Today's update is a tale of two parks.  While most people think of NYC as being skyscrapers and subways, we live in Inwood, the northernmost neighborhood of Manhattan, which is very residential and has a lot of green space.  Griffin has lived here his whole life and I've been a resident since 1994.

This morning we went to our local vet for a blood test to check Griffin's complete blood count (CBC) 2 weeks after chemo to ensure his red/white blood cells and blood platelets levels have not dropped (they were fine when checked last week but can change in week 2 after chemo).  It was raining lightly when we left and then it poured during our 5 block walk to the clinic.  The technician was super fast with Griffin and we were out within 5 minutes!  It had stopped raining while we were in the clinic and a few minutes after heading back home, the skies opened up again.  Since we were already wet, we took a detour on the way home through Inwood Hill Park.  In the video below, you can see Griffin navigating in the rain.  Listen until the end - Griffin is totally the boy who would make rude noises in class to make his friends laugh and get away with it because he is so cute!

This afternoon, we headed to Fort Tryon Park.  It was pretty windy and Griffin didn't seem too interested in walking or exploring.  He did pose under a cherry blossom tree where the rain/wind created a carpet of petals.  He also practiced walking down stairs.  He walks down the 4 steps in our lobby pretty easily and can walk up a full flight of stairs, but until today, he had not walked down a full flight of stairs.  While we were at the park, Griffin practiced on two different sets of stairs which were deeper than the ones in my apartment building, leaving more room for his back legs to step down while his front leg is still on the stair.  The video below shows an enormous flight of steps up to the Cloisters - Griffin only practiced on the last section.  Clearly I was more excited than he was!

Check out today's forum post on Griffin's Journey Blog (the photos show up better)!

We got good news today!  Griffin's blood test results came back and while his white blood cell and platelets counts have dropped (as is expected with chemo), they are still within the normal range.  This was the second blood test run after his first round of chemo, and with no concerns with either, he should not need any additional blood tests after future rounds of chemo.  His second round is scheduled for May 15th and I hope he sails through with no side effects like he did with the first round of chemo!

Our walk this morning was a rainy one, but that did not stop Griffin from rolling in the soggy grass multiple times - and looking quite proud of himself when doing so!  Fast forward 8 hours and the sun was shining brightly, so of course that meant more rolls in the grass!  Below are photos of drenched Griffin after our morning walk and us enjoying the sunshine together this evening!  And rounding out today's post are videos of his soggy morning and sunshiny evening romps!

Hi Patricia - You should definitely check out more information about the Yale clinical trial if you are interested.  Dr. Mark Mamula (mark.mamula@yale.edu) is leading the trial and answered my emails quickly.  There is the possibility of having the vaccine sent to your local vet to administer, but that costs $1,000 in addition to the office visits to administer the vaccine, plus follow up blood tests.  If you are able to travel to The Veterinary Care Center (203-838-6626) in Norwalk, CT, there is no cost for the vaccine or blood tests (just 2 exam charges).  Deborah Bascome (Deb@vcchope.com) is the trial coordinator and was very helpful when I spoke to her on the phone.  One requirement is to finish chemo, although I think Paul (Oakley's dad) is looking into doing the vaccine prior to chemo, so keep an eye out for updates in his posts.  Please share more videos of Arktik soon!  I still think of him as being Griffin's tripawd twin! ~ Stacy