Hi all:

Thanks for all of your thoughts.  We are waiting to hear from the folks at Mizzou (University of Missouri to those outside the Big 12 area) to see if she can come in tomorrow for her first treatment.

Pam--It was the research and inquiries on Palladia that had started the whole IL-2 thing going.  Our oncologist was worried about side effects with the Palladia so started looking into other options for us.

I guess I left out the most important part because I've been looking at what's going on inside Tika so much.  Tika is doing great.  She's starting to show some impatience with her IL2 treatment (which we have continued for now).  Dad had missed the weekly McDonald's french fry routine last week while I was gone so when I brought French fries in I had Miss Thing doing a one-legged Malamute Riverdance. So, she's doing A.O.K.

So, we will hope for the best.  We got a road trip this weekend, still trying to figure out where to voyage, probably go down to the Ozarks so the girls can romp in the trees and streams.

Cheers all!

Kim

Hi everybody:

Well, it's been a hell of weekend.  We were wondering if this post would be under 'Coping with Loss' or not.  We arrived in Columbia, MO Thursday night and everything seemed to be doing okay. Tika didn't want to eat, but she's like that when we travel, she just wants to go out and explore.

Friday morning Tim takes Tika in for the inhaled treatment, that's when the bad news started hitting us.  The lung tumors, some of them are too big and the inhaled chemo will not affect them.  However, it will work on the smaller tumors.  Her cancer is very aggressive.  Then, pre-procedure tests come in, she's got ulcers and a kidney and/or bladder infection. They are going to start with antibiotics first (cipro), and then follow up with an ultrasound of the bladder if needed.  We started giving Prilosec along with her sulfracate to calm and protect her stomach.

They proceeded with the inhalant chemo (gemcitabine and cisplatin) for the smaller tumors and once her stomach settles a bit we will try Palladia for the bigger tumors.  

However, this will probably only buy her 4 months more at the most if it succeeds.  If this doesn't succeed she does not have much longer with us possibly two months at the most.  So, I'm calling in miracles here.

So moving on, we get Tika back, her treatment got delayed because the anesthesiologist got called away because a tiger came in.  Yes. A TIGER!  That brought some amusement to a otherwise bummer day.  We got her back around 4pm and let her rest some.

Saturday--Tika doesn't want to eat and looks wiped out. She's drinking and urinating.  It's raining out so we hang out in the camper for awhile, Tika starts coughing.  I look down as she coughs up some blood on her little baby polar bear.  I lose it.  It wasn't much, but seeing those two red splatters on her white toy just tore me in two.  Tim emails the oncologist Dr. Selting and we keep watch on Tika.

For the rest of the weekend Tika seems to rebound and just wanted to be out, she wanted to wander around and explore (we were right by a dog park and eco-park on the Missouri River in St. Charles)  and we let her lead the way and give her time to rest etc.

Sunday night she vomits, however, I can't be sure that's cancer related because our other dog also vomited, actually bazooka puked would be the term.  We have no idea what triggered them off, it might have been too many treats (NOT MY FAULT) or them splashing around in the rain puddles.

Monday, all hell breaks loose, Tika won't get up, can't get up. I'm crying. We finally get her moving around and she goes potty and drinks some water, still doesn't want food, dad gets her to snack on a little lunch meat.  We head home.  We get home and we have a hard time getting baby girl to move.  We finally do and get her to eat some canned food (Science Diet Cancer Diet) and then let her rest.  

I was a mess last night, she looked so pathetic and miserable, I thought WHAT HAVE WE DONE?  We were both feeling guilty, did we put her through too much, should we try to do inhaled chemo again, did we let her overdo it.  She showed no signs of stress or wanting to stop all weekend, she was enjoying herself, visiting with people. Spreading the word that Tripawds with cancer can still live a good life.  But this abrupt stop of all activity has torn my heart out, we thought we might lose her last night, so I was constantly checking on her (Tika was more like, JUST LEAVE ME ALONE)

I finally got some sleep and we woke up and Tika IS much better, still not too keen of getting up and moving, but seems to be doing okay when she does, her appetite is a little stronger.  I worry that we've screwed up her remaining back leg, but hopefully she's just sore because her idiot parents let her overdo it.  

We will be stopping the metronomic protocol to pursue Palladia.  IL-2 treatment is done, so maybe we knocked out a statistic so it can work on somebody else?

Here's what lung mets look like if you are curious.  I do not wish these images on anybody...

Side Xray taken May

Side Xray taken in September 
  (each 'snowflake' is a met)

So it's been a topsy turvy weekend, anguish mingled with joy.  I'm with my girl now hoping she gets her strength back. 

And trying desperatly to not project my emotions on her.  And boy that's hard because she's very much in tune with me.

Anyway, thanks for your patience as I ramble on.  Tika has a followup on September 17th to look at kidneys/bladder/lungs as necessary.  However, if she takes another turn for the worse, we might just say enough is enough, let's just work on making her comfortable now.

--Kim and Tika