07/18/2024
❤️🩹 Update on Fairwood’s Petit Lapin M***e aka The Bunny Bunny Bun Buns 🐰
Some of you may have seen from my stories, but here’s an update on what’s going on with my Bunny 🥺.
I brought her in for a follow-up last Friday for a persistent cough that wouldn’t clear. Initially, I suspected pneumonia, but I grew increasingly worried when the doctor suggested an x-ray due to her unusual breathing. The x-ray revealed a large mass that obscured her heart, and the doctor suspected sliding hiatal hernias, which can lead to aspiration pneumonia but needed confirmation from a radiologist.
The radiologist later informed us that the large mass, initially thought to be a hernia, is likely a giant cancer of the lungs, requiring an immediate CT scan. I contacted all the ERs and specialty clinics within two hours of home, but none had a CT scan available as an ER visit. Summit in Tacoma suggested calling at 6 am on Monday to check for availability, while I left voicemails for other specialists.
On Saturday, I received a call from the scheduler at Tacoma Blue Pearl for an appointment with Dr. Sarah Broom on Tuesday morning. Despite attempts to get an earlier ER appointment, we couldn’t secure one and had to wait for the scheduled visit.
During the Blue Pearl visit, they performed a CT scan of her entire body because I found a new 3mm lump on her lower mammary gland on Saturday. I also requested an upper airway evaluation since she needed sedation for the CT scan, and I had noticed changes in her breathing.
The evaluation revealed she is now at Stage 3 laryngeal collapse, likely due to age (she’s about 10) and the tumor in her lungs causing increased need for air. The CT scan showed a giant cancer in her right lung that appears to have spread to the left lung, as smaller tumors were visible. Dr. Broom took samples from the right lung and the breast lump. Surgery is not an option since the cancer has spread.
The pathology report confirmed Epithelial neoplasm with suspected carcinoma. We are starting her on a two-week round of Chemo medication (Palladia) to be taken three times a week. We hope she tolerates the meds without nausea, as aspiration is a risk due to her compromised airway. Fingers crossed this at least prevents further spreading and ideally reduces the tumor size for better breathing.
I asked the dreaded question about her prognosis, and without the final CT scan report, the doctor suspects she has about two weeks, potentially a month if she tolerates the meds. 😭
I’m spending as much time with her as possible. I hate leaving the house and resent having to go to work because I want to be with her. Nothing else takes priority over my Buns right now.
