Jan 30: Slack off for a week and you forget so much

So last week I noticed Arri had BB's growing again.  We are pretty sure they are benign cysts but have never been able to get a definitive answer.  I found 5 of them on him.  They are just under the skin and feel like BB pellets.   One day, the one on his collar bone/shoulder started growing.  Within 3 days, it was larger than a peanut M&M and looked like a monster pimple.  It clearly irritated Arri to touch it so I left it alone and kind of forgot about it for a day.  I went to check a day or so later and it was completely gone.  I could not find any sign of it.

A few days before his chemo treatment, I noticed one on his belly was growing.  I wanted to take him to the vet but decided there wasn't any point.  Arri is already getting chemo so there is not much else to do.  This one also started to hurt him when touched.  When I dropped the boy off for chemo, I pointed it out.  While he was there, the Dr did a needle aspiration.  From what he saw, he believed it was a sarcoma.  He thought the one that disappeared may also have been a sarcoma but the chemo attacked it and won.  Now that he has a fresh dose of Carboplatin, maybe the one on his belly will go away also.

Tonight I was petting Arri and it is driving me nuts.  I found 5 more BB pellets growing.  He was being a goof, sitting next to me on the sofa, wiggling and wanting me to scratch him.  I scratched on ear and then moved the the other.  Just as I was rubbing, Arri started flipping his head and pawing at his nose. At that point I felt a huge lump.  Huge being relative.  At the base of his ear, just below the entrance to the ear canal is a swollen BB about the size of a shelled almond.  It had dried blood on the end - Arri has been scratching when I wasn't looking.  I tried to get a good look but it clearly pained him.  I will try to ignore this one for a few days and see what happens.

He now has BB's on his legs, chest, belly, neck ribs, back, ear and tonight I found one starting on the top of his head.  What am I going to do with this boy.  He is like a cancer petri dish.


The other thing was that I got a copy of Arri's x-rays from Jan 2 - before he went to MSU.  I can say it is fascinating now only because Arri has recovered and is doing so well.  It was terrifying 3 weeks ago.  This x-ray was taken after over 100cc's of fluid were removed from Arri's chest.  All the white in the lower right corner - not supposed to be white. In the first x-ray, the black blob in the middle was not visible.

Overall, post Chemo treatment #2 has been good.  A little under the weather but I did not have to make meatloaf.  A little baby food gravy on his kibble and he was happy.  He still takes daily trips to the park and wants to play in the evenings.  It is almost 8:45.  I imagine he will come tell me it is bedtime soon.

Jan 27: under the weather..just a bit

We have not had much to report in the last week other than all great days.  His royal highness now expects breakfast in bed.  He is awake and alert, perky eared, waiting for food to arrive.  Most of the day, he is hanging out - close by.  In the evenings, he gets playful, wanting to play tug of war with me, but not so much with the other dogs.  Around 8:45 he starts to get restless.  Does he need to go out?  Is he sick?...Nope...the boy just wants everyone to go to bed.

The other night, Tim went to the bedroom and Arri followed.  He then moved to the office. I thought Arri was with him.    I was still on the sofa.  I am not sure how much time passed but I heard whimpering and a light woof.  Thinking something was wrong, I moved quickly to the office to see if Arri was ok.  He wasn't there.  I ran to the bedroom.  He was in the dark, on the very edge of the bed looking very anxious.  Apparently, Tim put him up on the bed and left the room.  Arri was not at all happy that no one came to bed with him.  I grabbed my book and snuggled up with him.  He was much happier.

As far as eating, Arri is off the meatloaf and baby food.  He decided he likes Oregon's Eukenuba so that is what I have kept him on.  I have a stock pile of baby food for the next round of chemo.

The other big event of the week was Oregon's first true snow.  An inch of snow doesn't count.  We finally got dumped on with 9 inches.  Oregon had a blast.  Problem was that Arri had not dealt with this much since he lost his leg.  We shoveled paths in the yard to make it easier.  He would bounce down part of a path and then detour through the deep snow.  His way of saying 'thanks for the offer but I can do it myself'.  There are no real obstacles for that boy.

Jan 22, 2013 - lovin' the snow

Friday, Jan 24 was Arri's second chemo treatment.  Our local vet was willing to give the treatment so we didn't have to drive up to MSU.  Arri was happy to be there and willingly went to the back room.  He has maintained his weight.  I picked him back up at 4:00.  They said he was a bit wiggly during treatment so he had a band-aid on his leg from the IV.  I can feed him whatever he has been eating.  It is ok if he turns his nose up at food for a day or two but beyond that, I should give him the appetite stimulant.  Once home, he was just as happy as can be.  No side effects yet.

post chemo round 2 - Oregon is making sure Arri is ok.

Saturday - food is still yummy.  In the evening, we see the first signs that all may not be peachy.  It was just a glazed look in his eyes.

Sunday:  This morning he was not so perky.  He was not waiting for his breakfast - he was still resting his head.  I gave him only 1/2 of the eukenuba and then a small can of puppy mush.  He ate slower than typical but did finish the whole bowl.   I went to the gym after feeding the dogs and Tim said Arri cried and jumped off the bed after me.  He is not normally clingy so he must be a bit under the weather.  Overall, he is much better than after the last chemo...so far.

He made it almost impossible to go to church.  For the last month, we have not been making him go to the bedroom when we leave.  He just lays at the front door and waits.  Well, when he gets clingy, he does not want to be left home - period.  As we put on our coats and got Oregon ready to go, there is Arri at the garage door doing the happy dance.   He had so much energy and wanted to go with.  It broke my heart to leave him.  Tim had to hold him so I could get out the door with Oregon then Tim managed to get out.

Jan 17: The boy is back in town!

 For many years, Arri was my 6:03 am alarm clock.  Since his cancer last year, he has retired from that position.  He would get up whenever I got up to feed everyone.  Since he got home from the hospital two weeks ago, he gets up when he absolutely has to go outside, sometime around 7:30 am.  This morning, he got out of bed before 6:00 am.

More and more energy it seems.  Arri is back to daily, albeit short trips to the park.

 It has been 15 days of odd eating habits but improving appetite. Tonight was the first time Arri was bouncing with the rest of the dogs, excited for dinner.  Normally he is always fed first but when I was delivering meals to where he sat, he was last so I could keep the mongrels from moving in on his food.  He was fed last tonight only because we were not expecting him to be standing in line with the rest so his plate was not ready.  I put his variety of foods in his bowl and let him stand at the head of the chow line.   He ate it down with gusto.

It is getting easier to forget he has an incurable cancer.  While the chemo knocked him on his butt for a number of days, it also seems to be kicking the pants off the cancer.   While there is no way to know what is happening on the inside without tests, x-rays etc, based on behavior  Arri is feeling great.   I did not expect such excellent results.

Jan 16, Oopps, sorry Oregon

In light of all the loss the last week, we have held off celebrating Arri's health.  But now, we need some good news.  Arri is doing fantastic.  Two weeks ago, I didn't expect to still have him around.  This week has been pretty incredible.

To say Arri has been a bit of a distraction might be an understatement.    I received an e-mail for a free 8x8 photo book.  I had 5 days to assemble and get it ordered before the offer expired.  I spent 6 hours working on it yesterday.  Should it have taken so long?  No.  I decided to make a new 'Arri' book.  Once pup #2 came along, Arri's puppy book was seldom updated.  All his pictures are found in the last 11 puppy books.  So I have spent 3 days roughly - between working - combing old albums that were pre-digital camera and searching all the digital files for Arri photos.  What I learned is that most of his photos are either by himself or  with a large group.  Not to many one on one photos with each pup.  I was trying to create a page with each of the pups he has raised.  The thing is, that after pup #3, he didn't want to have much to do with the new dog.  In addition, he is not keen on having his picture taken.  He has impeccable timing for turning his head so I get profile pictures.  To add to the time consuming task, I am not great at labeling my photos.  I have to figure out which dog it was based on the year.  Then there was the back to back black dogs.  Can I tell them apart? - not on your life.  I have to check the date to know who is who.  I so appreciate digital cameras that date stamp the file.  My first digital point and shoot did not have the date built in.  Never again, it is a requirement for purchase.

Happy 1st Birthday Oregon!

So why am I saying sorry to Oregon?  Yesterday was his first birthday.  I remembered many times during the day but was waiting for Tim to get home to have the 'party'.  Tim got home and I was immersed in the photo book and completely forgot.  I had frosty paws and everything.  So today I am going to run downtown for a special treat from the dog bakery.  We will party tonight.

Arri & Oregon

So the good news??   Puppy Arri has returned!!!! Yes, I can not believe it.  The playful pup has been around in the evening to play tug of war.  He is even picking up a nylabone.  He wants to go to the park and he barks when people come to the house.  Yesterday, a customer stopped by to drop off a package.  I must admit, I forgot I had left Arri outside in the yard.  He was just hanging out.   He greeted my customer at the front walk.  The man gave Arri two healthy rib pats and said  "Boy is he a young one" in a slight southern drawl.  I then told him Arri would be 14 in two weeks.  He couldn't believe it.  Yep, puppy Arri is back for awhile.

Yep - Arri's appetite is back, he want's the cookie!
Arri, Summer, Oregon & Glamis

We are still eating weird food on a weird schedule but he is eating well.  Meatloaf and Eukenuba are the staples but he will take some yogurt and loved Sweet Potato baby food.  He gave that 2 paws up.  The Sweet Carrots baby food only rated one paw and the Vegetable Beef got two paws. The key seems to be beefy.  He will not touch chicken or rice.  So much for the sick dog standby food.

Tonight we celebrate life!

Jan 13: hydration project

So yesterday mom decided I am not drinking enough water.  Yes, I did turn my nose up at every offering and she only caught me drinking one time.  Since I never move, she assumes I never got up to drink.  She might be right.  But if I give in and just drink plain, old tap water, I won't find out just how inventive she can be.

Today's goal for mom was to get me to drink more.  I gave her a good pee this morning but she knew I hadn't gone in 11 hours so it better be a good one.  Mom researched re hydrating dogs on the internet and now Pedialyte is on the shopping list for tomorrow but in the mean time, she is going to try some other tricks, I just know it.  She is already making my canned mush with 2:1 ratio of water to mush but I am not eating much mush.  I prefer meatloaf and Eukenuba.  Straight water?  Forget it, I'm not interested.  She hasn't offered chilled, bottled water yet.  I wonder when that will happen?  At noon, I was offered canned mush.  I ate the token 3 bites and quit.  At 2:00, I was offered the same bowl of mush.  Seriously?  You think I want leftover mush?  I took a taste and something was different.  I ate the whole bowl.  It was yummy.  Mom said something about beef bull-yon.  Not sure what it is but I liked it.

Maybe I was a little dry because awhile later, after Oregon had harassed mom about being bored silly, all the stuffed toys arrived in the room and I was ready to play.   I really wanted to destroy the toys but I was up for a game of tug.  Mom was very happy to see me playful.

For dinner, mom tried to offer me the silliest meal.   She knows I like meatloaf and Euk. - on separate sides of the plate, don't mix them.  I eat the meatloaf then the Euk.  She brings out this bowl of  lord knows what.   She called it Chicken Rice Meatloaf Eukenuba Pumpkin casserole.  I forgot to mention mom made a pumpkin pie today.  She let me have a spoonful of pumpkin and I liked it so for some reason, now it is mixed in with my food.  Give me the pie, don't mix it with the  meatloaf.   Since this whole episode began at the New Year, I have not wanted chicken and rice is gross.   One bite and I was done.  I am a food connoisseur not a garbage disposal.  The other dogs in the house will eat anything.  Not me, I don't have to.  I send the dinner back to the chef and ask for the usual.  Why do I have a feeling I am going to see that bowl again and mom is going to call it bull-yon?  Any bets on whether I eat it?  

I finally gave in and sucked down half a bowl of water.  Now maybe mom will stop messing with the menu.

Jan 11: My Friday was great - how was yours?

Arri here.  I logged in while mom is at work.  I have to tell you about my day yesterday.

breakfast in bed

It started with breakfast in bed.  Yep, I act all helpless and sad and mom brings me food and water in bed.  I had some canned mush and meatloaf and cookies.  When I am done, she leaves me to go back to sleep.

At 9:00 I went on a cake delivery with mom and then we went to the vet.  I love the vet. In my new helpless routine, I go behind the reception desk as soon as I get there.  They give me pets and loving.  Then I move over to where the cookie jar is.  Tammy is a pushover and I always get some treats.  They wouldn't give me any today because I had to visit the vampire.  I got on the scale and my weight was back up to 57 lbs.  I had lost 2 last week when I wasn't eating so this proves, meatloaf is the cure.  Into the exam room we go.  I was pretty happy to see the tech but for the first time in my life, I would not go out the back door.  Last time I didn't get to see my mom for 2 days.  They picked me up and carried me back to the vampire.  I was a good boy and wagged my tail while they bit me.  As soon as they put me down, I dragged them back to mom and did the happy dance.  I was silly happy.  Dr. Mike came in the room and he could not believe what he was seeing. He went to give me a cookie and mom warned him that my that my inner alligator was back. He tossed the cookie to me and the alligator (with incredibly bad aim) lunged for the cookie and missed. I thrashed on the floor until I found every crumb.  I don't know why they were laughing.  I can be a ferocious beast at times.  He called me 'The Amazing Arri'.  Ok, maybe it wasn't worded quite like that but it should be.  On the way out, I got more cookies and mom scheduled my next chemo for Jan 25.  With the way I am acting, I just might be around to need it.

Mom had a lot of cakes to work on so I spent the rest of the day in the basement with her, guarding her back like always.  I'm not getting as many treats now that I gained the weight back.  When it was time to go upstairs I was ready for the challenge.  Mom was a little concerned that it would strain my lungs  but our options are limited.  With mom giving me butt assist, I made it up.  I was panting pretty hard but I didn't have a coughing fit or anything.  Mom felt better about that.  She is certain that the chemo worked and has made the tumor smaller.  The negative part of going up the stairs is that mom was certain she had been sprayed by a skunk.  She started coughing and saying - Everybody Outside!.  Yes, the toxic fumes escaped me and she was in the line of fire.  I was not ashamed.  A dog's gotta do what a dog's gotta do. While the sun was not out, it was in the 50's so I planted myself in the middle of the yard to survey my domain.  Everyone else went inside for dinner.  They have not learned the lessons I have.  Dinner will always be served and if you don't move, it will be brought to you.

picnic dinner

So I had a picnic dinner in the middle of the front yard.  Mom forgot the blanket for me to lay on and candles and a goblet of water but I forgave her because she brought me out a buffet of dinner.  I ate the meatloaf first, then the Eukenuba and then some mush for dessert.  The garbage disposals had to stay in the house and drool.

Garbage disposals wishing they could help me finish dinner

The rest of my evening was spent watching TV with dad while mom went back to work.

It was a Very Good Day!

Jan 10: Good news among the sadness

This week has been full of sadness.  The CCI dogs went to the Rainbow Bridge and my church lost two strong, christian men.  Half of me is sad because there has been so much loss by so many but the other half is so happy.

Glamis, Oregon, Arri & Summer

Arri has had two very, very good days.  Since starting on the appetite stimulant, he has been eating very small amounts, non-stop.  He still loves the Old Mother Hubbard biscuits. Occasionally Eukenuba nuggets are good.  A bit of apple, some baby carrots, a little chicken but by far his favorite is the Doggy Meatloaf.  Thank you Anne for sending me the recipe.  It has ground beef, chopped celery, grated carrot, diced apple, egg, oatmeal, bread, wheat germ, and tomato paste in it.  I mixed up a pound of beef and the rest of the ingredients and split it into 3 small loaves.  Arri ate two over the course of the day yesterday.   He appeases me with 2 -3 slurps of canned dog food at the 'main meals'.  Every time I pass him, I offer him some chicken or cookies.  He even ate some fruit loops yesterday.  Yep anything goes. If he will eat it, he can have it.

 His energy level is up.  Even though he sleeps quite a bit, his tail wags and his eyes are bright.  He has been barking when someone comes to the front door.  He has not really done that in months.  I had commented to Tim on how Arri's doorbell wasn't working.  I assumed it was his hearing or his vision.  It is possible that it was one of the first subtle indicators that something wasn't quite right.

Yesterday we took a road trip to Grandma and Grandpas.  Some things don't change.  Enter the house and head to the workshop to see if there is any dog food on the floor and tissues in the trash.  Visiting  cousin dogs don't always finish their food.  Arri learned that long ago so he checks every visit, even if there are no other dogs in the house.  Next stop is the kitchen to the cabinet with the dog cookie jar.  There he waits until he is successful.  He had a good visit.  The rest of his day is spent mostly resting.  We have had very few coughing attacks.

Today I did not give Arri any appetite stimulant.  I wanted to see how he was doing without it.  he is fine.  He eats cookies whenever offered.  A whole meatloaf for breakfast and a 6 oz can of puppy mush for lunch.  I could not put off working in the bakery any longer.  Customers do expect their cakes still.  I left the baby gate down to see if Arri would come guard the door.  He did.  Going down stairs has never been the issue.  I was just glad he did not have a coughing attack after the trip.  Since we were now out of meatloaf, I made Arri a meat cake instead.

Meat cake anyone?

The only real problem I am having with giving Arri all these small meals is the 3 garbage disposals that follow me around.  They are getting pretty pushy and I have to protect Arri when he eats or someone will cause a distraction while another goes for the gold....er...meat.

Even the cat wants the meatloaf.

Jan 8 Extended dog family

Yesterday was a hard day in my extended dog family.  

There are some who bring a light so great to the world 

                          That even after they are gone, 

                                    The light remains. 

                                                Annie 

                    March 27, 1999 - January 7, 2013

This morning, Arri and I are very sad.  Last night, Sweet Annie went to the rainbow bridge.  She started having seizures as a result of the neurological disease.   Combined with the cancer in her lungs, her mom made the torturous decision to ease her pain.  We will miss hearing Annie's Adventures.  I am comforted knowing she will be waiting at the Bridge when Arri moves there.

In addition, CCI also lost Service Dog Garbo.  Garbo graduated in May 2002 from North Central Region.  She was in Glamis' graduating class.  Peace and hugs to Brian.

With all the sadness, I do have a bit of good news.  Arri had a quiet night with no coughing/breathing episodes during the night.  This morning I gave him an appetite stimulant and within and hour he was looking for his food bowl.  He did not eat a huge amount of food but the was happy to be eating it.

Jan 7...back to the vet

Well, this hypochondriac mother needs to cut back on caffeine or something.  With Arri not showing an increased interest in food and what seemed to be shallower breathing.  I called and got an appointment to see the vet.

It turned out to be unnecessary but it was informative and helpful.  Arri is down 2 lbs from last week.  He showed the most energy of the day thumping his tail and wiggling while laying down.  Arri was more than happy to eat the cookies offered to him. He even left everyone's fingers attached.  One of the workers went through chemo and said that it caused her taste buds to change.  Certain things she used to love, she couldn't stand the smell.  She had cravings for other (sometimes unusual) foods.  I learned is that it very well could be more than a week before his spirits perk up - although it was good to see him so happy to see everyone at the vet.   I guess that means he needs more visitors.   Decreased appetite is not at all unusual and may take a while to come back.  I understood this much better when I was given a 14 day supply of appetite stimulant.  Oh- it can take that long.   They offered him some different canned food.  He seemed to like the baby food best.  He has been preferring small bites of food.  He is actually chewing his food but he does want to bite pieces in half.  With this said, it was suggested that I add water to any food I offer and mash it up.  Make it easier to just swallow down.  It is moments like that that mean a lot.  It seems like a very simple solution but it never crossed my mind.

And then I learned that I was taking his current condition for granted.  I was worried about slightly shallower breathing.  The vet said he was honestly amazed at how well Arri was doing considering the x-rays.  Dogs with x-rays like Arri's don't act like Arri is acting.  He also said that in talking with the people at MSU, they also were amazed by how well he was doing.

Hug your pups and cherish the time you have.  They leave us far, far too soon.

Jan 7 We made it to another day.

By the end of the day yesterday, I was happy with the food Arri ate.  We discovered he enjoyed Oregon's Eukenuba.  So he had 5 handfuls of that as well as some more cookies.  

I have to force myself not to smother Arri in hugs and pets.  Last night he sat on the sofa with me.  Started on the opposite end but ended up right next to me with his head in my lap.  Oregon is such a jealous boy.  As soon as Arri put his head in my lap, Oregon jumped up and was going to squeeze between us.   I don't think so Oregon.   So he laid down on Arri's lower half - causing a coughing fit. That got him kicked off the island.  That boy needs a day of play and out of my hair before I kill him.

We had a brief sighting of his old self last night.  Uncle Darryl, Aunt Debbie, cousins Becca and Joel stopped by.  He have them a couple of good warning barks - the kind we have not heard in months.  Once everyone was in the door, Arri laid back down to recover from the excitement.

Arri had a rough spot during the night.  Thought we were going to have to tap his chest for fluid today.  He seems to have stabled out but again, not eating yet today.  His 'happy' is also missing.  His eyes are bright but the tail is still.  I am walking such a fine line between illness and chemo reaction.   I am not sure when to stop making the chemo excuse.

Thanks for bringing me mom, but I don't think I want to walk around the park today.

The 3 garbage disposals are at daycare today.  They needed to run and play and I needed them out of my hair for a bit.  We tried taking Arri to the park.  He did get excited - jumped up and grabbed a toy ready to go.  But when we got to the park, he didn't want to get out of the car.  I pulled him to the edge but still he didn't want to get out.  When he did get out, he went to the grass, peed, walked 5 feet and sat down.  He was done.

Now he is laying with his rear in a patch of sun, guarding my back as I type.

Jan 6 Eat puppy, Eat!

This morning I didn't force Arri to get out of bed with everyone else.  He would get up when he needed to.  It was not long after everyone was fed that he did get up and go to the door.  He seemed to have some energy so I was hopeful about breakfast.  Boy was I wrong.  He completely turned his nose up at turkey and rice.  He also refused:  cooked egg, dry kibble, canned kibble, cold chicken and much to my amazement - peanut butter on bread.  He took one bite and not another of:  baby carrot, meatloaf, bread and yogurt.  The only thing he would eat happily was Old Mother Hubbards Classic biscuits.  The goof ball will only eat cookies for breakfast.  Since it was the only thing he would touch, I gave in and he got a handful.    I am hopeful that as the day goes on, he will take something of a bit more nutrition.  He always loved popcorn so during the football games, I will see if he will eat some - no salt added.

Oregon and Summer are never far away when
Arri is getting his mini meals hand fed to him.

I was briefly encouraged after church when Arri gladly accepted a piece of hamburger and a chunk of canned food.  When the other 3 dogs went to the park, I fixed Arri a bowl.  He turned his nose up at it.  I gave him a few more cookies and he ate them.  Tim took him for a short trip to the park.  He really wanted to go.  He didn't go far but he enjoyed the trip.  While there, he ate a few carrots and 2 handfuls of kibble.  So I think now we know the game he is playing.  Some food still doesn't appeal to him but what food he will eat must be hand fed to him.  Well, if that is what it takes, we will do it.  Really small amounts of food seem to be better anyway.  If he eats to big a bite or too much at once, he starts coughing.

With all the trial and errors on food, the other 3 garbage disposals will be very happy with their dinners.  They will split what Arri refuses to eat.

Jan 5 Arri has trained me well.

After refusing breakfast, I went to the store for chicken and rice to make for Arri for lunch.  I didn't want to start him on special food just yet but he does need to eat something.

Around 1:00 I gave him a small meal of chicken and rice.  He only ate part of it.  Every time I walk through the kitchen, I grab a piece of kibble or biscuit and he eats those pretty quick.  Since he is not eating or drinking much I am not making him go outside.  As soon as he went to the door on his own, I jumped up and let him out.  I was so happy he was motivated enough to move.  He did what he needed to do and all was good.  Dinner was more chicken and rice.  Now this is how quickly Arri trained me.  Yes, he is already getting an extra meal and it is special food.  But now I am not even making him get up to eat.  I brought his dinner to him and let him lay down while eating.  Spoiled dog?  Maybe a little.  He managed to telepathically convince me to give him a bite of my bread with peanut butter on it.

I believe his lethargy and disinterest in food is a side effect of the chemo.  The doctors certainly did not give me an imminent end attitude.  Still, i touch his paw or scratch his ears often enough to annoy him.  And at the moment, Tim or I has to be at the house with him.  No reason other than I just don't want to leave him alone.

Annie replied to Arri's e-mail today.  What I didn't mention before is that Annie is also very close to the end. Her illness is slightly different but she was in the hospital at the same time as Arri with fluid in her lungs too. They took slightly different routes in getting there, but they are on the same road to the Rainbow Bridge now.  Arri was hoping to get there first so he could prepare the place for her and show her around but it may happen the other way around.  Everything Arri and I go through we think of Annie and her mom and pray for them.

Jan 5 Home!!!!

It was only 2 days at the MSU Vet hospital but it was a very long two days.

I'll start with yesterday.  Around 11:30 am, The oncologist called to review Arri's condition.  He was eating well and in high spirits.  He is such a flirt, I don't doubt he was having fun despite all the needles and tests.  The good news was that the mass on his liver did not appear to be cancer.  The bad news was that all the rest of the masses were.  In addition, they were at a fairly advanced stage.  Arri had chest x-rays and ultrasounds back in September and was declared clean.  So all of this has grown and spread in less than 4 months.

Checking out at MSU:
Hey mom!   Do you see the cookie jar by your elbow?
Those are for me!!  gimme one

As far as treatment, we have two choices.   A chemo injection that is repeated every 3 weeks.  It can also be injected right into the mass in the chest for more specific treatment.  The other treatment was an oral chemo that is taken 3 days a week at home.  Since time is a factor I chose to go with the injection.  There may be more side effects because the dose is higher but it also may be more effective in the short term.  We did not even talk about radiation.  They have to sedate him for that and his lungs are already compromised.

I picked up Arri at 4:00 on Jan 4.  He was happy and playing the 'I'm disabled' game.  They were using the sling with him.  I met the Oncologist and then we walked over to check out.  I didn't use the sling and Arri was fine.  The Dr thought that was pretty funny and was impressed with his attitude considering he is fairly sick.

The drive home was quiet.  He is breathing much easier.

Arri teaching Freckles the proper way to watch my back.

Once home, he was inspected by the other dogs.  Oregon was a bit pushy but never knocked him down.  It didn't take long to notice he was feeling weak.  His rear end was riding low when he walked.   A side effect of the chemo - at least for a few days.   Inside the house, I sat at the computer and he immediately was back to work, guarding my back.  He must have been training his successor because Freckles the cat, Summer and Glamis were close by him.  Yep, Oregon was in the other room killing a toy.

I lifted him onto the sofa but he seemed fidgety.  Like he couldn't get comfortable.  Possibly because he was pinned by two other dogs.  He needs a bit more space now.   Last night everyone was in the kennel except Arri.  He only had to share the bed with me.  Even then, he wanted his own space and not my space.  He did seem to have a good night.

This morning, he didn't get off the bed until I picked him up and moved him.  He had no interest in breakfast. Yes, this concerned me ALOT.  The hospital said he was eating fine.  I took a deep breath and remembered he just had a big chemo shot and nausea can be a side effect.  He ate a baby carrot and a piece of pupperoni but turned his nose up at a banana.  i won't force him to eat with special food just yet as it may just be the chemo.  I will offer him a bunch of small meals during the day - chicken and rice is always a winner.

Jan 4 A letter to Annie

This morning I found this letter in my e-mail from Arri to his girlfriend Annie.  Annie is a month or so  younger than Arri and they cyber grew up together.  They have never met but have been long distance sweethearts since the beginning.  



Hey Sweet Annie

It's Arri.  I'm going to be moving to the Rainbow Bridge soon.  I am still in the hospital but mom is coming to get me today whether they like it or not.  She is upset that I am two hours away so she has not been able to come to see me every day.  I have been doing ok but this morning I woke up breathing a little harder.  My heart heart has been declared perfect but then I already knew that.  Our lab hearts are pure love, nothing wrong with that.  It is rest of me that is breaking down.  I have nodules in my lungs, masses on my liver and kidneys and there is a mass in my chest cavity.  Today I am being transferred to an Oncologist to see if there is any medicine to shrink the lump in my chest.  It is a good thing mom talked to the 'real' doctor last night.  The student dr she talked to this morning upset her because she didn't know what was going on.  She tried to tell mom that oncology might not see new patients on Fridays.  But mom kept her cool because she already knew the reason I was not going home was because oncology would see me right away if I was transferred.  If I had come home and tried to get an appointment, we wouldn't get in until next week.   Mom has not given up but we know that time is running short.   As I am typing this, the student oncologist called and said the 'real' oncologist will call in a little bit but the plan is to start a chemo treatment and go home for the weekend.  They reported that I am happy and comfortable.   She believes them but having me so far away and dealing with different doctors everyday is taking it's toll on her.  She will be 100 times better once she comes to get me because my happy butt is just what she needs. 

I'll keep you posted on how I am doing.  You take care of yourself and don't catch what I have.  It scares our moms.

Licks, wags, wiggles and LOVE from 

Arri

Jan 3 Road Trip

Yesterday, Arri just wasn't co-operating.  Doc said he did well but could not remove enough fluid to get a clear x-ray.  From this we had 2 options.  We can go with 2 days of diuretics while waiting for results from the tests.  The fluids drained from his chest can be tested to see what the source is.  After 2 days, we would do more x-rays and hope they are clear enough to see something.  Depending on those results, we either make a plan of action or we need to go to a specialist to try different test methods.  Option 2 was just to go straight to the specialist.  We chose option 2.  I had already delayed treatment over the holiday, I wasn't waiting any longer.

On the road again....

 There wasn't much point to delaying the trip until today.  So at 4:00, Tim and I gathered up Arri, Oregon, tubes of fluids, dvd of x-rays, maps and reading materials and started the road trip. We could not get an actual appointment but they have a 24 hour ER so that was where we went.  It is 2+ hours to get to the MSU Vet School hospital.  Arri traveled comfortably and based on his pee - the diuretics were working.

We arrived around 6:30 and I was pretty pleased from the start.  Within two minutes, two Senior Vet students were out meeting us and Arri.   They took our information, history etc and then took Arri to the back for an exam.  At this point Arri seemed a bit perkier just from having the fluid drained.  Once they took him to the back we didn't see him again.  We were asked more questions and then the 'real' doctor came in after having reviewed what the students learned and made sure they had all the information.  We were there about an hour.  Checking out, Oregon had to make sure everyone knew just how cute he was.  He did an 'UP' on the counter and then laid his head down to show just how cute he could be.  Yep - it got him two biscuits.  Sadly, no discount on the bill but I guess a free dessert.

I am so grateful for my Smartphone and Google maps.  We did not have reverse directions to get home and I managed to get us turned in the wrong direction.  It was only a slight detour through Lansing before we got back on the right road.  We were home by 10.

At 11:30 pm, we got a call just letting us know Arri was doing well, resting comfortably and that more fluids were drained and everything was being tested.

8:30 am, a student vet calls to introduce herself and let us know she has checked on Arri and he is doing well.  She said Arri is a sweet dog and very silly.  He must be feeling a little better as he is up to his old tricks.  She said he pretends he can't walk and they need to help the poor tripod (my wording).  He tried but they are on to his scam.  The Dr is on rounds so I don't get any information at this point but they will call later.

1:00 p.m.  Dr Lisa calls.  They have some results but at the same time, no results.  The cystology came back with 'probable' cancer cells in the fluid.  The x-rays showed small nodules in his lungs and a mass in his chest cavity.  Nothing definite on what it is.  They are going to do a belly ultrasound to check for other masses and do some aspirating to see what they learn.  Arri has so many fatty tumors (lipomas) that (wishful thinking) it could be benign.  There is also the RARE chance that it is fungal in nature.  Pathetic as it is, I bit on that piece of hope.  Arri was exposed to a fungus.  Back in October, the second mass we had removed from Summer - turned out to be a fungal infection.  I suggested that she contact Dr. Mike about that possibility.  I know it is a long shot but i have to keep trying.  I read two devotionals yesterday and they both were about not giving up.  It wasn't a coincidence.

So, Arri will not be coming home tonight - or not likely.  They will call again later to let me know about the ultrasounds.

Oregon's making faces again.

2:30 Jan 2...waiting

I have one report back from the vet and it was not good.  There was so much fluid in Arri's chest that the x-ray was white.  He couldn't even find his heart.  The next step was to do a chest tap and try to drain some fluid via needles.  Still waiting to hear how that went.

I keep getting freaked out thinking my boy is here.  Sitting at the desk, he always has my back.  Today, there is a stupid white polar bear toy in the middle of the room and each time I see it out of the corner of my eye, I think it is Arri.

Arri's got my back.

Jan 2, 2013 (Not so) Happy New Year

Happy New Year from Arri!!

It has been awhile since our last post.  So little has been happening and that was a good thing.  Unfortunately, we start the new year off with uncertain news.

Naturally things have to happen over a weekend and just for good measure, lets throw in a holiday.  Arri started coughing on Saturday the 29th.  I wasn't concerned because this had happened before and goes away after a few days.  Coughing leads to gagging with an occasional fainting spell.  By Monday, he was breathing shallower and tiring easier.  The vets office was closed for the holiday and I wasn't ready to take him to the emergency vet.  It just seemed like a winter cold.

New Years day brought a bit more concern.  Arri was not first in line for food.  He has stopped telling me what time it was a few months ago.....(follow the rabbit trail).....   we have noticed more 'senior' moments.  Not hearing or seeing as well.  Seeming to forget why he went into a room or outside. It all goes with the aging process.  The hard part is to distinguish between normal and take him to the vet.  ......(back on track)   but he still would be first in line when I got up to feed them.

 Jan 2:   Arri was coughing quite a bit last night and I had to encourage him out of bed this morning.  He was ready to get up but seemed cautious about jumping off the bed.  I guess for good reason, boy did he have a wipe out.   Poor guy.  Time to start helping him off the bed as well as on.  He was last to his food bowl and walked away 1/2 way through.   Without question, something is not right.  Arri never walks away from food.  He went outside and toileted fine and finished his breakfast after he came in.

Dr Mike was able to see us this morning.  The thought has crossed my mind of cancer in the lungs or other such place but I am still holding out hope for antibiotics and go home. The concept that never crossed my mind was congestive heart failure.  After listening to his breathing, that was the first thing out of the Drs mouth.  Of course, cancer was also a prospect.  So much for antibiotics.  Arri is currently hanging out at the Dr  for x-rays, ekg, blood work etc.  We will know in a few hours what the next step is.


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