Wednesday, April 28, 2010 Jack has been off antibiotics for his pneumonia now for a week, and the nose bogies have returned. We just can't seem to get that under control! He doesn't seem very bothered by it, but it's frustrating all the same. His arthritis is also bothering him. Someone saw him lay down and described it as "creeky butt," which is a very appropriate description. Although it clearly hurts to lay down, he gets up without much problem.
Jack had acupuncture this week locally with Dr. Rinehimer at Sierra Vet. He was a very good patient. The only real sensitivity she detected was in his right hip; otherwise, the points that have typically been sensitive (like the digestive system) were not bad at all. Next Tuesday we trek back to Dr. Beebe in Sacramento and will talk to her about trying something a bit more potent to help his aches and pains... if there is such a thing. He's already on an anti-inflammatory, glucosamine, and acupuncture so we're not sure what's left! Maybe we just need to switch things around.
His appetite is very strong, he follows us through the house, he enjoys his car rides, and he even took Linda and Jenny on a nice little walk the other day. He also head-butts John in the mornings for his beloved "Flip-It" kibble toy. Jack is definitely interested and engaged, and appears happy. Still, we see him slowing down... it's just hard to know if that's the result of 6 months of chemo, heart disease, or "maturity." We think if we had all those things, we'd be slowing down, too.
A coworker sent a cute e-mail the other day about what life would be like without a dog. It included such things as being able to walk around the back yard barefoot, not having a stash of poop bags in our coat pocket, and not having to spell out C-O-O-K-I-E, W-A-L-K, or R-I-D-E. Our favorite was: "Not knowing 6 vets on a first name basis and putting their yet-to-be-born grandchildren through college." That one got a real laugh. I guess we're not alone!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Just a quick blog to let you know that Jack is fine. We had this crazy notion a couple of months ago that we could get out of town for a few days of vacation after his final chemo treatment. We cancelled our vacation to Hawaii last fall when he was diagnosed with lymphoma and had flight credits that will expire in June. Silly us... we thought 2 weeks after his final chemo would be our window of opportunity and that Jack would be in the best condition possible to stay with Grandma (Linda's Mom). So we made reservations for 3 days at Disneyworld (with a travel day on either end). Little did we know he would come down with pneumonia!
Still, his last check-up with Dr. Schneider last Tuesday gave us the "all clear" so we went on our trip and had a great time. Under Jenny's guidance, Grandma did a good job dog-sitting and Jack was just fine. We were grateful for the chance to sleep through the night and not think about pills, powders, and meal prep for a few days. We are now rested and ready to enjoy having our Jack with us for as long as possible.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Dump Run. Are there any two words in the English language that stir the imagination of man and dog more than Dump Run? Jack and John think not. Finally – a Saturday with 
nice weather, and did we ever take advantage. John rented a thatcher from the local Home Depot on the way home from work Friday evening and the fun began…thatching, raking, trimming, mowing, bagging – with Jack right in the middle of it all doing what he does best – supervising. The result of all our efforts – a huge pile of trash bags headed for the dump. Once John had the truck all loaded, he put Jack’s blankets in the backseat, and set up the steps. Jack marched right up and in, and off we went.
We only make a Dump Run once or twice a year (spring always, sometimes fall) – but Jack and Jenny know the way…and they know that the Dump People give out awesome dog biscuits. As we drove onto the scale, Jack and Jenny were leaning out the window on full alert, working it as hard as they could. The guy at the window laughed and said they would get their treats on the way out. Fact – Dump Biscuits are the BEST.
Jack had a terrific Saturday – he’s been active, alert, interested and engaged all day
…and now he’s one tired pup. His appetite remains very strong, and we’re seeing less and less symptoms of his pneumonia with each passing day. The antibiotic that he’s taking for his pneumonia has also cleared up his sinuses so we’ve been ‘bogey free’ for several days now. Once again he responded very well to Dr. Beebe’s acupuncture treatments yesterday, and we are well past the nadir of his final chemo treatment. We don’t want to ‘jinx’ it – but we’re starting to see glimpses of pre-lymphoma Jack. It remains to be seen how much (if any) of his stamina comes back over the next few weeks.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Jack is doing much better as he continues to recover from pneumonia and the effects of his final chemo treatment last week. His eyes are bright, the cough is much better, his appetite is terrific, and last night he played with Jenny in the backyard. He's still a little weak in the knees, but who wouldn't be after all he's been through?
Tomorrow we trek to Sacramento to see Dr. Beebe. It's been two weeks since Jack's last acupuncture treatment, so we think he's certainly due for another which he will get tomorrow. We'll also see what other tricks she has up her sleeve to make him feel better and keep him healthy for as long as possible.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
We had a good visit with Dr. Schneider this morning to check the status of Jack's pneumonia. His temperature is back to normal (100.4 vs. 103.5), heart rate is normal (100 vs. 180), weight is up a little bit (a good sign), and his lung is greatly improved. She estimates that his lung is about 90% recovered. We'll do another week of antibiotics and steamy saunas in the bathroom 2 or 3 times a day (John's especially fond of that activity), and re-check next Tuesday. Hopefully by then he'll be fully recovered AND completely over the final effects of chemo. Dare to dream!
After our early vet appointment Jack took Jenny and Linda for a short walk on our favorite paved trail around a neighborhood park in Kings Canyon. That's where he met his horsey friend last month (scroll down to photo on March 15). He didn't want to walk far, but he really enjoyed sniffing around and posting his own personal blog on every tree and tuft of grass.
Our trip to Dr. Beebe in Sacramento was postpone until Friday, but Linda still has today off. So we will spend it cleaning the rugs to remove all traces of pneumonia and our last bloody nose. At the moment, Jack is sound asleep and breathing deeply on his prized futon next to the computer. Life is good.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
26 weeks since Jack’s diagnosis – six months to the day since we got back the test results telling us that our best buddy had canine lymphoma and only had 4 – 6 weeks to live if we chose not to pursue any treatments. It’s hard to believe it’s been six months. Jack completed his chemotherapy protocol designed by Dr. Rebhun at UC Davis on Wednesday with flying colors – he’s definitely in remission…so how should we celebrate? With a raging case of pneumonia!
After an evening trip to the vet on Thursday for x-rays and a once-over, Jack has been on antibiotics to go along with his mitoxantrone chemo funk. We are pleased to report that he is starting to act like his old self again. His appetite is strong (he ‘stole’ Jenny’s pumpkin treat this morning), he is very interested and engaged (barked up motorcycles on his ride to Reno today), and all plumbing seems to be working as designed. He still has an occasional ‘cough’ to clear his throat, and we are trapping him in the bathroom and thoroughly steaming him three times a day this weekend and that has seemed to help. This evening we spied him running across the backyard after who-knows-what, so we know that he’s feeling better.
So now what? To this point, we have been focused on getting through chemo and dealing with all of the various adventures that have come along with his treatments. Now that he’s completed the chemo protocol, we are entering the next phase of Jack’s lymphoma experience. We are beginning a treatment regimen under the guidance of Dr. Beebe (http://integrativeveterinarycenter.com) focusing on the use of herbs and other supplements that we hope will extend the time the lymphoma is in remission. Jack see’s Dr. Beebe on Tuesday.
As one chapter closes, another begins. When we started out six months ago, we had no idea how it would go, where it would lead, and how it would end. We know the chemo did its job. Jack is a happy and engaged member of our family. The question now is – for how long? Intellectually, we know that Jack will be with us for as long as he’s supposed to; emotionally, we hope our remaining time together is longer rather than shorter.
The adventure continues…
Friday, April 9, 2010
Jack's chemo went well on Wednesday and we had a very nice trip to Davis. It was nice to see Dr. Rebhun, his oncologist, who was not officially working that day but came in to see us and Jack. We also said hello to Dr. Kent (Jenny's radiation oncologist) and Dr. Jandrey (who had seen Jack last year when we were at UCD with Jenny but Jack wasn't feeling well). Dr. Kent and Dr. Jandrey were the doctors who got us in so quickly to see Dr. Rebhun in October. It's nice to have such great connections!
Thursday morning Jack was in good spirits with a great appetite. After lunch, however, he had a really bad coughing "fit" and ended up hacking out some crud. You may know that he's had a sinus problem for many months with "nose bogies" that we often have to wipe up (clear mucous with a yellow tint). We've often suspected that if that discharge isn't coming out the nose, it must be going down his throat. He sometimes coughs and hacks as though he's trying to clear his throat. Yesterday, however, some of it actually came out. As Shrek would say in the movies: "Better out than in!"
But by yesterday afternoon when Linda got home, Jack was on his bed and almost unresponsive. He barely picked up his head and looked really horrible. He perked up a bit when John got home, but when he tried to stand, he couldn't put weight on his hind legs. A quick call to Dr. Scheider turned into a trip to the vet hospital at about 6:45 (thankfully they are open until 8). We saw Dr. Rinehimer (who drew the short straw and worked late last night) and after a few chest x-rays, she found fluid in his chest. He also had a very rapid heart rate and a bit of a fever. Dr. Rinehimer couldn't determine from the x-rays if the fluid was from his heart (signs of congestive heart failure) or in his lung (pneumonia), so she sent us home with medications for both until the radiological report came back.
That report arrived early this morning and it appears the fluid is probably not from his heart, but rather in his lung... pneumonia. So he remains on antibiotics but we can stop the additional heart medication.
Jack slept well last night and was alert and very mobile this morning with a good appetite. He's still weak but much improved. In addition to antibiotics, we're putting him in a nice, hot, steamy bathroom 2 or 3 times a day and doing 5 minutes of medicinal chest pounding to keep the fluid loose. He's got a deep, rattling cough, but otherwise is MUCH better today than yesterday. All this while trying to recover from chemo on Wednesday. His resilience is amazing.
So in our tradition of focusing on the good news, we are done with chemo and hopefully we can treat the pneumonia. He's more alert and bright today, his appetite is good, and he does not appear to be in congestive heart failure.
And we still have our buddy with us. That's what matters most.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Jack finished chemo today!!!!!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
This is a blog we've waited a long time to write! Jack's final chemo is tomorrow at UC Davis. His blood test today was okay and so we're on schedule. This week will also mark 26 weeks - 6 months - since his diagnosis.
Thanks for all of your prayers and kind thoughts for our Best Buddy. We will breathe a huge sigh of relief tomorrow when chemo is behind us, and hold our breath that he remains in remission for as long as possible.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Happy Easter!
Today marks 25 weeks since Jack’s diagnosis, and this Wednesday he will motor down to UC Davis for his final chemotherapy treatment. His lymphoma is in remission, and once he completes his chemo protocol the focus of care will shift from achieving remission to staying in remission for as long as possible. To that end we have learned a great deal about the importance of diet – and we will be working very closely with our integrative veterinarian Dr. Beebe to set up a regimen of herbs and supplements that we hope will keep our little buddy happy, interested and engaged for as long as he’s supposed to be with us.
Friday, April 2, 2010
This week Jack had his acupuncture appointment here at home with Dr. Rinehimer at Sierra Vet Hospital in Carson City. We took along one of his favorite blankets to encourage him to lay still while the needles were in. Everything went well and Jack was a stellar patient.
Here is a photo from Linda's cell phone of a smiling, relaxed Jack in the car on the ride home yesterday.
You might notice in this picture that Jack looks a bit thinner. He is! But so is Jenny. I guess the daily "Flip It" kibble-filled toy and his nightly Kong were packing on the pounds more than we thought. They didn't have either toy all week and the weigh-in at the vet told the story. Jack is now a svelt 67 pounds (that was his weight for many years before he started gaining last summer and tipped the scale at 72), and Jenny... well, girls don't like to tell their weight so let's just say she lost about 1.5 pounds in the last two weeks. Since they have both lost weight and we can easily identify a reason why, we're not worried about Jack's weight loss. He's happy, he's eating well, the blood test numbers are good, and the bloody nose has officially stopped. That's all that matters!
And yes, this morning, he got his Flip It again. Life is good.