31 January 2011 -- Surgery Day

Hi, All,
First and foremost, thank all of you who posted, prayed and thought about Razzle this week. It is all appreciated and I KNOW it helped. To catch you all up:
After a lot of research, I decided to go ahead with amputation and chemotherapy. There were several considerations in my decision.

• About four inches of bone in his distal radial leg was involved; there was so much bone compromised a break was a matter of days, may be hours.

• Given how deeply the bone was involved; he would either be in excruciating pain from a break; or he would be on pain medication that made him unstable, and susceptible to a break.

• Given the severity of the bone involvement, but with the rest of his x-rays and tests clear, there were two options, amputation and euthanasia. I felt he had a better-than-average chance at a good result for the following reasons:

o He is young, calm and happens to LOVE the vet (any vet). Anywhere he goes where he gets food for no work and be petted for no reason is a GOOD place. (He’s made friends already). I thought for a long time he had Munchhausen’s.

o I work at home and though I am very busy, I can pay attention to his needs and be here for him during the day.

o I have a wonderful group of friends, neighbors and staff who can help with my work and his care and want very much to do so.

o If he has seven additional months after healing (a conservative estimate) that would be 8% of his life. If someone gave me a conservative estimate of 8% of my life with a terminal cancer diagnosis I’d be thrilled. So I’m thrilled for him.
Every time a dog goes through treatment, every owner that tries new diets, therapies and ideas and documents them, something is added to the science. While this may seem hard, I want the next greyhound owner, and the next and the next to benefit, if possible, from what we learn. Whether he lives, seven days, seven weeks, seven months or seven years, what we learn and what we do contributes to the overall knowledge of first treating, then hopefully beating this disease. We have a responsibility to try, and, by trying, to help make the first greyhound to beat this disease not a hope, but a reality (and I hope that it will be Razzle!)

The surgery went well. He had an initially poor reaction to the fentanyl patch, but seems to be doing much better. They said he was showing some interest in eating this evening (about 1800 PST) and is interested in people watching again (surprise, uh, as we all know, Not.)

Mom made him four dinners (tofu, broccoli, eggs, coconut, peanut butter, more peanut butter, coconut water, love, love and kisses) and took them over so he would have something from home and no meat to contaminate his mouth. He also had hard boiled eggs, his jar of peanut butter and K9 Immunity for treats). For now and ever carbs are off the menu.

He’ll be starting his first chemotherapy treatment (poor baby!) tomorrow. Cisplatin (Platinol®): This will be, I believe, five treatments. This is an in-hospital intensive chemotherapy treatment.

Everyone should have access to the Ohio State Osteosarcoma protocols at http://www.vet.ohio-state.edu/assets/pdf/hospital/bloodBank/wellness/research/BoneCancerinGreyhounds.pdf

To some of you, this may all seem very clinical and cold. I grew up on a farm and I’m the daughter of a physician. I know keeping a positive and happy outlook for Razzle is critical to his recovery. I also know that, as my Dad used to say, don’t borrow trouble. Worrying about what MIGHT happen, steals the joy from what IS happening. Razzle and I spent the weekend in bed together, eating bad food and snuggling. No matter what happens tomorrow, that’s the choice of yesterday that I hold on to --- if, and only if, bad times come. For now, I look forward in hope, for him and for holding him once again.

28 January 2011 X-rays and Blood Good now Oncoology .....

Razzle’s blood markers have come back negative and the x-rays of his other three legs and chest are clear. We have an oncology consult today with Animal Surgical Clinic of Seattle. My sainted cousin Michael sent one of his carpenters out yesterday to build Razzle a ramp down the front steps as he is already unable to put weight on the front leg. Though we have an anti-inflammatory and Tramadol, I’m trying to not drug him into insensibility as I’m concerned my darling, but always clumsy boy, might just fall over onto or against the compromised leg. He seems more puzzled right now that his leg seems to have stopped working than in pain.

For the immediate interim, I’m going to try to see if we can get him a tranquilizer to keep him calm (he has always had a severe overreaction to the idea of dinner and a hint of his leash rattling for a trip outside sends him, literally, into a tailspin) and a mood elevator to make sure he doesn’t get confused and depressed.

I appreciate everyone’s thoughts and support. I have made no decisions and will make none until I talk with the oncologist today. Everyone seems very familiar with and supportive of the Ohio State Protocols. Thanks you everyone, the thoughts, prayers and white light that seem to have had an incredible effect so far – keep sending them our way, please!

26 January 2011 -- My Sweet Razzle

Took him in for x-rays this morning. I can't stand being without him all day. Will there be other lesions in the other legs? Everyone has an opinion. The lists are all against amputation -- would I should be so lucky to have that option; on the other hand the infection and aftershock of such an operation can kill just as quickly. Just finished reading the blog on GPANW website of Aidan's passing by Lori Bigler -- it was heartbreaking -- 41 days; she only had 41 days from diagnosis to death.

This is so damned unfair. He doesn't deserve this; no one does, but certainly not the sweetest, happiest most lovable animal that ever walked this earth. Oh, my sweet boy, I just want you to be well and pain free, crawl under the covers with you and hide and hide and hide ...

24 January 2011 My sweet darling Greyhound ...

Some of you are old friends of Razzle’s and some of you have only met him a few times. I wanted you to know what is going on, as all of you know and love him. Yesterday, Razzle was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in his right foreleg. The bone is deeply involved.

The good news is his blood work returned today and he is otherwise in good shape, with none of the markers to indicate it has spread throughout his system, yet. We will be imaging the other three legs tomorrow, to see if he has developed lesions in any of the other three legs. His chest images were clear.

The medical among you know that the reason for this is that the only treatment for this disease is to amputate the leg at the shoulder and a course of chemotherapy. If the cancer is appearing in other limbs, the surgical option will not be followed, and he will not be with us very long at all, probably a few weeks at most.

The surgery is not to stem the course of the disease (this is not possible) but to alleviate pain and prevent the inevitable serious breaks that will occur in the weakened bone. While there is always hope, and I’ll do everything possible to try and effect a remission, the course of this cancer is always fatal; the survival times range from a minimum of 3-4 months, with amputation and chemotherapy up to a maximum of about 11 months.

I will be taking him to Moclips this weekend so he can enjoy one final, four-legged romp before he faces surgery, probably sometime next week.

I know you all wish him well and will keep you updated. He loves all of you, and I know you will send him good wishes and your best thoughts. If anyone wants to stop by for a hug and pet and a kiss, he’d love to see you

Abou Ben Adhem

Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increase!)
Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace,
And saw, within the moonlight in his room,
Making it rich, and like a lily in bloom,
An angel writing in a book of gold:—
Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold,
And to the Presence in the room he said
"What writest thou?"—The vision raised its head,
And with a look made of all sweet accord,
Answered "The names of those who love the Lord."

"And is mine one?" said Abou. "Nay, not so,"
Replied the angel. Abou spoke more low,
But cheerly still, and said "I pray thee, then,
Write me as one that loves his fellow men."

The angel wrote, and vanished. The next night
It came again with a great wakening light,
And showed the names whom love of God had blessed,
And lo! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest.


James Henry Leigh Hunt

Not Surprised, again.

Well, if you expect the best, you're supposed to get it, right? WRONG. Of all the BS -- well, all right, right after the BS "there's someone out there for everyone" The GREATEST lie ever told, is the "expect the best" BS.

The Greyhound adoption agencies are peopled in a hierarchal system that Louis XIV would have envied; I am beginning to suspect to make sure the "in" crowd makes sure that the best dogs are fostered to the "favorites" and if there is a hint that someone "outside" might "interfere" by adopting one of their favorites, well, that MUST NOT happen. These are the most petty, infantile, childish, boorish, intellectually challenged, kingdom-builders it has been my misfortune to encounter. If you need a demonstration that the petty rise to the top and then fend off any challenges with hysterical paranoia, try to adopt a greyhound -- or better yet, try to adopt a second one -- especially if, OOOOOHHHHHH, you might be a "threat" to the power of the petty little kingdom. These are the greatest, most loving, wonderful dogs; and the people involved in the "politically uninvolved" adoption process are, if possible their polar opposites.

Who Knows? It might work out.

Well, Razzle and Mo seem to be better. The Greyhound doesn't quite seem to grasp the Maltese is neither a squeaky toy or able to play with him. But he quite gently nosed Mo out of his bed yesterday; it was really quite sweet, seeing as how the old piss was trying to start a fight.

Greyhound Goes To Work!

Well, on just our third day, Razzle went to work with Mo. What a GOOD BOY! He was so calm and sweet, charmed the patients and the staff just loves him. He even had enough room to run up and down the hall. Hopefully that will provide some exercise. I tried a bit more food after a consultation with Leslie about amounts. I'm trying two cups dried food, two cups rice and a couple of spoons of wet food. I think Mo is a little frightened of him, so we're trying to feed our Master Maltese on the counter; since Razzle is not allowed in the kitchen we may have some dog-pecking-order issues but who knows. At least we're getting food down the old man, and I'm still seeing more sheer movement out of Mo than I've seen in a few years.

Razzle Dazzle

Well, this was Razzle's second day at home. We took a walk (okay, I drove) down to freeway park -- rocks, dirt, rocks. How much did this thing cost, anyway? It is about as inviting as a gravel pit with railings -- come to think of it, it IS a gravel pit with railings. So, we'll try up to the Volunteer Park or the Grand Army of the Republic cemetery (the last century's first war-to-end-all-wars that we would NEVER forget).

Mo seems a lot more active; for a 15 year old Maltese, he's holding his own with the three year old Greyhound. So far. It is only two days. I live in constant terror something will go wrong, he'll run off, get hurt, etc. ad nauseum. Mo went in the backpack down the hill and then back up -- I was a mess.