Day 3844

Was today a holiday or not? A lot of businesses were closed, but the mail still got delivered. The grocery stores were packed with people buying for holiday meals even though gatherings of any kind are strongly discouraged. Most of the large cities in North Texas have canceled Fourth of July fireworks displays, but some of the smaller towns in the area are still planning parades and celebrations. I guess you can take your pick of what you want to do in Texas. There's something for everyone. I welcome fewer fireworks, but I'm sure there will still be enough loud noises tomorrow night to frighten all the city's dogs.

It was a little cooler this morning, so we were able to complete our normal five mile walk. Dawn actually did very well today. A few degrees can make a big difference in the summer. It did warm up quickly though. By the time I took my afternoon walk the temperature was almost 100 degrees. It was too hot to go up on the roof. I think I'm just going to let the water evaporate.

When we were eating dinner this evening, I got one of those loud alerts on my phone. For some reason, these alerts appear on my Apple Watch as well. I thought this was another Amber Alert or tornado warning. Nope. It was a message from the governor telling me to wear my mask.

Things are getting bad in Texas, but I keep wondering what there is to compare this to? I'm still convinced that when the coronavirus has finally disappeared, I will still know many more people who have died from cancer than from the virus. I already know of dozens of friends who have died from cancer and zero people who have died from the virus. I do know of two people who caught the virus, but neither of them lived in Texas and both recovered quickly.

Why do I keep thinking that if we reported statistics on every single person who had been diagnosed with cancer on a weekly basis, complete with ominous looking charts and graphs, we would become very alarmed. A cancer diagnosis is actually pretty common, but many people recover. I suspect the same is true with coronavirus cases. I'd like to hear more reporting about recoveries.

Maybe the only way you can get Americans to comply with anything is to scare the hell out of them. I'm old enough to remember when nobody wore seatbelts. When I was a kid, our family took us on vacations all over the country in a car without seatbelts. When I first began working in an office, everyone smoked. Changing behavior is a long, slow process. If living with deadly viruses is really part of our long-term future, I imagine that there will be other changes as well.

Seatbelts do save lives. I wear one all the time. I'm glad that fewer people smoke these days as well. Change is inevitable and a lot of change is actually good. I don't think you change things by erasing what you don't like. This is the problem with cancel culture. Even statues can teach you something. You can still smoke if you are so inclined. You can still buy cigarettes even though they will kill you. I'm not in favor of banning things or tearing them down. Learn from others experiences and then decide for yourself. This is why history should never be erased. Sometimes you can learn more from the things you don't like than from the things you approve of. I wouldn't be criticizing Washington, Jefferson and confederate generals so much. Just wait and see how future generations criticize you.

Bob Hope is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3529

Every time I go to the bank I wonder what has happened to jobs in this country. There are lots of empty offices and very few employees. All I needed this morning was to go to my safe deposit box, but I had to wait forever because there was only a single banker helping everyone. Next to his office were six identical vacant offices. The tellers cages were equally empty. There was only a single teller on duty.

This is happening everywhere. There are fewer cashiers at the grocery store. There are fewer employees selling stamps at the post office. Even my new breakfast restaurant seems to be doing more with less. I noticed this morning that there is no full time cashier. When you are ready to pay your bill you walk over to the empty cash register stand and after a while a waiter will notice you and come over to take your money. Unemployment is supposed to be at an all time low. I wonder where everyone is working? I don't think they are working at ad agencies. There are significantly fewer agencies in Dallas than there were when I moved here in the 1970's.

I thought it was going to rain for a while this afternoon, but all we got were a few ominous looking clouds. No rain hit the ground. The clouds didn't even cool things down very much. It was still a hot and very humid day. When I start hoping for rain you know something is wrong. It has been dry way too long and the grass in the front yard is looking pitiful. I'll take my chances with the roof. We need some rain.

I lost another friend to cancer today. The list keeps growing. It's amazing to me how many former classmates and coworkers are gone. It's alarming how many of these people were actually younger than I am. I guess I should focus on the equally amazing number of people I know who have survived something serious. Life is never entirely fair, but I try to remember to enjoy the time I have left on this earth. It's not going to last forever.

I wonder why there's not more concern about all the fires in the Amazon rain forests? Jeez. This is where our oxygen comes from. You can't get more basic than that. The sad thing is that these fires weren't caused by drought or lightning strikes. They were set by humans who want more farmland and cattle ranches. With all the talk about climate change these days you still don't hear much serious discussion about the real cause of all our problems. The problem is overpopulation. There are simply too many people on this planet. It is not sustainable. We have become an invasive species who are rapidly destroying everything. We all need to quit having babies for a while.

I'm still concerned about the weather in West Texas. Two of the three long range forecasts I'm following predict clear skies. Unfortunately the third says there's a 50% chance of rain. Why can't you weather experts agree on these things? I want clear skies when I go to the observatory. I should be concerned about the wild gyrations in the stock market, but I've given up on stability in the market. The market overreacts to everything these days. I try not to overreact to anything, but it's getting harder.

Mickey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3049

I went down to the bank today to see why they were deducting $30 a month from each of my accounts. Did I need to keep a larger balance? Was I making too many transactions? Nope. None of the above. Apparently, my plan was obsolete and I never responded to their offer to upgrade me to one of their modern, but decidedly inferior plans. The new fee was just punishment for trying to keep my old plan.

When I asked why I wasn't warned about this change, the bank told me that they'd sent me a letter last Fall. "Did this letter happen to come in an envelope that looks just like all the other junk mail you send me," I asked? "Probably," said the banker. Hmm. I probably shredded the letter without even reading it. At any rate, I was forced to sign up for one of their new plans. It's more or less the same as my old plan except that my account doesn't earn interest anymore and there are no paper statements. I'm sure the paper statements on my old accounts were what was really bugging the bank. Everyone hates paper. There's a note in almost every bill I pay these days begging me to go paperless.

The banker urged me to try online banking. "You'll like it," she said. I didn't want to seem like a grumpy old man, so I didn't try to explain why I'm turning into a Luddite and am growing increasingly suspicious of the online world. There's something reassuring about keeping all your information in ring binders, but I think that ship has sailed.

I received a short letter from my sister today that confirmed some of my suspicions. Her cancer is not responding well to treatment and she's become too tired to write. Cancer is such a cruel disease. The treatments we have today are still pretty crude. I think in the future we'll look at radiation and chemo the same way we now look at Medieval doctors applying leeches. Gene replacement therapy shows a lot of promise, but we're not there yet. I hope the researchers keep making progress. Current cancer therapy is basically just trying to poison you without actually killing you.

Dash and Janet are both cancer free. They are the lucky ones. Spot and Greta both died of cancer.  Dot's abdominal cancer reappeared in her liver toward the very end of her life. My Dad had prostate cancer, but that was the least of his problems. He also had Parkinson's Disease. I'm trying to exercise, watch my weight, and maintain a healthy diet, but you never know what is in the cards. Growing old is not pretty.

Dash had a good day. I think the Movoflex is helping him. The changes are subtle, but he does seem to be walking better and has more energy since he started taking the supplement. Dash's appetite was great today. I think he ate more than I did.

Bea is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2864

I went to an old school roadside diner for breakfast this morning. People were reading newspapers. Old men sitting at the counter were talking about guns and cars. I really wanted to like the food because everyone was so friendly. Alas, my search for the perfect breakfast continues. I just don't think my stomach can handle gut buster meals anymore.

I was prepared to stay home and eat oatmeal, but Dash was very cooperative this morning. As soon as I put his gear on, he was ready to walk. We still haven't pinned down what the problem was a few weeks ago, but Dash definitely seems to feel better now. His appetite has improved. He seems interested in walking again. He still sleeps a lot during the day, but he has more energy. At any rate, we took a nice morning walk, Dash enjoyed the cool Fall weather, and I still had plenty of time to go out for breakfast when we returned.

I've become addicted to my fitness tracker, so I started looking for a replacement for my defective UP band on the Internet. Everything seemed too big, too expensive, or didn't track things the way I liked. I was surprised at how frequently Fitbit discontinues things. One of the smaller Fitbit trackers I had my eye on has already been discontinued. Other models I'd seen in stores recently were gone too. As it turned out, I didn't need a new tracker after all. About 5 PM this afternoon my old UP band started working again.

Since it was a slow day, I repaired another set of Dash's rubber boots. Basically, I'm creating an entirely new pair of custom boots by adding new rubber in strategic areas. I think I could manufacture these things now, but I bet the market is very small. The augmented boots seem to be holding up well. They are very light and Dash walks normally while wearing them. These boots don't fall off like the original designs we tried. Most importantly, Dash's rear paws aren't scraped and damaged anymore. I'd like to think that the knee brace and the protective boots are one of the reasons that Dash is interested in walking again.

I'm a grumpy person, but sometimes I'm surprised at how little it takes to make me happy. I'm glad that Dash is feeling better. Even though my breakfast wasn't very good, I'm glad I ventured out and tried a new restaurant. I was pleased that I don't have to go looking for a new fitness tracker. I liked my old one anyway. Even though Dash's rubber boots initially seemed like a waste of money, I have managed to bring them back from the grave and they appear useful now. These are little things, but they were enough to make it a good day.

Tomorrow, we'll be getting up really early. Janet is participating in this year's Race For The Cure and will be wearing a pink Survivor shirt. It's been a tumultuous and at times difficult year, but this is really something to be happy about.

Dash is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2822

I'm getting so tired of telemarketers, Caller ID spoofing, Phishing attempts, and data breaches that it seems like it would be easier to be off the grid entirely. I just don't understand why some people go to such extraordinary lengths to make life difficult for others. It's only going to get worse. After the whole Equifax debacle, I think it's just a matter of time before 100% of the population has their personal information compromised.

The older I get, the more scammers I seems to attract. It's irritating. My Dad was the victim of a telephone scam. That was back in the day when people were trusting and just picked up the phone whenever it rang. Now, even with Nomorobo and assorted call blocking apps provided by the phone companies, the telemarketers still manage to break through. I'm beginning to understand why people prefer to send text messages. Answering your phone has become a liability. I don't even trust my Caller ID anymore. You never know who is on the other end of the line.

Today I had to block my own phone number. Apparently it is pretty easy for spoofers to makes calls seem like they are originating from your own phone. They can also make them appear to be coming from someone in your own neighborhood. I don't understand why the phone companies can't get a handle on these scams. Probably for the same reason that Facebook can't seem to get a handle on fake news. Perhaps humans are just too inherently evil to be trusted with technology. When I was a kid, people even trusted door-to-door salesmen. The Fuller Brush Man was a well respected member of the community. What have we become? My mailbox is filled with junk mail. I'm inundated with telemarketing calls, and I never open my front door to a stranger.

Almost lost in today's batch of junk mail was a letter from my sister telling me that she has stage three cancer. She seemed upbeat and pretty matter of fact about her prognosis, but I was stunned by the news. Way too many people I know are dealing with cancer. It hits pets pretty hard too. Dot and Dash were both diagnosed with cancer and so was Spot, our very first Dalmatian. I'm kind of nervous about going in for my own annual physical. I feel healthy, but lord knows what the doctors might discover this time.

I really shouldn't postpone my physical, but I've been postponing everything lately. My excuse for postponing my physical is that I'm thinking of switching doctors soon. Maybe that's a good excuse. I have no real excuse for postponing jury duty. I just don't want to serve on a jury. A lot of small home repairs have been postponed because I don't have the money to pay for them now. I'd postpone tomorrow if I could, but time just keeps marching on.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2679

I was so optimistic yesterday and today it's the exact opposite. Dot had an extensive evaluation at the cancer center this morning and the prognosis was not encouraging. In addition to all her other problems, Dot now has anemia. The oncologist gave her a Vitamin B12 shot, but this is just a temporary solution. The combination of Dot's decreasing appetite, her difficulty swallowing, the ongoing nerve damage, the cancer in her liver, and now the anemia made the oncologist conclude that Dot's body is starting to shut down. She was very worried that Dot was losing her appetite. When I asked how long Dot could maintain a reasonable quality of life, I was told that she probably has two to three months at best.

I kept asking about the cancer, but the oncologist stopped me at one point and said "Dot is a very, very old dog. She's dying of old age." It's hard to deal with the fact that every beginning has an end. Dot has been my constant companion for so long that it's hard to imagine a time when she's no longer there. After much discussion, we all decided that the best thing we could do now was keep Dot free from pain. The oncologist thought that pain might be causing Dot to lose her appetite, because her vital signs and blood chemistry were still basically good. We're putting her on a stronger and much more effective pain medication that is intended for end of life care. Extended use of this medication can cause liver damage, but her liver is quite damaged already. If she's comfortable she might start eating normally again and if she's eating normally a lot of things will improve.

The one bright spot in a rather dismal day was that I discovered a way to get Dot to take her pills. I bought some Velveeta cheese on the recommendation of Dot's physical therapy vet and she loves it. I had no problem getting her to take her meds today. I did have a problem finding the Velveeta cheese at the grocery store. I kept looking in the refrigerated section where all the other cheese was displayed. No Velveeta there. I finally found a big stack of yellow Velveeta boxes sitting on an unrefrigerated shelf next to the chips and dips.

For some reason the Velveeta cheese brings back distant memories of the days when I lived on Ramen noodles and beer. I don't think this stuff is even really cheese, but don't tell that to Dot and Dash. They love the stuff. Actually, it's not that bad. I ate some myself while I was giving the dogs their meds this afternoon and it made me hungry for queso and chips. I may need to go buy a can of Ro*Tel tomatoes.

I walked Dot with her wheelchair again this evening. She walks really well using the device, but it's a little difficult navigating the gravel alley behind our house until we get to a smoothly paved road. Although the wheelchair protects Dot from falling, it is not a magic bullet. Dot still gets tired because she's still moving four very weak legs. We walk slow and I let her stop whenever she feels like it. All in all, the wheelchair is a big plus. I just hope she stays strong enough to continue using it.

I have no big plans for tomorrow. After back to back vet appointments, we could all use a little rest. I did manage to retrieve my jacket today, although I probably won't wear it again until Fall. Summer is definitely on the way.

Pogo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2673

Dot threw up again last night and still seemed to be having trouble swallowing her pills this morning. Things are changing and I'm still trying to figure out how to adapt. Since putting her meds inside a small ball of canned dog food doesn't seems to work anymore, we're going to try cheese. Dot has always loved cheese. If cheese doesn't work, we can always try to boil a chicken breast and then cube the meat into small pieces we can use to hide a pill. One way or another, Dot still needs to take her meds.

I don't remember aging being quite as stressful with our other dogs. Maybe it was though. I tend to blot out things I don't want to remember. Spot lived to be fourteen. Like Dot, he lived through major spinal surgery and intestinal cancer. The surgery was successful, but cancer detection methods weren't as good back then and the cancer returned. Petey died suddenly of kidney failure and Greta never made it out of the hospital after a cancerous lobe of her liver was removed. Dot has lived longer than any dog we've ever had, but I doubt she'll make it to her next birthday. It's really sad to see this chapter of her life and mine coming to a close.

Occasionally, I'll look at old movies of Dot and Dash running and jumping over things. They were both very athletic and loved the dog park. Those years seem so long ago. Life has become so much smaller. Lately, we just try to make it through the day. Success is a day where Dot is able to hold down her food and enjoy a very short assisted walk to the end of our street. I've gotten so used to dealing with her incontinence that it just seems normal now. I can almost read Dot's mind by now. A glance tells me when she is in pain or when she needs to pee. We have become very close. I know she wants to continue. I just don't know how long she can.

Since there weren't any writing or website jobs today, I decided to get caught up on my bookkeeping. It's sobering to compare this year's billing to earlier years. Truthfully, there isn't much left of the business anymore. I just can't bring myself to formally close it. When friends of mine have found themselves in a similar situation, some of them have turned to teaching. I taught as an adjunct professor years ago, but couldn't imagine doing it anymore. I've become far too reclusive.

I wonder sometimes if Dash will be our last dog. Caring for two aging cancer survivors has been more tiring than I ever imagined. My Dad had a little Dachshund who was his constant companion until the day he died. Little dogs are easier to take care of though and tend to live longer. Dalmatians are extremely active dogs and deserve to be with an equally active person. I don't know if I have the energy for another Dalmatian, but I could never imagine having anything else.

I never made it up on the roof today. I never got my bone density scan either. Dot was restless. I was slow. It's amazing we made it through the day at all. I'm hoping that we both get a burst of renewed energy tomorrow.

Marley is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2569

Sometimes I feel like the bar that's being set for me keeps being raised a little higher every few weeks. Last night I found myself cleaning up Dot's poop in the kitchen at exactly the same time Dash was throwing up in the bedroom. It's a three ring circus around here. Needless to say, I didn't get to watch very much of the Dr. Who Christmas Special. Lord knows what makes Dash throw up, but it happens from time to time. Usually Dash has an upset stomach when he eats something bad he found in the yard. You might ask why I don't find the dead things first and get rid of them. I would, except that the yard is covered by a million Oak and Elm leaves that have fallen from our trees. I won't be able to find anything in the yard until Spring.

I made an appointment to take Dash to the vet, because when I was checking him out after he threw up, I noticed a small mass in his throat. This feels like a fatty lipoma to me, but since Dash has already had thyroid cancer and lost one lobe of his thyroid gland, I don't think I should let this one slide. It is always possible that another tumor is developing in the remaining part of his thyroid. I worry too much, but that is one reason why both dogs are still alive. I may be guilty of ignoring my own health, but I never ignore the dog's health.

Yesterday evening was far too distracting to sit down and watch the Dr. Who Christmas Special, although it was playing on both televisions. I got the general idea that this was a Superman and Lois Lane story wrapped around a typical alien invaders on Christmas Day story. I didn't think I'd like this one, since I'm getting tired of Peter Capaldi, but from what little I saw, the script seemed well written and clever enough to make me want to go back and watch the show again the next time I find some quiet time.

I'll never get used to Texas weather. After our recent cold spell. I really wasn't ready to start using the air conditioner again. It seemed to go from cold and dry to hot and humid almost overnight. I've had the air conditioner on for two days now. Go figure. At least the yard is finally drying out. I didn't need to clean the dog's paws nearly as often today.

Today must have been a holiday for people who have regular jobs. The park seemed really crowded for a weekday. At first I kept thinking "what are all these people doing skipping work," but I finally realized that since Christmas was on a Sunday, that offices were closed on Monday instead. Maybe if you were lucky, you got Friday off too. I haven't had a paid work holiday for decades. Of course there are those who think all my days are holidays, but they would be wrong.

I got an REI sale catalog in the mail and of course the one thing that caught my eye was something I'd never, ever use. It was a GPS satellite tracking device that lets you text people and send emergency messages when you're off the grid and far away from a cell tower. I haven't been off the grid since I was in college and if I had gotten in trouble, I would have been out of luck. Cell phones and GPS trackers weren't even invented yet.

I'm hoping for a quiet, uneventful day tomorrow. One can always hope.

Dash is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2270

Dot seemed tired today. I wish I knew how the Palladia worked. The pills seem to be gradually taking a toll on her, but her decline could be just as easily caused by something else. Maybe the pills aren't working as promised and her weakness is really caused by the cancer's growth. Maybe all this has nothing to do with the cancer at all and I'm just witnessing the inevitable decline associated with old age. Something is happening, but it's almost impossible to know where to place the blame. Dot's blood chemistry and vital signs are remarkably good for a very old dog. Her appetite is excellent and she appears happy. She does have cancer though and the tumor is growing. I gave Dot her Palladia pills today. It's going to be hard to continue the chemotherapy through the trial period, but I know this is the best thing to do. I hate to see Dot get weaker, but if the pills stop the cancer's growth I think Dot would agree that it's a fair trade off. The important thing is that she is still happy and genuinely seems more eager to start each day than I am.

Today was slow. We don't see the stars as much on our morning walks because the days are getting longer. I did very briefly notice Venus very low on the Eastern horizon and Jupiter equally low on the Western horizon. This shows me how long we've been on this journey. When we started these morning exercise walks, both planets were very close together. It has been over a year since Dot's spinal surgery. I remember thinking last February that if the surgery gave Dot one more year it would be worth it. A year later, we're still here. The seasons slowly change and Dot and I are both getting older. Maybe we've got another year. Who knows. I think the only way to deal with these things is to take things one day at a time.

I think I've dealt with Dot's decline pretty well, but I wonder sometimes how well I'll deal with my own decline. There's this old man I see occasionally on our morning walks. I see him in the distance, pushing his walker inch by inch, taking impossible slow steps to reach his morning paper. When we moved to the neighborhood, he was in great shape and I would often see him working on his house. Time passes so quickly. I hate to think of myself pushing a walker to reach the morning paper. Well, that's not going to happen. I don't even read the paper anymore.

I do watch the news and was surprised to learn that oil executive Aubrey McClendon was killed in a car crash that some say was a suicide. I remember interviewing this guy about ten years ago when I did a documentary on the shale oil boom in Texas. Aubrey seemed to have it all. I remember being very impressed. Later his company failed and the board of directors removed him as president. I think he was under indictment for fraud as well. It's weird how things can change so dramatically. When I made the documentary I never would have dreamed that the price of oil would drop to twenty dollars a barrel and that Aubrey's high flying company would end up in ruins.

This cautionary tale reminds me that we live in a very strange world. I find myself repelled and strangely fascinated by the current political landscape. On one side, you've got a candidate who is on the verge of being indited for compromising national secrets. And on the other side, you've got a candidate that has been endorsed by both David Duke and Louis Farrakhan. You can't make this stuff up. If you're looking for a sign of the apocalypse, just keep watching your TV. I don't know what will happen, but I think I have been vindicated for preferring dogs over people.

Maggie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2212

Dot's cancer is growing again. Her oncologist said that she wasn't that alarmed by the growth, but it was still disheartening. We had gone for over six months with no growth in the tumor whatsoever, so it was easy to start believing that the cancer was in remission. We talked about the merits of resuming chemotherapy and both of us agreed that in Dot's case, chemo probably did more harm than good.When Dot initially started taking Palladia to slow down the growth of the tumor, she quickly became weaker and within a week she could hardly walk. She was just too old and weak to tolerate the powerful drug. When we discontinued the chemotherapy, her mobility began to improve again. It's a tough choice when you have to choose between quality of life and length of life. Dot was miserable when she couldn't move around. Her mobility is still limited, but she can move around the house on her own and has a sense of independence. The cancer will win in the end, but for now she is a happy dog. I hope we did the right thing.

I wish I'd remembered to bring the lawn mower battery inside for the Winter before the temperatures dipped below freezing. I forgot, and now I've ruined another expensive 24 volt battery. I brought the battery inside this afternoon anyway, but I'm pretty sure I'll have to have it re-celled again in the Spring. I've learned the hard way that freezing weather and batteries isn't a good combination. This is the third lawnmower battery I've ruined. I wonder how car batteries survive as well as they do? They're out in the cold all the time. Any other type of battery is usually toast if you leave it too long in freezing weather.

Since it looks like it's going to be cold for a while, I'm doing my best to get ready for Winter. I've set the outside faucets so they drip a little to prevent the pipes from freezing. The dehumidifier has done wonders to lower the humidity in the house. Last Winter, I routinely had to mop the inside of the window glass with a towel in the morning to get rid of the condensation. Now, there is no condensation at all. We've learned how to attach Dot's Help 'Em Up Harness over a sweater, so she'll stay warm on our early morning walks. I've got a new pair of Winter gloves now, because my old gloves were falling apart. I can't say that I enjoy Winter, but I'm not going to let it get the best of me.

The year has just begun and there's already a stack of bills to pay on my desk. There's got to be more to life than paying bills and cleaning up poop. Maybe not. Sometimes I think I need to find a greater purpose to my life. Other times I think I've already found it. I do a good job of taking care of the dogs. I make enough sitting here writing so that I can pay the stack of bills on my desk without leaving the dogs. I haven't had a boss to tell me what to do in over 25 years. That's all got to be worth something. I'm not sure how writing this blog every evening fits into the grand scheme of things, but maybe this ongoing saga is valuable to someone.

Lucy 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 1788

I suppose that in some sort of peripheral way, I am part of the media. I'm a writer and I have readers anyway. One thing I've noticed is whenever something alarming happens in my life, I get more readers. When things calm down and life becomes predictable again, readers drift away. I suspect this happens with the mainstream media as well. This would certainly explain why we are continually bombarded with stories about terrorism, Ebola, and celebrity meltdowns. People love a good disaster. In fairness, most people love stories about overcoming adversity too. They just don't like watching paint dry.

I hope my rather tame Friday adventures haven't become like watching paint dry for you. There is no need to show you another picture of my breakfast, because you've seen it already. My routine has remained unchanged for well over a year. I wake up, walk the dogs, take my morning meds, and go out to breakfast. On the way home, I pick up groceries for the weekend. I retrieve the garbage can from the curb when I hear the trash truck drive by, and finally I turn on the computer and see if there's any work I need to do.

I did mix things up a tiny bit this morning. On my way to the breakfast restaurant, I stopped by my general practitioner's office and had my lab work done in preparation for an annual physical exam later this month. They always want me to fast for these periodic blood tests, so getting the lab work done on the way to breakfast is perfect. With any luck, my physical will be the last doctor visit I make this year.

When I was walking the dogs this evening I saw a fire truck, a police car, and a cop on a bicycle all converge on the workers building the new concrete bike path in the park. Even though the lights were flashing on the emergency vehicles, there was no sign of a fire or altercation. Nobody was arrested or carried away on a stretcher. After about ten minutes everybody returned to their vehicles and drove away. I have absolutely no idea what was going on.

Dot appears to be back to normal. She was active and energetic today, with none of the reflux or heartburn problems she had yesterday. I probably worry about her too much, but once you've dealt with cancer, almost anything can seem like a precursor to the cancer's return. Let's hope that Dot and Dash can lead a normal, uneventful life for years to come. In my world, normal is good, even though it can seem like watching paint dry for some of you.

Chase is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1750

Good grief. Flu season is here. The State Fair of Texas just started. And a guy with the Ebola virus was admitted to Presbyterian Hospital after wandering around town for a week. What could possibly go wrong? I guess it was inevitable that Ebola would make it's way to America, but did it have to come to Dallas first? This is a little too close to home. Presbyterian Hospital is only four or five miles from my house. The gym that I go to is actually owned by the Presbyterian healthcare network.

I listened to the press conference held this afternoon by the CDC. The only thing I could think of was that every single post-apocalyptic end-of-the-world movie I've ever seen starts with some government bureaucrat standing in front of a microphone telling people that there's "nothing to worry about." Every time I hear that this disease can't be transmitted through the air, I think of all the other things that couldn't possibly happen, like Fukushima and Chernobyl.

I'm sure for the next week of so, everyone who gets a fever in Dallas will think they've come down with Ebola. It doesn't help that officials are very close-lipped about the whole situation. They won't reveal the airline the guy flew here on. They won't reveal who his family is, or where he was seen in town before he arrived at the hospital feeling sick. Why do they let people from West Africa continue to fly here? This is an uncontrolled pandemic that has already claimed over 3,000 lives in a short amount of time. It is insane to keep pretending that "there is nothing to worry about."

I awoke this morning to the sound of a dog trying to throw up in the bed next to my head. I've heard this sound before, so I immediately picked Dot up and quickly took her outside where she proceeded to throw up on the back porch. It's probably nothing, but when a dog is recovering from cancer you always worry that the cancer may have returned. Both dogs have sensitive stomachs and are prone to eat crap in the park. It's not a good combination. I've been keeping an eye on Dot today and she seems completely normal. All dogs throw up from time to time and hopefully this was just a fluke.

I completed my troublesome website project today and wrote two new articles. I consider this a good day. It would have been an even better day if the stock market hadn't taken a tumble. It's depressing to toil away at the computer to earn a few hundred dollars when you're simultaneously losing thousands in the market.

The yard is rapidly becoming covered with dry, yellowed elm leaves that the dogs and I inevitably track inside. The elm tree loses its leaves first, and then the oaks and pecan trees quickly follow. Fall has definitely arrived.

Thelma is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1728

I received a letter from my sister today telling me that her dog had died. Apparently, it had an undetected tumor very similar to Dot's abdominal cancer and the tumor ruptured. Very sad. I wonder why so many dogs end up having cancer at some point in their life. I've heard that up to 50% of all dogs eventually have some sort of cancer. I wonder why? Is it the food we feed our dogs these days? Is it the environment? Or are dogs just naturally predisposed to develop cancer? We were lucky to have caught Dot and Dash's cancer in time, but Janet and I have lost pets to cancer too. Spot died of cancer and so did Greta. Spot lived an additional three years after having surgery to remove the tumor, but it had already metastasized, so the cancer eventually returned. Greta never recovered from the surgery and died in the hospital.

Today was definitely a Monday. The day got off to a slow start and never picked up speed. I paid some bills, made some appointments for later in the week, and answered my mail, but that was about it. I was disappointed to discover that one of Dot's protective sleeping pads was wet when we woke up this morning, but then she made it through the rest of the day without another accident. Go figure. Things are definitely better than they were three weeks ago, but the road to recovery is certainly a rocky one. I'm still not sure if Dot's new medication is having any effect yet.

I must have exerted myself a little more than I thought I did at the gym yesterday. My arm has felt sore all day. Lately, I've been feeling like I'm falling apart. I need to go to the dentist. I need to have physical therapy for my dislocated shoulder. And I'd really like to stop taking the Statins my general practitioner has me taking to lower my cholesterol. I was fine with Zetia and Welchol, but the combination of Statins and time-release Niacin is driving me nuts. Taking large amounts of Niacin causes the small blood vessels to dilate and creates a flushing sensation that makes you feel like you're on fire. You are supposed to be asleep when this happens, but since the dogs wake me up a lot, I often have to deal with flushing. I wish the doctor would switch me back to my old meds, but every time I tell him how much I hate Statins, he tries to scare me with heart attack stories. This usually works. I know too many people my age who have already had a heart attack.

I wonder if it's normal to think about food so much. I'm not gaining weight and I don't eat all that much, but lately I spend more time thinking about what I'm going to eat next than about what I'm going to do next. For much of my life I've always had a big editing, photography, or music project that consumed my thoughts and time. I just don't find myself as interested in these things as I used to be. I sure do think about what's for dinner and what's for breakfast though. My dreams have changed too. I know they've changed, but unfortunately I forget them about ten seconds after I wake up. One day, maybe I'll remember these dreams and all will be revealed.

Camp is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1687

We got Dot's pathology report today. The growth that was removed one week ago today was a Low Grade Soft Tissue Sarcoma. Yes, this is cancer, but it's not quite as bad as it sounds. Most soft tissue sarcomas have a relatively low chance of spreading to other parts of the body. Since Dot's tumor was located in her intestines, it was not attached to surrounding tissue and it was possible to remove it completely with clean margins. This means that a healthy segment of the intestine was also removed on either side of the tumor to ensure that no cancer cells were left behind. The oncologist told me today that since Dot's tumor had clean margins, there will be no need for chemo or radiation treatments. With any luck, the surgery will be all that is needed.

I also found out that Dot's incontinence probably has nothing to do with the surgery itself. Her internal medicine specialist told me that incontinence is very common when a dog has been receiving IV fluids for an extended period of time. These fluids help prevent dehydration and are used to flush toxins out of the body, but they can also interrupt normal kidney function. "Sometimes it takes four to six weeks before the incontinence goes away," the doctor told me. At least we've got a plan now. Whenever she wakes up and starts looking around, we assume that she has to pee. I took her outside around 2:30 AM this morning, and she made it through the rest of the night without incident. I try to take her outside every three hours and that seems to do the trick. There were no major accidents today. I only had to wash two small baby crib liners, instead of all the bedding we own.

I'm starting to get cabin fever from watching Dot 24/7. Her condition continues to improve, but she's still not stable enough to leave on her own. She still has a bit of trouble getting up and down and needs to be kept off the bed and furniture. Usually, she follows me around anyway, so keeping her nearby is not a problem. Dot has clearly regained her appetite. I decided to fix myself a nice breakfast this morning, instead of just eating my regular oatmeal and both Dot and Dash wanted the sausages I fixed. Instead of a relaxing meal while watching old Dr. Who episodes, I had two dogs barking at me. It's good to see Dot active and engaged though. Slowly but surely, she's getting back to her old self.

Last night we made elaborate preparations to ensure that Dot wouldn't wet the bed.  In addition to the layer of waterproof baby crib liners, we placed a thin sheet of vinyl between the comforter and Dot's blankets. This might have been a mistake. The bedding didn't breathe anymore and I woke up about 3 AM in a pool of sweat. At first I thought that Dot had managed to get under the covers with me, but then I realized the problem was me. It was Niacin flushing. Live and learn. I guess taking a big dose of Niacin at night for cholesterol while laying under a sheet of vinyl isn't a good idea.

I hope Janet and I stay healthy. Having two dogs with cancer at the same time is just about all I can handle. We're doing pretty well though. Against some pretty long odds, Dash is making a spectacular recovery and Dot is doing her best to follow in his footsteps. For my part, I'm trying to take things one day at a time even though this doesn't come naturally to me. One way or another, we'll pull through this.

Tink is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1598

Dash appears to be getting depressed. He is lethargic and spends most of the day sleeping under my desk. He isn't even interested in taking his walks anymore. I called the cancer center to explain what was going on and as expected, they told me that this was normal for the final stages of radiation treatment. They said I should put him back on Tramadol, because a lot of this behavior could be explained by pain. "Dogs don't always react to pain the same way we do," the nurse told me. This made me feel bad, because just two days ago I was convinced that his odd behavior was actually caused by the pain medication. It doesn't really help that we were warned about everything that is happening now. It is still very unsettling.

When I went to see my hepatologist today, I kind of expected some sort of graduation ceremony. Hey, I was finished, wasn't I? Instead, I just received another blood test and an appointment to come back again in three months. After the three month test, I will come back for yet another test six months after that, and then once a year for the foreseeable future. "You guys are being pretty cautious," I told the hepatologist. "Does this disease ever come back again?" "Very rarely," she said, "but it does happen."

My doctors and veterinarians have been able to accomplish some amazing things, but they are still very cautious about making promises. I guess they have good reason to be cautious. Life is complex and full of surprises. When I think of what happened with my parents as they got older and the outcomes of past illnesses and injuries, I'll have to admit that I was seldom prepared for what actually happened. Sometimes the results were much better than I expected, and other times they were worse. What doctors really offer is hope. There are no guarantees in life.

At least Dash only has two more radiation treatments to go. There is one tomorrow and the final treatment is on Monday. The oncologist and the entire team at the cancer center love Dash. They also thing he is doing extremely well, despite the discomfort he is experiencing now. This should be reassuring, but I'll just be glad when this long journey is over. If Dash could talk, I'll sure he would agree.

Work was very, very busy today. There was nothing to get excited about, but nothing that could be ignored either. Janet is even busier than I am. She leaves before sunrise and returns long after sunset. I think we both thought we would be taking it easy by now, but like I mentioned earlier, life is full of surprises and there are no guarantees. You've just got to take things one day at a time. Our dogs are still with us and a lot of hard work allows us to take care of them properly. I guess that's a fair bargain.

Betsy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1595

Every time I see the devastation that tornadoes can create, I am grateful that Dallas has been spared. We live in an area where tornadoes are common. There have been many occasions where I have sat huddled with the dogs in a small hallway listening to the sirens wailing outside. So far we have been lucky. I don't think a tornado has actually touched down inside the city limits of Dallas since I moved here many years ago. Sometimes I wonder were you could live where tornadoes, hurricanes, forest fires, flash floods, and giant sinkholes weren't a danger. Unfortunately, the only places that come to mind have extremely cold winters. At any rate, my heart goes out to the people of Mayflower, Arkansas. They certainly didn't deserve what hit them last night.

Dash's oncologist didn't seem nearly as worried about the nasty red spot on his neck as I was this weekend. Evidently, this oozing sore, which the doctors euphemistically call "sunburn" is an almost inevitable side effect of the radiation. Over time, radiation breaks down normal tissue and makes wounds much harder to heal. As a result, humans and animals often have problems with moist dermatitis and even open sores during the latter stages of radiation therapy. Dash's nurse told me not to worry and said that the damaged tissue should heal within two weeks after the radiation therapy is finished. Luckily, Dash only has three more sessions to go. There isn't much we can do at this point. We are just supposed to keep the affected area as clean and dry as we can.

Work was busy today. I carefully followed a developer's instructions on how to add a new function to one of my client's websites. The instructions were quite detailed and I followed them exactly, but the site crashed anyway. Oops. This just proves that even detailed instructions with lots of notes aren't always right. I spent the next hour undoing the damage and returning the site to the way it was before. Hopefully, nobody noticed. I have a meeting with my client tomorrow, and I'll need to tell her that this new feature might not be a good idea.

The weather has been perfect for the past several days. I wish I knew of a place that had this kind of weather all year long. Seattle had nice mild weather when I lived there, but it rained all the time. California coastal cities are all delightful, but there's been a terrible drouth recently and of course there are all those forest fires. Arizona is too hot and Montana is too cold. I guess my favorite climate is indoors.

My teeth are telling me that it's time to see the dentist. My hair is telling me that it's way past time for a haircut. My car needs an oil change. It's been hard to deal with even simple tasks like these with the dogs complicated schedules. I'm hoping that I'll have more time when the radiation portion of Dash's cancer treatment concludes next week. Chemotherapy will continue much longer, but I can give the chemo pills myself at home.

My Baidu stock dropped 7% today, just because the Chinese government won't let them stream The Big Bang Theory, The Good Wife, NCIS, and The Practice anymore. Why should this even matter? And why do the Chinese want to watch these shows anyway? Personally, I don't need any of them, but apparently the market thinks otherwise. Market volatility. Cancer conundrums. Website mysteries. The world has definitely become too complicated for me to understand.

Lucky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day