Nugget needs surgery
Donation protected
Nugget still has more life to live and more love to give. Would you consider contributing to this GoFundMe for Nugget’s surgery? It would mean the world to Nugget and to me.
From Nuggets view: Hi! My name is Nugget! My dad calls me Nugget Nugget Nugget Nugget! I’ve been his best friend for the past 12 years. I love him so much.
The other night I almost died. My dad woke up to find me hyperventilating. I almost suffocated because I was too weak to move my head. I’ve been in a real fog lately. Every time I see my dad, he’s crying, and I just hope he’s ok.
From my dad’s view: My sweet Nugget has been my best friend and companion and I love her so much. Two years ago I had surgery on my foot that made it extremely difficult for me to go to school and to get across campus, especially in the cold! To the rescue, Nugget stepped up and became my service dog. She went to class with me; she would pull me forward and help me to get around. As a very independent person, it was hard for me to ask for help, but Nugget just knew instinctively how she could help! She knew to be gentle when I was on crutches, and knew she could get me moving faster once I had graduated to a cane. There is no way I could have graduated in the same amount of time if I had not had Nugget to help me get across campus, shop at the store, and be there for me to hold and cuddle with at night.
Three weeks ago Nugget was acting quirky so I took her to the veterinarian. Her liver numbers were slightly elevated but they were not concerned about it. Last Saturday Nugget’s energy, strength, stability, and mental acuity took a sharp dive. We rushed her in for an emergency visit and waited in the parking lot for 7 hours while they examined Nugget. After that long wait, we were given the devastating news that she had a mass on her liver that had probably spread to her lungs. Any interventions would be expensive and likely wouldn’t work. By the end of Sunday, Nugget could not walk and that is the night she almost died because she was too weak to move her head.
On Monday evening, in tears, I took my sweet Nugget into the veterinarian’s office to have a conversation about how to keep her as comfortable as possible while she was dying at home surrounded by her loved ones. All along, I felt like we had missed something, and just to be sure that the initial prognosis was accurate before taking measures to euthanize Nugget, Dr. Begany took an X-ray of her lungs.
The X-ray came back showing clean, clear lungs, and my jaw dropped. What happened next, was nothing less than miraculous. Nugget began moving about on the table trying to stand up. Jenn, the doctor, and I all looked at each other in wild astonishment. I helped Nugget right herself and she made her way toward me, placing her head on my shoulder almost as if to give me a hug. Dr. Begany stammered "I... I don’t think she’s ready to go.” "I don’t think she’s ready either!" I said, "But I don‘t know what to do." Just two days earlier she had been playing joyfully at home, and now she was weak and confused, but clearly still determined!
Dr. Begany suspected that Nugget’s impaired liver couldn’t deal with the amount of ammonia her body was producing and thought it might be causing her mental impairment and physical weakness. If so, the medication she prescribed would probably help. Dr. Begany had also said that because the cancer hadn’t spread to the lungs, it was operable, but very expensive, to the tune of about $6000. Also we would need to find a surgical specialist to perform the operation. I cried, Jenn cried, Nugget didn’t cry. But we went home with new hopes as well as new fears. The medication has helped a lot but Nugget needs a surgical intervention to remove the tumor.
I have asked myself three questions. The first question was easy to answer. Would I rather have $6000 or Nugget? The clear answer, I’d rather have Nugget! All day, every day!
Secondly, I had to find a surgeon. The surgical referrals I was sent home with were booked through January. Nugget was now stable and getting a little stronger every day, but this situation was urgent. The liver has a lot of blood vessels, which were now heavily strained and could burst at any moment. We just don’t have that kind of time. Then we were blessed to learn about the highly recommended Michigan Animal Surgical Clinic in Flint. They were able to schedule us for January 5th.
The final question is the toughest one. Where am I going to get $6000? I still don’t know. I’ll sell my car if I have to. I am determined to help Nugget!
Nugget still has more life to live and more love to give. Would you consider contributing to this GoFundMe for Nugget’s surgery? It would mean the world to Nugget and to me.
From Nuggets view: Hi! My name is Nugget! My dad calls me Nugget Nugget Nugget Nugget! I’ve been his best friend for the past 12 years. I love him so much.The other night I almost died. My dad woke up to find me hyperventilating. I almost suffocated because I was too weak to move my head. I’ve been in a real fog lately. Every time I see my dad, he’s crying, and I just hope he’s ok.
From my dad’s view: My sweet Nugget has been my best friend and companion and I love her so much. Two years ago I had surgery on my foot that made it extremely difficult for me to go to school and to get across campus, especially in the cold! To the rescue, Nugget stepped up and became my service dog. She went to class with me; she would pull me forward and help me to get around. As a very independent person, it was hard for me to ask for help, but Nugget just knew instinctively how she could help! She knew to be gentle when I was on crutches, and knew she could get me moving faster once I had graduated to a cane. There is no way I could have graduated in the same amount of time if I had not had Nugget to help me get across campus, shop at the store, and be there for me to hold and cuddle with at night.
Three weeks ago Nugget was acting quirky so I took her to the veterinarian. Her liver numbers were slightly elevated but they were not concerned about it. Last Saturday Nugget’s energy, strength, stability, and mental acuity took a sharp dive. We rushed her in for an emergency visit and waited in the parking lot for 7 hours while they examined Nugget. After that long wait, we were given the devastating news that she had a mass on her liver that had probably spread to her lungs. Any interventions would be expensive and likely wouldn’t work. By the end of Sunday, Nugget could not walk and that is the night she almost died because she was too weak to move her head.
On Monday evening, in tears, I took my sweet Nugget into the veterinarian’s office to have a conversation about how to keep her as comfortable as possible while she was dying at home surrounded by her loved ones. All along, I felt like we had missed something, and just to be sure that the initial prognosis was accurate before taking measures to euthanize Nugget, Dr. Begany took an X-ray of her lungs.
The X-ray came back showing clean, clear lungs, and my jaw dropped. What happened next, was nothing less than miraculous. Nugget began moving about on the table trying to stand up. Jenn, the doctor, and I all looked at each other in wild astonishment. I helped Nugget right herself and she made her way toward me, placing her head on my shoulder almost as if to give me a hug. Dr. Begany stammered "I... I don’t think she’s ready to go.” "I don’t think she’s ready either!" I said, "But I don‘t know what to do." Just two days earlier she had been playing joyfully at home, and now she was weak and confused, but clearly still determined!
Dr. Begany suspected that Nugget’s impaired liver couldn’t deal with the amount of ammonia her body was producing and thought it might be causing her mental impairment and physical weakness. If so, the medication she prescribed would probably help. Dr. Begany had also said that because the cancer hadn’t spread to the lungs, it was operable, but very expensive, to the tune of about $6000. Also we would need to find a surgical specialist to perform the operation. I cried, Jenn cried, Nugget didn’t cry. But we went home with new hopes as well as new fears. The medication has helped a lot but Nugget needs a surgical intervention to remove the tumor.
I have asked myself three questions. The first question was easy to answer. Would I rather have $6000 or Nugget? The clear answer, I’d rather have Nugget! All day, every day!
Secondly, I had to find a surgeon. The surgical referrals I was sent home with were booked through January. Nugget was now stable and getting a little stronger every day, but this situation was urgent. The liver has a lot of blood vessels, which were now heavily strained and could burst at any moment. We just don’t have that kind of time. Then we were blessed to learn about the highly recommended Michigan Animal Surgical Clinic in Flint. They were able to schedule us for January 5th.
The final question is the toughest one. Where am I going to get $6000? I still don’t know. I’ll sell my car if I have to. I am determined to help Nugget!
Nugget still has more life to live and more love to give. Would you consider contributing to this GoFundMe for Nugget’s surgery? It would mean the world to Nugget and to me.
Organizer
Jeremy Glogower
Organizer
Farmington, MI