Purple is still the color of the day and the color of Hardee's tongue. Also, his nose and lips have taken on a dark gray hue instead of his normal brown. Dr Proulx doesn't have an explanation for it. I asked him if he thought that it meant his tongue got radiation also. He said that it shouldn't have and that it was separated from his hard palate by the endotracheal tube but that it could have gotten a little. I asked him if he thought that meant that HH's tongue would now get the ulcers like the palate, but he doesn't know.
I have to keep reminding myself that Hardee is kind of a test patient. He's only the third dog to have gamma knife radiation done outside of New York, and I don't know how many have been done back there but very few, I think. Mostly, this radiation has been used for brain tumors which is more common than nasal tumors.
Dr. Proulx was concerned about the purple color thinking that H was becoming cyanotic (lack of oxygen), as was I when I first saw the color. I checked his gums right away and they were pink and still are, so he is definitely oxygenating. I did start his pain pills yesterday because I think his face area is hurting him enough to warrant pain control. No ulcers yet, and HH is eating and drinking normally. He sneezes quite a bit, and I've been seeing a little bit of infection draining from his nose for a few days now, but very little. He did sneeze something out at our obedience appointment this morning.
Trying to regain some sort of normalcy to our lives, I called our obedience instructor and asked if our spot was still open. We haven't been to our lesson for almost a month now until this morning. I didn't know what Hardee would feel up to doing, so we just played it by his response. He was delighted to be working again. We started with his dumbbell retrieve because that's what I started having problems with before we had a diagnosis. He went immediately out when I sent him and retrieved his dumbbell but came back and threw it at my feet. I had him pick it up and he mouthed it the whole time he was waiting for me to take it from him, but I was okay with that because I still think his mouth is hurting even with the pain control. He did better retrieving his dumbbell over the high jump. The other thing that I started having problems with before his diagnosis was his long sit stay which he had always been very steady on. He kept busting it, and laying down as soon as I would put him back into a sit. He did it this morning also 3 times. I think he gets tired very quickly, so just lays down. I shortened the time that is required for him to stay sitting.
Everything that Hardee did this morning at our lesson brought such joy to my heart, and he was so happy to be working again. And as you all know, it is all about joy and all about Hardee!!
Handsome Hardee
We are a patriotic family!
Face of Courage
Face of courage
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Sunday, Aug. 29, 2010 - Home
After being on the road for over a week and a half, Hardee and I are home. HH was so excited to be home, he just kind of went nuts. It was thrilling to watch him run around like there was nothing wrong. He even played with some stuffies which he hasn't done in almost a month. Seems he is feeling better right now.
Hardee finished radiation on Friday night and was entered in an agility trial Sat. and Sun. After 3 consecutive days of anesthesia and radiation, we didn't know if Hardee would feel up to running agility or not. He did and had a fun filled weekend. He had a QQ (2 qualifying runs) on Sat., but tunnel sucked on his standard course on Sunday to bust his QQ possibility, though his jumpers run was nice. I didn't attend the trial on Sat. to give me some time to regroup alone, but more for Hardee and Jim to have some guy alone bonding time. They got to spend 13 hours together while I slept in and went to visit my Mom.
Though Hardee dearly loves his Grandma, he cannot visit her until we at least get that pocket of fluid behind the tumor to drain. HH's Grandma lives up in the mountains and the pressure changes caused from the elevation changes hurts his sinus/tumor. I had noticed for quite some months back that Hardee would whine/cry when we would go down the mountain. Even though we had just pottied him before getting in the car to leave the mountain, he would whine like he had to potty. We'd find a place to pull over, but he would not "go". I thought maybe he didn't like leaving Grandma's house or that his ears were hurting him. Now we know it is the tumor/infection trapped up in that sinus. Anyone with chronic sinus problems like me will know about what I am writing. Anyway, no Grandma's house in his near future, but he still loves you, Mom.
While at the trial today, I noticed that Hardee's nose is changing color and that his tongue is purple instead of his nice pink usual color. I'm assuming that is from the radiation, but I don't know if it is something I should worry about. I'll call Dr. Proulx tomorrow. He told me to call his cell phone if I saw anything out of the ordinary with him.
Also, Hardee is doing this cough/choking thing that he doesn't seem to be able to control (almost like the reverse sneezing thing, but not), and it goes on for quite some time and worries me. He's also having sneezing fits where he'll sneeze about 15 times in a row. Something else to bring up to Dr Proulx tomorrow.
Hardee paws at his face a lot with his front leg, and turns his head upside down and drills his face into the carpet, bed, chair, etc. He's been doing this for some time, but it is happening much more often. I'm going to start him on his pain pills tomorrow because I think the tumor is really starting to bother him. I'm going to use Tramadol for his pain control.
Hopefully I'll get some answers about the tongue color change tomorrow. Until then, you know it by now, it is all about joy and all about Hardee!!
Hardee finished radiation on Friday night and was entered in an agility trial Sat. and Sun. After 3 consecutive days of anesthesia and radiation, we didn't know if Hardee would feel up to running agility or not. He did and had a fun filled weekend. He had a QQ (2 qualifying runs) on Sat., but tunnel sucked on his standard course on Sunday to bust his QQ possibility, though his jumpers run was nice. I didn't attend the trial on Sat. to give me some time to regroup alone, but more for Hardee and Jim to have some guy alone bonding time. They got to spend 13 hours together while I slept in and went to visit my Mom.
Though Hardee dearly loves his Grandma, he cannot visit her until we at least get that pocket of fluid behind the tumor to drain. HH's Grandma lives up in the mountains and the pressure changes caused from the elevation changes hurts his sinus/tumor. I had noticed for quite some months back that Hardee would whine/cry when we would go down the mountain. Even though we had just pottied him before getting in the car to leave the mountain, he would whine like he had to potty. We'd find a place to pull over, but he would not "go". I thought maybe he didn't like leaving Grandma's house or that his ears were hurting him. Now we know it is the tumor/infection trapped up in that sinus. Anyone with chronic sinus problems like me will know about what I am writing. Anyway, no Grandma's house in his near future, but he still loves you, Mom.
While at the trial today, I noticed that Hardee's nose is changing color and that his tongue is purple instead of his nice pink usual color. I'm assuming that is from the radiation, but I don't know if it is something I should worry about. I'll call Dr. Proulx tomorrow. He told me to call his cell phone if I saw anything out of the ordinary with him.
Also, Hardee is doing this cough/choking thing that he doesn't seem to be able to control (almost like the reverse sneezing thing, but not), and it goes on for quite some time and worries me. He's also having sneezing fits where he'll sneeze about 15 times in a row. Something else to bring up to Dr Proulx tomorrow.
Hardee paws at his face a lot with his front leg, and turns his head upside down and drills his face into the carpet, bed, chair, etc. He's been doing this for some time, but it is happening much more often. I'm going to start him on his pain pills tomorrow because I think the tumor is really starting to bother him. I'm going to use Tramadol for his pain control.
Hopefully I'll get some answers about the tongue color change tomorrow. Until then, you know it by now, it is all about joy and all about Hardee!!
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Fri., Aug. 27, 2010 - The end of radiation
We finished the gamma knife radiation today. So far, Hardee seems unfazed by it, but the effects won't show up for at least a week. Hardee will probably have ulcers on the roof of his mouth, so they sent me home with a solution that they made up at the CVS hospital and some syringes to squirt the solution up on the roof of his mouth. It has lidocaine in it to help numb the area. I already have pain pills for him, and when the time comes, Dr. Proulx will call in an antibiotic prescription for him to fight the infection that will develop in his mouth from the ulcers.
Originally we didn't expect the ulcers or other side effects, but because the tumor had grown in the week and a half between CT scans, he had no choice but to radiate further down towards the palate and towards the eye. They had to radiate about 10% of the eye, and we're not sure what the effects will be. Dr. Proulx doesn't think that he'll lose the eye, but some of his vision might be affected.
These side effects that we didn't expect have me thinking hard about our decision to do the radiation. The one thing we didn't want was for Hardee to suffer. Now he will a bit with the mouth ulcers. So, was the radiation worth it to try to extend his life if he will be in pain? Since I don't know how bad the mouth ulcers will be or his eye effects, right now I still say yes. Really, gamma knife radiation was our only option and our safest. That or watch him die in 1-2 months or sooner as the tumor has really been bothering him. He paws at his face quite a bit and rubs it on anything he can.
It has been a long grueling week for us both. Hardee for what he has had to endure, and for me as I wrestle with the decision we made. I hope that Hardee can forgive me for putting him through this, and I hope he learns to trust me again. He tried desperately not to go back in that hospital every day and not have me leave him, and I had to drag him in. It was so heart breaking for me to do this to him. I hope it wasn't all for naught. Now we sit back patiently (ha!..) and wait 2-3 months before we CT scan again to see if the tumor has shrunk.
The radiation won't have any affects on the tumor for about 2 weeks. I think that I'll have a clue that the radiation is working if I see an increase in the drainage coming from his nose as that pocket of fluid trapped behind the tumor starts to drain as the tumor starts to shrink. Fingers and paws crossed that we see an increase in drainage then!!!
Hardee seems none the worse for wear after 3 straight days of anesthesia. I was told by the doctors that he is just one of those rare dogs that has a hard time waking up from anesthesia. After Wednesday's anesthesia, Hardee was coughing quite a bit so I had them intubate him the next 2 days with a smaller diameter endotracheal tube so it wouldn't bother his throat so much.
If Hardee feels up to it, he'll run agility here in So. Cal. this weekend. If not, we'll just visit with friends and try to regain some sort of normalcy to our lives for the weekend and head home on Sunday. I am constantly reminded that it should be all about joy, but it has always been all about Hardee! That's the way we like it!
Originally we didn't expect the ulcers or other side effects, but because the tumor had grown in the week and a half between CT scans, he had no choice but to radiate further down towards the palate and towards the eye. They had to radiate about 10% of the eye, and we're not sure what the effects will be. Dr. Proulx doesn't think that he'll lose the eye, but some of his vision might be affected.
These side effects that we didn't expect have me thinking hard about our decision to do the radiation. The one thing we didn't want was for Hardee to suffer. Now he will a bit with the mouth ulcers. So, was the radiation worth it to try to extend his life if he will be in pain? Since I don't know how bad the mouth ulcers will be or his eye effects, right now I still say yes. Really, gamma knife radiation was our only option and our safest. That or watch him die in 1-2 months or sooner as the tumor has really been bothering him. He paws at his face quite a bit and rubs it on anything he can.
It has been a long grueling week for us both. Hardee for what he has had to endure, and for me as I wrestle with the decision we made. I hope that Hardee can forgive me for putting him through this, and I hope he learns to trust me again. He tried desperately not to go back in that hospital every day and not have me leave him, and I had to drag him in. It was so heart breaking for me to do this to him. I hope it wasn't all for naught. Now we sit back patiently (ha!..) and wait 2-3 months before we CT scan again to see if the tumor has shrunk.
The radiation won't have any affects on the tumor for about 2 weeks. I think that I'll have a clue that the radiation is working if I see an increase in the drainage coming from his nose as that pocket of fluid trapped behind the tumor starts to drain as the tumor starts to shrink. Fingers and paws crossed that we see an increase in drainage then!!!
Hardee seems none the worse for wear after 3 straight days of anesthesia. I was told by the doctors that he is just one of those rare dogs that has a hard time waking up from anesthesia. After Wednesday's anesthesia, Hardee was coughing quite a bit so I had them intubate him the next 2 days with a smaller diameter endotracheal tube so it wouldn't bother his throat so much.
If Hardee feels up to it, he'll run agility here in So. Cal. this weekend. If not, we'll just visit with friends and try to regain some sort of normalcy to our lives for the weekend and head home on Sunday. I am constantly reminded that it should be all about joy, but it has always been all about Hardee! That's the way we like it!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Wed., Aug. 25, 2010 - Info from Dr. Proulx and first day of radiation
You can only fool Hardee once, then he knows. Poor boy didn't want to walk into the place and went into a tizzy when the tech came out to talk to me. I asked if they had a different door that they could take him through instead of the one last Friday because I knew we would get hysterical. I can't reach down and pet him or tell him that "mama loves you" as we walk towards that door because he knows what that means also. I don't know what other doors they have for the next 2 days.
I did get to talk to Dr. Proulx. The results of the CT scan from last Friday were not what I had hoped. The tumor has grown in the week and a half since his last scan, about 5% bigger. It has gone into the left nasal passage some now where before the tumor had just pushed the septum into the left passage. He also said that all that fluid trapped behind the tumor goes way up into the sinus and is hard to differentiate from tumor. Because he is not sure exactly where the tumor ends and fluid begins, he will have to radiate very close to his eye and between his eyes towards the brain. We are now getting into some very delicate tissues that are easily effected by radiation. I hope we can spare his eye.
Side effects shouldn't show up for about 2 weeks. We didn't get a chance today to go over all the side effects, but because they have to radiate almost through the hard palate inside his mouth to get margins past the tumor area, he'll probably develop ulcers on the roof of his mouth. Previously we didn't think that would happen but because of the tumor growth, we have no choice now.
I did find out today that gamma knife radiation is used almost exclusively for nasal and brain tumors. Dr. Proulx has used it more for brain tumors. He did tell me about 2 cases he has used this type of radiation on for nasal tumors. In one case the tumor came back, and the other case was just a little over a month ago, so they don't know yet about the outcome. You have to wait 2 months after radiation to scan again to see if the tumor has shrunk.
I asked about any other info on statistics from gamma knife on nasal tumors. The other facility doing gamma knife radiation is in New York. The radiation oncologist there has just written an abstract that she will deliver at a big radiation oncology meeting that shows that gamma knife on nasal tumors extends the life of dogs about 12-18 months generally. Dr Proulx cautioned me that his settings are much higher than hers and that she is still very conservative with her radiation. Dr. Proulx has been gradually increasing his settings to get better results, but this is not yet proven. I asked him if he thought this was curative, and he said it has the possibility to be but that he doesn't want to give false hope.
This has been a hard afternoon having to hear these bits of information. Please don't call me right now. I need time to regroup before I go pick up Hardee. I did drive down to the ocean after I had to leave the little bubs at the hospital today seeking some solace and even that didn't work out. I did catch a glimpse or two though.
I need to go remind myself that it is all about joy, but as always, it is still all about Hardee! We wouldn't have it any other way.
I did get to talk to Dr. Proulx. The results of the CT scan from last Friday were not what I had hoped. The tumor has grown in the week and a half since his last scan, about 5% bigger. It has gone into the left nasal passage some now where before the tumor had just pushed the septum into the left passage. He also said that all that fluid trapped behind the tumor goes way up into the sinus and is hard to differentiate from tumor. Because he is not sure exactly where the tumor ends and fluid begins, he will have to radiate very close to his eye and between his eyes towards the brain. We are now getting into some very delicate tissues that are easily effected by radiation. I hope we can spare his eye.
Side effects shouldn't show up for about 2 weeks. We didn't get a chance today to go over all the side effects, but because they have to radiate almost through the hard palate inside his mouth to get margins past the tumor area, he'll probably develop ulcers on the roof of his mouth. Previously we didn't think that would happen but because of the tumor growth, we have no choice now.
I did find out today that gamma knife radiation is used almost exclusively for nasal and brain tumors. Dr. Proulx has used it more for brain tumors. He did tell me about 2 cases he has used this type of radiation on for nasal tumors. In one case the tumor came back, and the other case was just a little over a month ago, so they don't know yet about the outcome. You have to wait 2 months after radiation to scan again to see if the tumor has shrunk.
I asked about any other info on statistics from gamma knife on nasal tumors. The other facility doing gamma knife radiation is in New York. The radiation oncologist there has just written an abstract that she will deliver at a big radiation oncology meeting that shows that gamma knife on nasal tumors extends the life of dogs about 12-18 months generally. Dr Proulx cautioned me that his settings are much higher than hers and that she is still very conservative with her radiation. Dr. Proulx has been gradually increasing his settings to get better results, but this is not yet proven. I asked him if he thought this was curative, and he said it has the possibility to be but that he doesn't want to give false hope.
This has been a hard afternoon having to hear these bits of information. Please don't call me right now. I need time to regroup before I go pick up Hardee. I did drive down to the ocean after I had to leave the little bubs at the hospital today seeking some solace and even that didn't work out. I did catch a glimpse or two though.
I need to go remind myself that it is all about joy, but as always, it is still all about Hardee! We wouldn't have it any other way.
Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2010 - Night before radiation begins
Here we sit, all settled into our hotel in Carlsbad, CA. Tomorrow starts HH's (Handsome Hardee's) radiation. Of course, he doesn't seem fazed by that fact because he doesn't know the fight ahead of him. I do, and I am nervous and anxious. I feel like my "insides" are a big bowl of jiggly jello. I hope when I snuggle HH tonight before sleep, he doesn't feel me shaking inside for him.
Our appointment at CVS (CA Veterinary Specialists) is at 1:30 tomorrow. From there they will start his I.V. and transport him over to Cyber Knife where H's radiation will be at 3pm. I hope I get to talk to Dr. Proulx before they start the radiation. I want to find out the results of that precise CT scan they did last Friday and ask some questions.
Since we chose the gamma knife radiation, it is only 3 days now I am told (Wed, Thurs, Fri). I was originally told in Las Vegas that radiation would be a week, so I hope we are getting what H needs. I don't know what all the side effects are so that will be another question for the Dr. tomorrow.
One of the side effects for H will be starvation, I'm sure he'll think. His fast starts at midnight. I HATE the fasting part of general anesthesia. Nothing to eat until around 7pm the following night for the boy. Also, not much time to eat before he starts the fast all over again for the next day's anesthesia. I'm worried about the anesthesia also. A couple of times, Hardee has had a "hard time" waking up from anesthesia, and now he has to have it 3 days in a row. Too many things to be worried about!! No wonder I'm a ball of nerves!
Hardee is having a hard time with his allergies right now. I haven't given him his allergy shots since we found out about the tumor. While his immune system is compromised, the oncologist agreed with me about stopping the allergy shots for now since they do challenge his immune system. Starting yesterday, he is scratching out tons of hair and biting himself everywhere. I feel so badly for him and I still give him his Claritin, but it doesn't work.
It will be long nights and days heading into this radiation for me. My goal is to not let Hardee know my feelings and nervousness. It is all about perceived joy and of course, all about Hardee!!!
Thank you all for your support, caring, prayers, and good thoughts. A great big hug of thanks goes out to those special people that have supported us in other ways. You know who you are, and we will be forever grateful. You mean the world to us!
Our appointment at CVS (CA Veterinary Specialists) is at 1:30 tomorrow. From there they will start his I.V. and transport him over to Cyber Knife where H's radiation will be at 3pm. I hope I get to talk to Dr. Proulx before they start the radiation. I want to find out the results of that precise CT scan they did last Friday and ask some questions.
Since we chose the gamma knife radiation, it is only 3 days now I am told (Wed, Thurs, Fri). I was originally told in Las Vegas that radiation would be a week, so I hope we are getting what H needs. I don't know what all the side effects are so that will be another question for the Dr. tomorrow.
One of the side effects for H will be starvation, I'm sure he'll think. His fast starts at midnight. I HATE the fasting part of general anesthesia. Nothing to eat until around 7pm the following night for the boy. Also, not much time to eat before he starts the fast all over again for the next day's anesthesia. I'm worried about the anesthesia also. A couple of times, Hardee has had a "hard time" waking up from anesthesia, and now he has to have it 3 days in a row. Too many things to be worried about!! No wonder I'm a ball of nerves!
Hardee is having a hard time with his allergies right now. I haven't given him his allergy shots since we found out about the tumor. While his immune system is compromised, the oncologist agreed with me about stopping the allergy shots for now since they do challenge his immune system. Starting yesterday, he is scratching out tons of hair and biting himself everywhere. I feel so badly for him and I still give him his Claritin, but it doesn't work.
It will be long nights and days heading into this radiation for me. My goal is to not let Hardee know my feelings and nervousness. It is all about perceived joy and of course, all about Hardee!!!
Thank you all for your support, caring, prayers, and good thoughts. A great big hug of thanks goes out to those special people that have supported us in other ways. You know who you are, and we will be forever grateful. You mean the world to us!
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Sunday, Aug. 22, 2010 - Hardee's weekend
We had a fabulous weekend!! Jim drove down from Vegas, and Hardee and I met Jim at the agility trial site in Walnut, CA. Since Hardee seemed fully recovered from the previous afternoon's anesthesia, we decided to see if Hardee wanted to run. It did not matter to us either way; we just want HH to be happy.
For those that have questioned the decision to let Hardee compete, I understand your concern. I did clear it with his radiation oncologist first. Dr. Proulx specifically said that he didn't see a problem with it. We only have Hardee's best interest in mind, and since it is all about quality of life and since he loves agility, we wanted to give him the chance in case he felt up to running. I must confess that I did worry that Hardee running would start his nose bleeding again, but my worry was for naught. I watched him closely trying to pick up on any clues that this is not what he wanted to do, that it caused him any pain or stress, or that he was too tired. If you could have seen him run, you would have known it was the right decision.
Hardee had 2 runs each day of the weekend. His first run was jumps with weaves (JWW). He did fabulously and qualified (Q). His next run was standard, and he was too wound up and jumped off the A-frame without touching in the contact zone. The rest of the run was nice though, and he had a blast. On Sunday, he had the same running order. He qualifed in JWW, so he was on his way to a double qualifying (QQ) day possibility. The standard course was very tricky, but Jim and Hardee stuck with it and qualified. Hardee did everything perfectly and listened to Jim. It was a joy to watch. Jim and Hardee only had 2 QQs before today, so it was thrilling for us all, especially given the circumstances.
Sitting at an agility trial enjoying good company with dogs running, we could almost forget, just for a second, about the enemy we are fighting for Hardee. We could live in the moment and relish Hardee's and other dogs' accomplishments. There was peace, and there was joy.
And as you know, it is all about joy and all about Hardee!!
For those that have questioned the decision to let Hardee compete, I understand your concern. I did clear it with his radiation oncologist first. Dr. Proulx specifically said that he didn't see a problem with it. We only have Hardee's best interest in mind, and since it is all about quality of life and since he loves agility, we wanted to give him the chance in case he felt up to running. I must confess that I did worry that Hardee running would start his nose bleeding again, but my worry was for naught. I watched him closely trying to pick up on any clues that this is not what he wanted to do, that it caused him any pain or stress, or that he was too tired. If you could have seen him run, you would have known it was the right decision.
Hardee had 2 runs each day of the weekend. His first run was jumps with weaves (JWW). He did fabulously and qualified (Q). His next run was standard, and he was too wound up and jumped off the A-frame without touching in the contact zone. The rest of the run was nice though, and he had a blast. On Sunday, he had the same running order. He qualifed in JWW, so he was on his way to a double qualifying (QQ) day possibility. The standard course was very tricky, but Jim and Hardee stuck with it and qualified. Hardee did everything perfectly and listened to Jim. It was a joy to watch. Jim and Hardee only had 2 QQs before today, so it was thrilling for us all, especially given the circumstances.
Sitting at an agility trial enjoying good company with dogs running, we could almost forget, just for a second, about the enemy we are fighting for Hardee. We could live in the moment and relish Hardee's and other dogs' accomplishments. There was peace, and there was joy.
And as you know, it is all about joy and all about Hardee!!
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Fri. Aug. 20, 2010- Hardee's CT scan update
We are back in the hotel after Hardee's scan today. Hardee is doing fine, just tired and sleeping on the bed. He held down his dinner and made the 95 mile trip back to where we are staying currently without a sick stomach. I gave him some more to eat when we got back to the hotel.
Hardee was a big hit at the hospital today, and the report that I got was that he wooed them all at Inner Vision also where he went for his scan. Some of the comments that I got about him were pretty funny. The oncology nurse said "if he has nasal cancer, why did they shave his back end? What procedure did they do back there?" People in the waiting room wanted to know if I purposely pulled his hair forward to make his bangs. There were a couple other comments that made me smile also. HH was a good ambassador of the breed, and everybody wanted to see all his commands that he would do. Seems everyone's favorites were "back up" where he has to back away from me while we are facing each other, and also "back" where he has to back up with me as he heels along side of me. Poor boy thought he was going to get a treat, but I couldn't give him anything because of the impending anesthesia. He was so hungry.
They did some more shaving on him today. From surgeries last week, they shaved a little over a two inch path all the way around his left front leg, so he looks kind of poodle-ish on that one side. They only shaved small spots on his back legs for additional I.V.s. Today, they shaved a spot on the top of his head and marked a spot with purple marker. There are also 2 spots shaved on top of his muzzle. I believe these shaved spots today are to line him up to the same position for radiation that he was in for today's scan. Radiation starts next week, probably Wednesday, but final plans are still in the works.
Hardee was entered in 3 agility trials in a row starting this weekend. Jim is driving down tomorrow morning, leaving at 3am, and we'll go to the trial. If Hardee feels up to running, we'll let him. Dr. Proulx said it was okay. If Hardee doesn't want to run, well then, we'll just visit his peeps and let him rest. It's totally up to him. It's all about quality of life, and we leave it up to him to let us know what he feels up to doing. He missed his runs today, and he'll miss at least Friday and Saturday of next week also. He hasn't run agility for almost 3 months now.
I'm anxious to start HH's radiation next week. I'm also very anxious to see what the more precise CT scan shows after they complete the final interpretation. Dr. Proulx did say that he saw a big pocket of fluid (infection?..blood?) back behind the tumor. I'm pretty sure that is where the mucous discharge is coming from. He was bleeding from his nose again this morning which I assume is the tumor, but it was very short lived.
It is wonderful to share our lives with this fabulous boy dog, and Jim will be happy to see Hardee for the weekend. Jim will go home on Sunday, but HH and I will be down here for at least another week.
I'll write again, probably Sunday night. Until then, it is all about joy and all about Hardee!
Hardee was a big hit at the hospital today, and the report that I got was that he wooed them all at Inner Vision also where he went for his scan. Some of the comments that I got about him were pretty funny. The oncology nurse said "if he has nasal cancer, why did they shave his back end? What procedure did they do back there?" People in the waiting room wanted to know if I purposely pulled his hair forward to make his bangs. There were a couple other comments that made me smile also. HH was a good ambassador of the breed, and everybody wanted to see all his commands that he would do. Seems everyone's favorites were "back up" where he has to back away from me while we are facing each other, and also "back" where he has to back up with me as he heels along side of me. Poor boy thought he was going to get a treat, but I couldn't give him anything because of the impending anesthesia. He was so hungry.
They did some more shaving on him today. From surgeries last week, they shaved a little over a two inch path all the way around his left front leg, so he looks kind of poodle-ish on that one side. They only shaved small spots on his back legs for additional I.V.s. Today, they shaved a spot on the top of his head and marked a spot with purple marker. There are also 2 spots shaved on top of his muzzle. I believe these shaved spots today are to line him up to the same position for radiation that he was in for today's scan. Radiation starts next week, probably Wednesday, but final plans are still in the works.
Hardee was entered in 3 agility trials in a row starting this weekend. Jim is driving down tomorrow morning, leaving at 3am, and we'll go to the trial. If Hardee feels up to running, we'll let him. Dr. Proulx said it was okay. If Hardee doesn't want to run, well then, we'll just visit his peeps and let him rest. It's totally up to him. It's all about quality of life, and we leave it up to him to let us know what he feels up to doing. He missed his runs today, and he'll miss at least Friday and Saturday of next week also. He hasn't run agility for almost 3 months now.
I'm anxious to start HH's radiation next week. I'm also very anxious to see what the more precise CT scan shows after they complete the final interpretation. Dr. Proulx did say that he saw a big pocket of fluid (infection?..blood?) back behind the tumor. I'm pretty sure that is where the mucous discharge is coming from. He was bleeding from his nose again this morning which I assume is the tumor, but it was very short lived.
It is wonderful to share our lives with this fabulous boy dog, and Jim will be happy to see Hardee for the weekend. Jim will go home on Sunday, but HH and I will be down here for at least another week.
I'll write again, probably Sunday night. Until then, it is all about joy and all about Hardee!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Aug 18, 2010, Wed. - Update on travel plan & Hardee's health
Finally, it seems we have had a turn around with this infection. Hardee's been on antibiotics for a week now. This morning he trotted ahead of me out to do potties instead of lagging behind. His head was up, as was his tail. After we came back in, he even brought me one of his stuffies and instigated play for about 30 seconds. That set off a barking zoomie which quickly faded within 10 seconds. But, he is well on his way to recovery from this dang infection. We can now set out sights on the enemy (tumor) and prepare for battle.
We leave tomorrow, Thursday, for Southern California. On Friday, we have an appointment with the radiation oncologist, Dr. Proulx, at noon. About 1:30pm, we all head over to Inner Vision where the CT scan will be done at 3pm. It is that very precise scan that they will do Friday that Dr Proulx will use to formulate his radiation plan. They say that Hardee should be awake from the anesthesia around 8pm and ready to go back to the hotel.
Now for my biggest challenge....They have told me that Hardee can't have anything to eat or drink after midnight the previous night. His scan and his radiation aren't until 3pm each day, after all humans are done. They must not know PWDs, or they would know what they are asking is near impossible. I pity the people in the rooms around us as Hardee tells me about how hungry he is. I guess I'll be fasting with him because that would be pretty darn mean to eat in front of him. Plus, he might charge me trying to knock me down to get the food.
At Friday's appointment with the Dr., I'll know the final plan for radiation next week so I probably won't post again until Friday, maybe while Hardee is under getting his scan.
Tomorrow starts our big journey towards the battle field. We have to get armoured up, and gather our forces and plan of attack first. Can you tell I was a military wife for 30 years? I'll let you know what day we start to drop bombs on the enemy. We will be victorious and have our own little V-Day.
Until then, you know it by now, it is all about joy and all about Hardee!!!
P.S.- Hardee sends a big shout out to all his peeps and followers.
We leave tomorrow, Thursday, for Southern California. On Friday, we have an appointment with the radiation oncologist, Dr. Proulx, at noon. About 1:30pm, we all head over to Inner Vision where the CT scan will be done at 3pm. It is that very precise scan that they will do Friday that Dr Proulx will use to formulate his radiation plan. They say that Hardee should be awake from the anesthesia around 8pm and ready to go back to the hotel.
Now for my biggest challenge....They have told me that Hardee can't have anything to eat or drink after midnight the previous night. His scan and his radiation aren't until 3pm each day, after all humans are done. They must not know PWDs, or they would know what they are asking is near impossible. I pity the people in the rooms around us as Hardee tells me about how hungry he is. I guess I'll be fasting with him because that would be pretty darn mean to eat in front of him. Plus, he might charge me trying to knock me down to get the food.
At Friday's appointment with the Dr., I'll know the final plan for radiation next week so I probably won't post again until Friday, maybe while Hardee is under getting his scan.
Tomorrow starts our big journey towards the battle field. We have to get armoured up, and gather our forces and plan of attack first. Can you tell I was a military wife for 30 years? I'll let you know what day we start to drop bombs on the enemy. We will be victorious and have our own little V-Day.
Until then, you know it by now, it is all about joy and all about Hardee!!!
P.S.- Hardee sends a big shout out to all his peeps and followers.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Dr. Proulx and The Tentative Plan - Aug. 17, 2010 Tuesday
As I mentioned in yesterday's post, Hardee's radiation oncologist is named Dr. David Proulx. He is in Carlsbad, CA and works at California Veterinary Specialists. Hardee's oncologist here in Vegas, Dr Vaughan, got Dr. Proulx to call me last Friday, Aug 13th, after we got the results back that day that the cancer had not spread and that we could proceed with the radiation. Dr. Proulx called me again later that Friday night to set a plan in order. Shout out to both these fabulous men!! Dr. Proulx gave me his cell phone number to call if I has any concerns.
Dr. Proulx was going to be out of town this week Mon-Wed, and working at another hospital on Thursday. Friday was supposed to be his day off, but he is coming in so we can get Hardee's treatment rolling. On Friday, Aug. 20th, we have an appointment with Dr Proulx at noon at his offices in Carlsbad. At 3:00pm that same day, Hardee is scheduled at InnerVision (I think that's the name) for his fourth CT Scan, but this scan will be a much finer, more precise scan. Remember anytime a dog has a CT scan or has radiation, they must be under general anesthesia.
Dr. Proulx will work the weekend and come in and get on the computer to formulate a plan for radiation. Since we have chosen gamma knife radiation, we only need about a week of daily radiation. It still has to be scheduled at the Cyber Knife Center, and they are waiting to hear back from them about openings in their schedule. The Cyber Knife Center, as is InnerVision, is a human facility and the schedule is worked around humans...damn humans ;-)
Until then, we wait while this tumor grows. It is very hard for me to be so patient when I desperately want to attack that tumor for Hardee. While we wait though, Hardee grows stronger each day and comes back toward better health, except for the tumor. What he went through last week, all the surgeries, procedures and the infection, knocked him down but he is feeling better even this morning. He still has the drainage from his nose, but even that has markedly improved, and I was able to get about 5 hours of sleep last night. Hardee still breathes like a fish, but it is quite endearing to watch.
The results of the culture from Hardee's infection showed 3 things growing, but we only have the results of one bacterium just yet...pasteurella. The antibiotic that he is currently taking, Clavamox, works for that bacterium. Still waiting on the results of the other 2 bacteria.
Join us as we begin our journey towards radiation and the shrinkage of the tumor. Things kick-off this week, Friday, with the CT scan. Until then, you know it, it is all about joy and all about Hardee!!
Dr. Proulx was going to be out of town this week Mon-Wed, and working at another hospital on Thursday. Friday was supposed to be his day off, but he is coming in so we can get Hardee's treatment rolling. On Friday, Aug. 20th, we have an appointment with Dr Proulx at noon at his offices in Carlsbad. At 3:00pm that same day, Hardee is scheduled at InnerVision (I think that's the name) for his fourth CT Scan, but this scan will be a much finer, more precise scan. Remember anytime a dog has a CT scan or has radiation, they must be under general anesthesia.
Dr. Proulx will work the weekend and come in and get on the computer to formulate a plan for radiation. Since we have chosen gamma knife radiation, we only need about a week of daily radiation. It still has to be scheduled at the Cyber Knife Center, and they are waiting to hear back from them about openings in their schedule. The Cyber Knife Center, as is InnerVision, is a human facility and the schedule is worked around humans...damn humans ;-)
Until then, we wait while this tumor grows. It is very hard for me to be so patient when I desperately want to attack that tumor for Hardee. While we wait though, Hardee grows stronger each day and comes back toward better health, except for the tumor. What he went through last week, all the surgeries, procedures and the infection, knocked him down but he is feeling better even this morning. He still has the drainage from his nose, but even that has markedly improved, and I was able to get about 5 hours of sleep last night. Hardee still breathes like a fish, but it is quite endearing to watch.
The results of the culture from Hardee's infection showed 3 things growing, but we only have the results of one bacterium just yet...pasteurella. The antibiotic that he is currently taking, Clavamox, works for that bacterium. Still waiting on the results of the other 2 bacteria.
Join us as we begin our journey towards radiation and the shrinkage of the tumor. Things kick-off this week, Friday, with the CT scan. Until then, you know it, it is all about joy and all about Hardee!!
Monday, August 16, 2010
Oncology Options For Treatment - Aug 16, 2010
On Thursday, Aug. 12, 2010, we had our anxiously awaited oncology appointment. Hardee did not like going back to the same hospital after what he had been through earlier that week on Monday and Tuesday. He was nervous as they put us in a room waiting for the oncologist, and he kept looking for an escape route. My heart wanted so badly to take him out of there, but I knew we had to stay and find out the options to beat the enemy, the tumor.
The first option discussed was palliative care. Palliative care is supportive care only until you feel your baby has suffered enough. An example of palliative care would be pain meds, etc. With palliative care only, they gave us 1-2 months. This choice was not an option for us, as we could not sit back and watch Hardee die. He is such a young dog (5 yrs) with so much working drive, accomplishments, and joy for life. There are some newer treatments out now that others, who chose this option for their dogs, did not have as a choice at the time. I do NOT find fault or judge others who have chosen this option; it is such a personal decision; it just wasn't the decision for us. Price on this option varies, but it is minimal.
Treatment for nasal tumors is aimed at controlling the tumor in the site where it originates. Surgery for most nasal tumors is not an option, as far as removal of the whole tumor. Generally, surgery isn't even attempted because by the time the dog starts showing symptoms, the tumor is too large, and the anatomy of the nasal passage and the location make removal too difficult and too invasive. Sometimes surgery is considered to debulk the tumor to give the dog a better quality of life for their remaining days. The surgery is quite difficult for the dog. The surgeon has to go through the bones of the face instead of up the nose. The cost that was quoted to me was $2,500.00 and up. Surgically removing Hardee's tumor is more of a consideration than other dog's tumors because we caught it early, and it is smaller than most nasal tumors. We did not select this option...not yet anyway, but the option is still there for later use, if needed.
Since treatment is aimed at controlling the tumor in the site, radiation is considered to be the most beneficial therapy, but only if the cancer has not metastasized. There are 3 types of radiation therapy: palliative, definitive, and gamma knife. There are no radiation therapy facilities here in the Las Vegas Valley, with the closest being in Southern California. I was referred to the radiation oncologist, Dr. David Proulx, at California Veterinary Specialists in Carlsbad, CA. They are one of the two facilities only in the world using gamma knife radiation on dogs. I will tell you a story about this wonderful man, Dr. Proulx, later.
Palliative radiation uses low doses of radiation to try to reduce the pain, inflammation, and swelling associated with the tumor. This type of radiation has much less side effects than the definitive radiation. Palliative radiation is provided in daily doses over 5 straight days. Many dogs respond well to this type of radiation with reduced clinical signs and shrinkage of their tumors. Survival time for these dogs are generally 2-4 months, but some can get better benefit with survival of 1-2 years. Some owners choose palliative radiation of only 1-3 days (doses) and derive longer tumor control. This type of radiation is generally around $2000.00.
Definitive radiation therapy, also known as traditional radiation, is much, much, harder on the dog. It uses small doses of radiation on a daily basis over a month-long period. Though for most nasal tumors a cure cannot be obtained, definitive radiation can be used to control the tumor for long periods, and in some cases it can cure it. The typical range of survival time (cancer control) with this radiation is 12-16 months though there is much variability between dogs. On occasion, surgery is performed also. If surgery and definitive radiation are performed, cancer control is a small study reached 2 years. Side effects for this radiation are substantial, especially for this area of the body. Inflammation and burning of the nose and mouth, eye damage, and neurological changes are common and expected with definitive radiation, depending on the extensiveness of the tumor. These side effects can last 2-4 weeks, but they can occasionally become permanent. Let me stress how hard these side effects are on the dog, and Hardee's radiation oncologist would never put his dog through this radiation, nor would I. The cost of this radiation is around $7,000.00. Remember that with all radiation, the dog must have general anesthesia with each daily treatment.
The last type of radiation therapy is gamma knife radiation. With this radiation, the dog must have another CT scan under general anesthesia that is very precise and done at a human facility, as is the gamma knife radiation. It closely measures the nasal tumor, and then radiation is focused to the exact area limiting side effects to the surrounding tissues thus sparing the eye and the horrible side effects of definitive radiation. Relatively conservative side effects can be expected. It takes a couple days for the radiation oncologist to formulate a plan before the radiation treatment can begin. Since this is new to the canine world by about a year, statistics aren't available and the hope is that it is as good or better than definitive radiation. You are taking a big monetary risk with gamma knife and there are no guarantees. Treatment with gamma knife radiation takes about a week, and the cost is greater than $15,000.00. A limited number of dogs have undergone such therapy for nasal tumors. Hardee will be one of them.
Chemotherapy can be used and is an option if the tumor returns after radiation therapy. There are 2 different drugs that can be used. One is given intravenously, and the other is a pill given at home. Sorry, but I kind of quit listening after I heard the gamma knife radiation option because I knew instantly that was my choice for Handsome Hardee. I just had to convince Hardee's Dad, but Jim needed no convincing and was on board as soon as I told him the options. Good boy, Jim!!
Monetary decisions seem to drive the options chosen by most owners, or in our case, selfishness, because we can't imagine our lives without Hardee. Just so everyone understands the costs involved with all the options, we have already spent close to $5000.00 for all the procedures of last week trying to get a definitive diagnosis and to see if the cancer had spread. Then add in the cost of whatever option of treatment you choose, in our case at least $15,000.00, and then add in roughly $1,500.00 every 3 months or so to monitor the tumor, with the potential for surgery to remove as much tumor as we can, another $3,000.00. It is not for the faint of heart nor for the average person. Even though we are average people with lots of bills due, Hardee is not an average dog. The amount of happiness he has brought into our lives is immeasurable, and we would go to the ends of the earth for him as long as we thought it wasn't too hard on him. The question you have to ask yourself is.....is my dog worth potentially more than $30,000.00??? To us, Hardee is, and we will find a way. We figure that is what home improvement loans are for. Might it all be for naught? Yes, but if it is, Hardee will leave this world to wait for me elsewhere knowing that I have done everything in my power to give back to him what he has brought to us....total joy! Only people who truly love their dogs more than life will understand this choice, and we are okay with that if you don't. I won't judge the decisions you make for your dog.
Since this post has gotten so long, I will tell you the story of Dr Proulx tomorrow, and tell you about the plan for next week and where we will be getting our treatment. Until then, it is all about joy and all about Hardee!!
The first option discussed was palliative care. Palliative care is supportive care only until you feel your baby has suffered enough. An example of palliative care would be pain meds, etc. With palliative care only, they gave us 1-2 months. This choice was not an option for us, as we could not sit back and watch Hardee die. He is such a young dog (5 yrs) with so much working drive, accomplishments, and joy for life. There are some newer treatments out now that others, who chose this option for their dogs, did not have as a choice at the time. I do NOT find fault or judge others who have chosen this option; it is such a personal decision; it just wasn't the decision for us. Price on this option varies, but it is minimal.
Treatment for nasal tumors is aimed at controlling the tumor in the site where it originates. Surgery for most nasal tumors is not an option, as far as removal of the whole tumor. Generally, surgery isn't even attempted because by the time the dog starts showing symptoms, the tumor is too large, and the anatomy of the nasal passage and the location make removal too difficult and too invasive. Sometimes surgery is considered to debulk the tumor to give the dog a better quality of life for their remaining days. The surgery is quite difficult for the dog. The surgeon has to go through the bones of the face instead of up the nose. The cost that was quoted to me was $2,500.00 and up. Surgically removing Hardee's tumor is more of a consideration than other dog's tumors because we caught it early, and it is smaller than most nasal tumors. We did not select this option...not yet anyway, but the option is still there for later use, if needed.
Since treatment is aimed at controlling the tumor in the site, radiation is considered to be the most beneficial therapy, but only if the cancer has not metastasized. There are 3 types of radiation therapy: palliative, definitive, and gamma knife. There are no radiation therapy facilities here in the Las Vegas Valley, with the closest being in Southern California. I was referred to the radiation oncologist, Dr. David Proulx, at California Veterinary Specialists in Carlsbad, CA. They are one of the two facilities only in the world using gamma knife radiation on dogs. I will tell you a story about this wonderful man, Dr. Proulx, later.
Palliative radiation uses low doses of radiation to try to reduce the pain, inflammation, and swelling associated with the tumor. This type of radiation has much less side effects than the definitive radiation. Palliative radiation is provided in daily doses over 5 straight days. Many dogs respond well to this type of radiation with reduced clinical signs and shrinkage of their tumors. Survival time for these dogs are generally 2-4 months, but some can get better benefit with survival of 1-2 years. Some owners choose palliative radiation of only 1-3 days (doses) and derive longer tumor control. This type of radiation is generally around $2000.00.
Definitive radiation therapy, also known as traditional radiation, is much, much, harder on the dog. It uses small doses of radiation on a daily basis over a month-long period. Though for most nasal tumors a cure cannot be obtained, definitive radiation can be used to control the tumor for long periods, and in some cases it can cure it. The typical range of survival time (cancer control) with this radiation is 12-16 months though there is much variability between dogs. On occasion, surgery is performed also. If surgery and definitive radiation are performed, cancer control is a small study reached 2 years. Side effects for this radiation are substantial, especially for this area of the body. Inflammation and burning of the nose and mouth, eye damage, and neurological changes are common and expected with definitive radiation, depending on the extensiveness of the tumor. These side effects can last 2-4 weeks, but they can occasionally become permanent. Let me stress how hard these side effects are on the dog, and Hardee's radiation oncologist would never put his dog through this radiation, nor would I. The cost of this radiation is around $7,000.00. Remember that with all radiation, the dog must have general anesthesia with each daily treatment.
The last type of radiation therapy is gamma knife radiation. With this radiation, the dog must have another CT scan under general anesthesia that is very precise and done at a human facility, as is the gamma knife radiation. It closely measures the nasal tumor, and then radiation is focused to the exact area limiting side effects to the surrounding tissues thus sparing the eye and the horrible side effects of definitive radiation. Relatively conservative side effects can be expected. It takes a couple days for the radiation oncologist to formulate a plan before the radiation treatment can begin. Since this is new to the canine world by about a year, statistics aren't available and the hope is that it is as good or better than definitive radiation. You are taking a big monetary risk with gamma knife and there are no guarantees. Treatment with gamma knife radiation takes about a week, and the cost is greater than $15,000.00. A limited number of dogs have undergone such therapy for nasal tumors. Hardee will be one of them.
Chemotherapy can be used and is an option if the tumor returns after radiation therapy. There are 2 different drugs that can be used. One is given intravenously, and the other is a pill given at home. Sorry, but I kind of quit listening after I heard the gamma knife radiation option because I knew instantly that was my choice for Handsome Hardee. I just had to convince Hardee's Dad, but Jim needed no convincing and was on board as soon as I told him the options. Good boy, Jim!!
Monetary decisions seem to drive the options chosen by most owners, or in our case, selfishness, because we can't imagine our lives without Hardee. Just so everyone understands the costs involved with all the options, we have already spent close to $5000.00 for all the procedures of last week trying to get a definitive diagnosis and to see if the cancer had spread. Then add in the cost of whatever option of treatment you choose, in our case at least $15,000.00, and then add in roughly $1,500.00 every 3 months or so to monitor the tumor, with the potential for surgery to remove as much tumor as we can, another $3,000.00. It is not for the faint of heart nor for the average person. Even though we are average people with lots of bills due, Hardee is not an average dog. The amount of happiness he has brought into our lives is immeasurable, and we would go to the ends of the earth for him as long as we thought it wasn't too hard on him. The question you have to ask yourself is.....is my dog worth potentially more than $30,000.00??? To us, Hardee is, and we will find a way. We figure that is what home improvement loans are for. Might it all be for naught? Yes, but if it is, Hardee will leave this world to wait for me elsewhere knowing that I have done everything in my power to give back to him what he has brought to us....total joy! Only people who truly love their dogs more than life will understand this choice, and we are okay with that if you don't. I won't judge the decisions you make for your dog.
Since this post has gotten so long, I will tell you the story of Dr Proulx tomorrow, and tell you about the plan for next week and where we will be getting our treatment. Until then, it is all about joy and all about Hardee!!
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Short history of finding Hardee's cancer - Aug. 15, 2010
On Sunday, Aug. 1st 2010, I was grooming Hardee when he had a blood tinged, thick yellowish discharge coming from his nose. The vet was closed, so first thing Monday morning I took him for an appointment. Radiographs clearly showed something in his sinus, which I assumed was infection. The vet thought it was fungus, so blood serology tests were sent off for the 4 most common fungi. Those results came back negative.
On Monday, Aug 9, we had an Internist appointment. During that appointment I was told that they thought it was NOT any type of infection. I didn't ask what they thought it was because I knew. Hardee went directly to surgery where under anesthesia they did a CT scan, endoscopies (rhinoscopy) up the nose and through the back of the throat into both nasal passages, numerous biopsies, and blood work. The results were not good. Radiology and pathology reports showed Hardee had a tumor called a chondrosarcoma. Chondrosarcomas are very aggressive and have a high metastatic rate, meaning the cancer can spread to other parts of the body easily.
Hardee had to stay in ICU and was released the next afternoon, Tuesday. We had an Oncology appointment scheduled for Thurs, Aug. 12, and I was anxious to hear what that Dr. had to say. I wanted that tumor out of him desperately and wanted to get things rolling.
While waiting for that appointment, I was busy caring for Hardee. Hardee had been bleeding from his nose continuously since I had brought him home from ICU. Since Jim, Hardee's dad, was at work, I couldn't do bleeding control and clean up blood at the same time. We isolated Hardee to the front of the house (family room, breakfast nook, and kitchen area) trying to limit where the blood would be. Besides the draining of blood from his nose, Hardee now also sneezes, snorts, and does this choking-coughing thing that sends blood flying out everywhere. I quickly gave up trying to save carpets, furniture, and the tile floor's grout, and accepted that those things will need to be replaced. The good thing about "things" is that they can be replaced, but Hardee cannot, so we just didn't care about "things" anymore.
I called to Hardee's internist on Wed. saying that he was having difficulty breathing, had gurgling in his throat, and was making horrible sounds when trying to breathe since I brought him home yesterday. He said that it was from swelling from the surgery and that bleeding could continue for some time. I could smell a horrible smell that I recognized, and I knew he had an infection. Thursday morning couldn't come early enough where I could get him into his oncologist to try to get him diagnosed and start antibiotics, and find out the plan of action to fight Hardee's tumor. Without question the oncologist accepted my word that Hardee had an infection and said he would be sent home with antibiotics.
Hardee had to stay at the hospital that day, Thursday, to have general anesthesia again to have more CT scans done of his chest and abdomen, and have needle aspirates done of his lymph nodes to find out if the cancer had spread. That information is important so we can make a more informed decision about Hardee's treatment plan. I asked them to try and find the infection and get a culture & sensitivity run while they were in there and intubating him. There was copious amounts of thick, horrible smelling, infection throughout the back of Hardee's throat and nose. The results of that day's procedues was good news in that the cancer has not spread.
Hardee is breathing better but still not normal, and is still listless and lethargic. Hardee is still bleeding from his nose but now the blood is mixed with mucous starting yesterday. Just tonight, we have seen an improvement in the amount of blood that is in the mucous coming from his nose and an improvement in the nose drainage. One of us, mostly me because Jim has to work, stays up with him every night to do bleeding control and clear the blood from Hardee's nose so he doesn't ingest so much of it. We hope he is making a turn around from this infection.
Friday night I got a call from the radiation oncologist in Carlsbad, CA trying to finalize a treatment plan for Hardee. In my next post I will write about the options available to fight cancer in dogs and which of these options we have selected for Hardee's treatment.
Until then, it is all about joy and all about Hardee!
On Monday, Aug 9, we had an Internist appointment. During that appointment I was told that they thought it was NOT any type of infection. I didn't ask what they thought it was because I knew. Hardee went directly to surgery where under anesthesia they did a CT scan, endoscopies (rhinoscopy) up the nose and through the back of the throat into both nasal passages, numerous biopsies, and blood work. The results were not good. Radiology and pathology reports showed Hardee had a tumor called a chondrosarcoma. Chondrosarcomas are very aggressive and have a high metastatic rate, meaning the cancer can spread to other parts of the body easily.
Hardee had to stay in ICU and was released the next afternoon, Tuesday. We had an Oncology appointment scheduled for Thurs, Aug. 12, and I was anxious to hear what that Dr. had to say. I wanted that tumor out of him desperately and wanted to get things rolling.
While waiting for that appointment, I was busy caring for Hardee. Hardee had been bleeding from his nose continuously since I had brought him home from ICU. Since Jim, Hardee's dad, was at work, I couldn't do bleeding control and clean up blood at the same time. We isolated Hardee to the front of the house (family room, breakfast nook, and kitchen area) trying to limit where the blood would be. Besides the draining of blood from his nose, Hardee now also sneezes, snorts, and does this choking-coughing thing that sends blood flying out everywhere. I quickly gave up trying to save carpets, furniture, and the tile floor's grout, and accepted that those things will need to be replaced. The good thing about "things" is that they can be replaced, but Hardee cannot, so we just didn't care about "things" anymore.
I called to Hardee's internist on Wed. saying that he was having difficulty breathing, had gurgling in his throat, and was making horrible sounds when trying to breathe since I brought him home yesterday. He said that it was from swelling from the surgery and that bleeding could continue for some time. I could smell a horrible smell that I recognized, and I knew he had an infection. Thursday morning couldn't come early enough where I could get him into his oncologist to try to get him diagnosed and start antibiotics, and find out the plan of action to fight Hardee's tumor. Without question the oncologist accepted my word that Hardee had an infection and said he would be sent home with antibiotics.
Hardee had to stay at the hospital that day, Thursday, to have general anesthesia again to have more CT scans done of his chest and abdomen, and have needle aspirates done of his lymph nodes to find out if the cancer had spread. That information is important so we can make a more informed decision about Hardee's treatment plan. I asked them to try and find the infection and get a culture & sensitivity run while they were in there and intubating him. There was copious amounts of thick, horrible smelling, infection throughout the back of Hardee's throat and nose. The results of that day's procedues was good news in that the cancer has not spread.
Hardee is breathing better but still not normal, and is still listless and lethargic. Hardee is still bleeding from his nose but now the blood is mixed with mucous starting yesterday. Just tonight, we have seen an improvement in the amount of blood that is in the mucous coming from his nose and an improvement in the nose drainage. One of us, mostly me because Jim has to work, stays up with him every night to do bleeding control and clear the blood from Hardee's nose so he doesn't ingest so much of it. We hope he is making a turn around from this infection.
Friday night I got a call from the radiation oncologist in Carlsbad, CA trying to finalize a treatment plan for Hardee. In my next post I will write about the options available to fight cancer in dogs and which of these options we have selected for Hardee's treatment.
Until then, it is all about joy and all about Hardee!
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