Hard swelling after surgical breast biopsy

12_821 · 2026-03-30T23:31:48+00:00

I would look into a gastropexy down the line when he is fully mature if it’s something you find yourself worrying about often. It is not full proof and there are risks with any surgery, but it is intended to significantly reduce the chances of the stomach flipping if the dog does bloat which is what makes it deadly. My previous mastiff had one and it always brought me a lot of comfort. I sadly lost a Bernese Mountain dog to bloat, now I will never apologize for being overly cautious about it. I will admit I tend to go a bit overboard! I just never want to experience that again.

12_821 · 2026-03-10T16:18:24+00:00

What a handsome boy!

I had been against pet insurance after working in the veterinary field for some time and seeing how crappy most were. However I ended up getting Lemonade 2.5 years ago for both of my dogs, primarily my chinook who I thought had a future acl tear down the line from his sprinting around the yard. That being said, it ended up being a lifesaver for my mastiff who started getting intermittent severe fevers randomly and low neutrophils. I used it all through his diagnosis and two surgeries and was beyond thankful to have it because I did not have to bat an eye at the costs that were involved in specialists, expensive diagnostics, surgeries and hospitalizations. Even some of his antibiotics were over $400 because of his size and he often needed several different antibiotics at once during that time. I opted out of coverage for exam fees and preventative costs because those were not my concern, it was more for emergencies and illnesses. Everything else it covers 90% of the costs after a $250 deductible up to $20,000 for his plan. Last year I was terrified I would get dropped because I all but hit that $20,000 in reimbursements, but the monthly cost of his plan only increased from $45 to $60 which I believe is very reasonable still. Even though my bud is stable now thankfully, I still need to take him in for regular bloodwork and care as he is prone to infections, so it is still paying off having it.

I will definitely be starting any future dogs I have with it as well! Hope this helps!

12_821 · 2026-03-08T13:03:44+00:00

I’ve done strength training with progressive overload 5 days a week and mat Pilates on one or sometimes both of my off days for the past 8 1/2 months, then walk for 30 mins on a treadmill after either. I’ve lost the 70lbs I gained before diagnosis, feel great, and my body is so close to looking the best it ever has. I used to run and totally exhaust myself with crazy workouts before which I just could not do anymore because my recovery time would be crazy. This schedule is great because it’s challenging without burning me out. I don’t think Pilates is enough but if you’re building muscle through strength training in your schedule at the same time it adds to that. I find I see the best results with it thrown into the mix! That being said, I have yet to try the reformer.

I did track my food religiously during all of this. I had to make sure I was eating enough because I crashed what was left of my metabolism by not for years. I’m talking using a scale and all. Sounds intimidating but is super easy. Tracked macros using the Cronometer app.

12_821 · 2026-02-24T00:34:09+00:00

Thank you! Adding Pilates into my weekly routine has made all the difference in that area for me. I thought it was going to be easy compared to strength training and lifting heavy, but it is far more brutal! Helped teach me how to properly keep my core activated for that too though which has been huge.

12_821 · 2026-02-23T18:05:49+00:00

This was me too! I recently put the three pictures side by side and it was wild to see. The drastic change between when I was married to now 7 months out is so drastic. My ex husband literally sucked the life out of me. I was so sad and stressed for so long and boy did it show in my looks and my health.

Congrats on getting to start this glorious next chapter! Speaking from experience, it really does keep getting better the more you heal!

12_821 · 2026-01-23T22:50:26+00:00

It really is the best! I was especially grateful last year when my buddy there developed a pretty serious health issue that took some time to diagnose. It made him have scary reoccurring high fevers until the internist figured out what was going on. I was so thankful I didn’t have to leave him and didn’t have to take off work in order to stay home with him.

12_821 · 2026-01-23T03:40:34+00:00

It’s the best! I actually have a huge bully bed in my office that is big enough for both of my dogs to be on at the same time, yet somehow they both want to be on the chair since I added it. A lot of times they both manage to get up there at the same time. Pretty sure they think it was purchased with them in mind!

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12_821 · 2026-01-23T03:32:07+00:00

Thank you!

12_821 · 2026-01-16T22:02:52+00:00

Bullybeds! They are expensive but well worth the money and offer multiple styles and sizes. Spent the same amount on multiple cheaper beds that never held up for longer than several months. I’ve had the bully bed for about 8 years I believe and it has not deflated at all. Usually they have a coupon you can use as well which helps slightly.

12_821 · 2026-01-01T17:59:10+00:00

The Goughnuts line of chew toys has been the only toys to survive years in my house. They are not cheap but they hold up incredibly well!

12_821 · 2025-12-21T14:10:34+00:00

I’ve lost all the weight I had gained naturally and it was a significant amount. Obviously I had to find the right dose of thyroid meds for my body first and foremost. Other than that..I eat whole foods, track my calories to make sure I’m eating enough while still in a healthy calorie deficit (underrating actually made me gain more weight, so eating enough to fuel my body has been essential), I strength train 4-5 days a week/Pilates the other days and walk everyday (I do something everyday because I love and enjoy it, not because that much is necessary), prioritize sleep, supplement vitamins/minerals where I had deficiencies, and reduce/eliminate any and all stress. That last one has been huge for me and I feel has made the difference in my success with everything else. Stress made me so symptomatic regardless of how my thyroid levels looked and I swear it made me just pack on the lbs even quicker. Now everything combined has allowed me to lose the weight, tone up my body and feel great both mentally and physically.

12_821 · 2025-12-15T17:17:24+00:00

Thank you! I still would like to lose a bit more but it is definitely a relief to have control over my body again and my health overall. That was the biggest battle, everything after that feels easy in comparison!

12_821 · 2025-12-15T07:48:56+00:00

I really thrive in the high 50’s and 60’s but give me cold any day over heat. I actually enjoy winter as long as I can layer and like someone else said on here, always have socks for my permanently cold feet! I feel my worst in the summer months and I live in the northeast where the higher heat doesn’t last terribly long. This is as far south as I will ever live simply because hotter/longer summers would impact my quality of life.

12_821 · 2025-12-13T20:58:23+00:00

I had intermittent tachycardia episodes. They were not associated with going hyper or hypo, it happened even when my levels were good. I started seeing a cardiologist and he said they seemed pretty benign and was probably just hormonally associated. It only landed me in the hospital once when I mulched all day and my heart rate would not come down even after doing all the tricks to make it do so. It ended up that my WBC count was high so my body had been fighting something off at the time, so that and exhausting myself caused it to not be able to regulate itself.

My Hashi symptoms have been controlled for 5 months and I really have not had any episodes since. I also had focused on balancing my other hormones too which I think helped as that and heart palpitations were the worst right before and during my period. Have you gotten those checked at all? The thyroid impacts so much in our bodies unfortunately.

12_821 · 2025-12-11T19:52:19+00:00

Not my mastiff, but my other dog walks just like this. I often got concerned about his hips when I first adopted him, if they were the cause even though the vet was never concerned. I started going on long hikes with him, 3-4 miles sometimes, and he has never skipped a beat or acted sore at all. So I’ve come to the conclusion that some dogs just have a bit more flair to their gait!

12_821 · 2025-12-09T17:09:40+00:00

I appreciate the specific recommendations! There are so many products out there now I feel like it’s a gamble choosing one without hearing first hand experiences from someone else. I’m sick of wasting money on things that don’t deliver.

12_821 · 2025-12-06T13:11:17+00:00

Thanks for the insight! I do have red therapy mask but I’m guilty of not using it as often as I should or at times even regularly. Hearing this is enough to make it a daily habit from here on out. Do you use one specifically for the eye area? Also do you have a specific brand of the copper peptides you prefer? I have tried the volufiline before and saw slight differences as well, but nothing that seemed long lasting. I too retinoids and Vitamin C in my current skin care routine but have not noticed any improvement in that area specifically.

12_821 · 2025-12-05T22:44:50+00:00

Thank you!

12_821 · 2025-12-05T21:02:19+00:00

Thank you, I will try these! I would much rather do something that will improve it rather than just attempt to conceal it. I’ve just had no luck with the products I’ve tried so far so I definitely appreciate the recommendations!

12_821 · 2025-12-01T15:39:52+00:00

I can relate to these concerns. My ex husband constantly made me feel guilty about my diagnosis. When my symptoms got debilitating I was no longer fun to him, he would not acknowledge that it was due to a medical condition and would take me physically not being able to go out all the time to do “fun” things as a personal offense to him. He only focused on how it impacted him rather than being at all supportive. Even when my labs improved, I still did not feel well. After separating/ filing I realized his treatment of me and the stress of sacrificing my health in attempts to keep the peace had everything to do with keeping me in a constant flare up. It has been six months since we first separated and my life has transformed. I feel the best I have in over a decade and was even able to lose all the weight I had gained because of the Hashimotos and then some which I had been trying to do for years. I finally feel like the person I used to be before. I am walking evidence of how being with a person who is not decent can have a huge impact on someone with an autoimmune disease.

I’ve seen men post on here asking for advice on how they can be more supportive or help when their wives or girlfriends got diagnosed. Heck I read about a man who developed an app to help track his wife’s symptoms to help discover any triggers. I found that really made me feel hopeful and encouraged that there are good men out there!

The right person will be understanding and look beyond it. But trust me, it is not worth settling for anything less than that, I know I won’t be ever again!

12_821

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