[nagdu] major dilemma

[Steve Johnson]

Bernadetta,

What is TSE willing to do at this point?  If it is this expensive, and
extensive, this is an incredible undue hardship on you.  My immediate
thought would be to see how they can help.  Possibly, they might have other
connections for this procedure as well.  

This has got to be so difficult for you, and I can't begin to even think of
how your pup might feel. 

The best to you and your pup,

Steve & Misha

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Bernadetta Pracon
Sent: Thursday, November 11, 2010 10:48 PM
To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
Subject: [nagdu] major dilemma

Hi Everyone:
If you recall, a couple of days ago I introduced myself to the list, and I
shared with you that my Seeing Eye pup, Kipp, has cancer.
Well, I had a meeting with his oncologist today, and, needless to say, I am
very worried about the situation. Kipp's cancer is in his mouth, and she
said that in order to remove it, they would have to perform a very difficult
surgery. She added that that surgery would not necessarily garentee that the
cancer would be aborted, in which case, they would have to put him through
radiation. When she told me this, I asked her what his chances of survival
were once this was treated. I felt she was not being streight with me, so to
speak, because she sort of avoided the question. she said, "if we do the
surgery alone, the cancer might show up again in seven months or so. If we
do the radiation with  the surgery, it might not show itself for about two
more years." So then I asked her how the cancer would progress if no
treatment was undertaken, and she would not answer that. The only reason I
asked her that is because I wanted to find out how dangerous Kipp's cancer
is to him.
However, my worry is this: I looked at his discharge papers today, and I saw
the cost of the surgery. Ten thousand dollars in total including anesthesia
and the hospital stay, etc. , and sixteen thousand dollars for radiation. If
I was a full-time worker and had a well-paying job, I wouldn't mind forking
over twenty six grand to cure my best friend in the world. Unfortunately,
I'm a student and a freelance writer, and I've never even owned that much
money at any one time. In addition to that, his discharge papers were much
more concise than that doctor, and it was stated that neither the surgery
nor the radiation would give him more than a sixty five percent chance of
survival. About the surgery, it stated that this procedure would consist of
removing  part of his upper jaw, so he would not be able to eat normally for
a long time and would  likely  have to adjust to his new life for a while.

My dilemma is this:  If I don't have nearly enough money to pay for his
surgery, how do I go about financing it? I've looked online for some sort of
animal foundations where I could get a loan or a donation to fund his
treatment, and I haven't found anything that caught my eye. 
Does anyone know of any financial resources for ill service animals in need
of expensive treatment? Of course, I'd use Kipp's pet insurance as a basis
for this sortof cost, but I know they only cover about four thousand of what
it would cost to cure him.

Secondly: I know this might come off as a strange thought, but I'm
wondering, if he really has that many odds against him with this disease, is
it humane to put him through this sort of suffering if it might not help him
in the end? I mean, right now, Kipp is still a happy, seemingly healthy,
energetic boy. He's blissfully unaware of his illness, it seems. His cancer
was found by accident, as a matter of fact. If not for a routine check-up, I
would not have known he was ill in the first place.  If I put him through
surgery, all of a sudden, he'll wake up from his anesthesia not being able
to eat, and a part of his inner mouth will be missing. Imagine how confused
and scared he'll be for a long time, while he recovers. They'll have him on
IV fluids for a while, and then they'll send home injections to use in order
to nourish him. /Also, it's clear to me that he won't be able to work
anymore after this surgery. He's still very eager to work, and I've been
told by the doctor that there's no reason for him to retire unless he starts
feeling worse, or until the surgery takes place.  It's important to mention
that he won't be with me anymore after a while, because I'm not allowed to
keep a retired service animal in my apartment, due to the no-pet policy in
the building. So he'll be moving in with my mother, and I'm concerned that,
even though Kipp knows and loves her well enough, he might feel even more
freaked out if I'm not around to take care of him. I've had him for four
years, and he gets very upset if i'm gone for long periods of time. If I
didn't opt for the surgery, I could keep him with me longer, and maybe find
ways to medically ease his pain if the cancer progresses.
I'm really lost as to how to handel this. It's my first guide dog, and I've
never had to make these sort of decisions for another dog before. 
I'm sure many of you were faced with this sort of situation before. Can
anyone please give me any advice? Also, has anyone specifically delt with a
Fibro Sarcoma before, or with a dog who had to have a tumor removed from his
mouth?

Any thoughts, advice, or information would be greatly apreciated.

Thank you ever so much in advance..
Sincerely,
Bernadetta

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