Tuesday, September 12, 2006

There’s a Fungus Among Us!

Let’s start with the good news, then we will give you a little of the background story…the cell scrape of Luna’s eye came back from the pathologist.  It is a fungal growth.  Yup.  She’s got a fungus.  There’s a fungus among us.  Gross & disgusting but totally awesome because it is totally curable and NOT cancer!!!  Yipee!!  We will sleep well tonight.  So, there is the short story for all of you reading this on your coffee break.  Those interested in the full details, hope you’re reading this on lunch or after hours.

It was Saturday afternoon and we were filled with worry and noticed that not only had her eye not been getting any better but it was getting even worse.  It looked a little like pink cauliflower.  Don’t know how it wasn’t bothering her, but it wasn’t.  Nonetheless, it was growing and getting uglier.  We decided to do a little therapy shopping for the baby girl.  We went shopping and picked out a few little dresses for our littlest pug.  (We will have blogs about this, too, so keep an eye out for the fashion show.) 

By Sunday, we had decided that we would have to schedule the biopsy since the vet had said if the medicine wasn’t working then a biopsy would need to be done.  Knowing cancer was a possibility, we did not want to wait for the skin scrape to come back, we saw Luna’s sore growing and we would have to act quickly to stop the spread any further.  So, early Monday morning, we called and scheduled the biopsy.  We spoke to the nurse and explained the situation that the growth was getting bigger, changing shape and the color was getting angrier looking.  We discussed whether the biopsy was a wise decision to do at this time or if we should really wait possibly another whole week for the skin cell results.  The nurse agreed that the biopsy was the appropriate course of action.  The biopsy was scheduled for Wednesday.  This was the day that surgeries are done at the specialist’s office.

It wasn’t an hour later that the nurse called back to say that they were cancelling Luna’s appointment for the biopsy because it would not be necessary.  The results of the skin scrape came back and it was a fungus.  Truthfully, the glory of it all still hasn’t sunk all the way in but I know that everyone in our household will sleep better tonight.  The specialist, which is about an hour away, will ship the medication that she needs to take via DHL.  It should be here tomorrow or the next day.  It is nice that we don’t have to go pick it up from them but we would make the trip if it were urgent.  Yay.  It’s not urgent.  She has athlete’s foot in her eye.  Lovely.  Yet, not urgent!

While we are very excited that she is fine, we are understandably miffed as to why the specialist never even suggested that it could be as simple as a treatable fungal infection.  There were basically 2 causes according to her:  re-current tumors as a result of her own body trying to create scars over her dry eye or cancer.  Those were the choices.  We will inquire at next week’s follow up why this other option was never ever mentioned to us.  It would have been nice to know that there were other possibilities but I guess they just prepare you for the worst and then when you get something better, then it really makes your day.

Thank you all, out there in the pug community, that held Luna in your thoughts and prayers.  It is so comforting to know that we have your support and warm wishes in times like these.