Photo of turtle on arrival with FP tumors on head.

12/4 Turtle was found floating in the intake canal of the St. Lucie Power Plant and was brought here for rehabilitation.  Turtle has multiple fibropapilloma (FP) tumors on its body, including large ones on the right side of the head.  Those on the head appear to be from the lower eyelid, and do not appear to involve the eye itself.  Turtle is anemic but has begun to eat already. 12/8 Turtle has an excellent appetite and anemia has begun to slowly respond to treatment. 12/14 Slowly responding.  May be ready for surgery very soon. 1/3/07 Anemia is now gone and scheduling surgery as soon as we can.  Appetite is good. 1/8 Appetite continues to improve. 1/18 Continuing to do well. 1/20 Yesterday, laser surgery was performed to remove several large tumors, including the one on the turtle's head.  Unfortunately, the one on the head was into the bone of the upper jaw.  Because of the boney involvement, prognosis is very guarded, but the turtle is recovering. 1/24 Turtle has begun to eat again and seems to be doing fairly well.  Turtle is anemic from blood loss during surgery, but that is responding well. 1/31 Turtle is eating much better and anemia is responding to treatment. 2/8 Yesterday we did cryosurgery to reduce the tumor remaining under the turtle's right eye.  We hope to do laser surgery again in the next week or two to remove all remaining tumors.  Today, the turtle is eating and swimming well. 2/17 Earlier this week, turtle underwent laser surgery and all remaining external tumors were removed.  The turtle is eating well again and seems to be doing better in general. 2/28 Turtle is healing very well and gaining weight. 3/15 Wounds continue to heal well and appetite is good. 3/21 Still doing very well. 3/29 Turtle is continuing to do well and gain weight. 4/2 Turtle had cryosurgery yesterday on its face where tumor has begun to return.  Turtle ate immediately after surgery. 4/16 Turtle had another cryosurgery on its face, which may be the last.  Doing very well. 4/27 Turtle had cryosurgery on the face again.  Doing well other than the difficulty of eliminating the tumor on the face (because it is so close to the eye). 5/23 Very little evidence of tumor remaining on face, but have had one tumor regrow on its body, so will repeat laser surgery in the next week or so. 6/1 Turtle is gaining weight and doing well. 6/15 Tumor is beginning to regrow on the turtle's face, so will do cyrosurgery again. 6/19 Cryosurgery went well.  Will monitor closely again. 7/12 Had another cryosurgery last week.  Doing well otherwise. 7/30 Turtle is doing well at the current time. 8/7 Still doing well. 8/22 Continuing to do well. 9/1 More of the same.  No new tumor growth. 9/11 Continuing to do well. 9/19 More of the same. 9/28 Continuing to do well. 10/19 Doing well. 10/28 Still doing well with no new tumor growth. 11/13 Continuing to do well. 11/29 Turtle has been moved to much larger tank and is doing well. 12/14 Doing well, swimming more, and in better body condition since moving to larger tank.  No evidence of tumor regrowth. 12/26 Continuing to do very well. 1/15 Face seems completely healed with no regrowth.  Turtle is gaining too much weight, so intake has been restricted. 1/23 Continuing to do very well. 2/4 Still doing very well. 3/4 Planning an MRI to determine if the turtle can be released. 3/13 MRI revealed no internal tumors, so the turtle is being prepared for release.  It will be tagged on Monday for release thereafter. 3/24 Turtle was released this morning at Stuart, Florida and release went well.