Day 3444

We picked up Little Penny from the Veterinary Surgical Center today and took her to the rescue group's regular vet so she could rest and recuperate. We call her Little Penny because there is a much larger Penny in the rescue program as well. Earlier this Spring Penny had a tumor removed that nobody thought was cancerous and then when the pathology report came back showing mast cells, she had to return to have a second surgery since the surgeon didn't get good margins when the initial growth was removed. Penny seemed in good spirits when we picked her up today and hopefully she will make a full recovery with no further need for chemo or radiation.

It's sad how familiar Janet and I have become with cancer in dogs. Everything the surgeon was telling us today seemed very familiar. Dash had thyroid cancer. Spot and Dot both had abdominal cancer. Greta had liver cancer and I've lost count of how many rescue dogs have been diagnosed with cancer over the years. Luckily, treatment has gotten very good in recent years. We discovered Greta's cancer too late, but Dot, Dash and Spot all recovered from their treatment and went on to live very normal lives.

It's hard to believe that I used to go backpacking for days at a time when I lived in Colorado right after college. A four day trip between Aspen and Crested Butte carrying a heavy pack was not a big deal. It seems pathetic now that a small three to five mile walk can cause every joint in my body to cry out in protest. What has happened to me? My shoulders are shot. One of my knees feels loose. And I've still got tennis elbow from years of using the Help 'Em Up Harness to hold up Dash's rear legs. Hopefully, things will improve if I keep moving. I'm not doing anything foolish like jogging. I'm just trying to stay active.

It's strange that a lot of common plants go by several different names. I discovered today that Angel’s Trumpet and Devil's Weed are actually the same thing. The botanical name for this plant is Datura and it is commonly called Jimson Weed. Confused? A lot of people call these Moonflowers as well. Maybe this is why I have trouble identifying a lot of flowers I see in the park. I'll find something that looks familiar on the Internet and then later a neighbor will tell me that the plant is something else entirely. A lot of Texas plants seems to go by four or five different names.

This week has gone quickly. I've taken this week's trash out to the curb and am trying to decide where to go for breakfast tomorrow. My daily routine is simple and perhaps a little boring, but it is certainly effective at eating up the time.  I get up, do some stuff, and all of the sudden it's time for bed again.

Ollie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2320

When I went to breakfast this morning, I was disappointed to see that business still hasn't improved for the once thriving restaurant that initially captured my attention several years ago. The place was almost empty. It didn't make sense. These guys deserve better. The food was still good. The staff was extra friendly. They were really trying. It was weird to think that a little competition across the street had virtually destroyed this place. I guess everyone has their thirty minutes of fame. Maybe the restaurant will recover and maybe it won't. They certainly did nothing wrong. As I've discovered myself, success can be very fickle.

One of the tumors in Dot's liver is growing again. The oncologist said that since one mass was stable and the other appeared to be changing, it was hard to tell if the Palladia treatments were working. We decided to discontinue chemotherapy treatments for a month and then do another Ultrasound scan. We'll be able to see if Dot's energy level and mobility improves without the drug in her system and whether the tumor starts to grow even faster. Then we'll have to make a decision about whether to resume chemotherapy, even though it has failed to completely stop the growth of the cancer. If Dot is walking better after a month, I would be inclined to discontinue the Palladia indefinitely. If she is still just as weak without the pills and the cancer has started growing faster, I would be inclined to resume the chemotherapy. Either way, it will be a tough decision.

Both Dot's nurse and the oncologist told me that Dot was a bit "feisty" today during her exam. This was just a nice way of telling me that Dot didn't behave very well. I asked whether they could tell if Dot was comfortable or just being grumpy and the oncologist said it could be a little bit of both. It was clear that she didn't want to go to the doctor today. I can't say that I blame her. The Ultrasound scan isn't painful, but she does have to be upside down on her back for a while. I think she's had enough.

I finally got up on the roof and cleared the water away. What a mess. Katkins falling from the Oak and Pecan trees had turned the water a dark coffee brown color and made the entire roof slippery. I slipped several times, aggravating my already aching joints. My elbows and knees were sore and my dislocated shoulder made one arm nearly worthless. The way I was feeling today, I wouldn't have wanted an ultrasound scan either. I need to ask my doctor whether I should continue taking glucosamine chondroitin pills. They don't appear to be working. I found several more areas that need to be patched on the roof. As soon as it gets dry, I need to get the roofers over again. I'm not sure how to patch myself up.

Since it was a nice, clear day, I took my binoculars and went down to the park after sunset to look for Mercury on the horizon. I think I found the illusive planet, but it was hard to tell, since there were few reference points in that part of the sky tonight. It's always easier to find Mercury if the moon or another planet is nearby.

I wish that Dot had gotten a clean bill of health today, but it could have been a lot worse. We'll continue taking things one day at a time. Dot is resting comfortably now and I hope to join her soon. A good night's sleep would be very nice.

Mindy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2247

Today was discouraging. Dot's oncologist found a second tumor during her ultrasound exam. We won't know whether she also has kidney problems until the complete lab reports come back later in the week, but we did learn that Dot has high blood pressure. The high blood pressure could be causing the abnormalities discovered in the routine urinalysis we ran last week. None of this is good news. Dot's oncologist wants us to consider resuming chemotherapy at a lower dose to see whether Dot can handle it. This will slow down the growth of the cancer, but it might cause her to become weaker and make it harder for her to walk again. It's going to be a tough choice.

Cancer is so relentless that it's really hard to beat it entirely. Most treatments don't actually cure cancer, they just slow down it's advance. Despite her limited mobility, Dot is still a happy dog who enjoys her life. If we can come up with a treatment plan that will keep her happy and motivated, I'm willing to try it. The day Dot becomes severely depressed with her condition, it's all over. I think this is true with people as well when they become ill. You've got to have a reason to keep moving forward.

I'm having problems with my car and had to make a service appointment. It used to only take a day or two to get an appointment, but now the wait can be up to two weeks. I'm sure this has something to do with the economy. The dealership is still selling a lot of cars, but they haven't added any new mechanics. As a result, customers wait longer. The same thing seems to be happening when you need a plumber or make a doctor's appointment. Airlines are the worst. Fuel prices have come down dramatically during the past year, but have ticket prices decreased? Nope. Flying is just as unpleasant as it has always been.

I digress though. I was talking about my car. The car is still under warranty, but is getting old enough that things are starting to break. My current problem is with the electrical system. Modern automotive electronics are so complex that they are almost unfixable when things start to go wrong. Usually they end up replacing the expensive computer brain that controls everything. That's why I'd like to get this problem taken care of before the warranty runs out. I was able to keep my old Defender 90 long after the warranty ran out because it was basically a very simple machine. I don't think I'll be able to hang on to this car without a good warranty. The car is just too complicated. Repairs are already so expensive that it would make more sense to just trade it in as soon as the warranty runs out. Luckily, I've still got a few years to decide what to do next.

I don't think I've got a few years with Dot. I'm worried. After all we've been through, it's hard for me to accept that she won't live forever. I've never seen a dog with this much strength, determination, and resilience. We're getting near the end of the road however. I'm observant enough to see what's happening. I'm just not ready.

I was pleased to see the outsiders win tonight in New Hampshire. Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump are as different as day and night, but each is authentic in their own way. I hope this sends a message to Washington DC that politics as usual is over. I don't know what the solution is, but we've got to find a way to move beyond the total gridlock our current politicians have created. It won't be easy because we have allowed ourselves to become so fragmented as a country that nobody can agree on anything anymore. The next year or so should be very interesting.

Jazz it today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2011

I went and picked up Dot's chemotherapy medication after breakfast this morning. When Dash finished his year long Palladia treatment, I was hoping that I'd never see this drug again. The trouble with cancer drugs is that you can't be sure if they really work. The oncologist can cite all sorts of statistics, but in the end they are just statistics. You can still die of cancer even after extensive chemotherapy treatment and it's still possible to go into remission if you do nothing. My instinct is to find the best doctors and just do what they say, but the ambiguity of cancer treatment is still unsettling. Dot will initially take the drug for one week and then she'll have a blood test at the end of next week to determine if the Palladia has adversely affected her red and white cell count. If her blood chemistry looks good and she doesn't have excessive diarrhea, Dot will probably continue taking Palladia for the rest of her life, or until we run out of money. Chemotherapy can be very expensive.

I thought I'd get a lot done today since Dot had to cancel her physical therapy appointment because the underwater treadmill was broken. Unfortunately, I didn't get any more accomplished than any other day. Little things kept getting in the way. I'm beginning to wish that e-mail was never invented. Janet is continually answering work related e-mail at home and even with a smaller client base, I spend an inordinate amount of time dealing with e-mail myself. I'd like to say "not my circus, not my monkeys" to everyone, but if you have a small business like I do, you quickly realize that the problems actually are your monkeys.

At least the weather was nice today. There was a cool breeze when we took the dogs on their early morning walk and the temperature was still reasonable later in the day when it was time for the evening walk. Tropical Depression Bill has moved on and there was actually lots of blue sky today. I don't think there is any rain in the forecast for tomorrow either. All this really means is that it's time to get all the water off the roof again. We got a couple of products to control mosquitoes recently that are supposed to be organic and pet friendly. I did a little research on the Internet and discovered that one of the products was probably as safe as it claimed to be, while the other one was poison. The second product was so hazardous that I can't believe that someone sold it to us as safe to use around dogs. It's hard to trust anyone these days. While the mosquito treatment products may be questionable, at least there was some satisfaction in learning that the food Dot and Dash eat was still the best available. I saw a recent independent study that tested and ranked over 2000 types of dog food and the brand our dogs have eaten for years was among the elite top 25. Hey, at least we're doing something right.

I finished another article today, but I still have several more to write tomorrow. There is a long list of websites that I still need to convert to a mobile friendly format. Since I am no longer doing this for free, the list might actually be shorter than I think. I don't think I'll ever completely catch up with everything. It's an impossibility. I'm glad it's Friday tomorrow. Although the day happens to be my birthday, the important thing is that I'll get to go out for breakfast again.

Rugby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2004

I got a call from Dot's oncologist around dinner time. The cytology reports came back from the lab earlier than she expected. The good news is that her spleen is completely normal. The bad news is that the small growth in her liver appears to be the same type of tumor that we successfully removed from her intestine over a year ago. Since the cancer probably spread to the liver from her intestinal tract, surgery is not recommended. Metastatic liver cancer does not respond well to surgery. If there is any silver lining to this large dark cloud, it is that this particular type of tumor grows very slowly. It has also been successfully controlled using Palladia, which is the same chemotherapy drug that Dash took for his thyroid cancer. The oncologist wants to start Dot on Palladia for six weeks to see how well she tolerates the drug. Dash did fine during the year he was on Palladia, but every dog is different. If Dot doesn't show any adverse side-effects from chemotherapy, she would probably continue taking the drug for the rest of her life. The thing I remember most about Palladia, other than having to wear special purple rubber bio-hazard gloves every time I touched the stuff, was the huge expense of treatment. When Dash took Palladia it cost us around $400 a month for the pills. I don't think Janet and I will ever be able to retire.

Luckily, Dot doesn't know she has cancer. She did great  in the underwater treadmill this afternoon and appeared much stronger than she did last week. Even with limited mobility, she is still a happy and very determined dog. At her age, she's probably got two or three years left in the best of circumstances. I would like those years to be happy, pain free years, so we'll do whatever it takes.

I finished my latest mobile friendly website today and replaced the old static site. The client was delighted. Things usually go well with this particular client because they just leave me alone. I can do amazing things for you if you don't try to micromanage me. Most of the micro managers and divas are gone now, because we just didn't get along. I still have a few left though and I wish I could just get rid of them. There is no satisfaction in working for someone who thinks they could do your job better than you can if they just had more time. These people will never have more time, but they are never happy either.

They found my blood work at the clinic. Maybe somebody was reading the blog yesterday. I can predict what the results will be. The doctor will say my A1C levels still aren't normal yet. He'll want my HDL levels to be higher and my LDL levels to be lower. I'm pretty pleased with my blood chemistry, but my doctor always thinks it could be better. I mostly want to find out if Benicar is really a dangerous drug. I switched from Benicar back to an ACE inhibitor to control my blood pressure. The nagging cough I had before when I was taking ACE inhibitors like Zestril has returned though. I want to switch back to Benicar if it isn't going to kill me. I'm still seeing those 1-800-BAD-DRUG ads on TV though. Who are you going to believe?

I'm so disappointed that Dot's cancer has returned, but we always knew that it might. We'll just do the best we can. I wish the dogs weren't so mind numbingly expensive, but they keep me happy when nothing else can. The dogs are definitely worth it. The rest? I'm not so sure. Today's watch of the day is kind of how I feel.

Willa is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1821

I'm beginning to realize that you're never really finished with cancer. The best treatments today can slow down the disease or hold it in check, but it can always reappear at any time. Dash did great at his evaluation and we received our last two month supply of his Palladia chemo pills. In the beginning, I thought that when we reached the end of this year of chemotherapy, we would be done forever. Not according to the oncologist. He explained to me today that when active treatment is completed, it is more important than ever to keep monitoring and evaluating the patient to make sure that the cancer hasn't returned. I suspect that Dash, and probably Dot as well, will be going to the cancer center every three months for the rest of their lives. This is really no different than it is with people, but I was still hoping that at some point we would officially "beat" the disease.

I felt better this morning, so I didn't bother going to the doctor and getting a Tamiflu prescription. This was probably a mistake. By early afternoon I felt miserable again. I tried gargling with salt water, hot tea, cough drops, and another nap with the dogs, but nothing seemed to work. I still have trouble accepting the fact that colds are just part of life. I never get colds when I'm sitting at the computer with the dogs under my desk. I always get colds whenever I do something with other people in the Winter. I feel like saying "Please don't invite me to join you for anything if you're sick." That would be rude though. I'm sure nobody wants to get the flu. They get it just like I did.

I had some website revisions to make today, but it was a pretty slow day. I used the extra time to get my December invoices in the mail and go to the bank. The check I deposited today certainly didn't last long. A few hours later I spent almost the same amount of money paying for Dash's chemotherapy pills. At least when the Palladia pills are finished, these periodic visits to the cancer center won't be so expensive.

I hope Dash's vet is feeling better when we go for our physical therapy session tomorrow. She was sick last week and I could have caught the flu from her. I really think I caught it from Santa though. Santa was really sick last weekend. We couldn't have canceled the photoshoot though. We book these things months in advance and the show must go on. No matter how I feel this weekend, I will be taking pictures again.

Maybe I'll go out for breakfast tomorrow instead of Friday. I have my first evaluation with my new physical therapist on Friday morning and I hate to rush breakfast just to meet a doctor who is sure to make my shoulder hurt.

Princess is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1709

Dash spent the day at the cancer center getting re-evaluated. Although he got an excellent report and is still cancer-free, his oncologist wants to continue his chemotherapy regime for at least two more months. I was hoping that he might be finished with his treatment today, but I guess two more months will be OK. The Palladia drug seems to be very effective and doctors are enthusiastic about using it for the types of cancers that Dot and Dash have. I asked if Dot would need the Palladia too, and it doesn't seem to be necessary in her case. Her tumor has finally been positively identified as a gastrointestinal stromal tumor, which responds well to Palladia, but the oncologist still thinks the tumor was removed early enough that it had not metastasized yet. The Palladia pills do not appear to have any side effects on Dash. The only side effects are on your wallet. The pills are quite expensive.

Both doctors I talked to today seem a bit puzzled about Dot's incontinence. They said if it was just caused by the IV fluids she received while she was in the ICU, it should have cleared up by now. Everybody thinks we should wait the full six weeks before considering alternative treatment, but it's starting to look like this might be more complex than we initially thought. Incontinence can be caused by old age, neurological problems, and a host of other issues. The trauma of surgery might have triggered an underlying condition that was already there. I read an article about incontinence in dogs the other day and found at least six different very plausible reasons why Dot might be experiencing this right now. It is all very confusing.

Dash is doing better with Janet as his trainer than he was with me at dog training class. She continues to take him to the Wednesday evening classes while I stay home with Dot. Both dogs are very sensitive to our own attitudes. Maybe Dash can tell that I was never that enthusiastic about school and class myself. I've never liked people telling me what to do. I'm glad he is doing well however. Maybe he'll eventually start winning ribbons again. Dash is a very smart dog. During his first year at training class he won all kinds of obedience ribbons. Then he got bored and didn't seem to like the exercises anymore. Maybe it was me who just got bored and didn't like the exercises anymore.

This week is going quickly. I really need to get a haircut, but I can't seem to find the time. It definitely won't be tomorrow. Dot has another physical therapy season tomorrow and believe it or not, I've still got work to do.  Maybe I can find time on Friday. If I had to choose between getting a haircut and going out for breakfast though, I'd definitely go for the breakfast.

Blackjack is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1682

Dot is finally home again. After spending an entire week in intensive care being poked with needles, hooked up to IV tubes, and being cut open by a surgeon, I think she is very glad to be back on familiar turf. The cancer center officially released Dot late this afternoon, sending her home with a big sack of meds, and special instructions on how to care for her for the next few days. She still isn't eating well, but her doctors thought that being back in familiar surroundings would encourage her to resume eating normally. So far, the plan seems to be working. Within two hours after returning home Dot ate a small can of Hills A/D Critical Care. I'm glad she seems to tolerate this special prescription diet, because as much as dogs would prefer cheeseburgers, bacon and fried chicken to help them get well, people food just isn't a good long term solution.

Dot has been through a lot this week and is very tired. After eating her small special dinner and surveying the house and yard to make sure everything was still there, she settled in on top of a soft pile of her favorite blankets in the living room and went to sleep. We'll go back to the cancer center on Saturday to get her surgical bandages removed and then two weeks later to get her stitches out. I'm hoping that is all we'll need to go back for. Assuming that everything goes well with her convalescence, the next major milestone will be getting the pathology report on the tumor that was removed. If the growth is not malignant, all Dot needs to do is continue her recovery and get healthy again. If the growth turns out to be cancerous, we'll have to come up with a plan of action. That can be dealt with later. Right now, the important thing is recovering from some very major surgery. We'll take things one day at a time.

While Dot was being evaluated by her doctors this afternoon, I paid a visit to my own doctors. They wanted to do another series of tests to determine if my Hepatitis C treatment was still working as expected. I keep waiting for a final thumbs up from these guys, but it appears I may never get one. When I asked whether the disease ever returns after this type of treatment, my doctor essentially said that nobody knows yet. I was among the first large scale group of people in the world to receive the new Sovaldi drug and there are no historical records to compare. I am one of the test cases that will ultimately determine whether Sovaldi works as well long-term as it does during the initial treatment phase. So far, the drug appears to be a home run. "You were real lucky to be included in this first batch of patients," my doctor told me. "Insurance companies are starting to deny coverage already because of the high price, and there is talk of reserving the drug for the most serious cases." Rationing a drug that actually works exactly as promised seems like a stupid idea to me, but I wouldn't be surprised if this is what the government decides to do. Why would you want to ration a pill that costs a small fraction of the price of a liver transplant and has none of the rejection issues or transplant side effects? At any rate, I'm glad I got approved for treatment before Sovaldi got on the evening news as the world's most expensive pill. Insurance companies hate it now.

I won't be going out to my breakfast restaurant tomorrow. We have a new schedule now. I'll walk Dash very early in the morning, while Janet is still home and getting ready for work. We want to make sure that one of us is there to watch over her at all times. We'll see how tomorrow goes. So far, Dot seems to be improving a little bit every day. Today was a very good day.

Molly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1599

Little things can make a big difference. The oncologist went over Dash's treatment in detail with us today and was very reassuring. Even though Dash is very uncomfortable at this stage of his treatment and looks like he has a third degree burn on his neck, he is evidently still one of the lucky ones. The oncologist told us that the side effects from radiation treatment could be much, much worse. The radiation kills cancer cells, but it injures a lot of healthy cells in the process. Most of this injured tissue heals when the radiation is discontinued, but it can look pretty alarming when you're right in the middle of treatment.

Cancer treatment still seems pretty crude, compared to the high-tech pills I've been taking to combat my Hepatitis-C. The Sovaldi pills work directly at the DNA/RNA level to turn the reproductive mechanism of the virus on and off with minimal side effects. Chemotherapy medications by contrast are basically just poison. They are probably where that phrase "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" came from in the first place. The whole experience certainly seems to have made Dash stronger. Even though he is weak and tired now, he still seems to enjoy going to the cancer center, where he has made friends with the other sick dogs and continues to get lots of attention from all the nurses. When this is all over, I'm wondering if I might be able to bring him back occasionally, just to visit with the other dogs. He's going to enjoy being healthy again, but I think he's going to miss this place.

Work went smoothly today. There was a lot to do, but there were no meetings or phone calls, so I was able to quietly work my way through the day, one problem at a time. I'm more or less caught up with my writing assignments, but I've still got a website prototype to design and code by next Tuesday.  This is a very simple website, so it will probably only take me a day to put the whole thing together. Maybe I ought to get started this weekend though. It's never a good idea to begin a new website project a day before the deadline.

This is going to be a busy weekend. There are several animal rescue events on Saturday, lots of weekend errands and chores, and the dogs still can't be left alone for long stretches of time. I wish I had time to go to the big guitar show in Fair Park this weekend, but like I said, there's still a website that need to be designed. It would be nice to get back to the gym before I gain any more weight as well.

The Milkweed plants have returned for another year. The curious little green balls of tiny flowers are popping up all over the meadow behind our house. They call the plants Antelope Horn here in Texas, because of the small purple horn shaped flowers. They are basically just Milkweed though.

Bogart is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day