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!