Latest Update 12-9-09 Storm's Been Diagnosed & Sunny's Biopsy Results

[Catty1]

Long Beach Hospital

This is what they use for Squamous Cell Carcinoma

We routinely perform this surgery using the carbon dioxide laser. The significant advantages are minimal bleeding during the surgery, negligible post operative pain, and no need to put sutures in for some cases. This short QuickTime movie below shows the initial incision with the laser, and just prior to suturing- note the lack of blood. Make sure you have QuickTime from apple.com on your machine and double click the box below.

A new and promising treatment for SCC is called Photo Dynamic Therapy. It involves the use of a laser beam to selectively destroy cancerous tissue only. An injection of photosensitive chemical is given to a pet that has SCC. The only cells that absorb this chemical are the cancerous ones. It is only these cells that are destroyed by the laser, the laser beam harmlessly passes through the normal cells that do not absorb the photosensitive chemical. If one of our doctors feels that this therapy is appropriate, they will let you know. It is considered experimental therapy, and is performed locally only at the Beckman Laser Institute at the University of California at Irvine, on a referral basis only.

Their website is kinda basic, but here is the contact info:
Long Beach Animal Hospital
3816 E. Anaheim St.
Long Beach, CA 90804
(562) 434-9966
Fax (562) 597-4226

We are open M-TH 7:30 AM to 9 PM
Friday 7:30 AM to 8 PM
Saturday 8 AM to 6 PM
Sunday 10 AM to 6 PM

http://lbah.com/patients.html Cute pics of people and their pet patients!

You know your friends here would do some fund-raising. If you don't want a second opinion, that is cool. But I did some searching and found this.

They have pictures of before and after surgery that are not gross or bloody at all...but they could upset a sensitive constitution.

{{{hugs}}}

[Moesha]

Excellent research, Catty. That is certainly one area where you excel. You try very hard to help all of us know all of the different options available with different situations.

[Pinot's Mom]

Tracey you are definitely not a bad Mom! The decisions regarding this disease and your kitty are yours and yours alone. We all respect that. ((((hugs)))) for you both.

[slick]

Tracey: I applaud your decision!! **clap clap**
With such a short time left, the only thing to do in my opinion is to enjoy and appreciate each day you have with your dear boy. Quality of life is what really matters and sometimes the cure is worse than the disease.

This has been a very difficult year for you. Please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers.

Luv
Slick

[krazyaboutkatz]

I absolutely don't think you are a bad cat meowmie! I think you've weighed all the factors involved and are doing the very best that you can for Sunny. Each and every case is unique. Only you know all the different factors and none of us are in any position to judge you for whatever decision you make. (Not that I feel that anyone has judged you at all!) I know it was so frustrating for me trying to get Morgan to eat the Transfer Factor, and it had no positive results in my case. I'm very glad for those that it has worked for.
KAK and I discussed it, and I'm sending the unused Transfer Factor to a friend of mine in North Carolina. She found out last week that her 3 year old Basset Hound has lymphoma. He's going to go through treatments that have an 80% chance of remission, but they still don't think he'll have more than a couple of years. So in addition to the the treatment, she's going to try the Transfer Factor and hopefully get more time with her Wilson.

Thanks. Hopefully your unused Transfer Factor will be able to help Wilson.

Tracey you are definitely not a bad Mom! The decisions regarding this disease and your kitty are yours and yours alone. We all respect that. ((((hugs)))) for you both.

Thanks so much Maggie. You've been a wonderful friend through all of this.

Tracey: I applaud your decision!! **clap clap**
With such a short time left, the only thing to do in my opinion is to enjoy and appreciate each day you have with your dear boy. Quality of life is what really matters and sometimes the cure is worse than the disease.

This has been a very difficult year for you. Please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers.

Luv
Slick

Thanks Slick. I know that you totally understand what I'm going through and I hope that you and Max will have a lot more quality time together too.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Long Beach Hospital

This is what they use for Squamous Cell Carcinoma






Their website is kinda basic, but here is the contact info:
Long Beach Animal Hospital
3816 E. Anaheim St.
Long Beach, CA 90804
(562) 434-9966
Fax (562) 597-4226

We are open M-TH 7:30 AM to 9 PM
Friday 7:30 AM to 8 PM
Saturday 8 AM to 6 PM
Sunday 10 AM to 6 PM

http://lbah.com/patients.html Cute pics of people and their pet patients!

You know your friends here would do some fund-raising. If you don't want a second opinion, that is cool. But I did some searching and found this.

They have pictures of before and after surgery that are not gross or bloody at all...but they could upset a sensitive constitution.

{{{hugs}}}

Candace, thanks for all of the research that you've done. I do appreciate it. You do have to understand that CA is a huge state and I live in the Northern part and Long Beach is in Southern CA. I think it's about 8-10 hours away from me.

Like Slick said "quality of life is what matters and sometimes the cure is worse than the disease". I totally agree and I just want to make my Sunny as comfortable as possible and when his quality of life is gone then it's time to say goodbye. I'll never keep an animal alive just for my sake. In my eyes it's just plain cruel.

[ChrisH]

No, not your beautiful Sunny boy. Tracey I am so, so, sorry. Both of you will be in my thoughts and prayers.

Tracey: I applaud your decision!! **clap clap**
With such a short time left, the only thing to do in my opinion is to enjoy and appreciate each day you have with your dear boy. Quality of life is what really matters and sometimes the cure is worse than the disease.

For what it's worth I totally agree with slick, in similar circumstances it is what I would to do for my Bob and Ebbs.

Much love.

[Medusa]

Tracey, everyone knows what a good mom you are, so no worries there, my friend. You're doing what's best for Sunny and that's true love. The right decision isn't always the easiest decision. Prayers are continuing. Keep the faythe.

[Scooter's Mom]

I wanted to come over to this thread and let you know I read this last week but haven't posted. I have not stopped praying for you and your babies. You'll all be in my prayers...

Many good thoughts and prayers being sent your way.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Thanks Chris, Mary, and Scooter's Mom.