Huge upset in our family

Ozzie has a pretty large mass on his right foot and just received word from our vet before we left for vacation that it was cancerous. We had an appointment for Ozzie to see a specialist today. Dr. Scaveli said this is a nasty tumor and we should treat it aggressively. I was doing everything in my power to hold back my tears… What was his definition of aggressive? And what would Ozzie have to go through? He’s our first baby!

Frank and I decided to have the tumor removed and his two toes that are nearest to it. The doctor said this was a good start and depending on the pathology, we’ll decide to amputate the entire leg. The surgeon has to have a clean boundary to be sure he got the entire tumor. The pathology report will reveal if we have to take his entire leg. Radiation was another option, but we decided not to put Ozzie through that ordeal. I’ve ready many articles which say the patients have horrible pain and it’s not 100% effective.

Dr. Scaveli, from Garden State Veterinary Specialists in Tinton Falls, was great. He put it all out there and told us what Ozzie would have to go through. The pic is of the offending tumor.

I couldn’t hold back my tears any longer when it was time to say good bye. I couldn’t imagine what I would go through if, god forbid, we would have to do any of this with our children! In the chance that Ozzie would be staying over night, we packed his food, two favorite toys, his medication and my t-shirt so he can have a sense of home when recovering.

The surgery is taking place this afternoon and we’ll get a call when he’s done. I don’t think we’ll visit him tonight as I wouldn’t want to upset him. I’m hoping he’ll come home tomorrow.

It’s a blessing that our schedules are that one of us is always home with him. We’ll make sure he’s comfortable and post any updates. Please pray for little Ozzie.