Tomorrow is the big day. We take Zeke back out to Buffalo to see Dr Fingeroth so he can perform the surgery.

We were hoping to have the results from the biopsy by now, but for some reason, after a week we do not have them. Zeke is having a tough time, he is throwing up multiple times a day, does not want to eat or drink and it seems to be taking a toll on him.

So tomorrow we go into surgery blind. We know it is a tumor but we have no idea what type it is.

I guess a lesson here is that sometimes you have to go to the Physician for healing based on faith and not on facts.

Well things did not seem to go well when they were prepping Zeke for surgery. It appeared he was jaundice, his potassium was low, his electrolytes were low, his white blood cell count was high and his heart had an abnormal rhythm.

We still did not have the results from the biopsy and Dr Brummer, who did the endoscope procedure was on vacation. Dr Fingeroth was still willing to proceed if they could get his potassium readings up as well has his electrolytes. His thought was that maybe the mass, since it was hanging, had been pushed past the pyloric sphincter and was blocking his bile duct, which would explain why he was jaundice.

So we proceeded and Dr Fingeroth promised to be in contact as he progressed through the surgery.

Well an hour or so into the surgery, we got a call. Turned out somehow the cancer had spread into the bile duct and into his bile. It also spread to his liver, his intestines, his spleen and his abdomen. Zeke had numerous small and large tumor masses and the bile was seeping into his abdomen causing the jaundice.

It was just a bad situation. That even if we removed the mass from his stomach, that it had just spread to too many other organs.

Dr Fingeroth bought us time to have Ashlyn and Ty head up from Rochester and took his time bringing Zeke out of surgery.

They brought Zeke out to the waiting room. With him on pain medication they took him off of the anesthesia and allowed Zeke to wake up. We hugged and kissed Zeke, said our goodbyes and let him go.

We will miss him. And for those of you reading this who had a chance to spend some time with Zeke, I am sure you will miss him as well.

So our hope for healing and hope for a successful surgery has been replaced with a hope to some day not only to see Zeke but Hunter again.

Here is a poem, that Zeke has as well, that we would like to share from a special boy:

Zeke and Hunter
Zeke and Hunter were the best dogs ever.
Both dogs had the best lives. They would play catch.
They would jump on us. They would kiss us.
They would lay on our beds.
They would protect us. They would steal and share your food.
They were the best best best best best best best best best dogs ever

We will miss you,
Stacey's Little Golden Boy Zacchaeus
June 12, 1997 - May 28, 2009