We are nearly six weeks post-front amputation. Prince Tipper is my dapper dude. His little brother Sir Logan is experiencing the journey right alongside us.
When we were in the throes of post-amp recovery, I did not have the wherewithal to start a blog. Week 6 and a week past chemo #2, I feel like I need a place to document our journey. This blog is for me to keep track of our medical ups and downs (and emotional ones too). I have found comfort in reading random blogs from others, so if you find any meaning for you in my blog, all the better.
Our story started on Aug. 29 when Tipper landed his right paw during a play time and began limping. At the time, the vet and I figured he had overextended. A back foot limp was the result of a yeast infection and steroids for that masked the front limp for a while. Flash forward a month, a Sept. 27 x ray of the right leg (which had become sore again) revealed a tumor.
“It’s cancer,” I stated; I think Dr. Jeff didn’t even want to say it.
“It’s cancer,” he confirmed.
We both cried and cussed a lot. I had lost my lab, Lexy, to hemangiosarcoma 22 months previously. Tipper was just turning 10. Ironically, the office staff had just remarked that they thought he was three or four (despite the fact that we’d been going to the office his whole life”. Dr. Jeff explained the options while I think I glazed over. He referred me to the Animal Cancer and Imaging center, who answered the phone after hours and scheduled me for the next day.
What we found there was hope.
I did not take much time with my decision. Tipper’s health, athletic build, and his strong spirit came across so brightly that the staff assured me that he was an ideal candidate for amputation. I scheduled surgery for the following week.
The tripawds community became my #1 go-to for support and information through our first couple of weeks.
They will all tell you that the first two weeks are the worst. So far, that’s true. I got very little sleep that week with his round the clock medicine schedule. I was giving an 11:30 dose of one med, waking up at 3:30 a.m. for another, more doses at 6 am, running home during my 9 am prep period for more. Teaching middle school on so little sleep is a little risky! ‘-) When the staples came out ten days later and we were told to stop the meds, it was a great relief. After a day off the meds, Tipper returned to his sweet, tennis ball loving, energetic self.
He had his first carboplatin treatment the day staples were removed and handled it well.
The second treatment has us a little worried. He threw up the morning after. Our clinic got him in almost immediately for a check up and a shot. They sent home a medication to ease his nausea. He threw up again a couple days later, but has been stable since. This time, he seems to have lost his energy.
At the moment, he seems sore. It’s hard to determine whether or not there’s a limp in a newly Tripawd dog. His gait has obviously changed, but he seems to be having extra trouble getting around this week. I have hard floors and my living room right now is a concrete block because I tore up the carpeting some time ago. I have mats all over the house, but have held off on spending the money on carpet. Now I feel awful.
So there it is. I tend to write when I’m feeling down. At least here at Tripawds, I know I’m not alone.