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!