In fact I just spoke with Lincoln's surgeon and he said to wait until the amputation has healed as chemo can have a negative impact on the healing process. I made a two week follow up appointment with the surgeon, and will make an appointment with the oncologist next week. The surgeon actually referred me to a different place for chemo, noting that the are the specialists and that after all Lincoln has been through he wants him to have the very best (as do we, obviously).

This is where we were referred - http://www.anim.....sts.com/ . They have lots of letters after their names, but I'll do the appropriate research for sure.

Lincoln was rolling around on the grass today, just like he used to. He just doesn't seem phased. If even a few people could emulate this dog and his amazing outlook and disposition, the world would be a better place. 

Lincoln has a charm on his collar that says, "Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall" - Confucius. He seems to have that down, and continues to smile every time.

Hello Everyone - It is with great hesitation that I write this. On one hand I'm euphoric, and on the other I'm afraid to hope. One part of me wants to share what I think is fantastic news, but the other part feels awful and gloat-y (which I know isn't a word) for those who haven't been lucky and have lost their beloved dogs.

So, here goes - We heard back from the lab today regarding Lincoln's bone decalcification. The specialists at WSU actually called Lincoln's surgeon because they wanted to verbally explain the results before reducing it to paper. They finished in the lab, and never found any signs of osteosarcoma. Of course my first though was holy sh#*, we cut his leg off for nothing, but the vet quickly interjected that they had returned to Lincoln's original biopsy and reconfirmed that there were cancer cells present.

The second question from the vet was whether Lincoln had started chemotherapy. Upon learning that we had begun treatment, the vet explained that this was the best possible news we could be receiving. It appears that we did, in fact, catch it very, very early (thanks to that TPLO as it turns out).

So I asked the dreaded question about where it left us, obviously knowing that there are never any guarantees when cancer is involved.  I phrased it something like, "So, is there a chance, in your opinion, that Lincoln may fall into the 5 to 10% of dogs whom are cured after amputation and chemotherapy?"  Short answer, YES.

Here is where we stand, I guess...Lincoln has cancer, but we got it so early they couldn't even see it except for small indicators from the biopsy, and his chemo has started and is going well, and we may have a little hope that he'll be with us a while longer than we thought.

I'm relieved and afraid and hopeful and scared and amazed and thankful and excited all at the same time.

Thank you everyone. Of course Lincoln will keep you all posted in his blog, and we'll update here regarding his chemo and keep track of everything. We certainly know we have a long road ahead of us and are thankful that we have so many new friends with us along the way.