Samdog's next adventures

Today, Samdog started his carboplaitin (seriously need to learn how to spell these things) and had most of his staples removed.  His incision is kindof like a fried wonton where three points of skin come togther.  The seams have healed just fine, but that point needs just a little more time. Which means no swimming for another two weeks. (dang)

Dr. S suggested 6 rounds of the chemotherapy, one round every three weeks, with blood count checks between the apptst just to be sure his white blood cells are where they should be.  She sent us home with medicine for vomiting and another medicine for the digestive problem that could be messy from the other end.   Those are the two main side effects – if they hit, they will hit in 3-5 days.  Even so, I plan to take him to work with me tomorrow so I can keep an eye on him.  I’m optimistic that he will be fine – but I worry (of course) if he isn’t feeling well and is home alone.  That just doesn’t seem fair.

The lovely ladies who administered his chemo all love him.  (of course)  I guess the way they administer the chemo requires the dog to sit still for a long time.  It seems that Sam didn’t mind just sitting there, which is apparently an oddity.  One of them called after us while we were checking out,  “I would work with Samdog anyday – he is the best patient I’ve had yet!”  (of course, that is my dog!)

We used his harness this time getting into and out of the car – what a difference!  We need to practice a little more (and I need to have less stuff in my hands when we try to load him) but there was no crashing into the garage floor and his confidence getting out of the car was much improved once he realized I was there and able help.  It was like we were partners again.  He looked at me with trust and I wouldn’t let him fall.

Tonight he is bright eyed, seems to be pain free, and is hanging out on the sofa with me.  That makes me one very happy momma.

Meeting with the oncologist Thursday and we will discuss what Sam’s osteosarcoma treatment will be.

Every day we see more signs of our old dog returning.

Today, he showed interest in chasing tennis balls again.  Every Golden Retriever knows that any tennis ball must be placed within throwing distance of the nearest human as frequently as possible.

While he still has flashes of what we assume is phantom leg pain, he doesn’t complain.  He’s happy when we are home, he’s glad to nap when we aren’t and he shows no sign of feeling sorry for himself or angry that he doesn’t have his leg anymore.

Occasionally, you can see some frustration while he’s trying to figure out how to navigate a tough area or solve a problem that was easily handled with four feet.  That said, he’s very proud of himself when he figures it out.

Noted author and Haiku poet R.H. Blyth had this to say about dogs:

“The puppy even more than the mature dog takes each day, each moment as it comes.

It does not

look before and after

And pine for what is not.

When it is warm, it basks in the sun; when it rains, it

whimpers to be let in.  There is nothing between the

sun and the puppy, the rain and the whimper.”

I try to imagine what my reaction would be if  my arm was removed up to the scapula.  I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t be as amazing as Sam’s adjustment.

The tennis ball dropped at my feet by a smiling retriever today reminds me to be glad to live in this moment, right now.

You can learn a lot from a red fluffball with three legs.

-Sam’s Dad.

Unbelievable.  Less than 10 days post-amp and my dog is back.  Velcro to an extreme, but the twinkle is back and I got my first kiss tonight.  We also had a huge milestone in the kitchen.  Samdog is a trickster…  his repertoire of parlour tricks is pretty impressive.  However tonight, as an experiment, Dad was asking Samdog to shake to see if he could (front amp)…  and it was obvious Samdog couldn’t figure it out.   He had a look like – I know what you want, but I can’t do it.   Seeing the frustration in his eyes and Dad’s disappointment, I asked him to give me 10 – which used to involve balancing and putting both paws up.  Tonight – it only involved one paw, but he got it up there and hit my hand.  So, our “gimme 10” is now our “high five” and both Sam and Dad looked really happy!

I took him to work with me this morning. I worry (of course) when he is home alone that he is going to slip or trip and rip a stitch.   We left him alone last night for the first time to attend a going away party for a friend of mine and I worried the whole time.  So, today we braved the car and went to the office, where he sat under my desk and got loved on by the staff who wanted to say hello.  One of our best pals actually sat on the floor with him for about 1/2 hour while we caught me up from my absence last week.  Sam didn’t mind at all.

Getting into the car this morning – he surprised me and just jumped in!  Getting out the car – a little less graceful, but no problem.   This afternoon…  he must have been a little tired because we both ended up crashed on the back seat – a lot less graceful.  Getting out of the car this afternoon, was actually scary.    I need to find a solution and we need to get his harness on him – but it rubs on his incision, so I’m not sure which is worse – the rubbing or the crashing into the ground.   I’m thinking the rubbing is the lesser of the evils.  He didn’t complain, but we can’t afford for him to hurt his ankle, which he has started to turn in so to better center his weight.  He is pigeon-toed!  I can’t imagine dropping 80 lbs onto a crooked ankle – that has to hurt.

Moving in a straight line – he is fast!  I keep trying to get a good video to share with you… but if I don’t keep up he stops and turns round with this look on his face…  “mom, which way do I go?  I’m not going out there and then have to turn back, so you better catch up and don’t point me the wrong way”  So, I can’t get him far enough away from me to pull out the video camera.  But I will keep trying.

Oh, and there are some weird things…  I’d be interested if this experience has been shared.  My dog no longer wants to eat popcorn.  He loves popcorn!  But I gave him a piece and he actually spit it out.   It makes me wonder if he knows that he needs to go on a diet.   Maybe only his right foot liked popcorn?

Thursday we are going to the vet to get the staples out and learn about chemo…  that will probably be the next news to share so stay tuned.

Samdog’s recovery is hitting its stride.  Each morning we get up, go feed the fish, head out to the chicken yard to say hello to the ladies, do what needs to be done, come back inside and eat most of our breakfast.  Yesterday was his last day on the antibiotics.  Hooray!

He is getting really good at getting himself up and laying back down, even on the concrete floors – though he usually has at least one paw on a rug.  He spent today alternating between napping on the couch and in front of the swamp cooler vent (our version of A/C) while we watched our favorite football teams.  Not a bad day for a dog, even if he didn’t get any junk food.

For the past two nights he has slept on the bed.  He has always been an exceptional snuggler and we have always had a routine…  start snuggling, when Sam gets too hot, he moves down to my feet and I roll over and fall asleep.  We have discovered a problem with this routine since his surgery.  Still an excellent snuggler, however, it is hard to get himself up  to change position while on the bed.  I think the comforter and mattress are just a bit too squishy.  He’s not so stable yet and not motivated to move once he finds his spot, even if he gets too hot.  Which means, panting…  panting…  panting…  while snuggling…  not a good combination for either of us.   To make matters worse – he is snuggling like he has never snuggled before, velcro is his new super power.  We have a king size bed to accomodate our 85 lb dog between us.  I have been lucky to get 10 inches of that king size bed and twice have found that I was lacking enough of the comforter to cover all of me.  He’s panting, I’m freezing and neither of us are sleeping very well.

Tonight, we renegotiate.   If I get him positioned in the smack center of the bed, maybe his increased snuggle power will still allow me 18 inches of bed space and that much comforter.

🙂

Before all of this – it would not have been tolerated.  Since all of this – I find myself smiling and making do with the little space I have left.  I’m sure my husband is enjoying the extra room.  It is not the worst problem to solve.

We have our appt to get his staples removed on Thursday, we will also learn about our chemo options.  Hooray for pet insurance! When I called them yesterday to ask very specific policy questions, the woman on the phone set my heart at ease…  8 years ago, we optioned the cancer rider, never expecting to need it.  In her words “you are going to be very happy you have that,” means our chemo options are actually options. We can choose what is best for our Samdog, not our bank account can handle.  Thank Dog!

But all of that is for another day.  I’m hoping that we will just keep on, keepin’ on and instead of daily updates without anything new to share, we will wait until there is news.  So, for those of you checking daily – we love you all, but don’t worry.  If there is news, we will share it.  Until then, feel free to call us – life has slowed down and we are actually back to our normal hectic pace, instead of the vortex we have been in for the past two weeks.

Well, someone’s sense of humor and entitlement is returning!

Samdog has decided that the place to be is in my chair.  I got up to encourage him to laydown on the bathmat at my feet.  He stepped in behind me and stepped up onto the chair. This was the second incident of chair stealing in one morning.

You are welcome Mr. Dog, sir!

7 days into our new adventure and Samdog has discovered that he can once again step up onto the furniture – where he belongs.   It helps that he is so tall, it doesn’t require jumping, just stepping up.

We actually discovered this early this morning in the first chair theft incident, when he stepped up onto my chair, with me still in it.  If this is going to become our new normal – we might have to rediscuss boundaries.  But today, to have my 80 lb retriever back as a lap dog, I didn’t mind so much.

Happy first week ampuversary, my big, red, shaggy loverboy.

So much has happened in our lives, I can’t believe it hasn’t even been a week.

My velcro dog is coming back – I have actually had to tell him to “stay” numerous times today, while I have been moving from room to room in the house.   We had a guy here helping work on our pool problems (when it rains it pours around here), and I was outside the back gate talking to him for a while.  I guess I didn’t completely close the door, because when I opened the gate to go back into the yard, well, hello! There was my red dog waiting for me.  Mind you the gate is three steps down from the pool deck which had tools and hoses spread all over it.     ACK!  I was so proud he made it and terrified at the same time as to what would have happened had he tripped.  But he didn’t…  I’m sure the pool guys thought I was nuts!  We hopped back to the house and I remembered to ask him to “stay” before going back outside.

Our morning walkabouts to the chicken yard are becoming routine.  As is the necessity for an afternoon nap.  He’s still twitching, but I haven’t heard any crying or whimpering today.  I’m hoping that yesterday’s pain was an isolated incident.

In all a pretty good day today.  Here is to keepin’ on, keepin’ on.

🙂

Sorry for swearing, but our great morning has been tempered by bad news and a bad experience.

The post-amp biopsy confirmed Samdog’s tumor was an osteosarcoma.  All of his other tests had come back so good, we allowed ourselves to be optimistic that he was one of the lucky few with something other than osteo…  but no.

Add that to some increased pain this afternoon. I think the fentanyl is finally out of his system and he made the mistake of taking a nap on his incision side.  I didn’t catch it until I noticed he wasn’t sleeping and hadn’t moved in 20 minutes.  He is a lazy boy during the day, unless an adventure is to be had…  but to not move at all and not be asleep was odd.   I got down on the floor with him and encouraged him to try and get back on his belly.   He was rigid and seemed afraid to move at all.   He finally tried it and made it back to his belly, but screamed so loudly I had tears in my eyes.  Game face.   I got him back over the mattress and he has been there ever since – but as soon as he stretched out on his good side, he fell asleep.  I don’t know how long he had been on the floor, in pain and not telling me…  ugh, breaks my heart.

The good news that came from this afternoon is that his lymph node was normal.  We can add that test to the arsenal of test results that have all come back clear, normal or perfect.  It still allows for some optimism.  I’m not letting go of that, even if this afternoon wasn’t great.