From:
zus888@netzero.net
Date: 2002-08-03 03:09:42 UTC
Subject: Zinc's surgery
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <839559.1028344182911.JavaMail.root@scandium>
Zinc's surgery has, thus far, been a success. Zinc went under the laser on=
Friday morning. The surgery held a surprise for our vet and turned out to=
be more complicated than expected. She had no symptoms whatsoever (except=
for that rattail that had resurfaced). In fact, from watching her, she ha=
d the energy of a kit. The blood glucose test given the week prior had giv=
en us the clue that something was amiss. There was a small tumor on the pa=
ncreas, but the vet does not believe it to be an insulinoma. It will be se=
nt to a lab. Also sent to the lab will be an intestinal biopsy. The intes=
tines looked fine, but with her history of IBD, we wanted to know for sure =
how she's doing in that respect. The surprise was the right adrenal gland =
tumor. The tumor had grown alongside the vena cava and a bit into it. The=
doctor believes that he managed to remove the entire right gland. Unfortu=
nately, in order to do so, he had to cut into the vena cava. It was not li=
gated. Blood can still flow through, but the vena cava is now narrower in =
that part. So, she will remain hospitalized until the vet is sure that she=
's out of danger. She is being pumped full of fluids and a medication thro=
ugh a catheter to ensure that blood will continue to flow freely and the ki=
dneys will be flushed out. The risk of throwing a clot should be significa=
ntly reduced after 48 hours or so. =
=
I'm sorry I cannot remember the medication. The vet explained everything t=
o me, but I'm so exhausted and stressed that I cannot recall some of the de=
tails, like the medication being used to enhance blood flow. Heck, I don't=
even know if that's absolutely correct, but it has something to do with th=
at. Perhaps some other more experienced people here can correct any errors=
I have made...
=
All in all, though, she doing "wonderfully." She is alert and moving. And=
it was good that we went in there when we did because the outcome could ha=
ve been very, very bad (like a possible vena cava rupture). All of the abo=
ve developed in a matter of a year (the last time she underwent surgery).
=
Suzanna Donahue
Zinc, Pixie, Riki, and Bug
=