I got a call with the results of Jedi's blood workup. Basically nothing conclusive. Various things are slightly off from normal but the markers that were off normal could very well be off normal because of the tumor and the problems associated with it. So nothing definitive.
I also clarified what the 3 possibilities are... I was correct except the first one (benign tumor not on the spleen) is actually a hematoma on the spleen. So in all 3 cases it something on the spleen, either a hematoma or a tumor. In all 3 cases if surgery were to happen the spleen would be removed and then the exact nature of the growth would be determined after removal.
So what's the prognosis?
- For a hematoma (blood clot) - If no surgery is done, the hematoma would either remain the same size or shrink -- it is possible (though he has had this for a year so I would say it is not likely) for it to go away completly without surgery. He would continue to have his pain, ie have difficulty after walks, etc... So long as it doesn't rupture he should be fine overall. If we do have the surgery, it is curative - the pain would be gone and it wouldn't come back in this form.
- For a Hemangioma (benign tumor) - If no surgery is done then the pain continues as above plus there is a greater chance for a rupture to occur than a hematoma. Surgery for the most part would be curative. It is possible for the tumors to appear on other organs as well, if so, well, not much you can do in most cases. But after surgery the pain would be gone and he should be good for the long haul.
- For a Hemangiosarcoma (malignant tumor) - The outlook is bleak no matter what. I cannot get a definitive answer as to what no surgery would mean in terms of longevity and quality of life. I know he's had this tumor for 11 months as he was having problems walking last November and probably earlier than that. So I don't know what it means if he has cancer and we don't remove it. But if we do remove it then the prognosis is up to 3 months to live if we don't do chemo therapy and up to 6 months if we do. If you do Chemo then the quality of life starts to suffer (which it probably would anyway). There are circumstances that where life continues for a year or longer, but less than 10% do it.
So right now, I don't know what I'm going to do. I did find out that the ultrasound is $450, not $800, so that's ... well... good I guess. The ultrasound would look at the tumor and surrounding organs. If it is cancer and it has metastisized to other organs it may show up as lesions on his kidneys andor liver. That MIGHT be visible. The US also gives a general look at the various organs and whatnot - a final diagnostic step. If that's inconclusive as far as cancer goes then the next step is the big one --- surgery.
So we'll see... I've spent $1000 already, the US would bring that $1450 or so. Surgery would be another $3000. Ouch... If it turns out to be benign then it is all worthwhile... That's the gamble.