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 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 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 1548

I finally talked to an oncologist about Dash. I guess I was hoping for a conclusive answer, but what I heard was ambiguous at best. The oncologist said the pathology report didn't go into enough detail and that she would have to call the lab. What she did see didn't sound good. She said some of the carcinoma cells were the type that tended to get into the blood stream and the only way to effectively treat this was through chemotherapy. How long? Six months was typical, she said. How do you know if the treatment worked, I asked? Well, you don't ever know definitively, she said. Cancer cells are microscopic and they can always be hiding somewhere. I guess this is why you hear people say things like "I've been cancer free for five years." That's all they really know.

Medical issues are starting to wear me down. Doctors are far from infallible and you either trust them or you don't. I am not a trusting person, but what other choice do you have?  If you do nothing, you or your pet dies. If you do everything that is asked of you, you may die anyway. It's very frustrating. Modern medicine is very expensive. Doctors don't always agree on things. And a treatment that is in vogue with doctors today can easily become one of those "Call 1-800-BAD-DRUG" commercials tomorrow. Already, some tests and screenings I had ten years ago, are considered ineffectual or even worthless today. That's the thing about medicine. It is always evolving.

I'm not even sure that Dot's water therapy really works. I'd like to believe that it helps, but how do you know for sure? There could be a dozen reasons why she appears stronger now. She could also stumble and injure herself tomorrow, despite everything I've done. That's just the way life it. I'll continue the water therapy though. Seeing her walking in the tank gives me a positive, hopeful feeling. There is nothing dangerous about the water treadmill either. Chemotherapy is different. There are quite a few risks to chemotherapy. You just hope that the rewards on the other side are worth it.

The editor of the cookbook I'm featured in wrote today and told me that the SXSW Cookbook had just gotten a great review in The New York Times. She also told me that my own recipe was one of her personal favorites and that she's cooked it for breakfast herself. Amazing! This is one development that I never would have predicted. Although I love to eat, I certainly wouldn't consider myself much of a cook. Hey, if I can wind up in a popular cookbook, I might get that Amtrak writer's residency grant too. You never know. I never thought I'd be a spokesperson for Paypal either.

This is why I don't like medicine. I've generally led a charmed life. I bumble around aimlessly, and good things happen to me anyway. Medicine doesn't work this way. Whatever you do, you continue to age. The more you age, the more your body deteriorates. Dash is still a young dog though. In dog years, he's much younger than I am. He certainly deserves a shot at living a normal life for another seven or eight years. I just hope that chemotherapy doesn't make his life miserable.

Lance is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1547

It was that kind of a day. I went out for breakfast this morning, just because I didn't feel like making coffee or doing the dishes. I didn't go far because it was a busy day, but it was nice to have someone else take care of things for me. I have a feeling that my Friday breakfasts are eventually going to expand to other days of the week. I save money eating at home and I can keep an eye on the dogs, but I'll have to admit that I enjoy eating a lot more than I enjoy cooking.

While I was waiting for my meal, I overheard a group of people at the next table casually talking about getting robbed. Apparently they had all worked in retail at one time or another and they all seemed to agree that everyone in retail eventually gets robbed. The guy who used to work at a jewelry store clearly got robbed the most. I don't know what was sadder: that these people had all been victims of a robbery, or that they seemed to accept these robberies as an inevitable part of modern life.

I called about Dash's pathology report today and discovered that it had been sitting in the oncology clinic for four days and nobody had bothered to notify me. This place had fabulous physicians, backed up by a terrible administrative staff. They really need to do something about this. I finally ended up talking with a surgeon who went over the report with me. Yes, Dash definitely had cancer. No, he wasn't sure if the results indicated that Dash would need further radiation of chemotherapy. He told me that I needed to talk to the oncologist to get an in depth interpretation of the results. It was never clear why I wasn't talking to the oncologist in the first place. Hopefully I will be able to touch base with this guy tomorrow. I know nothing about the pathology of cancer cells, but I did hear one good thing from the surgeon I talked to today. Evidently, there were compressed thyroid tissue cells all the way around the periphery of the growth they removed. I asked the surgeon what this meant and he suspected that the cancer was still encapsulated and was pressing outward toward the edge of the thyroid, compressing the remaining thyroid tissue. Maybe this means that the cancer has not fully metastasized yet and hasn't spread beyond the thyroid gland. I wish I'd found out more today, but something is better than nothing.

Jawbone sent me a new UP fitness band today and Klout sent me some dog food as a Perk. Klout is finally learning what motivates me. Maybe this means they'll send me fewer tickets for movies I'll never attend and more things I'll actually use. It's not my favorite brand of dog food, but it's a step in the right direction. I'm glad Jawbone honored my warranty and sent me a new UP band too. I bet they've built sending a new band to customers every year into their cost structure. They probably already know that the internal batteries only last a year. This continual replacement strategy would certainly explain why these little bands are so expensive.

Today was a busy day. I did a lot of writing and a fair amount of website updates. I never got around to starting my taxes at all. There are so many things on my "to do" list that I don't think I'll ever get caught up. Things involving the dogs and their health and welfare come first. Things involving making money to pay the bills come second. Things involving my own health come third. Things involving broken things in the house come fourth. Things involving fun? Well, I haven't gotten to those yet.

Tyson is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1540

Has anybody else completely burned out on social media? I used to post something new and original to Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and Instagram every single day. This was in addition to writing my daily blog post. After about a year of this, I realized that I had completely run out of ideas. I had nothing to say. I had already shared every story I had ever written, uploaded every picture I had ever snapped, and dug up a lot of old stuff that probably should have remained buried. Social media is insatiable. No matter how much you feed it, it always wants more.

Clients sometimes ask me what they can do to maximize their social media efforts. I feel like telling them to just forget about it. For most people it isn't worth the effort. Unless you are Ellen DeGeneres at the Oscars, your photos are never going to be re-tweeted millions of times. Your earnest efforts to promote your business on Facebook are never going to garner one tenth the attention of a single cute cat photo. No matter how exciting you think your company is, there is only so much you can say about it. After you've said your piece, you just become another spammer.

It's kind of a shame that nobody really cares all that much. I know dozens of bloggers and photographers who pour their heart and soul into elaborate online creations that might have 25 genuine fans worldwide. I have a lot of followers, but that doesn't mean they actually read anything. I bet I don't have more than 25 people who actually read everything I write. It probably wasn't that different in the analog era. Back when I played in a band, they used to say that only one in a thousand good bands ever got signed to a record deal. A similar percentage of writers and poets ever saw their books in print. Most people were just throwing notes out to sea in glass bottles.

Andy Warhol was right. Today everybody actually is a star for thirty minutes. What happens after your thirty minutes is over though? The media machine still expects to be fed. I don't think it matters whether you're a guy with two Dalmatians like me, or a giant corporation; eventually you get to a point where there's nothing more to say.

I've totally run out of coherent things to say on Twitter and Facebook. Luckily, this blog has a format that I can sustain forever. I just tell you what I did today. Tomorrow I'll do the same thing all over again. Reading this is probably an acquired taste. Maybe it's a bit like watching an Andy Warhol movie. Very little happens. Things do change over time though. You can call the changes growth, decay, or whatever you want.

Today, Dash's regular vet was very impressed with his progress. It was the first time she'd seen him since his surgery and she agreed with the other vets that we were very lucky to have detected the cancer so early. We still haven't received the pathology report, but we should know whether Dash will require further treatment by the end of the week.

Work was slow today. Ordinarily, that would have been a good thing, but Tuesdays are usually busy and I was prepared to put my nose to the grindstone. It threw my schedule off when things didn't turn out as I expected. This is when people say it's good to be spontaneous. I'm not spontaneous though. Never have been and never will be. When I'm off my schedule, I usually just drift aimlessly.

Tomorrow should be focused. Dot has her weekly physical therapy session and will get in the underwater treadmill again. There are bills to be paid, so a trip to the post office is on tap as well. I need to renew a prescription and I suspect that there will be things to write as well. The day will be just like a hundred other Wednesdays I have already told you about, but I still hope you find it interesting.

Orion is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1535

Dash is back home again. After all he's been through this week, he's acting amazingly normal. Too normal perhaps. When the cancer center released him late this afternoon, the doctors gave us a predicable speech about things dogs should never do right after surgery. They shouldn't jump up on the kitchen counters. They shouldn't race around the back yard like a maniac. They shouldn't hop up on the bed or the furniture. They shouldn't shake their head violently like dogs typically do when they get wet. As you might expect, it didn't take Dash ten minutes to violate all these rules once we had returned home again. He's a Dalmatian, after all. I have to keep him on a leash, even in the back yard, for the next several days. Even restrained on a leash with his special new harness, it didn't take Dash two minutes to find a dead bird in our backyard.

One of the hardest things in the days ahead will be keeping Dash from scratching at his incision with his hind legs. The surgeon did such a good job of sewing him up again, that it's hard to tell that Dash has a long incision running the length of his neck. We can't use the cone of shame, or other common way of protecting the neck, because it would rub against the incision. He's not supposed to have anything touching his neck while the wound heals. Luckily, he's not one of those dogs that is obsessed with pulling his stitches out. If I watch him carefully, I think everything will be OK.

We should have the pathology report within the next five days, and that will determine what happens next. For now, it's just nice to have our little guy back home again. I won't be going out to the breakfast restaurant tomorrow morning. I won't be going anywhere actually. Janet and I will coordinate our schedules so that one of us is home at all times. This essentially means that I will be housebound for a while. It's not that big a deal. This is more or less how I live anyway.

I got a jury summons in the mail today. It's a nuisance getting selected for jury duty. I never get picked to sit on a panel, but I've got to go downtown and spend the day sitting in the jury pool room anyway. Lawyers just don't seem to want me on their juries. I would think that after years of sitting in the jury pool room reading old magazines, I would become exempt from jury duty at some point. That's not how the system works though. You never know. One of these days, some lawyer just might want an unpredictable, opinionated writer on their jury.

Tomorrow will be so busy that I probably won't even notice not leaving the house. There's still lots of work to do. The tree trimmers are coming tomorrow too. Ordinarily, something like this might upset the dogs, but Dot doesn't hear too well anymore and she'll probably sleep through the whole thing. Dash was never bothered by workmen in the yard anyway.

Dash should get a little better with each passing day. FedEx delivered a brand new supply of Hepatitis-C pills this morning. There's food in the refrigerator and plenty of work to keep me busy. Life is good.

Princess is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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