Elsa Update: Radiation Prep

Elsa just had her preliminary CT and MRI scans today prior to starting her radiation therapy on Monday. The additional imaging showed that the tumor is bleeding. Apparently that is not totally uncommon and will usually stop with radiation treatment, however, it does add an extra obstacle towards her healing process. They also found a lot of fluid in her ears which may need draining if a course of antibiotics doesn’t clear that up. They determined that her veins are very weak and it was recommended to place a vascular access port (VAP) under the skin directly into a vein for the duration of her treatment to allow for easier IV placements. Lastly, she has been 100% diagnosed with Cushing’s Disease as a result of the tumor, again, it may resolve with radiation therapy but may need lifelong management.

With all that being said, the oncologists and staff are still really optimistic that radiation can reverse a lot of what we are seeing and give Elsa her quality of life back. We are told that this is one of the most satisfying cancers to treat because of the noticeable and fairly fast improvements that are made with treatment. We can’t wait to report back to you guys with that!

We will be boarding her at the hospital for the first week of treatment to allow for 24/7 access to medical care as she is so weak that we want her to stay under observation as she starts this process. We will assess the boarding situation after week one and see if she is stable enough to go back in forth for daily treatments.

The real fight begins on Monday, so please hold your doggies close and continue to put all the strength and well wishes for Elsa into the universe. All the support has meant the world to us and we love our little Cvlt!