calliecritturs
Posted : 3/3/2010 11:45:18 PM
sillysally
The pathologist said that although my vet only got 1 centimeter margins around the tumor and they prefer to get 2, there did not appear to be any diseased cells in or beyond the margins. They are doing x-rays friday to make sure it hasn't spread. Either way, DH and I are thinking we are at least going to do prednizone......
This is where I "found" TCVM (Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine). They didn't get "clear margins" around Muffin's surgical site (under the prepuce area) because there just wasn't any more flesh TO take. He'd already made it thru so much we decided to try chemo and see how it went.
We went to the U of FL at Gainesville (and I would SO recommend a vet school for that -- it is beyond compare -- less expensive, and cutting edge). Eventually they released Muffin's care to our regular vet for follow up.
BUT at the same time, I made an appt with Dr. Xie who is also on staff at the University ... I knew of him thru some other vets and when I asked Dr. Clemmons what was the best shot we could give Muffin he said TCVM ... hands down. He emphasized that TCVM often will literally *augment* chemo but at the same time pretty well neutralize ALL the side effeccts.
Wow -- I was astonished. No nausea (at all), no diarrrhea, no hair loss, no upset stomach -- nothing. There were herbs they had me give him 4 days prior to a chemo treatment, and then herbs to give him ...some for just 6 days after, some continually.
The Chinese do incredible things with cancer -- the Chinese word for cancer is "stagnant blood" -- so their whole theory to treatment OF mast cell is to make sure the blood is moving thru the body the way it should and that it is actually cleaning via the kidneys/liver as it should.
Honestly? At this point if I had another dog get mast cell? I probably would do JUST the TCVM or a very SMALL amount of chemo. We found another tumor -- probably 4 months later -- that was actually PRIMARY but had been missed. They removed the toe (his entire toe was a mast cell 'tumor' - it was more than strange but apparently not uncommon) and sent it out for pathology -- but this was the weird thing. The TCVM & chemo that we'd been doing actually had eradicated virtually ALL of the cancer in that toe. The cells that were found were *ancient* (who knew -- mast cells can actually be 'aged' to know how long they've been there) but nearly ALL of them were gone. That means just the first chemo treatments, PLUS THE TCVM had virtually done what surgery is usually used for.
So if you have already used surgery -- your odds of using TCVM to a) keep more mast cell from developing and b) to keep that particular site cancer free -- are darned GOOD.
Now, if you go to the Chi Institute website http://www.tcvm.com -- there is a locator on the left. Plug in your zip code and also check the state listing if you are near a border -- you'll be surprised. Because so much of Indiana is rural you'll be surprised how many TCVM vets there ARE there. It's becoming very accepted.
IF you are interested, holler -- I'll be glad to help you