PIKE'S CORNER It was two weeks ago on Tuesday May 17th just 2 months to the day of my 14th birthday that I vomited and didn't want to eat my becakfast (very unusual, the not eating, not the vomiting). My mom suspecting I might have gotten an avocado pit from the tree next-door and asked dad to x-ray me. It was after the x-ray that dad saw something he never suspected and then suddenly the whole day changed and I was getting my blood drawn and my belly shaved for an ultrasound. knew something was wrong when dad kept reassuring me as I lay on my back with ultrasound gel slicked across it, as dad carefully glided the probe around my belly looking at my organs. I think that he was trying to keep himself calm so that he could do the next hard thing and call my mom. Dad contacted mom and said "Pike has a huge spleen tumor, I am doing surgery on him this afternoon." Mom had just dropped off my sister at school and knew she would be on the road later that afternoon going to pick her up when the surgery was going to take place. Mom reassured dad that she knew I was in the best possible hands and that I would be just fine. She was actually totally freaking out. She texted my brothers on the mainland and told them to keep me in their thoughts. She even made a Facebook post telling everyone to keep me in their thoughts. I don't remember much other than feeling pretty jank most of that day. Then the amazing team that works with my mom and dad came and gor me. They put my IV catheter in place and prepped me for surgery. Dad said when he opened me up and saw the huge mass and noticed it had just begun to bleed into my belly he knew that if we had not taken the X-ray I most likely could have died over night. The mass was the size of a large orange and dad had to move very quickly to clamp all of the blood supply to the spleen so that he could remove it with out any more blood loss. The spleen is very vascular meaning it has an amazing blood supply and often times you might not know a pet even has a spleen tumor until it is too late. Spleen tumors by nature are never a good thing and more often than not, are cancerous. My mom and sister arrived at the hospital while I was still upside down on the table with my insides on the outside. Mom looked at the massive tumor on the spleen lying there on the table dad had just removed and told my sister, not to worry, I'm not going to lie, waking up was tough. I felt like I had been hit by a freight train. I was so tired that when I went to bed that night I slept so hard (drug induced sleep) I was still sleep walking through my day the next morning. Mom said when I gobbled down my full bowl of food despite clearly feeling rough, it gave her hope. The next few days came and went in a drug induced blar. I can honestly say that in my 14 years of life I don't think I have ever taken this much medication... EVER!!!! However, by the following Tuesday I was feeling pretty good. I was still sore when I over did it but over all I was doing pretty well. My blood work still looked great and my family assured me no matter what the pathology report said it was going to be ok... the wait for the afore mentioned report however was agonizing it took 2 full weeks to get the report back. I could see my mom refreshing the lab link multiple times each day and the look of anxiety at not seeing the report was evident. Of course things can never go smoothly and in the middle of my drama our toilet at the office somehow stayed on and flooded our examination rooms, the lobby, the storage closet and the hallway. For those of you who have been in and seen the beautiful remodel you can well imagine my parents horror as the calmly but very quickly ripped up the new floors and pulled off baseboard to mitigate any additional damage. Thankfully the quick action or my parents and the action of our amazing team saved everything. Other than needing to replace the floors, the walls and all but one baseboard and a small piece of drywall were saved. My dad spent the long holiday weekend relaying all the floors and baseboards mom will come back through and touch up the paint where the baseboards were quickly pulled away from walls and they will re-caulk it all in the coming days. Over all considering how bad it could have been.... well let's just say we were grateful. I don't think anyone was as grateful as we were on Tuesday May 31st. Not only did we celebrate my brother Bradly's birthday (he is 28) but we also celebrated my pathology report that said my mass was a Hematoma and non cancerous. I cannot think of a better phase. After the last few months where the Big C has been an ever-present conversation in our everyday life finding out I didn't have cancer was a huge win for Team Head. I thought therefore I would take a minute to express my gratitude for my mom for being ever vigilant, to my dad. Dr. Jacob Head for being the Best Veterinarian in the World and to our amazing team Keisha, Keala, Cecily, KK, Roberto, Desiree, Francesca, Samantha, Gabe and Alex with out whom nothing gets done. I also want to thank my sister and apologize for vomiting in her room. Last but not least. I want to say a special thank you to all the readers here, online and on Facebook who have reached out to give me lots of love and support and for sending me all the healing energy from across the globe. Trust me when I say I feel your love and I am profoundly gratefully for your support. With a grateful heart I want to scream from the highest mountain....RUFF! (That's thank you) Keauhou Veterinary Hospital, Experience your pet deserves, Experience you can trust. 13 Years! FIRST PLACE Best Pet Care FT PLACE BEST Hawaii 2020 West Handy AAHA BEST Hawaii 2021 West ACCREDITED Keauhou Veterinary Hospital, LLC Jacob Head, DVM ber 808-322-2988/Fax 808-322-2303 7:30-5:00 Monday-Friday 78-6728 Walua Road . Kailua Kona www.keauhouvet.com 8-5pm on Saturday Emergency call 24/7 PIKE'S CORNER It was two weeks ago on Tuesday May 17th just 2 months to the day of my 14th birthday that I vomited and didn't want to eat my becakfast ( very unusual , the not eating , not the vomiting ) . My mom suspecting I might have gotten an avocado pit from the tree next - door and asked dad to x - ray me . It was after the x - ray that dad saw something he never suspected and then suddenly the whole day changed and I was getting my blood drawn and my belly shaved for an ultrasound . knew something was wrong when dad kept reassuring me as I lay on my back with ultrasound gel slicked across it , as dad carefully glided the probe around my belly looking at my organs . I think that he was trying to keep himself calm so that he could do the next hard thing and call my mom . Dad contacted mom and said " Pike has a huge spleen tumor , I am doing surgery on him this afternoon . " Mom had just dropped off my sister at school and knew she would be on the road later that afternoon going to pick her up when the surgery was going to take place . Mom reassured dad that she knew I was in the best possible hands and that I would be just fine . She was actually totally freaking out . She texted my brothers on the mainland and told them to keep me in their thoughts . She even made a Facebook post telling everyone to keep me in their thoughts . I don't remember much other than feeling pretty jank most of that day . Then the amazing team that works with my mom and dad came and gor me . They put my IV catheter in place and prepped me for surgery . Dad said when he opened me up and saw the huge mass and noticed it had just begun to bleed into my belly he knew that if we had not taken the X - ray I most likely could have died over night . The mass was the size of a large orange and dad had to move very quickly to clamp all of the blood supply to the spleen so that he could remove it with out any more blood loss . The spleen is very vascular meaning it has an amazing blood supply and often times you might not know a pet even has a spleen tumor until it is too late . Spleen tumors by nature are never a good thing and more often than not , are cancerous . My mom and sister arrived at the hospital while I was still upside down on the table with my insides on the outside . Mom looked at the massive tumor on the spleen lying there on the table dad had just removed and told my sister , not to worry , I'm not going to lie , waking up was tough . I felt like I had been hit by a freight train . I was so tired that when I went to bed that night I slept so hard ( drug induced sleep ) I was still sleep walking through my day the next morning . Mom said when I gobbled down my full bowl of food despite clearly feeling rough , it gave her hope . The next few days came and went in a drug induced blar . I can honestly say that in my 14 years of life I don't think I have ever taken this much medication ... EVER !!!! However , by the following Tuesday I was feeling pretty good . I was still sore when I over did it but over all I was doing pretty well . My blood work still looked great and my family assured me no matter what the pathology report said it was going to be ok ... the wait for the afore mentioned report however was agonizing it took 2 full weeks to get the report back . I could see my mom refreshing the lab link multiple times each day and the look of anxiety at not seeing the report was evident . Of course things can never go smoothly and in the middle of my drama our toilet at the office somehow stayed on and flooded our examination rooms , the lobby , the storage closet and the hallway . For those of you who have been in and seen the beautiful remodel you can well imagine my parents horror as the calmly but very quickly ripped up the new floors and pulled off baseboard to mitigate any additional damage . Thankfully the quick action or my parents and the action of our amazing team saved everything . Other than needing to replace the floors , the walls and all but one baseboard and a small piece of drywall were saved . My dad spent the long holiday weekend relaying all the floors and baseboards mom will come back through and touch up the paint where the baseboards were quickly pulled away from walls and they will re - caulk it all in the coming days . Over all considering how bad it could have been .... well let's just say we were grateful . I don't think anyone was as grateful as we were on Tuesday May 31st . Not only did we celebrate my brother Bradly's birthday ( he is 28 ) but we also celebrated my pathology report that said my mass was a Hematoma and non cancerous . I cannot think of a better phase . After the last few months where the Big C has been an ever - present conversation in our everyday life finding out I didn't have cancer was a huge win for Team Head . I thought therefore I would take a minute to express my gratitude for my mom for being ever vigilant , to my dad . Dr. Jacob Head for being the Best Veterinarian in the World and to our amazing team Keisha , Keala , Cecily , KK , Roberto , Desiree , Francesca , Samantha , Gabe and Alex with out whom nothing gets done . I also want to thank my sister and apologize for vomiting in her room . Last but not least . I want to say a special thank you to all the readers here , online and on Facebook who have reached out to give me lots of love and support and for sending me all the healing energy from across the globe . Trust me when I say I feel your love and I am profoundly gratefully for your support . With a grateful heart I want to scream from the highest mountain .... RUFF ! ( That's thank you ) Keauhou Veterinary Hospital , Experience your pet deserves , Experience you can trust . 13 Years ! FIRST PLACE Best Pet Care FT PLACE BEST Hawaii 2020 West Handy AAHA BEST Hawaii 2021 West ACCREDITED Keauhou Veterinary Hospital , LLC Jacob Head , DVM ber 808-322-2988 / Fax 808-322-2303 7 : 30-5 : 00 Monday - Friday 78-6728 Walua Road . Kailua Kona www.keauhouvet.com 8-5pm on Saturday Emergency call 24/7