Don't sit there and let your mind run away with you. If yours is like mine, that can be dangerous! :p I am behind you 100%+, we all are.

Hugs,
Leslie and the girls

Gina,

Remember they keep humans in a coma after the surgery so it's understanble she isn't herself yet... I know it has to be hard - very hard and you did the best thing you could for her - you gave her a chance to live. She is still recovering from the operation, anethesia etc. so please don't lose hope.

My cush dog is over 15 yrs old and has lost most of her hearing and most of her eyesight... but she is a very happy little thing. So even if eyesight is lost there are lots of wonderful stories about how great dogs get along.

We will all continue our prayers and are here so feel free to vent - we have big shoulders. Take care of yourself too.

Hugs
Kim

Thanks Leslie and John.....I was thinking the "blindness" might be temporary (I Hope!!!) Because Dr. B said her vision was okay, and she reacted to his hand, so I was thinking maybe the optic nerve was being pressed on or something. Sometimes she acts like she can see, so it's really hard to tell. Most of the time not, though. If she doesn't seem any better by tomorrow I'm calling him...figures he went to San Francisco until Tues, but I have his cell....
Does anyone have any experience in neurologic symptoms and what they mean? I've been furiously googling trying to find out anything. Unfortunately this is as much a learning experience for the doctors as it is for me. There's simply nothing to compare it to. I wish I could get ahold of someone who had something to do with this surgery in the Netherlands. Surely there's got to be some kind of blow by blow description of what happens to the dogs in recovery somewhere...I'm just going mental right now.

Thanks everyone for listening....

Gina and Lucy

Gina,
I feel for you. Even if there was a blow by blow description of what happens you know that all dogs are different and it might make you worry more.
The body is an amazing thing and when it's stresses (like surgery) certain non critical things shut down so that the body can concentrate on healing. (I know very technical :p) There has to be a certain amount of swelling around the surgery site and it will be days (weeks??) before you will know if there are any consequences. We all want Lucy to be better now but guess what....father (or mother) time always has other ideas.
Thoughts and prayers still coming your way.
Jenny

Gina, I am so sorry that Lucy seems so unlike herself right now. I can only imagine how hard it is for you to see her like this, and to wonder whether she can see or recognize you. But I want to "second" and "third" and "fourth" what the others are saying -- that there is still every reason to have hope. The assault to her brain has been immense, and it will likely just take some time for things to settle down for her.

But please, please, please don't second-guess yourself. I very seldom feel as though it is my place to directly advise people to choose a specific course of action. But with Lucy's surgery, I truly had no doubt as to the choice I would have made myself, and the choice that I thought was the best for Lucy. From my own experience, Gina, the problems that you are seeing in Lucy at the moment are the same problems you would have seen if the tumor had continued to grow. But in that heartbreaking scenario, there would be no hope at all, and the problems would only worsen and worsen. Right now, we all have every reason to think that the problems are temporary, and that there is great hope for improvement!!!!

So please do not despair! You and Lucy have so many people on your side. And we're all praying for a cure for your sweet girl.

Many, many (((hugs))),
Marianne

Marianne, Jenny and everybody,
Thank you so much. It's just been a very difficult, emotional day. I know I have to be patient.
Dr. B's assistant just called me (she's the greatest), and told me that Lucy's doing well, eating now and drinking, they took her off IV meds, now she's on oral. (They were able to give her her thyroid while I was there because she ate) She's still walking in circles, but they're hoping once the swelling goes down, that will too. And Marianne, I think you're right...I was thinking there's probably even more swelling now than there ever was, so maybe that's what it is. The size of her tumor was 2.2 something centimeters. Normal is 5 millimeters.
We discussed the vision, and she said she's definitely somewhat visual, they just don't know how much or if it's permanent or not. They're going to have the opthalmologist check her out.
My poor baby.

Thank you all so very, very much for helping me through this...

Gina and Lucy

Kim, thank you too for reminding me about the coma thing. I keep forgetting things. I know....I"M the one that needs the neurosurgery:o

Gina,

Hang in there...Post operative edema is a very traumatic event after neurosurgery and it will take time to access Lucy's condition. These are crucial hours and improvement takes time.
The trauma of the surgery had to be substantial initially but that doesn't mean that what you are seeing now is in any way permanent . Be good to yourself....you are doing all that you can for Lucy
and we admire your courage in pursuing a cure for her!
Hang in there...You have everyone's love, prayers, and support. We wish you peace and a successful recovery for Lucy..

with love, prayers, and positive thoughts..
Dorothy and Mikey

Gina,

I can't really add to what the others have already said....the swelling and healing....the circling is something you see when the tumor is progressing and growing...and with the tumor almost all gone, I would think this is the swelling causing this.

Try and see the positives as you can....I know it's hard!!! I am a basket case with my furballs. But she is eating, she is drinking, she is progressing to oral meds, she is walking....and yes, you had no choice other than this. What was the quality of life she had before? And you did this bc you researched and you also followed your heart....therefore, your decision, well it is IMPOSSIBLE for it to be wrong!

We are sending our GO LUCY chant from here!!! Lots of hugs....Beth, Bailey and always Scooter

I've finally got a chance to reply - I've been running around all morning (it's about 11 am here).

I agree with what all the others have said. Especially Marianne where she says that these are the things you would have been seeing as the tumor enlarged and that at least now there is very real hope of improvement over time. So please don't beat yourself up - in opting for this surgery you've given her hope whereas there was none before.

It does sound like Lucy is improving steadily despite some oddnesses that surely must the swelling. I know with head injuries the worst period is the two or three days or so after the injury rather than immediately after and this is mainly because of swelling. The same thing applies to just about all injuries - as an example I fell and bruised my leg really severely last Friday and it was at its worst and ugliest in many ways on Sunday and then began to improve steadily after that - slowly at first and then rapidly from about Wednesday on. I know my bruised thigh is pretty trivial in comparison but I suspect Lucy's "bruising" will be following a similar course.

One thing that might help you is (if you aren't doing it already:p:)) to write down any questions and concerns you have as they come up so you remember to talk to the Drs about everything that is bothering you about Lucy when they are available. If you are anything like me you have your biggest worries and biggest questions at 3.00am when there isn't away to get good answers.

Good luck and best wishes from me too.

Alison