Bjorn probably has cancer

[silver_chipmunk]

Lymphoma, which is what the FWiB has, just to be ironic.

I got a phone call this morning from my vet, who said he thought Bjorn should have a sonogram, and did I want him to write me a referral to a 24 hour emergency specialist place to get a sonogram? I said yes, and he told me where to go, a place in Forest Hills called Blue Pearl. So since Oldest Brother was coming over today I waited til he got here and we took Bjorn over.

They hospitalized him, and did blood tests and the sonogram. And he has a mass in his stomach and thickening in his GO tract, and enlarged lymph nodes and they say it's almost certainly lymphoma. So I have two choices, have them treat him with prednisone for the symptoms, and see if that gives him some relief. Or be more aggressive in diagnosing and treating it. I need to decide by tomorrow.

I need to ask them more questions. I will tomorrow.

I spoke with The Kid to fill her in on everything.

This hurts so much.

Gratitude List:

1. Oldest Brother.

2. The FWiB.

3. The Kid.

4. My vet.

5. I can afford what I've paid so far.

6. Sybil is fine and healthy, and the turtle too.

Comments

[mrs_sweetpeach]

Oh no! Poor Bjorn! Poor you! Good luck making a rational decision concerning treatment. It is so damn hard deciding what's the right thing to do, balancing his life, his comfort & quality of life, your feelings and finances...

How big is your turtle and does she have a name? Does she respond to it? And what does she live in? One of our friends has a tortoise (different species, I know) and it has free roam of her house and yard. I don't think you can do that with turtles but I could be wrong.

[silver_chipmunk]

Thanks. I decided on that palliative care rather than aggressive diagnostics and chemotherapy. I feel comfortable with the decision, though it hurts like hell.

My turtle is named Christie, or Christy, I've never been quite decided on the spelling. She's 21 years old, and quite big, about eight inched long in the shell, extra for her head and tail. She's a water turtle and spends her time in a tank. I don't think she knows her name, but she for certain recognizes the can of turtle food when it's time to be fed.

[zhelana]

i'm sorry

[silver_chipmunk]

Thank you.

[paynesgrey]

I' m so sorry about Bjorn. *hugs*

[silver_chipmunk]

Thank you. I appreciate it.