It is nice Sally and I appreciate all of you so much 🙂.

Well, apparently I didn’t have enough on my plate.  I had taken my mixed breed dog (our “small” 65 lb girl), Darcy, to the vet the week before last for a gastrointestinal issue.  While there, I pointed out a small lump near her ribcage.  The vet felt confident it was just a lipoma (benign fatty tumor) and said she could do a fluid aspiration if it would give me peace of mind, but she didn’t think it was really necessary.  I told her to go ahead and do it.  I just got the cytology report back this week and it noted that “rare spindle cells” were found so it advised surgical removal and sending it in to determine what it is.  🙁     Surgery is scheduled for Sept. 1.   Just hoping it’s nothing… or something cured by removal as I can’t imagine getting another terminal diagnosis right now.  She is almost 10.   She and Honor really love each other.  He lets her get away with so much more than our female Great Pyrenees!   

Honor is still doing well.  Unfortunately, though, he continues to favor his unaffected leg and we are well past the point where I can expect it to get any better than this.  It always seems especially bad when he first gets up from laying down.  I asked the vet I saw last time if the way he was walking was a common result after radiation and he that it is.   I’m still very undecided on whether to go ahead with the cementoplasty or not and, of course, the chemo makes things difficult because I have to time it for when he won’t have low platelets and I feel like he is more prone to infection etc. when his immune system is being beat down.  UGH.  If only there were some easy answers.   These past 2 weeks have been good in these sense that he has been feeling much better….so much so that he really wants to run or play at times and, of course, he can’t.  Trying my best to keep him engaged with our outings, puzzle type food games and short walks!  It’s been great seeing him have his appetite and interest level fully back.   The fur area/whiskers under his nose grew back in and I have to think that was from the chemo.   Unfortunately, chemo is tomorrow and this is only the 2nd one.   I’m strongly leaning towards no more than 4.  For one, I want it finished so that, if we do have an issue where amputation is needed, I’m not having to worry about high risk surgery due to low platelets and a weakened immune system.  For another, I would assume chemo would be important after amputation.  I hate the though of doing 6 now then having to do another 6 after amputation!  If that theory is true that once you amputate, the chemo is really needed to stop the micro metasasis then why am I having him do so much chemo now?   I don’t think anyone really has the answers to these questions.    Will post some photos in a bit. 

Just got back from Honor‘s 2nd chemo appt.  His regular Dr was back.  She said she was dropping his chemo dose even lower based on his reaction to the first one but, if he has the same problems, then she thinks he just can’t tolerate this chemo medication.  She said she wouldn’t feel comfortable going any lower than this because she doesn’t think it would be effective.  Also, sticking to a 4 week schedule.  So, anyway, here is hoping things go better this time around.