Gary, you are a wealth of information and I thank you. I thank All on this forum, and you are all wonderful and very kind.
We will read all the things you have linked for us.
It is funny, some days, I don't want to know anything - and other days, I want to know it all. Like the ostrich in the sand - maybe it will go away.
The other side of it, at least for me, is if I don't know, I can think good thoughts and have hope. Sometimes if I read one little thing that is not good - even if it is a rare thing that doesn't often happen, it will put me in a slump.
Anyhow, overall, I still feel knowledge is a good thing and you have to be your own advocate and to do that, you have to have the information.
The Stage of this tumor is somewhat confusing.
The oral surgeon/MD, who we originally were sent to Nov. 1 for a biopsy - this right from the dental hygienst chair - told our dentist he felt it was a Stage 2.
From reading, a Stage 2 indicates Lymph node involvement and he doesn't have that, was tested two times - the latest the day of the procedure. Although they had talked of taking the sentinal node.
We realized that the PDT will only be successful at a certain depth - which is Stage 1 tumor and to a certain depth that the light can get to.
When we were in recovery waiting room, we were told the tumor was deeper than they thought and might have to be re-done in March. This is when he will have a biopsy done, the three month appointment.
I was not feeling too optomistic after hearing that, and my sister in law was with me and heard it too.
The question would be as it is a Clinical trial and has to meet certain parameters, and he did,so maybe the Oral Surgeon was thinking it looked larger?
However, since the tumor was deeper than they thought, does that mean it was a Stage 2? Could it have grown deeper since the biopsy done in November - the PDT was done December 8th.
Seems that Stage 2 has two descriptons - one involving size/depth and one regarding lymph nodes.
I am sorry to hear of your sweet dogs, always in your heart.
