Treatment finish line in sight.

Sam had another treatment yesterday.  This time it was fairly quick.  I worked in an office while she was being treated, then drove her back home.  We did stop for her favorite Chik-fil-a grilled chicken nuggets.  We saved a few to share with her sister Taz once home.
Sam is definitely becoming very uneasy when she goes for treatment.  She will hide under a chair and attempt to make herself invisible.   The Oncologist is very compassionate and will sit right with her during treatment.   This round was fairly expensive and wasteful with regards to unused Chemo product.  It is what it is.  Sam is putting on some weight again, she has gained almost two pounds since we started her second round of Chemo treatments.  This is good.... It means her body is winning the fight and not succumbing to the cancer.  Her attitude is great.  She is bitchy towards her sister, which is good to see.  It means she is alert and not feeling bad.

Sam did puke a bit this AM, not long after eating her food.  We gave he an additional anti-nausea pill that we keep around during the Chemo treatments.  We usually see the worst side effects a few days after the treatment.  She seems to be doing fine now.

Nest week, the last in the series of round two treatments.

Go Sam Go!!!

Just returned from another bi-weekly treatment

I have just returned back home with Sam.  She had the 8 hour infusion today.   We left early this morning, 530 AM, to arrive at the hospital before 7AM.  As usual, Sam was very hesitant to go into the back, where she is administered her Chemo.  She attempts to hide under my chair, which is sad to see.  The doctors are as compassionate as they can be with her.

Today, I did take her sister Taz with me. Taz stayed with me today as I worked from my step-fathers house.  Always good to have the comfort of a Corgi around while working.

Good discussion with the Oncologist today... he really feels the treatment is working.  But we are both only cautiously optimistic.  With Lymphoma, the status can change in a hurry.  We will assess in 6 weeks, three more treatments.  AT that time we may pause and let her body take a Chemo break. We will address soon.

We did also take a few moments to view Sam's belly with the ultrasound machine.   The liver and bladder all look good.  It is neat to see.  Had for me to decipher, but I was given a crash course.  Which I appreciated.

I did mention that I read a story about another dog that had just passed.  The dog lived with Lymphoma out four years.  Then, passed on, but from Pneumonia, not Lymphoma.  I hope we are this lucky.  Sam is very much a fighter.

OK after treatment today

Sam had another treatment today.  Our day started out with an early morning drive north to her treating Oncologist.  Sam road on my lap the entire way.  She received a Corgi massage the entire way.   I really think she knows where we are going, and what is going to happen.   I think she pretty much just deals with the IV insertion anymore.  It makes me sad that she may think this is just part of life.  I wish I could tell her that we are trying to make her better and extend her life.  We have a few more treatments to go and then we will have to make some decisions.  We may do another medical biopsy to see if she has truly made it into remission this time.  This can be done with minimal surgical effort right behind the rear knee.  We will also have to decide what path we then take with additional treatment.  The total cost is really starting to add up.  I never thought I would say this, but we need to touch base with reality at some point.

The good thing now is Sam is happy.  She is eating better and gaining some weight.  We are supplementing her home cooked food with come high calorie canned food that is gentle on her GI tract.   She did pick up a pound over the past week.  Which is good.  She is still not back to her portly corgi self, and we are not sure if she every will be, but she does seems happy.  Always easy to tell when she proudly leads me to the grass every morning, with her tennis ball held high in her month. Yes, she has me trained very well.

We are moving into the seventh month since her initial diagnosis in March 2014.  I am hopeful for 10 times that seven month count!