The day after the my dogs nightmare.
I was awakened by a phone call from the clinic who did his surgery early this morning. Nothing wrong, they were just calling in to give me an update. He made it through the night. He's stable. Still has a nasogastric tube. And he's now diabetic. He will remain in the hospital till the weekend.
The surgeon called me when she finished last night - the surgery was over 4 hours but she accomplished what she had planned in terms of removing the tumor, the pancreas, and part of the intestine - rerouting the gall bladder, and hooking everything back up.
I'M THANKFUL that he spiked a fever when put under anesthesia at my regular vet. It ended with him being transferred to a much more experienced surgeon, with a lot of medical support and the ability to provide overnight hospitalization.
When the surgeon called me during the operation - when she saw what a mess it was - she sounded very negative about his prognosis. I think that she was giving me the ok to say stop, close him up, put him to sleep. Instead I said please do everything you can to save his life. I realize other people might have made a different choice in the same situation, and that's ok.
I'M THANKFUL that I have Healthy Paws insurance - they will cover 80% of costs. I've been paying into it for years, and looks like now I will get back what I put in. We're way over $7K so far.
While I was freaking out last night I was looking for a vet who could manage his diabetes and possible cancer. I called another specialty clinic that is less than a mile from me to see if they were closed due to COVID-19. Amazingly, someone answered the phone. They do both emergency care and specialty care. And they have an internist who can manage an older diabetic dog without a pancreas. They also have an oncologist on staff. My dog has an appointment with the internist on Monday at 10:30am
I'M THANKFUL that the surgeon thinks the cancer had not spread. His chest xray was clear and the rest of his internal organs looked good in contrast to the mess that she removed.
I'M THANKFUL to be working from home while I am learning to manage my dog's diabetes.
And lastly, I'M THANKFUL for DU and all the support you have given me. I'm alone in my apartment, missing my dog, but it's wonderful to have your support.
Thank you. 
= new reply since forum marked as read
it’s so hard to be without them and I’m sure he misses you too. He is fortunate to have the kind of care you’ve been able to provide him. I’ll be thinking of you both and wishing you well.
It is so difficult to go through a crisis like his with our fur babies. We had a major medical crisis last July with our 6 year old poodle mix. She had IMHA which is a condition in which her immune system was attacking her red blood cells causing extreme anemia and oxygen deprivation. Most dogs do not survive. Most cases of this condition have no known cause. The emergency clinic we used was wonderful. After 2 blood transfusions and other interventions,they saved her life. She was in ICU for a week and the total lost was over 12K. We too had pet insurance that covered 90 percent of the cost, and we were so grateful that we did, as it gave us the ability to give Mona every chance to live. I was thrilled to hear about the successful surgery of your fur baby. Mona will be past the 1 year mark in July. That is the point that a relapse is rare. Until then, it can occur again. Veterinary medicine has come a long way. Prayers for many more happy years with your dog. 
