Bouncing back - thank you for the prayers

Hello everyone.
Sam is recovering very quickly from her most recent Chemo complication.   Her stomach seems to be feeling much better.  No more puking as a Chemo side effect.  It is very tough to think about how she is feeling... and wishing there is something we could do to comfort her.  Sam never ceases to amaze me in her relentless fight to keep going.  She is still on some pretty bland food, and will be for the next few days.  Then, back to our home-cooked daily meals for her.  I really feel cooking her food is helping her keep going strong.

This AM she was charging around the house, chasing her sister Taz.  Bossing everyone around.  This is the behavior we love to see.  A true stubborn Corgi.

Thank you to everyone for your continued prayers.  We are hopeful that she will return to a remission state in under two months.

Post treatment complications

It was a long weekend with Sam.  She had another round of Chemo last Thursday.  We were informed that this Chemo would work on her GI tract.   We were also informed that this would happen a few days after treatment.   By Saturday night, she was puking and miserable.  She seemed to perk back up on Sunday, eating some soft canned food.  I slept on the floor next to her both nights, just monitoring her.  Listening to her heavy breathing and stirring around as she was uncomfortable.  By today, Monday AM, I needed to drive her to see her doctor.  It is an hour drive one way and Sam did not really enjoy the drive.  She will be staying with the Vet today on supportive IV and additional anti-nausea medication.  We are hopefully she will bounce back.  It is so very troublesome and sad to see Sam feel bad.  When she did not want to eat or drink early this AM, we knew something was wrong.  I will head back up this evening to pick her up.  I am hoping for updates throughout the day.   I am going to make a valiant attempt to stay positive and keep churning on my work products.   Knowing in my mind that our dog is not feeling well.  It will be a challenging day, but we should get through it.  Cancer, of any kind, just plan sucks.  I am not sure what is worse, the disease or the treatment.  Her Vet is positive that she will bounce back.  Just hard to digest for me personally.

Positive news from a blood test

We took Sam late on Friday to see her Veterinary Oncologist... this time for just a quick blood test.  We have been very concerned about her liver values from the months of treatment.  She has now been removed from any treatments that will harm her liver.   We are also giving her additional medication to help her liver hopefully heal a bit.  The test did show that some of the liver markers are coming back down, which is a very good thing.
She is doing exceptionally well.  We hung out all weekend, taking many walks, and worked in the yard.  She seems very happy.

Saturday - tough treatment

Sam had an 8 hour IV infusion treatment this past Saturday.  A treatment that works against the bone marrow.   It was tough for me to leave her that long.  The new Veterinary Oncologist does seem to be very passionate about helping Sam.  We did do substantial blood work before the start of the treatment.  Her liver levels are very high.  Some of the previous Chemo drugs pushed her liver to troublesome levels.  She will no longer be having and Chemo that will harm her liver.  She is also on medication to help  her liver heal.

The drive home on Saturday afternoon was tough.  Sam was uncomfortable.  She seemed agitated and did not enjoy the car ride.  She sat on my lap the entire way home, but kept moving around.  This is a new experience for Leslie and I as the treatment is now more intense.  She was given some anti-nausea medication to help with the Chemo administration side affects.  Once we arrived home she greeted her sister and played on the grass.  She was a bit wobbly but OK.   She finally relaxed and fell asleep late Saturday night.  Both Leslie and I check on her often in the night.

By Sunday morning she seemed to be getting her normal attitude.  Happy, eating, chewing on bones, and bossing around her sister.  We are hopefully this new treatment protocol will drive the Lymphoma back into remission, this time for a longer time.  Paws crossed!