queenwinniesmom

Oh, God. Come on, sweetie, please be okay. Brady and his family are in my prayers.

Ah, he's just a baby. Sending lots of prayers and white light that he's going to be fine.

What a blessing that he is doing well, given that the prognosis is poor. But I would echo what Patricia said---numbers are just numbers. And Hershey doesn't know that those numbers are finite. Only we humans project that sad conclusion. It sounds as if you are celebrating your sweet boy every day, and that is great---for him and for you. He obviously has a family that cares for him so very much. He will be in everyone's prayers---may you have much more quality time together.

Stanley certainly touched a lot of hearts, didn't he? I'm so sorry you lost your sweet little old man.

Oh, Kerri, I'm so sorry you lost your precious Gus.

Wow, Black Jack has a ton of prayers and white light and good thoughts going out to him. And you are included in that as well. We can relate---when you don't know what it is, and are fearing the worst, those thoughts just consume you, I mean literally. I think most of us have been through it---the "what if, maybe not, what would I do?, projecting their illness" thoughts that keep creeping in even though you try to maintain some semblance of normalcy. So, while you TRY to hope for the best, you can't help but expect the worst. But it never hurts to be proactive---if you do get bad news, you at least feel like you have a plan. And a plan is the only thing that helps you deal IF you get bad news. I would second these suggestions: It never hurts to get a second opinion, especially if it's Dr. Couto. As someone said, remember Loca's mis-diagnosis. And it wouldn't hurt to become familiar with artemisinin too. It sounds like you've done some research, and it is something else you should look into. If it's NOT osteo, artemisinin isn't going to hurt. If it IS, you have been pro-active in doing something that can help. I honestly believe I helped keep Winnie alive for 3 1/2 years---that's YEARS---after her diagnosis with artemisinin, pycnogenol, glucosamine, fish oil and a low carb diet (along with some luck and her stubbornness). We did the amp, but no chemo. Here's the simplified version of what artemisinin does. Cancer cells need a high amount of iron to replicate. Artemisinin resembles those iron cells closely enough that the cancer cells allow it to enter. The artemisinin "explodes" within, killing the cancer cell. This may be over-simplified, but that's the basic premise. It's natural, has been used for years in the Far East (or some place!) to treat malaria. So check it out. I asked Dr. Couto about it in September, and he is doing a lot of research on it, and was interested to hear that I'd been using it with Winnie. The only thing---and you can check on this--- it would not be for lymphoma, but for osteo. So...if you are starting things that would be beneficial if it is osteo, it's not gonna hurt if it's not! I do have a link to a website, which is more technically accurate, the link escapes me at the moment, but if you're interested, PM me, and I'll find it. I believe there is a Yahoo group for it too. You'd get it online from a reputable dealer (not all are created equal). I got mine from Nutricology, and it's not expensive. I don't mean to sound like you've gotten a definative diagnosis, just wanted to put that out there just in case. But the power of GT is enormous, and Xan's chants work! You and Black Jack will be in my prayers.

Linda, more hugs. What a beautiful boy he was, inside and out.

They must have gone ahead with the dentals or you would have heard, right? Let us know when you hear something, worried Mom.

Deuce, you gotta be okay! Shelby, I won't tell you not to worry, because I know how upsetting it is to hear him crying and wonder how much pain he is in. But I'll be praying that it's nothing serious. Let us know how he is.

Ah, the sweet old guy. He may have some problems, but he sure knows how to wrap his family around his paw. And he deserves it! I hope you have many, many more good days with him.

Ah, Melissa, I'll be thinking good thoughts for Buddy and Rascal tomorrow. Hard to believe your little girl is 9. I know they will be more comfortable if there are any teeth that need to be removed. And just think how beautiful they will look with shining clean toofers! Hope everything's okay with the lumps too.

Carrie, I know I posted to you on Paws Up 4 Greys, but I just wanted to send my sympathy here too. She touched so many lives, made people smile and feel less lonely, and had a special bond with the children. The world is a little grayer without the pink "Princesse", and I know you and Matt are heartbroken. Can you post those pictures here so everyone can see your beautiful fashion hound? Every time I saw a gorgeous pink collar or necklace or coat, I'd think, "Treat would look stunning in that." And of course, she knew how lovely she looked. And she was as beautiful inside as she was on the outside. She was indeed special. Sharing your sadness, Nancy and Doug

I guess though she probably wasn't expecting that kind of stimulation from her MOM, her little hoo hoo isn't particulary selective about what makes her happy! Hound, human, her favorite throw pillow..... When I worked for a vet, we (well, not me personally, my boss) had to manually stimulate a male Bassett Hound so he would ejaculate so we (again, my boss) could artificially inseminate a female Bassett Hound. If it wasn't for humans, I don't think there would be very many Bassett Hounds. But, yeah, it worked. We didn't even have to show him any Bassett porn! And it's a visual that still makes me smile.

First, I want to tell you how sorry I am that you lost your precious Buddy. And then, thank you for that wonderful tribute. If it helps you to deal with your emotions by writing, it surely helps us to read those words filled with such tenderness, humor and insight. It is clear that you loved and understood your boy so well. Though you will miss him every day, your heart is already on it's way to healing because you know that final gift was given out of love. The Rainbow Beach! Of course. I think maybe my Nick was there to see if Buddy wanted to join him in a welcome run. It was Nick's heart that took him away from us too, when we lost him suddenly to Addison's and cardiomyopathy. He had injured his right hind foot on the track when he was only 2 1/2. It had healed badly, becoming deformed, and his middle two toes were amputated. That foot was always a bit of a problem, and he had a chronic slight limp. But on the beach at Dewey.....how he loved the beach. It was truly the only place where he walked without a trace of the limp. DH and I used to say that we should move to Dewey so Nick could stroll elegantly down the beach. It makes perfect sense to me that they would find the place where they could again run young and whole and filled with the joy of freedom.

I'm so sorry you lost your sweet girl so suddenly. You were in no way prepared for such a tremendous loss, so please take time to grieve. If it would help you to know what happened, please look into that. But please know that she was safe and loved until the very end.

I'm so proud of him! Your heart must be filled with love for your brave boy. What a relief to be done with the chemo. While I know they tolerate it much better than humans, it kind of becomes the focus of your life, and everything pretty much revolves around the trips and side effects and whether he can even get the treatment that day. You're right, you can concentrate on the next phase of your journey. What a journey it's been, and you have dealt with the ups and downs admirably. I think it's wonderful that you're having the pictures taken---at no cost yet! You will treasure them. I wish I could give your boy a hug.

Oh, no! I'm so sorry. I know your heart must be breaking for your sweet girl. She's only 4. Please let us know what you decide to do, and how she is doing. Sending prayers.

Such tiny steps....I was really hoping when I saw your name as the last post that it would be much better news. But still, she is better than she was, and we just have to keep hoping that each day brings steady improvement. Let us know. We're waiting for the post that says she's back to normal.

Kristin, it was great to meet you at GIG, and to talk to you about your sweet Bonnie. I think I'd forgotten that she is so young. That makes it doubly hard to deal with this, but you are doing a wonderful job. I'm glad she's feeling better, and eating and throwing her toys around. She's happy to be here!

It's horrible when you don't know, isn't it? Because we always think the worst. Like everyone, I'll be joining the chanting and hoping that it is an infection that can be cleared up.

What a terrible thing for you and your girl to go through. I know you're feeling exhausted and frustrated and scared, but please don't second guess what you did. A bad mouth can cause so many other problems, and sometimes it just needs to be done. We usually can't anticipate how they will react. So try not to beat yourself up about it---you've been through enough as it is. I'm sure it seems like this nightmare has been going on forever, not days. I have to say you're doing a great job of taking care of her. Wish I had some answers---I only know they all process anesthesia differently, and it sometimes takes days to leave the system. The anesthesia and pain meds often cause that panting. I hope you both have a much better night. Please let us know how she's doing.

Too many of us have been faced with this diagnosis, and can share your sadness, and understand your anger. I think the days after the diagnosis are the hardest. But once you decide what to do, and know what is right for you and your boy, you just need to concentrate on making the most of the precious days you have left. Greytalk and Circle of Grey are good places to be during this difficult time. I agree with RobinW's advice---it never hurts to get a second opinion, especially if that opinion is from Dr. Couto. No one knows osteo in Greyhounds like he does. I always recommend that anyone try artemisinin. It's been beneficial to many hounds with osteo, including my Winnie, who was with us for over 3 years after her amp, with no chemo. Sending good thoughts and healing white light to you and Darryl.

Oh, Kim, I'm so sorry. He was just a baby when you met him, and he's still your baby. It's even harder to make that decision when you feel that they should be with you so much longer. But for those entire 4 years, he knew only love. And what a lovely time he had tonight. You will cherish those memories. We'll be thinking of you and Dallas tomorrow.

Yikes! No wonder he didn't want to do it! But husbands are handy that way, aren't they? Glad you got it back where it's supposed to be---hope it stays. Will you be at GIG?

I'm so sorry you lost your precious girl.