Dec 2012-Jan 2013 - 3 years cancer free

Well, it's three years since I first had my cancer diagnosed and removed and while Mum and Dad were celebrating, I decided that I would put a spanner in the works.

On the 7th December, I had my first ever nose bleed.

A horrendous gushing torrent that stopped my Mum's heart temporarily, and then stopped my Dad's heart temporarily after Mum texted a picture that said "Look what's coming out of Gromit's nose" and then ignored his reply text for the next two hours. She had a good excuse. I was at the vet physio when it happened, and then getting out of the car coming home I fell over big time, and she left her bag in the car and forgot all about her phone. Dad came home from work quick smart and found me in the garage on the cool concrete where Mum had left me while she rang my cancer vet.

Anyway, I had an urgent review at Dr Rod's BVSC that afternoon and the next morning it was the same old routine - no breakfast and another trip to Dr Rod's. Mum and Dad are calling it the "day spa" and I had a lot of things - a CT scan of my head, a liver ultrasound, blood tests, cancer site examination, Xrays and a general feel over.

Dr Rod found lots of things - a new lipoma (benign), some tiny spots in my liver (that can't be biopsied), a big hot spot inside one nostril, which is suspected to be a seed tucked deep in the back of my sinuses, but no cancer. And no real reason for a nose bleed.

We stopped my anti-inflammatories just in case they were causing bleeding and I went home with no real answers. Mum and Dad kept a close eye on me and over Christmas I had another three more nose bleeds. Stopping my anti-inflammatories was making me miserable, so Mum rang and asked for another appointment. Dr Rod was surprised I'd kept having nose bleeds and I was whisked away for more testing - more Xrays of my lungs, bigger and better blood tests, including one where they cut my lip and waiting to see if it would clot. It did. He let me restart my anti-inflammatories because they obviously weren't the cause. I even had my CT scan sent to Sydney for a second opinion to rule out cancer. And the news there is good. No cancer.

So, I'm now officially a mystery. I have another appointment in two weeks (or immediately if I bleed again). The next course of action, if it continues, would be to put a scope into my nose and find the hot spot, but its a big operation and I'm getting on in years. If we can avoid another anaesthetic, we'll all be happier.

So wish me luck!
Gromit

Hospital Trip -19th/20th November 2009

Thursday the 19th... Radical surgery day.

No breakfast again today. I am admitted early, given an abdominal ultrasound, chest xray and a CT scan of my upper jaw to see where the fibrosarcoma has grown. Then off to surgery for a premaxillectomy. I stay in overnight and they treat me like a queen.

Dr Rod has taken the tumour from the inside, so there are no cuts in my skin, they didn't even need to shave my muzzle. I feel different, but I'm not sure if I look different. Mum and Dad ring and the nurses say hi to me from them.

On Friday the 20th, I am discharged home. Mum and Dad are so happy to see me. I have a pain-relieving patch on my leg, and I will be having some Metacam each day as an anti-inflammatory.

If you look at the photos, you wouldn't even know I'd had the operation.