If I had more hair, this is what I would look like today. I took Taffy, the beautiful dog, to the vet. She has a tumor on her right leg that makes her limp and hurts. The options are not good. One is to amputate. The vet says it might give her a few more months. The other is to keep her on painkillers and then decide when here discomfort outweighs her happiness and then put her to sleep.
It is a strange position to be in. If money were no object I would amputate. But money is an object - a scarce one. It seems a little sick to let money be part of this kind of decision.
Limb Amputation
Anesthesia (Inhalant) $51.98
Additional Anesthesia $19.00
Surgical Monitoring and Recovery $13.00
Hospitalization per day $49.50
Major Surgical Pack $38.85
Surgery $600-$800
IV Catheter Open $48.00
Injections per Day Open
Intravenous Fluids/Administration X1 $135.00
Prescriptions Open
E-collar $19.00
Buprenex inj x2 $90.90
Cefazolin inj x 2 $90.90
Total - $1165.33 – $1365.33
Plus $338.00 to check for more cancer before surgery.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
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5 comments:
ouch. that hurts. that's a painful reality i'm very familiar with. wee arlo, who, at two, has had pneumonia several times and who struggles with breathing issues, is a constant canidate for several hundred different therapys of many levels of validity all of which promise some hope of relief. all of which also cost a cabin-full of cash. having to forgo promising roads to health due to the restricted income of the artist or the self employed just sucks a big clam bone. sorry about taffy's leg. i hope you win the lottery. if you do, let me know, willya?
oh taffy!
if i had a million dollars, i'd buy taffy a new leg.
i'm of the philosophy that quality of life is more precious than quanity. taffy's in her golden years, and may not be around much longer w/ or w/o the amputation. a big surgery like that would be a lot for her to take. that said, i think since you're with her now, you should make the most of it & then let nature run it's course.
much love to you, and to taffy! and to socialism (health care for the needy people (and animals!)). ¡viva la vida!
sorry to hear that, man.
I'm sorry that money is evil...as is this situation. I will send good thoughts your way.
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