Things are well...

Things are well with Sam.   We were happy to spend time with family and other dogs over Thanksgiving.  Sam is on her final Chemo treatment once a week for three more weeks.  Just a quick shot.  No more 6 hour infusions.   We will do another full biopsy in a few weeks to get some more definite answers.   She seems to be doing extremely well.  Very alert and wanting to please.  She takes her tennis balls back outside every time we venture outside.  This is a good sign.   She never leaves my side.  Even when sleeping, she has to keep one eye on what I am doing.  We are blessed to have both of these Corgis.  They are true friends and companions.

Very happy to announce - Remission accomplished

Hello everyone,
First, thank you to everyone for your continued prayers and good wishes.  We are very happy to announce that Sam has now reached her second full remission.  At the end of last week, her Oncologist attempted to perform a needle aspirate on a lymph node.  But, they were too small to even find.  This is excellent news!  We are very hopefully this remission will last a very long time.  Tough to put a time frame around it, but we do know every day with her, and her sister, is a blessing.

This Corgi has been through quite the battle.  This was a tough round of treatment on her, but she continues to fight and bounce back.  We have had quite the emotional roller coaster with her lately, but she is now back, happy and healthy.  She has one final treatment of a Chemo drug that will be administered over a few weeks.  It is a simple administration compared to what she has been through.  This final administration is a "clean-up" type of drug, to wipe out any cancer cells that are left.

This is the Best Christmas gift we could ask for!!

A neck injury - roller coaster weekend

We had quite the roller coaster weekend.  Sam was experiencing lethargy and wobbling around.  We were very concerned and upset.  We did think that her fight was taking a bad turn.   She was seen by her Onocologist, early Sunday, on his day off.  This man is truly a compassionate vet, a true blessing.  Sam was also seen by the on call neurolgist.  Her diagnosis is  a potential disk issue in her neck.  Nothing related to the lymphoma.  She has been placed on pain, muscle relaxers and steroid medication.  She was not looking good early this morning.  But, the medication does seem to be helping.  She is still very drowsy, but does seems to be a little more alert.   We have returned home with her and she is now resting quietly.  She still has trouble standing, especially on the wood floors.  We have assembled her a comfortable bed with soft blankets.  She is eating and drinking some water.  Which is good.  She will need to remain calm for the immediate future.

 A true diagnosis for the neck injury would require an MRI.  This would require sedation.  Something we are not comfortable doing.  She has been through enough.

This dog never stops amazing me.  She is incredible with her continued fight.  She has been through a septic episode a few years ago.  Currently being treated Chemo for  lymphoma.   And now, a neck injury she needs to recover from.
Our friends and family continued prayers have helped.  Thank you for them.

Potential Seizure

Looking for some prayers.
We feel Sam had a seizure last night.   We have been monitoring her all day.  She is pretty lethargic and unmotivated.  We are taking her to her treatment center for observation and some treatment medication.  They will monitor her overnight.   We can get through this if we can get the seizure episodes under control.  Which may mean medication daily.  Something that does not harm her liver.
We are very sad to see her in this condition.  This poor dog has been through so very much, but keeps going.
Thank you everyone in advance for your prayers.

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!