Hi Sally,

Monday May2 Vito came up lame again in his right back leg (same side as front amp) so he had xrays on the leg - showed no cancer, thought it was a muscle issue and was given tramadol and told to rest, massage him.

 A week goes by and he gets better, but still not 100%

Saturday May 7, was a regular day. Rosie (6yo labradoodle) was here for the weekend, everybody was doing good. Even Vito

Sunday I wake up and Vito can't move. I try to get him up out of bed and he cries and collapses into aheap on the floor. Thinkin his legs are just asleep i try to get him out in the yard. He faceplants when I put him down.

We rush to the ER as I think he's having a stroke.

At the ER, not a stoke. likely his back. we get pain meds and are sent home to recheck with family vet in the morning, and are encouraged to get a neurology exam.

ER (where V also had his oncology) says if i want to see "their" neurologist, I have to bring him back thru the emergency in the morning, have them do all the xrays, etc, and then wait to see the neurologist but i might have to wait a while because they are really booked up. If i don't do it this way, their next appoinmet is in two weeks. This is the place that V had all his chemo.

They will not let me get on the days waiting list and go to my vet for the xrays and initial exam (about a $500 savings over letting ER handle everything)

I go to my family vet anyway. they do xrays and find his cancer has spread to his spine. They also see some spinal compression and confirm a neurology examis warranted. They call SAGE trying to use their influence to get me in to see the neurologist today. SAGE does not budge, so I call around and find the clinic next door can fit Vito in for later that afternoon.

Neurologist confirms cancer spread, V's exam shows it's likely issues with his discs causing his inability to use his legs, but at this point surgery is not an option. A CT and MRI will confirm what the issue is, but those tests are thousands of dollars, and even knowing - there was nothing they could do. He seems to be doing a little better than he was Sunday, he is lifting his head and is trying to use his back legs. He's getting some assistance using a home made sling around his hind end, and a part of a harness the vet lent on his front end.

Tuesday we see the oncologist. Nothing can be done. Maybe some bisphosphonste therapy.

Vito has improved even a little bit more and is able to sit up again, and is putting even more weight on his back legs.

I consider the bisphosphonate therapy and decide to do it.

What should have been a two hour hospital stay turned into a two day ordeal and on Friday V came out of it losing all the function he had bulit up over the last four days. He steadily declined friday night, the ER/oncology hospital was an exercise in futility. I never in my life regretted so badly the decision I made regarding the bisphosphonates . SAGE let me down so horribly and completely that i'm certain the relationship is irrevokably broken.

So here we are, waiting on gettin V some acupuncture, and trying to stave off the reaper.

His mobility is severely compromised without assistance, he's not really improving - but He's eating. He's bright and alert. He wants to walk, he's trying.

I should have went RIGHT to the acupuncture, not did the bisphosphonates , and I bet you Vito would NOT be in the pain he's in now.

that's my story and i'm stickin to it.

There seems to be no reliable "Home Visit" acupuncturists around here, but there is one you have to go to that came highly recommended, and was head and shoulders above every other acupuncturinst in the communication department. Finding her two weeks earlier (instead of dancing with the idiots) likely would have made a tremendous difference for Vito, and it would have impacted the decisions made regarding his care. 

Dr. Lina McCain. She's in Mountain View. should be easy enough to find her contact info

my experience in choosing to do the bisphosphonates was that it was a mistake not only for what he went thru, but that it did absolutely no good, (in fact he steadily and rapidly declined after the treatment) and the cost ($700). There are issues I have with the oncologist and SAGE center in whole regarding the bisphosphonates decision, which came down to me not knowing the right way to ask the correct questions, and not realizing what was happening and stopping it until it already happened. a direct failure on my part being his advocate.

watching this energetic, athletic, loyal, lithe, exhuberant, master of all that is ball, withering. The last hour is on it's way 

my heart is shredded

Thank you everybody here for the help, advice, and comraderie these last months.

Vito

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