19th December - Actually finding what's wrong

  I thought after finishing off my last blog waiting for the results of Jaidi's biopsy, that I should go someway to finishing the story (as far as we can at this stage).

 For those who haven't seen the posts since last week on FB, or heard through word of mouth, Jaidi's results where free of cancer. It was more than we could have hoped for, but fortunately true. That week was very difficult as we lived through all the scenario's. We did notice that after a few days of the anti-biotics that the morning limp had stopped, but we didn't want to get our hopes up without those results.

Jackie followed up with Rachel today. The diagnosis is:

  'Periosteal Bone Proliferation with Bone Reabsorption'. As we understand this means that he has either had a fracture or foreign object infiltrating the bone and good healing hasn't taken place naturally.

Jaidi goes back to vets in 10 days time for a re-scan to see how / if the healing is taking place following the course of anti-biotics.

If there is one thing that has come out of this whole worrying episode, that is to not take the worse case scenario as the only one and to seek a second opinion. We were under immense professional pressure to make an immediate decision and have major operation (i.e. amputation). Even now I think how close I was to taking that advice. Its only that we had made a conscious decision not to take Jaidi to the vets for that consultation could we find breathing space to prevent such a quick decision.

If I could offer any advice to anyone who might go through this emotional experience it would be:

1) Talk to people and listen to the advice and feedback. Even the words of support help to take the emotion out of the situation and formulate a plan.

2) Question the advice being given and keep an open mind. Very easy to say and very difficult to do. But remember that (i) you are paying for the advice so why shouldn't you be able to do this (ii) medical prognosis is not an exact science, think of the examples where human diagnosis have not been correct, and we can give very precise feedback about ourselves! 

Keeping an open mind is important otherwise one can enter into discussions like this with a pre-formed view of either trying to prove the professional wrong or only listening to the advice offered.

3) Get a second opinion.

4) Keep invasive surgery as the 'final option'. I learn't this myself some years ago. Although the roles where reversed and the consultant was reluctant to carry out a procedure on the basis that surgery is pretty much irreversible.

All this sounds easy in hindsight. I know it wasn't at the time, but every event has some learning and this is what I take away. 

Finally, as we stand today, Jaidi should make a 100% recovery, which is the single most important thing!