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Celebratory Beer for Lunch

June 30, 2017

Celebratory Beer for Lunch

I’m sitting at my desk, drinking a beer (Sam Adams, for my beer friends), and staring a long four-day weekend right in the face.

I don’t usually drink beer for lunch. In fact, I don’t usually drink alcohol during the week at all.

Today is different.

Today is special.

Today Tango got another “all clear.”

About six months ago, I took Tango to the vet for a routine exam because he was drinking a lot of water.

That led to blood work and a urinalysis. Which led to “things are a little off, let’s rule out lymphoma.” Gulp. But the chest x-rays looked great (yay!). All we had to do was get an a-ok on the abdominal ultrasound. That didn’t happen.

In fact, the day of the ultrasound was the day Tango had his spleen (and the nasty growth) removed.

It was an ugly couple of weeks with a roller coaster recovery. Those weeks involved lots of visits back to the veterinarian and even an overnight stay at the emergency veterinary hospital and more than a couple of crying jags for me. It took almost two more months (and what seemed like a million tests) to get the final results: not one, but two (two-two-treats-in-one) forms of cancer.

It looks like we took care of one of the cancers (sarcoma) when the spleen was removed.

The other type (lymphoma) might or might not still be hanging around. Even if it’s there, it might never cause him any trouble. Apparently, some dogs can have it, but never be bothered by it.

So now, Tango needs blood work, an abdominal ultrasound, and chest x-rays every three months to make sure the cancer isn’t back.

yellow Lab, cancer, Smart Dog, Frederick, dog training, Mt. Airy, clicker — Tango’s “worried” face

A couple of weeks prior to the appointment, I start worrying. Is that cough new? Is he more lethargic now? Does he seem like he’s uncomfortable?

I’m not a worrier normally.

I firmly believe that time spent worrying is time wasted. Worry just takes away from the good times I could be having with Tango. And I stick to that fairly well until it’s time for The Tests. Then I look a little too deeply into every move, every breath, every flinch.

Thankfully, today at least, our news is good.

We’re six months out from the initial surgery and we’re still in the clear.

So, of course, that meant a beer for lunch.

Tango Update: Cancer, Cancer

March 22, 2017

It’s been a little crazy around here the last few months with all the cancer talk.

I’m getting tired of writing that, actually. Too much crazy, too much roller coaster. We need some boring around here. Some seriously boring boredom.

Back in January, Tango had an ultrasound due to some abnormal blood results.

(People, heed my warning: do the blood work — just do it. This probably saved Tango’s life.) His globulin numbers were up which can be an indication of cancer. We had done a chest x-ray earlier and that was clear, so I really thought the ultrasound was just a precaution.

yellow Labrador, lab, yellow lab, splenectomy, — Tango recovers from a splenectomy

Hahahaha, no. Tango underwent surgery that day to remove his spleen and it’s gigantic growth.

The thing was sent away for biopsy and that set off a six week mystery that has just recently been solved. Initially, one type of cancer was found. But then a second opinion found a different type of cancer. So more tests (i.e. more $$) and more reviews by a panel of 25 pathologists.

Still disagreements between “the authorities” about which of the two different cancers Tango had.

Finally, all of Tango’s medical records were sent to a cancer genius in California at UC Davis. Even he wanted to run more tests! Clearly, this was a complicated case.

Some six weeks later, the final results were in and we headed to the oncologist in Leesburg, VA, for our consult. We have an answer at last!

Tango has two different types of cancer. That’s the reason for all the disagreements — both conclusions were correct. He has lymphoma and sarcoma. That’s definitely not the result I’d been hoping for.

canine cancer, oncology, sarcoma, lymphoma, yellow Labrador, yellow lab, dog training, — Tango meets the oncologist.

Here’s the good news.

Both of the cancers have been classified as “low-grade.” I’m not a veterinarian, all I know is that we’re celebrating this “low grade” classification. Low grade means no chemo! Low grade means no treatment! Low grade means we monitor and watch and test.

Every three months, Tango has to have an ultrasound to make sure there’s nothing growing in his belly. Every 6 months he has to have chest x-rays and blood work. Expensive? Yes. Invasive? No way. And that’s the most important part.

We are getting back to normal here now.

Notice I didn’t say “we’re back to normal.” I’m still guarded, not willing to believe yet that we’re out of the woods. You don’t worry yourself silly for six weeks and then <poof> it’s all gone instantly with “good news.” I watch Tango like a hawk. Is he panting? Why is he panting? Is he drinking more water? Is he sleeping more than usual? Has he lost the pep in his step? It’s constant surveying and cataloging, and monitoring. I think he’s growing weary of me. Because I also kiss him nonstop as well. It’s the price you pay when you have a crazy, over zealous, protective owner like me.

I have a couple of short out-of-town work trips coming up that I was stressing out about.

I didn’t want to leave for more than a couple of hours if he had to start chemotherapy or any other kind of treatment. The oncologist has assured me that he’ll be fine for these two trips (the two trips will be over in a couple weeks). Right now, he’s sacked out in his chair, just like normal. Everything has been fairly normal, so I’m going to hope that it’ll stay boring and normal. Normal and boring. Ahh, that sounds divine.

I’ll still worry.

It’s what I do. But at least I know that it’ll be worry for worry’s sake, not worry for a real reason.

When Last We Met…

February 9, 2017

When last we met, Tango had urgent surgery to remove his spleen and an unwelcome growth on said spleen.

Since then, we’ve had very few “up” days and a whole lotta “down” days, including a panicked trip (a week ago now!) to my regular vet and a trip later that same evening to the emergency veterinarian where I had to <gasp> leave Tango for the night.

Tango has been diagnosed with cancer, but the pathology results confound the pathologists and oncologists.

Originally, there were three contenders for the type of cancer — all round cell cancers (don’t ask me what that means, it’s just something I heard the veterinarians say). Which meant, I think, that we’d treat the cancer the same way, but that the prognosis could be vastly different depending on which round cell cancer.

We ordered special stains that would identify which of those three possibilities Tango really had.

It takes 10 unimaginably long days to get results. The results added three new potential diagnoses to the mix. So now, 25 pathologists from the laboratory will meet at the end of the week and review Tango’s case. The oncologist said that some of the new possibilities are less scary than the ones already in the mix, so keep your fingers crossed for the least scary of the bunch.

About a week ago, Tango developed an incision-site infection.

yellow Labrador, yellow Lab, cancer — Waiting together at the veterinary office.

He had a fever and was trembling uncontrollably which is how we ended up panicked at my veterinarian’s office. At the time, I didn’t know it was “just” an infection, I was worried it might be cancer-related. I was certain this was it for him, he was so miserable and I hated seeing him that way.

I spent the better part of the day at my regular veterinarian (who fit me in, mercifully) getting Tango’s fever under control and making him comfortable.

When we left the office at about 2:30p, Tango was looking better. I wasn’t worried at all when I had to leave him just a couple hours later to teach back-to-back good manners dog training classes.

Imagine my shock when my husband called me during class (which never happens) and said urgently “Where do I take this dog – we need an emergency vet. Now.” Tango had begun trembling again, was unable to lift his head, and was leaking all kinds of fluid from the incision site (serous fluid, I later learned — what an education I’m getting!).

I really do have the best clients in the world.

They were understanding, even encouraging me to stop class and get my husband the information he needed. Which I did. Which also involved a couple of extra calls to my veterinarian for some in-the-moment advice. Through it all, they were the best — supportive and understanding.

To make a long story short, my husband met me at my class location (which had since finished) and together we took Tango to an emergency veterinary hospital.

Tango had to stay the night <gasp!>. It was the first time I ever had to leave him behind. It was horrible on both of us. I was able to pick him up the next day and things started to get back to normal.

A week later (fingers crossed!) and we’re returning to somewhat normal around here.

yellow Labrador, yellow lab, cancer, Kong — Any day that involves a Kong is a good day!

Tango is again waking me up in the morning (too early!). He’s eating Kongs. He’s wagging his tail. He’s going out to meet my husband at the gate when he hears him come in the driveway. It’s the little things.

We have a meeting with the oncologist on Monday to see what the passel of pathologists have come up with regarding Tango’s cancer. And we’ll move forward from there. Who’d have ever thought I’d be happy to move forward with the “normal stuff” like cancer treatment. It’s all perspective, I guess.

Lily’s Cancer Update

January 6, 2015

Our sweetest old girl, Lily, was diagnosed with myxosarcoma a couple months ago.

She’ll be 13 next week and I debated about whether to put her through surgery given her age.

When I talked frankly with my veterinarian about it, he reminded me that she was overall a very healthy older dog — no arthritis, mobility issues, heart, liver, or kidney ailments. To be honest, I couldn’t take knowing she had cancer and doing nothing about it. So, the surgery was scheduled.

The surgery was deep and the veterinarian removed as much tissue as possible (trying to get those clean margins) and still give her 100% use of her limb. She was liquored up on pain meds for several days and had some nasty looking drains at the surgical site, but otherwise did remarkably well. And now she’s got a really cool Frankenstein scar on her leg that gives her a little more swagger.

She was given strict orders: no running, no jumping — leash walking only!

I obediently gave the doctor’s orders to Lily, but honestly, she paid me no mind. Don’t worry that I dragged the huge, ridiculously cushy dog bed from room to room so she could be comfortable without jumping onto the sofa. No, no — Lily said to me “It’s the sofa or nothing, lady.” The sofa it was.

We may or may not have spoiled her rotten during her recovery. She wears the badge of Cancer Survivor proudly and no longer listens to anything we tell her.

Seriously, I did my best to keep her quiet for two weeks (veterinarian prescribed three weeks, but I compromised with Lily — she wanted just one week…) and then let her have her way. My husband drives a diesel pick-up truck and the dogs know when he’s turned onto our street. They all go barking and running and jumping out to meet him. This was usually the hardest part of my day: keeping Lily calm and quiet during the mayhem, so she was quite excited when I finally allowed her (after two weeks of sheer hell, she tells me) to join in the fray.

My husband came into the house through the backyard where the dogs are contained and told me Lily was acting like a puppy again — more “puppified” than ever, he said! He joked “Tell that veterinarian to operate on her other leg next week — he shaved 8 years off her age!”

The official results.

The veterinarian said all five biopsies came back with no evidence of cancer, so I’ve got my fingers crossed that we’re in the clear.

We got an unexpected snow day here today, and that old lady held her own with the boys.

Go, Lily, go!

A HUGE thank you to the wonderful veterinarians, veterinary technicians and all the staff at Kingsbrook Animal Hospital who made this lovely update possible.

Talk back! Do you have trauma, cancer, or injury survivors? Let us know and tell their story — leave a comment below.

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cancer

Celebratory Beer for Lunch

I’m sitting at my desk, drinking a beer (Sam Adams, for my beer friends), and staring a long four-day weekend right in the face.

Today is special.

About six months ago, I took Tango to the vet for a routine exam because he was drinking a lot of water.

In fact, the day of the ultrasound was the day Tango had his spleen (and the nasty growth) removed.

It looks like we took care of one of the cancers (sarcoma) when the spleen was removed.

So now, Tango needs blood work, an abdominal ultrasound, and chest x-rays every three months to make sure the cancer isn’t back.

I’m not a worrier normally.

Thankfully, today at least, our news is good.

So, of course, that meant a beer for lunch.

It’s been a little crazy around here the last few months with all the cancer talk.

Back in January, Tango had an ultrasound due to some abnormal blood results.

Still disagreements between “the authorities” about which of the two different cancers Tango had.

Some six weeks later, the final results were in and we headed to the oncologist in Leesburg, VA, for our consult. We have an answer at last!

Here’s the good news.

We are getting back to normal here now.

I’ll still worry.

When last we met, Tango had urgent surgery to remove his spleen and an unwelcome growth on said spleen.

Tango has been diagnosed with cancer, but the pathology results confound the pathologists and oncologists.

We ordered special stains that would identify which of those three possibilities Tango really had.

About a week ago, Tango developed an incision-site infection.

I spent the better part of the day at my regular veterinarian (who fit me in, mercifully) getting Tango’s fever under control and making him comfortable.

I really do have the best clients in the world.

To make a long story short, my husband met me at my class location (which had since finished) and together we took Tango to an emergency veterinary hospital.

A week later (fingers crossed!) and we’re returning to somewhat normal around here.

Our sweetest old girl, Lily, was diagnosed with myxosarcoma a couple months ago.

She was given strict orders: no running, no jumping — leash walking only!

The official results.

Go, Lily, go!

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