Confused and Overwhelmed-Diagnosed Anal Sac Carcinoma (Woody has passed)

So glad to see continued improvement :)

Poopy Bum... LOL

Please send help I have a naughty dog who,s suppose to be sick. He has tried to jump on the sofa numerous times, picked up a toy to play with tried to jump up on my knee and has pulled like a steam train for a proper walk and not a toilet break. He is not allowed to do any of this but try and tell a Jack Russell no! He is huffing loudly at me with the bored.com look on his face. I think he,s feeling a bit better long may it continue

It definitely sounds like Woody is doing better to me and I'm so glad!:) do you want me to come over and tie him up for you?:D

Oh my you do have your hands full! Woody is definitely feeling full of himself today.
What great news :) hugs sharlene and molly muffin

Woody is going to have to suck it up and wait, as hard as that is :)

Awww sounds like he has forgiven you if he wants up on your knee! Yay for Woody, sounds like he has turned the corner in his recovery, so pleased to read this update Tracy!! I remember when I took Flynny for his first walk after surgery, he was chomping at the bit too... I let him free and he promptly leapt over a little creek :eek::eek: Back on the lead he went but it sure does our hearts good when they get that love of life back!! Great stuff xxxx

Yahoo Woody that's the Jack Russell spirit that can never be broken!! I am so glad to hear this. He has pulled ahead in his recovery like I knew he would. I know that they are a handful, as certain surgeries Tipper has had I nearly lost it trying to make her not so things she was not allowed. I think this breed is allowed to do certain naughty things, it is written up in their behavioral traits! God Bless you and Woody, it makes me happy to know he is getting his old ways back. Blessings
Patti

Another vet visit today and another good report, his abdominal wound is looking great and his bottom is good to although a little swelling to keep an eye on. As I stood with my vet discussing things little poopy bum lived up to his name and poped on the vets floor cue me going oh I'm so sorry I will clean it up and the vet going way to go Woody that looks good:D. He is eating well today and has taken all his meds and has now settled down for the night

Sounds like Woody was giving the vet payback for for the surgery, lol! Glad to hear he's doing well, we love good reports here!

Well I can see how Woody, Poopy Bum, might want to poop on the vets floor over all, after surgery and everything. LOL

Might be that his bum is a bit sore and clinching those muscles does feel good so he is just letting everything hang loose so to speak.

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

I think by pooping in the examining room that Woody is just showing the vet that everything is working okay again! :D So happy to read that the recovery is going so well. Woody is already getting frisky and before you know it he'll back to all of his playful antics!!

Barbara

Fantastic, at least he got a good look at his poop!! Smart boy Woody!

He sounds great again today Tracy, so pleased to hear this. When are you back to the surgeon again to find out the next stage of treatment? You must be feeling better catching up on your sleep too :) xx

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Trish

Fantastic, at least he got a good look at his poop!! Smart boy Woody!

He sounds great again today Tracy, so pleased to hear this. When are you back to the surgeon again to find out the next stage of treatment? You must be feeling better catching up on your sleep too :) xx

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We,re back on the 5th nov at 11am to get his abdominal staples out and discuss the next step. Woody is suffering a little bit of fecal incontienance but my vet assures me this is normal and should rectify itself given time. He had another good night and woke up in good spirits so although he,s only allowed a 5 min toilet break we sat in the garden for 20 mins calmly watching the world go by and now he is fast asleep. My vet said yesterday that Woody had the look of " cancer pfft bring it on, I,ll win " look on his face and it's true this little guy amazes me and his recovery defo dealt with it better than I have lol

Tracy:
Woody is just full of himself and ready for anything. That pooping on the vets floor was probably just Woody's thought on this whole thing!. I am glad you and he enjoyed the outdoors for a while. That probably lifted both of your spirits. He is on the road to being his old self so God Bless you both.
Patti

Excellent news. I agree, Woody is just awesome, with a spirit that had no limits.

hugs,
sharlene and molly muffin

Tracy:
Just checking in to see what the Woody dog is up to?? Hope he is still moving forward with recovery, and is probably going to be glad to get those staples out. Is he itchy at all on the incisions? Have a good weekend with your baby. Blessings
Patti

Patti no he doesn't seem to be itchy and has not once bothered his staples which is good.

He us doing really well and at 2 am this morning hit me on the head with a tennis ball from his toy box as I'm still sleeping on the floor with him cue me getting up like a rocket switching on the light and seeing Woody tail all wagging with a big grin on his face. Let's just say the toy box was removed quick smart so safe to say Woody is back yay! His bottom swelling is almost gone back to normal but he sti isn't pooping right but with time that will come right I'm sure

Yikes, what a rude awakening, that would have scared the bejeezus out of you LOL :D:D Pretty cute though! xx

Well, Woody must feel he has some make up play time coming his way. :) Not nice when you're in a good sleep though. Guess waiting isn't on the top of list. LOL
Glad he feels like playing though. It'll be much better when those staples are out and he's healed.

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Evening everyone, we,ve had another good few days and Woody is getting stronger each day. I have put up some pics of his recovery. He is really quite bored and is feeling coup up so this afternoon I walked him to the church fete about 200 yards from the house, he had lots of fuss made of him and I got some bakery and we came home and he seemed more settled. Anyone with a Jack Russell will know how they live for their toys and walks so he,s been finding it hard :) He,s not had any pain relief for 2 days now and seems fine without it. I am craving my own bed tonight, my back is sore from sleeping on the sofa and floor so I tried to go to my bedroom and shut Woody in the living room (so he doesn,t jump on the bed as its quite high) but he wouldn,t settle so looks like I,m back on the sofa tonight, oh well it won,t be forever I hope :D

Hope everyone had a good weekend and all pups are keeping well.

He looks Really good. :) I bet he really enjoyed getting out and having people make a fuss over him too.
Life really will get back to normal and you'll be back in the bed again. :)

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Sounds like the walk, fresh air and attention agreed with Woody! Can't keep a frisky dog down for long can you!! His pics are great, sure show how he is recovering well. Your doing such a good job with him :)

My bed is quite high but Flynn does not sleep in it (his preference) he has his own little bed right next to mine, when he was recovering I moved the spare bed in and my bed out as it is much lower and I could lean out to check him and cover him up etc, saved my back!! But I have spent a few nights on the couch too! Poor you, hope you can get back in there soon!

Tracy:
I bet Woody just ate up all the attention he got. I know how irritable a jack Russell can get when they don't walk or play they go crazier than they already are! I am going to get a look at Woody's pictures and see how he is doing. Sounds like he is making a remarkable recovery. Hoping you can get in your own bed soon, it will be like heaven. Blessings
Patti

Another good day here, Woody has finally managed to poop almost normally, and almost formed so on the mend. Only here can you talk poo :p He is still sleeping a lot which is best for him as that's when he heals and he has been a little bit naughty today. I removed the toy box the other night due to the tennis ball incident so no toys anywhere, so he decided that he would use his blanket as a toy and tried to rag it. He also did the unthinkable I went to empty the washing machine 2 mins most and came back and he was flat out on the sofa snoring, I did leave him sleeping for a little while there. He has also managed to get his comfy collar off today by lying on his back and roaching and wriggling and then slides along the carpet and pop off it comes, I forgot how naughty this little guy can be :eek:

We,re back at the hospital in the morning to get the staples removed which will make him feel better. We will also get the pathology report and discuss what this multi drug resistant bug that he has in his urine, and what can be done about it so still lots of things to think about but whatever it is I,m sure Woody will face it head on like he has been doing.:D

Tracy:
I used to love to read all the antics about Buddy Kathy's sweet boy. Now I am hooked on Woody. He has his way about him and you aren't going to change him, oh no! He is just an adorable baby and I can see why mom is so smitten with him. He reminds me so much of Tipper and the stuff she does. They are too smart for their own good. Woody took no time in figuring out that soft collar and how to get rid of it! I am sure whatever happens with this bacteria in the urine, Woody will sail thru that too. I am quite sure whatever life throws at Woody he is smart enough to throw it right back. Hope mom gets into her snuggly bed soon. Good luck on the staple removal. Jack Russells can tolerate a lot more pain than the normal dog so Woody will do fine. I am sure he will be every bit as stoic as my Tipper, she is tuff as nails, I showed he Woody's picture. Blessings
Patti

Woody is a little go getter and I can't see much of anything keeping him down for long. I mean, major surgery sure didn't!! LOL
Hopefully they will have a plan ready to go for you, with options on how to treat, so you can decide.
I know once those staples are out, he's going to be even more of a handful to keep in check. :)
hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

We had visitors tonight my big sister and my niece came to visit for a while and I was completely ignored :p My niece hasn,t seen him since his operation as she has been busy with work so he was playing up to her something terrible with the "I,m not being looked after, she doesn,t walk me or let me play" face on him and as usual each time I looked over to him I got the "still gonna pay for this mother". My niece has bought him a new toy that he will get tomorrow after his hospital visit so that should please him.

You are all right don,t think there is anything going to keep this little guy down, he has always made me laugh on a daily basis with his antics and even through all this has kept my spirits up any time I,ve gotten down about all this he does something naughty and that's me laughing, they really are a tonic. :D

Good luck for the appointment today! He is going to feel so much more comfy with the staples out. I will be looking out for his update later on! xx

Tracy:
Hoping for a good say for Woody to get rid of those staples. He will be thrilled to get them out and get a new toy all on the same day WOW!! Good Luck. Blessings
Patti

We,re finally back, staple, stiches and collar free :D Woody was amazing and done really well for the vet called Ian and Lisa the student vet.

Let me give you another giggle and insight into what I have to put up with owning this little guy. We arrived at the hospital made our way to the oncology department, where we were met with a man in scrubs (thought he was a nurse) who asked his name, and what he was in for as we chatted for a few minutes he told me he was not a nurse but he was a camera man doing a documentary on the hospital oncology wards and was looking for stories, he asked if he could take footage of Woody, which I agreed to so out comes the sound man, and the camera man and start filming Woody, who is staring right into the camera, a few oh and ah later and Woody spots the sound mans fluffy cover on his microphone and decides he,s having it as his toy, cue a Jack Russell in a comfy collar running up the corridor with a microphone in his mouth and me and the camera man chasing him. Got to him to realise that there was no way he was giving it up and as I was trying to persuade him to give me it, I looked up and all the vets, nurses, owners and admin staff are all out laughing and cheering at him. I was sooooo embarrassed and Woody well he took it in his stride and the camera man let him keep it. It was hilarious. :p

The second part of our day wasn,t so funny, confusing and gut churning is what I,d say. I will try and paraphrase all that happened. Woody,s pathology results showed that there was NO cancer in the anal sacs, they were inflamed, and impacted possible cause the diar he had the week leading up to surgery. It was found that there might or could be cancer cells floating towards his adrenal gland as the right one was 9.2 mm but this didn,t make sense to Ian the oncologist, as it was a left lymph node that was defiantely infected with the cancer and according to him if its left side node then it would be an organ on the left side infected and same with right side. The fluid flow showed that the cancer cells from the infected lymph node were most likely heading for the anal sacs and would infect them at some point down the line. He is asking the pathologist to have another look at all this as it doesn,t make sense to him, it can happen but it is very rare. So they can,t find the Primary Tumour, it may well be that it is so microscopic and this is why they can,t find it. My first question was had I put my baby through that surgery for nothing as that is how it felt, but I suppose they would have needed to come out in a few months time anyway.

So I may be dealing with a tumour of the adrenal gland now but will waiting and see what they say. We spoke of Chemo when I was there and the different types IV or tablet, and unfortunately they don,t think he is a good candidate for either :( There reasoning behind this is that the drugs suppress the immune system and with this bacteria bug in his urine (which can,t be treated) they feel he may need to be hospitalised for periods of time, and I know how stressed he gets so I couldn,t do that to him. Ian has said that he will have a meeting with the Head of oncology, him, Sam (pathologist) and Emma my IMS to discuss this case and see if there is anyway that the side effects from the chemo can be minimalized and also to go over the results to try and figure out if they can come up with a difinative answer on the primary tumour.

Sorry I,ve written an essay, but I was in with them for 4 hours going over everything. If Woody can,t have chemo, then I will love and spoil my boy for the time we have :D

Wow! What a day you and Woody have had!

We'd love to see Woody running off with the mike cover, it must have been a real hoot! Maybe they will give you a link so you can see the video when done, if so, you must share!

Too bad the vet can't let you relax, but has to come up with more scary stuff to worry about. Just take it one step at a time, don't despair, and let us share the worry with you.

It sounds to me like it was just as well the anal sacs were removed; it seems like they cause nothing but trouble, anyway.

Hang in there, and enjoy Woody's recovery from the surgery.

Tracy:
Woody was really full of himself today. He deserved to have a little fun at the camera mans expense. I am so sorry that you now have more worries, but we are here with you thru it all. Did Woody have an MRI or an Ultra Sound? I am wondering why they cannot locate this tumor. I know the MRI is the gold standard for finding many small things starting up that is why I wondered if he had one. I hope they can soon get to the bottom of this. The surgery you had done on Woody was necessary as they said it would likely end up there anyway, so best to get rid of it now. I know you have been thru an awful lot. Pray on it and ask God for mercy for Woody. I am still saying special prayers for him so God willing you will get this all behind you. Please take care of yourself I know this has been hard on you. Blessings
Patti

Patti - Woody has had 2 US, but no MRI scan, I did ask today about an MRI scan to see if it could be found and Ian told me it would be a waste of money as if the primary tumour was that small and not found on a US it was unlikely to be picked up on a MRI. He also told me that in 20 years of working in oncology apart from Woody he had one other patient that they couldn,t find the primary tumour in trust Woody to be his second lol

I briefly spoke to Emma my IMS on the way out today and she has said the same sometimes you just can,t find the primary tumour but she is adamant in her opion that the tumour was in the anal sacs I don,t know anymore what to believe what I do know is that Woody still has cancer somewhere in his body and I just need to try and deal with that, I,m not naïve and knew that Terry would win the game sooner or later I had just hoped it would be much later, although I have not written the little guy out just yet and with his spirit I,m sure he will exceed the 9 - 12 months that they gave him today. So for the next few days or until I hear from the hospital I am going to get Woody nice and strong and we,re going to have some fun and enjoy life :)

Awww, so glad that Woody had a good time! He was due.

I don't know, it seems strange that they can't find a primary tumor, but say that there are cancer cells still there? I wasn't sure about that.
You can still end up having a long time with Woody, just depends on what is what. Lets see what they say and take it from there.

We're all right here with you! Love the Woody stories btw. They make me smile every time.

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Morning I went to my own bed last night ah bliss lol. Woody slept most of last night but when I got up I couldn't find him:eek: I searched the living room, kitchen under my bed his usual place so shouted on him nothing I frantically was pulling cupboards open just in case and eventually found him locked in the bathroom a room he never goes in but by the look of it he went to poo and has some his managed to close the door over oops don't know his long he had been in there silly cookie.

Ian has called this morning and Sam the pathologist is running the tests today so maybe get answers tomorrow. They also are talking about putting him on some meds to stop him straining to poo as this isn't good he strains to poo for ages until I stop him as nothing is coming out Ian said its as if he feels like he needs to go all the time.

Tracy:
These dogs are real characters aren't they? That is so funny Woody locking himself in the bathroom. At least her knew to pooh in the bathroom! I am hoping you will get some relief from all stress of this soon. It must have felt wonderful being in your own bed? Hope you and Woody enjoy a good day together. Blessings
Patti

Afternoon all, I,ve had Ian the oncologist on the phone today bit shocked as its Saturday. My brain hurts after the conversation of about an hour and I can,t take it all in. I,ll try and summaries for you.

1. He first asked about Woody,s pooing, its been getting better after I changed him to his old food again, but not enough so he will need to go onto meds for it, as Ian said its not good. He will contact my own vet on Monday to prescribe the meds Woody needs.

2. The pathologist has re stained the anal sacs and did some more in depth testing and Woody hasn,t got Anal Sac Carcinoma and never did :( So I put him through that for nothing I,m angry with myself. After explaining this to Ian he said that the fluid flow from the left medial iliac lymph node was heading towards the anal sacs so Woody would have needed the surgery in the future.

3. What they have diagnosed Woody with is a Nuroendocrine (sp) Cancer. They believe that the primary tumour is in the right Adrenal Gland which is 9.9 mm but can,t understand why it was the left medial iliac lymph node that was infected, they told me it should have been a lymph node in the right side. Ian has said that this is very rare and in his career has Woody is only his second patient like this. Ian said that Woody, s bloods were all normal and showed nothing which is a big surprise to him.

What he plans to do is in 3 steps

1. Urine sample to check creatine levels to rule out cushings once and for all, as all tests say he hasn,t got cushings but ruling out everything.
2. Research the disease in humans to see if there is any medication chemo etc that Woody and his messed up system could tolerate in tablet form to take at home safe stressing him out going into hospital all the time.
3. Re - scan Woody in a month to see what is going on, or sooner if required.

He will consult with my own vet on Monday regarding all this and speak with me again next week. He is also going to contact his old professor in oncology down in Liverpool England for some advice. Only Woody could be this big a conundrum to the specialist :)

Woody is doing great and getting stronger everyday, and is back to playing and is allowed 2 x 10 min walks per day and he is loving life just like I want him to do :D

Well, Tracy, it does sound as if you may have headed off something tougher on Woody by having this surgery now, tho I can totally sympathize with the feelings you had on hearing about the anal glands at first. :eek::(:(

Is he a possible candidate for an adrenalectomy after he recovers and is that even an option for this type cancer? Is this something you would consider if he is a candidate? Goodness, that's a lot to take in! And yet another Wonder Dog on K9C who makes the vets earn every penny they get! :p

I'm glad he is enjoying life! :) That's the most important factor no matter what is going on and he has the perfect mom to make sure this is the norm for him. Those moments when we see that light shining in their eyes, that silly grin on their faces, the pep in their steps makes it all the rest so worth it.

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

Wow, that is a lot to take in. I hope that this surgery Now will actually turn out to be beneficial, in that he won't have to have it in the future. Still it is a lot to take in.

The best thing and most important at this moment is that Woody is doing great. He loves life, he's recovering, he continues to make his mum laugh and enjoy life too.

Sometimes, its the little things that are most important.

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Leslie - There not sure surgery is viable which is why he is going to do some research into this, he says its quite rare but I don,t know. If surgery was an option I would consider it but not until Woody is healed properly. He is better but not completely healed he has a tiny bit of his abdominal wound still needing to heal and I need to get this pooing sorted out as it does wipe him out at times.

I have asked Ian to send me a complete report on all of this, as I,m sure I,ve forgotten some things, as I get a bit bamboozled with all the technical terms and long words that he uses (thick or what lol). I will speak with my own vet next week who is good at putting it in laymans terms for me.

After last weeks hospital appointment I had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that there was nothing else they could do to help Woody so I was going for quality over quantity of life and boy was he going to have quality. Now I still feel the same way and have explained this to the oncologist that it is very important to me that Woody has a good quality of life albeit it may be shorter than most but this is a must for me, and woody. He has assured me that they will not force/point me in the direction for their own gain and they too have Woody,s quality of life at the forefront. Now with all this I feel like I,m back at square one I know Woody has cancer and won,t have a long life but I don,t want a life of hospitals, tests, poking and prodding I want him to be ...... a dog, running, playing, shouting at the rabbits annoying next doors cat and snuggling with me, but if I can extend that would I, I just don,t know anymore I,m as the thread title says confused and overwhelmed.

We went out for dinner tonight just me and Woody to the local pub and Woody had a meal of rice, peas, and turkey cooked by the chef and he loved it, and all the attention he was getting he has become somewhat of a doggy celebrity in the village and boy was he playing up to it, but he was beautifully behaved. So now its 1 am in the morning and I,m having the "its bedtime" conversation with him and hes giving it "oh no its playtime" he,s not happy that I,m on the computer and ignoring him I,m so sure if he was human he would have flipped me the finger and stormed out the door by now lol :D

I have added some pics of him in his recovery album to show how well he is looking