Day 2040

I think we've got a plan for Dot. The oncologist agrees that the Palladia could be causing Dot's recent lameness. The only way to know for sure would be to stop the chemotherapy entirely and see if her condition improves. The oncologist and I agreed to continue the Palladia for another three weeks and then take another Ultrasound scan to measure the tumor again. Comparing the results of this scan with the initial scan we made at the beginning of her treatment should give us a baseline that can help determine how quickly the tumor is growing, or hopefully shrinking. Once we have this information, we can then stop the chemotherapy for a few weeks to see if her rear legs start to get stronger again. Palladia may not be the problem, but at least a test like this would help eliminate the drug from a long list of possible suspects. Maybe by the end of August, we'll know what is actually going on.

Breakfast was enjoyable this morning, but the rest of the day was kind of stressful. It is becoming increasingly difficult to get Dot back and forth between her various vet appointments. She knows where she is going now, and when she decides she doesn't want to get in the car, even a short journey seems to take forever. Before we begin, I've got to get her harness on and take her out in the back yard to see if she'll poop. Then I need to get Dash situated in the room with the pet cam while simultaneously leading Dot toward the front door while I'm holding on to a short least attached to the rear of her harness. Getting both dogs in the right place requires lots of dog treats. If Dot poops in the car, it can get really messy, so I always make sure to line her space with protective mats first. When my shoulder is acting up, it can difficult to even lift her up and get her in the rear door. If I don't get get her positioned just right, her rear legs can get tangled up when I'm going around a curve, so occasionally  I have to pull over to the side of the road and reposition her again. I try to allow plenty of time, but it goes without saying that I am frequently late for my appointments.

I managed to finish my third article this afternoon, so I'm good to go for the weekend. Our wet, mild Spring is starting to seem like a distant memory. July is always hot in Texas and this July is no exception. The grass is starting to dry out and the dogs are no longer eager to go outside in the afternoons. Water restrictions are in place, so if I want to water the grass I need to remember to turn the sprinklers on first thing in the morning or late at night. Our air conditioner still seems to be working fine, but the electric bill is going to be much larger next month. I couldn't wait for the endless days of rain to stop last May, but now I'd welcome an occasional downpour as long as it wasn't accompanied by thunder and lightning. I've got enough problems with the dogs already without throwing thunder and lightning into the mix.

I keep seeing workshops and seminars on the Internet that I'd like to attend. Most of these involve film-making or audio production. This is a bit strange, since I'm not very involved in either of these areas anymore. Even though an interesting workshop has always been my idea of a vacation, I'm never very interested in in attending the many web design workshop that are out there. Web design is what occupies most of my time these days, but I never have fantasies about coding. It's curious that although I'll probably never make another documentary film again, I'm still fascinated by almost every aspect of film-making. I don't like setting up all the equipment any more, I don't have the patience to deal with hiring crews, and I hate all the travel I used to do, but there's still something that attracts me like a moth to a flame.

I doubt that I'll be thinking much about making films this weekend. Weekends are for mowing grass and picking up dog hair with the Dyson. If I'm lucky, I'll get to catch up on some sleep as well.

Riley is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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