Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I am here in Fort Collins, Co having Charlie assessed for radiation (cyberknife).
I made the appointment about a week and a half ago. The day before the trip, Charlie stopped eating his food. I became very worried and felt it may actually be getting close to the end for him. The veterinarian said that often they have aversions to certain textures. So I made him some eggs and a few other things and he ate them eagerly.
The day of the trip, I gave him pain medicine and he just seemed out of it. Then he had another very hard time breathing at night while trying to sleep. So it was very nice to get here and be able to have some doctors see him (and possibly help him feel better).
This morning they took xrays and found no metastasis in his lungs - which is very good. They also aspirated his lymph nodes and they were clear as well. His CT scan showed a very large tumor that went from the very front of his nose (one nostril is totally closed), all the way back to the back of his throat. The turbinate bones and midline bone have been destroyed. The tumor has broken through the bone to the brain. That was what I was afraid of. I suspected it was back in his throat some time ago by the way he was breathing, which made me think that it was going to be close to his brain (verses being in the front of the nose).
They can still do the radiation, but statistics show that once it breaks through the bone to the brain, a full treatment can only buy about 6-8 months, verses if the brain is not involved, the average is 16 months.
They gave me several options:
1. Do the 3 radiation treatments anyway (it will help him feel much better and improve his quality of life. It would give him about 6 months, unless he seized before then.
2. Do one treatment to reduce the size of the tumor and help him breathe. It could help for a couple of months, until he would likely succumb to seizures at which point we would put him to sleep.
3. Do 10 treatments of regular radiation (it has about the same results as the 3 treatments, but allows more treatment of the brain area.)
My concern is him feeling better. Since his brain is involved, I don't want to do the full treatment. For a couple of reasons - if his brain is involved, it is probably going to lead to seizures and while I don't know when that will be, the size and involvement of his tumor suggests that it could be weeks or months. Secondly, he has taken such a dive in the last few days that I am concerned it may be sooner than later.
Apparently, one sterographic (cybernife) radiation treatment may help clear his nose some and allow him to breathe more easily. I am hoping this will help him enough for me to get him back home to Albuquerque, and spend his last weeks a bit more comfortable. I am concerned that his appetite won't come back. I am sure it is nearly impossible for him to breathe, and the olfactory area is where the tumor is encroaching. If he doesn't start eating again, there isn't much more that I can do. I really hope that the radiation treatment tomorrow helps him feel better, even if only for a while.
I can't say I am surprised. I can let him go when he is ready, but is hard to tell. It seems easier to let him go if his brain is involved. It is especially hard to accept when their body is so healthy and fit. Right now he is sleeping off the anesthesia from the CT tests.
I am going to do one radiation treatment. They say it will help him feel better. Nothing else is helping. If it doesn't, at least we tried. If it does, he will have a bit more time with his humans and fur friends. He is the sweetest, best dog I have ever had. This is so hard.
Dear Charlie's mom- Such a dear, dear journey for your sweet Charlie. My thoughts are with you as you weather this road together. Let me reassure you that you are doing all that love can do, and I'm sure that Charlie knows this. Charlie is lucky to have found you, as were you.
I hope the cyberknife brings Charlie some relief (as they have my Hardee) and that your days left with Charlie are the happiest yet. Please give Charlie some belly scratches for me, and I will continue to keep you both in my thoughts. Keep us posted, please.
Charlies mom sorry to hear that the cancer is so advanced. If I was in your situation I too would probably be doing the one dose of cyberknife in hopes that it gives quality to Charlies remaining days.
Despite the fact we did catch Dash's cancer early I decided to only do the palliative radiation and choose the IMRT because I knew that with that diagnosis his time was limited and I wanted him to be able to enjoy what time he did have and he did.Life is not about how long we live but about the quality of our life.
Yes we hurt a lot when we have to say good bye but that is a testiment to the great love we shared with our dog. I myself see the hurt well worth all I have gotten in return so have no problem letting a new dog into my life. I still miss the ones I have lost but part of them remains with me and always will. Over my life time I have known and loved quite a few dogs and I know the biggest loss would to have not had each one of them be a part of my life as they have all be so special in their own way.
I will send some prayers that Charlie has many months of improved quality of life.Just always know that you have done what you can for him and the rest is out of your hands. He is lucky to have such a loving caring mom.
Thank you for all your kind words. Charlie and I are back home. He is very happy to be here with his family (dogs, cats, humans). His nose is a bit more runny,but he is breathing better already. They said about a week it will be quite a bit better. I will keep you updated.
Hey everyone!
Sorry I haven't been here in a couple weeks. I actually went out on a very long and absolutely glorious camping trip with the husband and pooch. We went up to Maine where I am from (where Sofers spent the first year of her life.) We stayed at a bunch of my favorite spots. After labor day when the tourists cleared out we moved to a spot right on the ocean/beach. It was just....amazing. We went to a few spots that Sofers loved as a puppy and she was running around, playing...just had an awesome time. She was SO happy and it was SO heartwarming to watch.
I really hated coming back to NYC. We actually waited until the 9/11 events were over. Its been 10 years and there was a big to do....but I don't like to relive that day for any reason. At 11 PM thay evening, after all the adreneline started to wash away, I hugged my pooch and cried in her fur for at least an hour. I'll always remember and appreciate how she was just there for me emotionally that day. Someone wrote, when you bond with a dog, you can have solitude without the loniliness. And boy was that even true on 9/11 and the weeks after.
But boy the city is bad for her! It must be bad for humans too. Since she's been back she's been sneezing more. I can just tell she hates the irritants in the air and on the sidewalks here. I always thought city dogs had it ok ya know? Lots of walks...lots of playdates...owners have no other choice but to give city dogs lots of socialization. But I can just see how bad the environment is here now that Sofie has this cancer. She's a scent hound, her nose is always 1/8th of an inch off the ground. But I know know I can't stay here my whole life! Huffing bus fumes and C&D waste will probably give me cancer too!
I tried to poke in a few times and catch up, but my internet access was pretty spotty. How is my boy Hardee doing? He was headed up to a competition right? I hope he did awesome! I know he did.
I was so sorry to read about Charlie. He sounds like such a great dog...leader of his pack. I hope he feels better soon after his treatments. I can't imagine what you must be feeling seeing it crossed into his brain. Sofie had her first symptom just before that, encroaching but not involving the cribiform plate. And that was the difference between a full and palliative radiation protocol for her.
Hey do you guys mind sharing your suppliment regimine?
I have Sofie on Omega -3 fish oil suppliments now that the radiation has probably done all its work. She is also on K9 nutro (which has kelp, ester C, glucosimine and a variety of other stuff to help rebuild connective tissue and keep the immune system going strong.) I have heard both tumeric and mushroom based suppliments are good too for immune support. Anyone want to share their experiences with K9 immunity or tumeric? Sophicles is also on the Budweig diet for her midday snack. Flaxssed and cottage cheese. I didn't think shed like it...but she did. I'm going to try a holistic vet shortly I think but I know some people herenlike dashdog are experts in the neutraceuticals!
Ok...well I hope eeveryone is getting by. And things aren't too crazy on the roller coaster. I will check back in more regularly now thay I'm back. Take care and keep fighting the good fight!
Hi Christina! So glad to read that you and Sofers are well! I wondered about you and Sophie many times, so I'm glad to read you were just out having fun!!! How is she doing? Any signs that the radiation is working?
Hardee is doing good. Constant nasal drainage that he takes antibiotics for 24/7, but it doesn't seem to help much. WE had a blast at his water trials for his breed, but he didn't pass the highest level. There are 5 exercises total, and he did wonderfully on the first 4 but failed the 5th. The chemo has taken it's toll on his heart and his stamina is no longer there but his spirit is unaffected. We go next weekend to AZ for a water practice and match.
Hardee gets 1000 mgs of DHA oil each day, K9 Immunity once a day, and CAS Options once a day. HH (Handsome Hardee) also gets antibiotics daily, Claritin for his allergies twice a day, Tramadol for pain twice a day, Cyclophosphamide once a day, and I hope to start HH back on the peroxicam daily as well. We had to go off of peroxicam about a month ago because of some kidney issues. We also treat Hardee's ulcer twice a day with 3 different pills.
I hope everyone is enjoying their time with their pups. Keep your fingers crossed for us that my husband's knee heals quickly (he sprained it badly running HH in agility) so my boys can run agility again (HH's favorite!) and that he finds another job soon. He got laid off and his last day of work is next week. My best to you all!
Jen,
I'm so sorry to hear about your husbands layoff! Ugh. The job market is so terrible. I've been working freelance for a while now and its so hard to get and keep work. Companies are trying to save money so instead of hiring independants, they are contracting with agencies that hire temps. Groan. I decided to jump into the permenant job market and its been really tough out there.
Glad Hardee is still doing ok and loving life! I love how he has such spirit even after all he's been through! Good boy Hardee! We can all learn a bit from him eh?
How's Charlie doing? I hope he's sleeping a bit better at night.
Sofie seems ok on the cancer front. As every look, every action gets analyzed now, I sometimes think I see the early symptoms of tumor regrowth. But her airflow is still very good and she doesn't even snore anymore (her earliest symptom was snoring very very loudly!) She's super active too and in a better mood than I've seen her in a year. She has some mild congestion and a few drips of drainage (I think she swallows most of it!) but otherwise has not too many side effects from the treatment. But until her follow up CT next month - its really all just guesses.
She did pick up what seems to be a skin infection. We went to the vet yesterday and she got some antibiotics. She developed red sores on her skin right after starting the fish oil suppliment - so while the vet said its rare, she may be allergic to fish. That's the first time she ever tried it. So instead of a fish/flaxseed half each Omega 3 suppliment, after the antibiotic course is done we'll try straight cold pressed flax seed. Sofie was on about 1200mg fish oil a day. It may have just been too much. I've also stopped the Glucosimine/MsM/Esther C suppliment. I will start again when the infection is gone.
After I get the Omega 3 straighted out I'm going to introduce the K9 immunity. I gotta get her on a diet though. She was 55 lbs 2 weeks ago...she's 58 lbs as of yesterday! Even 55 is a bit high. I thought maybe some cushion woukd be good in case the tumor recurrs, but I don't want extra weight on her joints. I never kept her super lean but never overweight! She's a walking trash can. She'd be 100 lbs if she could.
I'm looking forward to updates. Jen, got any recent pictures of Handsome Hardee? Id love to see 'em!
Dear Mommy's mommy- Hardee's nose constantly drains infectious looking gunk. It has become our normal around here. Hardee is 13 months post radiation, and the drainage seems to be quite consistent in amount, color, and thickness, except with the addition of blood sometimes. At first the antibiotics seemed to help with the drainage but that is no longer the case. The oncologist says that is just life with a nasal cancer dog and so we just accept that as fact. I'm wishing you all the best and peaceful days with your girl. I wish I had more help to offer you.
Christina & Sofers- I hope by now the skin problems have cleared up. Other than that, I'm glad to read she is doing okay. I'll wait anxiously to hear about the follow-up CT scan next month.
I also analyze every little move/sound Hardee makes. I was sitting outside with HH the other day where I could see up his nose a bit with the light just right. I think I see some tumor that has never been there before, and it almost has his passage occluded. I hope I am wrong. It took me a couple days before I could tell my husband about it. He wants to restart chemo, but I just don't know if I can do that to Hardee again. 8 months of chemo was the limit for us both with the 700 mile round trip, the side effects, etc. I just don't know.
On the bright side, we are going to AZ this weekend for water practice and a water match, then we might continue onto Texas for a water trial. Our last hurrah to summer. I'm very saddened about summer coming to a close. It's Hardee's favorite time of the year because of the swimming, and I know that life as we know it currently, won't be the same next summer. I seem to be already mourning the things we'll miss next summer, as crazy as that seems. I am trying to pull myself out of this funk and enjoy the time we have left with our boy and go back to living in the moment.
I got a new cell phone where I am learning how to text, etc. The phone takes picture, but I don't know how to do that yet, Christina. I'll try to get some current photos of HH while we are on our unemployment trip, and then learn how to post them. Keep your fingers and paws crossed for us that my husband finds work as soon as we get back!
I'll check in while we are gone (less than 2 weeks). My best to you all and hope you all have one last hurrah to summer also with your precious pups.
Jen
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
