October 27th, 2012
dr. sisson
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encouraged to get a second neurological opinion before scheduling sullivan’s amputation, we booked an appointment with angell’s other board certified neurologist dr. allen sisson on tuesday, september 25.
we were tipped off by many that dr. sisson offers a rather unorthodox, highly academic, socially detached approach to his practice. he phoned me at 9:30 pm on saturday night to go over sully’s case and ask questions so he’d be prepped for the meeting.
on the phone dr. sisson asked that we take sullivan off of all medication in preparation for his physical exam. sullivan was only on a small dose of tramadol and fairly intense prednisone dosage. again utilizing google, i knew of the severe risks involved with cutting prednisone cold turkey and was very concerned about how sully’s body might react especially given the prolonged length he had been on predisone (nearly six weeks).
on the phone dr. sisson asked that we take sullivan off of all medication in preparation for his physical exam. sullivan was only on a small dose of tramadol and fairly intense prednisone dosage. again utilizing google, i knew of the severe risks involved with cutting prednisone cold turkey and was very concerned about how sully’s body might react especially given the prolonged length he had been on predisone (nearly six weeks).
dr. sisson welcomed sullivan, weighed him and brought him into the exam room. also sitting in the room were two other individuals furiously typing on laptops, a veterinary fellow and a technician (though they were never introduced to us).
dr. sisson performed a very thorough exam of sullivan. after making a series of physical manipulations of sully’s body, the doctor would return to his computer and type in his findings. this went on for nearly 40 minutes. occasionally dr. sisson would ask a question or two but then returned to his computer to document his clinical conclusions.
the socioemotional vibe in the room was awkward and confusing. my mother and i whispered back and forth so as to not disturb the doctor’s exam.
upon review, dr. sisson agreed with dr. arendse’s recommendation to amputate. like arendse and knapp, he believed that sullivan’s three other legs were strong and that this surgery would be a true relief to sully as he would be pain free and not required to drag a cumbersome, lame leg around when trying to move about.
dr. sisson also concurred that sully’s medical problem was most likely the tough to diagnose nerve sheath tumor. relieved to finally have a likely diagnosis, the lack of confirmation continued to be frustrating. despite thousands of dollars of imaging tests and the like, nothing could be identified 100%.
despite the amputation, dr. sisson stated that nerve tumors typically reoccur in the remaining limbs or spinal area within 1-2 years. reappearance at that time is fatal.
we were unprepared to hear this.
brimming with emotion, we wept while sitting on the cold exam room floor. this is terrible. how can this be happening?
as we had told all the medical professionals, one of the hardest parts of this process is coming to terms with sullian’s immobility. the fact that this happened to him would equate with a triathelete developing multiple sclerosis. sullivan’s unbridled joy is best demonstrated through running. how cruel that his greatest passion is being taken away.
after tearfully sharing this with dr. sisson, he knelt down on the ground, placing a hand on sullivan and shared a story. years back he diagnosed a cattle dog with a nerve sheath tumor and recommended the same course of treatment. devastated, the owners were crushed that their beloved furry friend would no longer be able to herd and run through the fields given his three-legged configuration. months after the amputation, dr. sisson received word from the family that the dog had not only recovered beautifully but had resumed all herding duties and was doing such with proficiency and grace. tears flooded dr. sisson’s eyes as he shared this story and after pausing he said, “sullivan will do just fine”.
the bomb from this trip was the news of the potential recurrence of the tumor. granted we never know when our “time is”, it just seemed so cruel and mentally unfathomable that our little pal would have to endure a difficult surgery, live on three legs, and then in 1-2 years be afflicted by another devastating medical condition that would forever debilitate him.
upon leaving angell, we booked a appointment for thursday, september 27th with dr. sue casale.
dr. a phoned us the next day to follow up on our appointment with dr. sisson. her assurance and support meant the world to us as we prepared for the meeting with dr. casale.
Dr. Sisson saved my lab, Sophie , in Sept. 2010 , when she contracted “coon hound paralysis” , idiopathic ? , he came in on his day off to begin treating her . I had 5 more wonderful years with Sophie thanks to Dr. Sisson , a DVM of the highest order .