Some of you might remember my boy Razbeg. It’s been roughly a year since I last posted about him, so I decided it’s time for an update. I don’t write here very often, partly because English is not my first language and it’s always more laborious to write in foreign language, but I have visited here regularly, smiled when I have read about tripawds that are enjoying their lives and cried when I have learned about the pups that have passed away. My deep condolences to everyone who have lost their beloved tripawds during this year

As a reminder, Razbeg was diagnosed with suspected osteosarcoma on September 17, 2018 and his right front leg was amputated on September 20, 2018. Due to huge open wound next to his incision site we weren’t able to start the chemo until 4 months after the surgery, but because his first biopsy result defined the tumour as fibrosarcoma, we felt that there’s no hurry. Our oncologist was not satisfied with the first biopsy result, though, so another one was made, and this time the tumour was defined as fibroblastic osteosarcoma. We did four rounds of carboplatin and then switched to metronomics (cyclophosphamide).

Razbeg is still doing well. Today is his 21^st month ampuversary and he just had his 11^th birthday, but he seems younger than his years. It’s not all sunshine, though, as he has lung mets ☹ The “good” news is that he’s actually had them for 19 months, but they seem to grow really slowly and don’t cause any symptoms. When I last wrote, I told his lung x-rays had been clear, but that was just making long story short. There was something in his lungs as soon as couple of months after the surgery, but it was so small and unclear that our veterinary team first thought it was most probably nothing. But when the same small, unclear spot kept showing in future x-rays as well, it was clear that there was something, but there was hope it wouldn’t be cancer, since it didn’t grow. Then, last July, after we had switched carboplatin to cyclophosphamide, the spot started to grow for the first time and all hope for it to be nothing serious was gone. In addition, last October another small spot appeared next to the existing one. Having lung mets felt like a shock, although of course I had lived in fear of them all the time. But as I said, he doesn’t have any symptoms yet and they have been growing very, very slowly.

I don’t know the current state of those mets, though, because we’ve had more pressing concerns lately. Despite of being boy, despite of eating diuretics and despite of all other precautions Razbeg got haemorrhagic cystitis from cyclophosphamide this March, after having the medicine for nine months without any problems. And unluckily we are still struggling with the stupid cystitis now, three months after it all began. It has been ups and downs, for couple of times it looked better already, and then the symptoms returned. There was even a fear of bladder cancer: an ultrasound was performed when the problem prolonged and it revealed a mass in bladder wall. Razbeg had to undergo cystoscopy to find out what the mass was, and luckily it is not cancerous. Apparently, it’s just caused by irritation. Razbeg has suspected von Willebrand disease, so maybe that’s why cystitis takes time to heal. The good thing is that the situation is much better now, and even when the cystitis was at its worst Razbeg was very perky and his usual self, so although I know it must have felt very uncomfortable, I don’t think he was in too much pain (he had and still has medication for it, too). The bad thing is that our vets didn’t want him to start using metronomics again before the situation was better, and he was about two and half months without medication for his lung mets. Now he’s having leukeran (chlorambucil). He still doesn’t have any symptoms of those mets and his lung sounds are normal, but I don’t know when we’ll be able to do the x-rays. It’s not only the cystitis that messed up everything, for some reason Razbeg finds taking x-rays very stressful and I have usually been there with him during the procedure, but now because of the corona virus I’m not allowed to go with him. On the other hand, having the x-rays done wouldn’t change anything. He is still in very good condition despite of mets and cystitis and I just have to be very thankful for that and cherish each and every day I get to spend with him.

I just wanted to share this all with you in case Razbeg's story helps others struggling with the same issues.

We hope you all happy summer!!

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