^glad to see that the surgery is going as planned!

3/14/2007 9:27:12 AM

Quote :

"she just got out of the ct scan. the mass is fully resectable and not too close to any major vessels. they are starting surgery now and it should last 1.5-2 hours. they will call us when she is awake. the murmur is low grade (grade 2), and isn't anything to worry about."

Wow, that is great news! From the way my wife spoke about it you should have nothing to worry about then.

Quote :

"msb2ncsu: can you ask your wife to sneak in and check on bailey for us sometime after the surgery? if it's not possible, i understand. thanks!"

I left a message for her about it but I doubt she even gets it today. They are absolutely swamped in necropsy (she didn't finish up until 9pm last night) and on days like this its impossible for her to check her email or voicemail until she leaves for the day. You never know though and I'll let you know if she does get a chance to drop in. I do know that you can count on Bailey getting lots of love from the students there... they are suckers for old goldies.

3/14/2007 12:49:49 PM

k, another update:

they weren't able to remove the whole mass but they got most of it. the margin wasn't as clear as they thought it would be. she is out of surgery and in ICU. the surgery went well, standard amt of blood loss for that type of procedure. she won't be coming home until friday.

they're gonna call again later this afternoon to answer the questions my mom has.

3/14/2007 1:42:21 PM

My wife just called and said she got to see Bailey. One of the students who sat in on the surgery was there and told her about the same as you in regards to the mass. Apparently it was a little closer to the vena cava than they thought but they still got almost all of it, even a portion that had mets'ed to the liver. Overall they said she was doing great. Oh, and the emergency medicine resident was there too and told her that Bailey has been doing great since the surgery, no problems. My wife said Bailey was pretty dopey (from all the meds) but that when she came into the room and said her name she picked her head up and everything so that is a great sign.

My wife will keep an eye out for the mass when it comes to the pathologists.

I think Bailey is pretty lucky... the odds were against her, but she looks like she's going to be just fine.

3/14/2007 5:42:22 PM

Glad to hear everything seems to be going well. Keep us posted on her recovery YAY for the NCSU Vet School and HOORAY for Bailey...Get Well Soon

3/14/2007 7:52:06 PM

they called last night at 11:30 and said bailey's heart rate was up to 200. her belly was filling up w/ blood, so they gave her a transfusion. my mom is freaking out, and she has to work today (she works part time, 3 days a week).

if anybody could check on her and give me a status report i'd greatly appreciate it. we haven't heard anything else from the vet school yet this morning.

3/15/2007 7:14:57 AM

Awwwwwww lots of HUGS your way. I hope everything works out! Plz keep us posted!!!

3/15/2007 8:32:13 AM

Talked to my wife. She is gonna stop by this afternoon and see how Bailey is doing. She said this relatively common, especally when there is a biopsy of the liver because it is so vascular. She said she remembers this happening a lot just when they were doing spays. If one blood vessel doesn't properly ligate a dog will slowly bleed out. This drops the blood pressure and some receptor kicks in and increases the heart rate to compensate for the drop in pressure. Bailey should be fine. I'll let you know if my wife hears anything.

3/15/2007 9:54:38 AM

^please thank your wife for my mom. you don't understand how much better we all feel knowing someone else is checking on her too.

she was better earlier. her labs are still good, she isn't anemic. her kidneys are fine and her blood pressure is normal. temp is normal. heart rate dropped back around 140 while she sleeps, then 160-170 while they mess w/ her.

her heart rate jumped up again to 200 when they tried to take her to ultrasound. she started breathing really fast (forgot the medical word they used, not hyperventilate). so they gave her something (a med, more blood, i'm not sure what) and calmed her back down. they left her alone for a bit and her heart rate came down to 130. they brought the ultrasound to her.

her spleen isn't getting enough blood. they're not sure why yet. i'm thinking if she's got a leak somewhere in her abdomen and there's not enough blood reaching the spleen, maybe there's a connection b/w the two.

she's crossed the $4000 mark now. they had to call and check if we wanted to keep going b/c of the money. that's not a problem. the dr seemed to think it's just a matter of riding it out for another couple of days and she should be okay then. we'll see.

[Edited on March 15, 2007 at 10:54 AM. Reason : ]

3/15/2007 10:53:02 AM

things aren't looking good. she has generalized internal bleeding and they can't pinpoint where it's coming from. she's not a candidate for surgery.

they're going to try more whole blood transfusions b/c a dr there said he's seen a few dogs come back from that same type of situation w/ 8-10 whole blood transfusions. we're going up to see her at 4 today.

please pray, hope, keep your fingers crossed, whatever it is you do for bailey. she's not even 10 yrs old yet (bday apr 1st).

mom is kicking herself for getting bailey surgery. i told her though that she took her to the best place, did what we thought was best, and that i would have done the exact same thing had it been Mia (my dog). she's locked herself in her office at work and won't answer any phone calls (except from the vet school and family). i offered to pick her up but she insists on driving herself home. that dog is her #1 baby. i don't know what she's going to do.



[Edited on March 15, 2007 at 12:40 PM. Reason : ]

3/15/2007 12:37:55 PM

I hope it still works out. As for your Mom...I would go get her when you guys are gonna go see Bailey. She prolly shouldn't be driving in her condition and it might just get worse after you guys see her. You guys can always get her car back to her later. Good luck! Come on Bailey you can do it!!!

3/15/2007 12:58:48 PM

*huggles*
lub chew megan

3/15/2007 1:01:42 PM

Yeah, my wife just called me about Bailey (she was just down there). Everything she said was a bit over my head but she talked to the girl who did the biopsy and apparently the mass removed was pretty big, larger than expected. My wife feels horrible about i, as if she had some hand in this. The truth is, my wife could fully understand the risks and she still says she would have put our dog into surgery everytime. Your mom should not feel bad, it was the logical decision. There is no way to predict this sort of physical response (apparently its usually only seen in greyhounds, or something like that). I feel bad for the false hope from last night. But every sign they had suggested things were fine. We'll keep Bailey and your mom in prayers. I hope she pulls through.

3/15/2007 2:13:45 PM

your dog is in my thoughts, she's so beautiful

3/15/2007 2:16:24 PM

we went to see her. they sedated her before we got there so she would stay calm. she did lift her head and recognize us. it was hard seeing her like that. they said the mass was 7-8" across, much bigger than they thought. they're gonna keep on w/ the transfusions through tonight and tomorrow. tomorrow is the pivotal day they said. we're going back up tomorrow.

mom's not so sad about sending her thru surgery now b/c the mass was so big. she was in a lot of pain and discomfort before then and we can see why she had a hard time breathing sometimes now. no regrets.

3/15/2007 6:35:14 PM

I hope it all works out. Keep us posted and know we are all thinking, praying, etc... for Bailey

3/15/2007 10:15:28 PM

i can barely believe it, but bailey is BETTER!

i'm trying not to get too excited, but the bleeding stopped around 1am they think, and her heartrate is down to 110. she actually tried to get out of her cage this morning!! they took her for a walk outside. when mom told me that my jaw hit the floor. it's still too early to talk about her coming home, but this is a very good sign.

thank you everybody who has prayed and hoped and crossed their fingers. keep doing it, she's not home yet. thank you so much.

we'll be heading back up there this afternoon at 4:30.

3/16/2007 9:09:15 AM

That's fantastic news, even if you guys aren't completely out of the woods yet, I'm glad to hear that there was an improvement.

I know when our cat went to the vet school for their radioiodine hyperthyroid treatment (one of the first few to get the treatment there, i believe), they kept her all week and took *very* good care of her. Bailey is in good hands (although I have a feeling you know that already!).

3/16/2007 9:19:07 AM

yeah we've really been impressed by just the sheer number of ppl working on or caring for bailey. she's in the best possible place she could be. she's not out of the woods yet, no, but they said yesterday that today was the turning point, and she seems to be turning the right corner.

3/16/2007 9:43:22 AM

Great news...I was almost afraid to come and look at the update since I saw you had posted last but I am very glad Bailey is doing better. Hope it continues to go in the right direction

3/16/2007 11:18:15 AM

Hooray! I was really beginning to worry. So glad everything has turned the corner. Will tell the wife so she can go see Bailey one last time.

3/16/2007 11:19:21 AM

bailey's not leaving just yet. if she continues to improve, she still probably has at least 2-3 more days there. when your wife checks up on her, let me know how she's doing. also, i don't even know your wife's name and i felt horrible for that once we got there yesterday. you can PM it to me if you want. thanks so much!

3/16/2007 12:24:10 PM

I'll pass any info along.

3/16/2007 1:19:23 PM

well, i know they say she's a little better but she doesn't look it. they said they walked her outside today twice...and i know they sedate her before we go to see her...but it's just hard to believe that the bailey we see is the same bailey that gets up and walks outside. she started making this whimpering/moaning noise today that sounded like chewbacca. she was lifting her head and trying to get up, but they said she was under enough sedation that she doesn't really know what she's doing. i couldn't listen to her for long like that. she quieted down after we left.

they said that she's not upset b/c we're there, she doesn't know what's going on, but she only does that when we're there..and she stopped when we left the room. i feel horrible for her. i wish i could fix her. to hear her make that noise and scramble like that to get out of the cage made me feel like she's trying to say "WAIT DON'T LEAVE GET ME THE HELL OUT OF HERE". they said she's not in an extraordinary amt of pain and is on very good pain meds.

she really needs to keep improving. she has to stay over the weekend. i would do/give/pay anything to see her continue to improve over the next two days. she has to.

3/16/2007 6:29:50 PM

I am sure she just misses you guys and being at home. Hope she continues on her path to recovery!

3/16/2007 9:38:31 PM

she passed this morning. her heart stopped, they did CPR, she didn't come back.

[Edited on March 17, 2007 at 8:40 AM. Reason : ]

3/17/2007 8:24:21 AM

Oh no! I've been following this thread all along...not how anyone wanted it to end I know. I'm so sorry for yours and your family's loss. I hope your mom doesn't blame herself, this is definitely not her fault. Who could've known her heart would stop of all things? This makes me sad

3/17/2007 8:57:35 AM

I am so sorry to hear that Bailey is no longer with you guys I hope your Mom is coping well. I am so very sorry for your loss. RIP Bailey

3/17/2007 1:16:49 PM

she is going to necropsy. she went into DIC (not exactly sure if that's how you'd phrase that), basically her body could no longer produce clotting factors on its own. she arrested, they started CPR, then called mom to see if she wanted them to continue. she did not. i'm really really sad that she's gone, but i'm glad that she went on her own instead of us needing to put her down.

it's really weird being here at mom and dad's and bailey's not around. they were planning on selling the house before, but they were in no hurry. now they say they are getting out of this house as soon as possible b/c it reminds them too much of bailey.

this is terrible and it feels unreal.

i added some more pictures of her that were on mom and dad's computer, if anyone cares to see.

[Edited on March 17, 2007 at 3:16 PM. Reason : ]

3/17/2007 3:14:33 PM

Now if that isn't a loveable face I don't know what is!

Who is the puppy?

3/17/2007 3:53:40 PM

How sad? Are they doing the necropsy at the vet school or Rollins?

DIC is Death is coming. Not exactly sure whatelse it means.

I feel sorry for your mom and your family. It hurts to lose a family pet. i am sorry...

3/17/2007 6:34:35 PM

actually, DIC is disseminated intravascular coagulation

so sorry to hear about your dog, but your mom did the right thing

and she was so beautiful! she sounds like she was a very sweet dog

3/17/2007 6:55:44 PM

^^^the puppy is my brother's dog, charlie. he's 2 yrs old now. he's a golden mix. he was OBSESSED with bailey. he'd lick inside her mouth and she'd get so annoyed but she'd never bite him or make him stop. they aren't related.

disseminated intravascular coagulation is correct.

they are doing the necropsy at the vet school, then they will cremate her and give her back to us.

3/17/2007 9:33:40 PM

I am so very sorry for your loss. After last night I figured when I clicked on this thread earlier today it was gonna be a good progress report again. I was so hopeful. I think you guys definitely did the right thing and I am sorry for the way things turned out. HUGS

3/17/2007 9:45:06 PM

My wife was working today and called to tell me what had happened... I couldn't believe it and neither could she. I believe my wife will be the one doing the necropsy. I was so sure the worst was behind us. Prayers go out to your mom. I can only imagine how difficult the last week has been, such a rollercoaster of emotions.

3/18/2007 12:26:22 AM

yeah, we got our hopes up on friday even though we knew we shouldn't.

msb2ncsu, my mom wants to tell your wife thank you and that her checking in on bailey and reporting back really did make her feel better, more comfortable about leaving her girl there. thank you.
also, mom told them she didn't want to know what the results of the necropsy were, but i do. mom said she knows bailey is gone, she doesn't need to know exactly what killed her. i want to know, i want to understand exactly what happened. if your wife does the necropsy, or has access to the results if someone else does it, please fill me in.

[Edited on March 18, 2007 at 7:03 AM. Reason : ]

3/18/2007 7:02:40 AM

does this http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=466985 have anything to do with your dog? It describes liver problems and vomitting due to pet food...

3/18/2007 8:42:41 AM

no. she never ate those foods, plus she had a tumor the size of a small soccer ball that had been growing for years. read the thread.

[Edited on March 18, 2007 at 9:44 AM. Reason : ]

3/18/2007 9:44:05 AM

thank you everyone so much for caring, praying, hoping for Bailey's recovery. thank you for keeping us in your thoughts. it really means a lot to my mom and i. thank you especially to msb2ncsu's wife Danielle for all her work and care for Bailey. words cannot express how grateful we are to Danielle. she obviously really cares about her patients and even those who aren't her patients.

here are the necropsy results, if anyone cares to know:

Quote :

"Bailey's necropsy revealed multiple sites of hemorrhage, with substantial clotted blood around the liver, including the surgery site as well as areas of the liver not operated on. There was a large amount of blood in the stomach, the spleen was very enlarged, and the subcutaneous tissues were discolored yellow (icteric), indicating hemolysis of red blood cells. A small amount of the liver tumor had to be left in Bailey due to the large size of the tumor and it's proximity to the vena cava. The tumor that was left likely was very vascular, leading to bleeding, and also likely released several inflammatory factors leading to blood vessel damage, hemorrhage, and hemolysis. The surgeons could not have predicted this and they did all that they could in removing the tumor. There was also a large myocardial infarct (area of dead tissue in the heart muscle), likely due to a clot within a coronary vessel. This is what often leads to heart attacks in humans, and may have been the cause of Bailey's sudden cardiac arrest and death on Saturday. I still would have gone with the surgery even given the size of the tumor and the fact that it was an adenoma (benign). Primary liver tumors, whether benign or malignant, often behave the same way, and the classification between benign and malignant can be very subjective. These tumors are locally invasive within the liver and can grow to a very large size, but very rarely metastasize (go to other organs). Because Bailey was acting sick, not eating, and having trouble breathing, surgery to remove the majority of the tumor was the best option. Otherwise the tumor would have continued to grow and she would have deteriorated from the large size of the mass. She likely would have needed to be euthanized due to poor quality of life soon due to the tumor mass."

again, thank you


[Edited on March 19, 2007 at 1:19 PM. Reason : ]

3/19/2007 1:08:00 PM