Surgery (remember, all external sites open in their own window. Close windows to return here)
Smedley was diagnosed with a large, basically inoperable spinal tumor. We couldn't even determine what the mass was without fullscale surgery because of where the tumor was situated.
The prognosis was not good. We wrestled with doing nothing or risking losing him on the operating table. If the tumor was malignant, it could spread. But leaving him permanently disabled was not the answer either...
Dr. Sean Sanders of the Veterinary Specialty Center said he was willing to help us fight for Smedley's recovery. If during surgery, Smedley took a bad turn, we agreed to let him be euthanized while under anesthesia. In a brave and amazing effort, Dr. Sanders was able to remove 95% of the tumor, which turned out to be a meningioma. Now we are trying to defeat the remaining five percent with the Navy Protocol, a nutritional regimen, exercise, a positive attitude and prayer. While Smedley's tumor type is not blood vessel intensive, we are hoping the protocol will work because the pathology report said the tumor was "atypical and may indicate more aggressive behavior than expected..." Smedley's tumor type is not especially blood vessel intensive, which is what the Navy Protocol was designed to attack. So this is experimental for this type of tumor. But we hope it works, not just for Smedley, but for all the kids and critters who suffer from this type of debilitating, and often eventually fatal, tumor type. |
