# Pork Chop's Tumors is back!



## vinhle68 (Mar 19, 2012)

Hello SM Family! 

How have everyone been doing? Sorry I haven't been on SM much due to busy schedules and I just want to post an update to let eveyone knows that Pork Chop's tumors have returned and causing compression on his spinal cords and in result causing Pork Chop to struggle with walking on all fours. It has been roughly 2 years to date when he first had the initial tumors removed and undergo 30 days of radiatio therapy to hopefully kept the tumors cell from returning. 

We have just visit LSU Small Animal on 2/14/22 to have a new MRI ran and Dr. Looper confirm the tumor cells have regrow at the same spot but due to the initial removal, the empty spaces there have allow the regrow cells to spread out at a larger diameters. 

The MRI results were forwarded to Mississippi State and a new Neurologist in New Orleans, both said they agree that surgery is probably the best and fastest way to improve his symptoms.

Dr. Beasley (MSU) was a little concerned about the risk of bleeding, due to Pork Chop previous surgery and radiation making the area have more blood supply. The tumor is also near a major artery. This makes the surgery a little more risky than it was the first time. 

If we pursue the surgery, LSU might still recommend follow up radiation after the surgery to address the tumor that will be left behind and slow down the recurrence. If we did follow up radiation after surgery, they would probably recommend doing 16 daily treatments.

If we defers the surgery, LSU can also do radiation instead of surgery, but they are concerned that radiation may work very slowly and will not likely shrink the tumor completely, so it may leave Pork Chop with residual neurologic problems. 

Ann and I are likely going to go with the surgery option since it is the best option to quickly provide relief for Pork Chop. We'll keep everyone updated as best we can. Please send hugs and prayers for little Pork Chop!  Oh and Emmie says hello to her SM family as well. 

Take great cares everyone! 
Vinh & Ann, and Pork Chop & Emmie


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## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

Vinh, not the update we were hoping to see. Sending you love to you, Ann and the fur-babies!


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## maggie's mommy (Mar 12, 2006)

So sorry to see this Vinh. Sending prayers and positive thoughts for you, Ann and especially Pork Chop.


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## vinhle68 (Mar 19, 2012)

maggieh said:


> Vinh, not the update we were hoping to see. Sending you love to you, Ann and the fur-babies!


Thank you Maggie! We'll keep everyone updated once we can secured the appoinment with MSU.


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## vinhle68 (Mar 19, 2012)

maggie's mommy said:


> So sorry to see this Vinh. Sending prayers and positive thoughts for you, Ann and especially Pork Chop.


Thank you Maggie! We'll keep everyone updated once we can secured the appoinment with MSU.


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## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

Vinh, I am glad to see you here but sad w/the news of our little fighter! He has been through a lot. I will pray & we send love to you, Ann & Emmie along w/PC, of course! Please keep us posted.


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## mss (Mar 1, 2006)

Sending love and positive vibes for Pork Chop and the rest of his family. {{{{}}}}


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## Furbabies mom (Jul 25, 2011)

Oh I’m sorry to hear this.Lifting up prayers for Porkchop and his family


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## vinhle68 (Mar 19, 2012)

edelweiss said:


> Vinh, I am glad to see you here but sad w/the news of our little fighter! He has been through a lot. I will pray & we send love to you, Ann & Emmie along w/PC, of course! Please keep us posted.


Thank you Sandi! It's great to hear from you and seeing you are doing well!


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## vinhle68 (Mar 19, 2012)

Update: Ann spoke with Dr. Beasley today and we are now schedule to head to Mississippi State Veterinary March 29th and they will perform a physical exam and plan for the surgical proceedures. Dr. Beasley stated in their history they have not had ever had the opportunity to perform a second round of tumor removal. She stated there are significant risks such as bleeding and their plan is to first open up and look at the tumors and identify the risks factor. If they feels that the operation is too risky they stated that they will back-out of the tumor removal and recommend pursuing radiation therapy. On the other hand, if they can minimize the risk they may take another alternate option of removing half of the tumors, then allow the bleeding to stop before proceeding with 2nd removal proceedure. So basically it is going to depend on what they find and run into that will dictates the next step. We'll try our best to post update to this thread as we approach the end of March.


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## mss (Mar 1, 2006)

It sounds like he will be in excellent hands, with carefully considered options. Give him our hugs, and spoil him in the meantime. 🥰


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## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

Prayers for PC, you, Ann & Emmie! I have noted on my calendar to watch for an up-date. Give the little rascal a soft & loving nose bump for us too! ❤


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## Dixie's Mama (Mar 19, 2008)

Prayers for Porkchop and your family.


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## Coster (Oct 26, 2015)

So sorry to hear about darling pork chop saying prayers for him and your family .


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## vinhle68 (Mar 19, 2012)

Good morning everyone! Pork Chop and Emmie send their luvs to all the SM family and furbabies! Today we are making the 5.5hrs trip to Misssissippi State, and tomorrow 10AM is the appointment to see Dr. Beasly for the physical exam and surgery discussion. Please keep Pork Chop in your thoughts and prayers.


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## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

Hey Vinh & Ann---I had that date o my calendar for surgery on the 29th for PC---so you have been in my thoughts & prayers! You are in good hands! God is going before you & I am praying for mercy in this journey. We have no guaranteed outcomes, but the assurance that we are NOT alone can be enough for today. Please know that we care & that we will be here w/you. Our deep love & concern to you both & to your babies. ❤


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## wkomorow (Aug 26, 2011)

I hope Mississippi State has good news for you.


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## mss (Mar 1, 2006)

{{{{{Pork Chop and his family}}}}} Hoping for the best for you!


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## vinhle68 (Mar 19, 2012)

Good evening everyone,

Update on Porky. Today was a pretty stressful day for our little rascal fighter. He had to fast after midnight no food little water, until this 11am appointment with Dr. Beasley and then had to head over to get blood panel done to evaluate if he can handle anesthesia for the surgical procedure. We didn't get out until 3PM and finally got to fed the boy and he ate like a champ. He was a little stressed out today due to having to be kept in a kennels during the examination and he keeps trying to bite his way out so they had to give the rascal some trazadone to help keep him calm. The good news is they let us take Porky home with us today. He'll have to fast again tonight after midnight and we are dropping him off 8AM tomorrow, and the surgery is scheduled for 12noon. We have been advised to plan to stay her until Thursday as they will likely keep Porky under 24-48hrs observation post-surgery.


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## mss (Mar 1, 2006)

Continuing well wishes {{{{}}}}


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## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

Paws crossed everything goes well!


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## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

Vinh & Ann---prayers continue for PC & you guys! Thank you SO much for keeping us in the loop here "in the waiting room for Team PC!" Our hearts are knit together in love for this little breed!


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## vinhle68 (Mar 19, 2012)

Good evening everyone,

We're super excited to update everyone that the surgery was a success. There were two senior doctors performing the surgery together. We have only received basic information over the phone but so far they said that they removed as much of the tumor mass as they could. Due to the second regrowth, the tumor cells are more mascular and they were not able to completely remove all of the tumors, especially the cells that attached themselves to the spinal cords. We are pretty sure that they will recommend post-surgical radiation therapy again which will be done at LSU more closer to home. 

Our fighters Porky is stable and doing well lying and resting in his crate. They have IV attached to him to keep the boy hydraded and we are sure he's on some kind of pain medication. Due to the incomign storms tomorrow with high risk of servere weather, the facility is likely closed but there will be nurses on 24hrs out watch and will give us another update in the morning. 

Depending on how fast Porky recover, they are now estimating they may not discharge Pork Chop until as late as Friday. 
We'll continue to post additional update as we get them but for now, we are so happy for our boy making it through yet another major hurdle! 

Thank you for all of your love, hugs, kisses, and prayers for our rascal Porky!


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## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

V & A---thank you for a positive report! I am so happy that little PC is recovering & not in pain. I think it a good idea to let them stay there as long as they think best. I do hope the radiation will help to cause the spinal tumors to recede. We can all pray for that! S for now, rest up & hopefully our boy will come home soon. Big loves all around!


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## mss (Mar 1, 2006)

It is so good to hear that the surgery was a success! He is in wonderful hands for his recovery, willing to stay with him even through a storm. ❤ We will keep him, and his family, in our hearts, and hope to hear more positive updates as he recovers. {{{{{}}}}}


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## vinhle68 (Mar 19, 2012)

Update: nurse was able to take porky outside to potty this morning, though he is still walking wobbly on all fours, he is now able to get up which look promissing. They stated he is still in ICU and they are hoping he continue to recover well into tomorrow then the doctor will assess again if he is ready to be discharged or may need to wait until Friday. We are looking forward to visit our boy tomorrow


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## mss (Mar 1, 2006)

Great progress report!


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## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

Give him a nose lick from Kitzi & Lisi & enjoy every minute!


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## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

It sounds like everything went well! Prayers for a speedy recovery!


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## vinhle68 (Mar 19, 2012)

Great news SM family! Our little rascal fighter is finally home and resting. Dr. Beasley said that they were able to removed 90% of the tumors, the remaining was too close to the spinal cord and was too risky to remove and will have to be dealt with radiation therapy at LSU. The recommendation is to schedule a visit with LSU about 2-3 weeks out. 

Porky was so hungry he ate up two hefty portion of steam jasmine rice and his favorite dehydrated turkey treats. Came home ate more kibbles and rice lol and now snoozing off. 🥰


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## mss (Mar 1, 2006)

You all must be so happy!. And a good appetite is a good thing. 💗


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## vinhle68 (Mar 19, 2012)

DAY3 after surgery; Porky is still wobbly when he tries to stand / walk on uneven/not solid foundation like over blanket or bed, he'll mistepped and falls over like a clumpsy rascal. But if we place him on solid ground we can see that he is starting to slowly and gradually gain strength on all fours and can walk slowly and more steadily. Also he is now walking with his tail raised up which is a very positive signs that the removal of the tumors is starting to provide relieve from pressur to the spinal cords causing loss of controls and functions to his legs. We are hopping in days ahead as he healed, that he'l regain more strenght and uses of all fours. He is still eating like a champ mostly due to the prenisolone steroid making him hungry and thirsty. And he's still grouchy often doesn't like Ann or myself to try to pick him up. lol El Groucho....  Another great signs is that he is sleeping more peacefully and longer during the night, possibly also due to several type of pain/muscel relaxer meds he is taking.


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## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

It ALL sounds positive!!!!!! Yay!
It will take time to regain the strength he has lost in his legs, but should come w/time! Just a little bit each day & adding on as you see he is able. We are all praying & hoping for the best! Go team PC!


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## vinhle68 (Mar 19, 2012)

8th day out from last Tuesday surgery and Porky seem to be doing well, gradually improving but seem to be a much slower pace of recovery as we anticipated, but regardless it seem that he's getting better a little day-by-day and hopefully soon to be back to his normal rascal self!  He has not regain strong control of his four legs yet and often would slip and fall over when walking over smooth and slippery surface so we have to take extra caution to carry the boy over these area and not letting him walked over them. Ann cut off a piece of the bottom of her long pant so we can use it as a scarf over his neck area where the surgery incision / stiched area so that he doesn't scratch them with his front paws. One noticeable and postive outcome is that he sleeps more soundly and more through the entire night, not waking up and become restless like he used to. The meds he is on is making him super thirsty and hungry so he's been drinking up a lot of water and eating like a champ which is great. 

We are hoping as we stepped into week 2 that our rascal will show more signs of improvement and we are now awaiting a response from LSU/Dr. Looper for scheduling a post-surgery follow up and to discuss the Radiation Therapy plans.


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## mss (Mar 1, 2006)

It all sounds good! His pictures surely show he is feeling comfortable! 😁 Your wife was very clever and very caring to turn her own clothes into a wrap for his neck! ❤ I hope everything continues to go well. {{{{}}}}


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## vinhle68 (Mar 19, 2012)

Update SM Family, we ran into a slight major set back for Pork Chop the last few days. The initial batch of (3) medications that was prescribed for Porky after he was discharged, we finished giving all of the Tylenol3 and Diazapam doses about two days back, and was continuing only on Gabapetin and Prednisolone. The last 48-72hrs we can see the boy starting to feel more discomfort and seem like the pain level started to increased. We finally got a hold of Dr. Beasley today and she recommend starting him back on Diazapam and a more strong version of gabapetin called Pregablin. And we also have tylenol3 on hand if these two does not provide Porky some relieve from the pain. I guess he's getting older and taking longer to healed for the pain to go away. Our poor rascal fighter! We just have him the doses 30min ago and he seem to be in a sedated state but he is now able to lay down comfortably and rest. The last two days he keep pacing around on all four sluggishly due to still not having regain strength and control on all four legs, and also was having difficutlty putting his head down to rest or even to drink water. On a brighter note! The rascal now has a new trick where when he is not comfy we walks over to the water bowl and pawed at it with his front paws until he knock the bowl over and splashes water everywhere for us to clean up! 🥰 We now have a confirmed schedule with LSU on 4/25/22 for CT-SCAN to determine the plan for radiation therapy.


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## mss (Mar 1, 2006)

I hope the new medication schedule helps him be more comfortable. He's so smart to make up a way to get your attention! {{{{}}}}


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## vinhle68 (Mar 19, 2012)

Update: we finally found the right combination of meds and dose and that is .5mil of Pregabalin and .25mg of Diazapam 3 times a day and this has allowed Porky to be more comfortable in the last 72hrs. He finally seem to have gotten pass the pain or whatever was causing his discomfort and last 24-48hrs he started to show signs of gaining more strength and control of all four legs. He can more easily get off the floor onto all fours by himself and he seem to be walking more sturdy. So far looking more promissing for the boy.  We likely going to keep Porky on this medication doses until we see LSU on Mon 4/25.


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## mss (Mar 1, 2006)

So good to hear this! 😊


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## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

Great news to us here at SM! Keep up the good work! He is SO worth the efforts. Let us know as he progresses! Much love & many prayers!


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## maddysmom (Mar 8, 2012)

Fantastic news 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 yay!! What a fighter 💪🏻 Sending positive healing and hugs 🙏🏻 and hoping each day gets better.


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