Prince Tipper

I didn’t realize I hadn’t posted picks with my blog yet!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes! Tipper’s two month ampuversary. And one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It will take me months – possibly longer – to pay for this medical care, but by the grace of God, Tipper is doing well and I’m pretty sure I won’t lose my house over it.

For anyone at the stages of diagnosis or post-surgery recovery – you may wonder if you’re doing the right thing, especially through the first couple weeks after surgery. I’ve had days – I still have times when I’ve worried if he’s had more tough days than good. But I offer you reassurances that pain during recovery and the small chance of chemo side effects is tiny compared to limping on a leg that might explode at any moment!

Tipper and Logan, whom have remained so very “dog” for the past two months are inspiration for me. I think this experience has brought them closer. At least that’s what I think I notice. I could just be noticing more nowadays. It’s actually brought my mom some purpose at a time she was waning. So, always a silver lining, I guess.  She has been right along with us, giving the boys a daily visit and keeping vigilant watch over them. If I don’t notice sore muscles or a boo boo, she most definitely catches it. I’m grateful that she has placed so much interest in listening to me and learning about the stupid cancer, the recovery, the treatments, and all that jazz. It would be difficult not to have someone to really take the time to listen.

So far, I have fat and happy dogs. I’ve been mixing wet food (sometimes peanut butter) into their kibble, and have been a bit overly generous. We are being more careful now, but Dr. Jeff did remark that at least Tipper’s weight gain is a sign of healthy working organs. 👍 Tipper’s fur is nearly grown in and his whole coat is sleek and shiny. And interest and energy are great.

We are trekking slowly with the carboplatin. Had a tough week after treatment 2, and have had to delay #3 due to low white cell count. Tripawds and Bone Cancer Dogs have both been a Godsend with information that placates me somewhat. (Still have a way to go on “being more dog”.) We’re just waiting for blood to recover and headed back after a week to try again. 🙏🏻

In between treatments, Tipper had one of his recurring back foot issues. Itching, chewing his poor foot raw. But, now that he is rid of his spare leg, our vet office gives us priority scheduling. 👍😉👏 And what a “whew!”, his footsie tootsie is on the mend after some soaks, scrubs, and sprays. I’m thinking this healing is a good sign for his wbc. And it’s curbed him from taking treats because he’s afraid I’ll nab him for a bath or spray down his paws. He’s still DEMANDING treats, but sometimes not accepting.

My favorite fun time for the boys is when they play together. It is a true joy to watch them wrestle, chase, and nibble on each other, tearing up the house. That had ceased by the time we got our diagnosis. Now, they are back to their nightly romp before bed time.  They are so joyful and at their most dog playing together. No more hesitancy in Tipper.

This ampuversary is significant for us. In making my decision about the best response to osteosarcoma , I told the (endlessly patient) tech, “Even if he has one month to live, I want that month to be as pain free as possible.” My mindset has been that this care is palliative, and as long as he is still joyful, I’ve done well by him. I consider each day, week, month a bonus. So, mostly we are celebrating the bonus. Without surgery, I wouldn’t have had him suffer with any other less effective pain treatment and would have said goodbye as early on as our day of diagnosis, I think.

And now, it is past time to get out of bed and feed these guys. The are pouncing all over me as I am writing. I love love love my boys.

 

Big thanks to my Tripawds community. Tipper is much “hoppier”‘today – pun intended. I learned that the pan expert from Arbor Pain Clinic is practically a stone’s throw away. A couple of days of rimadyl may have helped, or maybe it’s just the chemo wearing off after a week. We’ll keep an eye one things this week. We check in with Dr. Jeff, our general Doctor, on Thurs for cbc and ask for a referral to see the superstar pain and rehab Doctor. Hoping that there might still be funding for new rehab patients through Tripawds once we schedule our appointment!

We’re getting another carpeting estimate tomorrow night. I think both Tipper and Logan will enjoy the cushion and the warmth carpeting will bring to the living room. 🙂

 

 

 

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.