CW Update

It's like putting together the pieces of a puzzle. Each time you fit a piece into place, you create two or three new places for as yet undiscovered pieces. Answers often yield nothing other than new questions. It can be frustrating.

Clueless Wonder's ultrasound indicated the kidney changes we expected to see during renal failure. There were also hyperechoeic areas in his liver and spleen, and something that could or could not be a cyst in his pancreas. This could all be from simple inflammatory changes, possibly due to pancreatitis. Or it could indicate what my veterinarian prefers to call a "neoplasm". "Neo" for new. "Plasm" from the Latin root that refers to the stuff that cells (life) are made of. "New Life." Such a soft word for cancer.

I've given permission for aspirates to be performed. Aspirates are a way to take tissue samples using a needle. It's a lot less invasive than performing an operation to get a sample. CW will have to remain at the clinic overnight though, to make sure that he's OK after the specimens are obtained.

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I no sooner got the above typed than the veterinary clinic called me again. They ran a preliminary clotting time on CW's blood, and it may be slower than it's supposed to be. They've collected a sample for further testing, and are sending it to an outside lab. They won't perform the aspirate until they know for sure it won't cause bleeding problems, so CW gets to come home tonight after all. If we do the aspirates, it won't be until next week at the earliest.

I think I'll make time Sunday to get pictures of George with Santa this year. Anybody I have to buy presents for can just wait until I have the time. Some things are more important.