The vet and I had a very long talk yesterday about prognosis and treatment. He felt that since the mass seemed to be encapsulated and he could only find tumor in one lobe of his liver, the option of surgery was a good one. He then proceeded to show me the dangers of this particular surgery and he was very upfront and honest about the fact that I could just as easily lose my boy during the surgery as not. That being said, he described the option of doing nothing and watching Satchmo simply succumb to the tumor and waste away.
I felt strongly that Satch deserved a chance to live and agreed to the surgery. I spent a very horrible day today waiting to hear from the vet how he did. When he called, I was afraid he would say that he lost him, but instead he said that everything went even better than we expected. Now that I have spent every dime I could get my hands on (this is not a cheap or easy option), Satch has made it through the surgery and has been outside to the bathroom. I just called to check on him and he is sleeping now but they plan to try to get him to eat something later tonight.
I plan to go see him tomorrow to let him know that I love him and am waiting for him to recover and come home. I am so relieved, but the vet warned me that he still can suffer complications from the surgery so he is not out of the woods yet. I appreciate this vet's honesty and forthrightness. He has earned my trust completely. He has told me everything he planned to do and even how he would deal with unexpected events during surgery. He was empathetic and provided me with support that I really needed. I feel that he is looking out for my boy.
I'll try to update tomorrow after I get to visit my Satchmo. I'll probably call the clinic through the night to check on him, though.
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