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gracegirl

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  1. gracegirl
    We just had our oncology appointment and there a huge mass (5cm x 5cm) that could be a lymph node. Might do a CAT scan. Sending off for bloodwork first. Possible outcomes: a) response to vax. Means it’s working. Yay. b) infection. Treat with ABs c) metastatic lymphoma (very rare, would be the first ever time this oncologist has seen it. Very aggressive and ver bad news) d) secondary lymphoma. Again, not likely. But also if it is, it’s not operable and we also can’t biopsy it to know for sure. Next steps: first wait for bloodwork. Then CAT scan maybe in 2-4 weeks. Or X-rays in 2-4 weeks. this is quite the emotionally exhausting journey. We are 13 months post-amp and counting.
  2. gracegirl
    Dang girl. Can’t keep you down. Keep at it with your spunky spirit, cancer is no match for you Willa.
  3. gracegirl
    Very thrilled for this news!
  4. gracegirl
    Doolin omg….can you show at least an ounce of concern?
  5. gracegirl
    Thinking of you today. I hope the appointment goes well and you get all the answers you need to make an informed decision for Willa.
  6. gracegirl
    Yes…that’s been on my mind too. All of this data is critical so that if it works, it can be made widely available. If people weren’t willing to join clinical trials, no progress could be made.
  7. gracegirl
    Easy! She was a better traveler this time and the appointment was short. Now we have to schedule bloodwork for day 40 and X-rays for day 90.
  8. gracegirl
    I cannot understand the universe. This is not fair. I am so sorry.
  9. gracegirl
    Happy belated gotcha Doobert. I can’t believe how fast that year flew by. You’re in the best possible place with the best possible people, you lucky dog.
  10. gracegirl
    Off to Utah again on Wednesday for our final vaccine. She did not develop a sterile abscess after the first one. There is some speculation that the development of a sterile abscess means it’s working, but other dogs are producing antibodies without developing the abscess. Either we, we are thrilled to participate in this clinical trike for both the promise of it helping Tessie and also to allow Yale to gather more valuable data. Science and medicine are cool.
  11. gracegirl
    We only have to go twice, thank goodness. I am not a road trip person. Though the drive was lovely.
  12. gracegirl
    Back from salt lake. About 16 hours of driving 1035 miles over 2.5 days and I am worn out. So is Tessie. We got her vax #1 though so the trip was a success. We’ll do it again in three weeks but split it over 4.5 days instead.
  13. gracegirl
    The pain she has now is nothing compared to what she experienced from the osteosarcoma and subsequent break. Was she on any pain meds before this happened? After my girl’s amp she was only on pain meds for a few days per the surgeon. She did need them a bit longer but not every dog does. It’s remarkable how quickly they recover from a surgery like this. She might also be experiencing a longer recovery from the anesthesia. I would call your regular vet and change her pain medication. See how she does then. I feel like recovery from an amp is two steps forward, one step back. The first week is hell. Then it starts getting better. Hang in there.
  14. gracegirl
    A Tessie update: had chest X-rays today. This was a step before I decided to make the drive from denver to salt lake for the Yale vaccine. The tumor she had in March that grew in April and then disappeared in May is back. This time it’s 1.5 cm. Still small enough that the trial is worth doing. So we are heading out next Thursday to salt lake. Wish me serenity, I don’t enjoy road trips.
  15. gracegirl
    I should probably save this response in a note or something, but we went through this a year ago. Rear leg amp. The first two weeks are really hard. I second guessed myself over and over again. We had a few setbacks with swelling in the first week, I went back to the surgeon after the first night Homs as I was worried about the incision but there really wasn’t anything to worry about. Do stay ahead of the pain because we didn’t and I regret it. We finally found our stride and she healed up great. Wishing you speedy healing and great success in beating this awful cancer.
  16. gracegirl
    Just jumping in here to say that I also found Entyce to be magical for Tessie after her amputation. It worked wonders to get her back eating again. She has always been a picky panda, so we have some on hand just in case. Glad to hear it’s working for others too.
  17. gracegirl
    I spoke with an oncologist at MedVet in Salt Lake City yesterday and we’ve been accepted into the trial for the Yale Vaccine. I’m going to my oncologist next Thursday for another set of chest X-rays and assuming they are clear or only a few small nodules, we will make arrangements to drive out to SLC for the trial. There’s really not enough data yet to say what the outcome might be, but if it can extend Tessie’s time with us, it will be worth it.
  18. gracegirl
    Echoing that dogs do not experience the same side effects from chemo. I would not amputate without also doing chemo as osteo is aggressive and likely lurking microscopically through the body, thus the importance of chemotherapy for the quality of life you’re looking for. I’m sorry for your diagnosis. It’s a terrible disease.
  19. gracegirl
    The Yale vaccine expanded to 10 clinics. I made a call to MedVet in Salt Lake City to see if Tessie is eligible. I’m hearing rumors she might not be because of Torigen which would save me 32 hours of driving so we’ll see what happens.
  20. gracegirl
    Has anyone hear of the Budwig Remedy? I found this in a Facebook group and it sounds interesting The Budwig Diet was discovered/invented by Dr Johanna Budwig, a German biochemist who found high quality flax seed oil could bring oxygen to the tissues; but the flax seed oil needs the help of a sulfur containing protein to be well absorbed into the body – thus cottage cheese. Because cancer develops in a low oxygen environment, flax seed oil makes it harder for cancer to find that place to grow in the body. Budwig Recipe: 2 tablespoons flaxseed oil, fresh, refrigerated 1/4 cup cottage cheese, organic Mix together so that the cottage cheese is no longer oily. If it is still oily, add more cottage cheese. Feed this mixture to your pet two or three times a day every day on an empty stomach. Wait one hour to feed a regular meal. Every day: Feed 1-2 teaspoons for cats, up to 1⁄2 cup twice a day for large breed dogs. Make fresh at each meal. Flax seeds can be used but should be ground fresh then mixed into cottage cheese. While this won’t stop all cancers, it will go a long way to provide healing oxygen to the cells of your dog or cat’s body. That in itself is incredibly healthful!
  21. gracegirl
    Are you guys ready for some good news? The nodule is shrinking!!! If the oncologist hadn’t know it was there from prior X-rays, she wouldn’t have even noticed it! The Palladia is doing it’s job. I’m thrilled. We’ll get the official report back from the radiologist tomorrow but there were no new nodules that the oncologist could spot so we are staying the course with our current meds and supplements. More X-rays in seven weeks to keep tabs, but I am so relieved.
  22. gracegirl
    No ill effects from the Palladia at this point after four doses. She’s on 65mg so we might increase the dose. Bloodwork next Thursday to see how things look. I’m
  23. gracegirl
    Any particular source you recommend? This medication is not cheap! Thank goodness for insurance. It’s over $40 per dose, every other day, from the vet. AlliVet has it for closer to $30 a dose.
  24. gracegirl
    I’m not sure I’d do this instead of chemo but in conjunction with it. Unless it Elias they are doing and I don’t think you can do Elias with chemo. But definitely also do FidoCure if possible. Going into it I knew that we’d never know for sure if Torigen would be effective, but I wanted to give her every possible shot within reason. I don’t regret any of the treatments we did so far. I just hope she tolerates the Palladia well.
  25. gracegirl
    It’s cancer, guys. 💔 The nodule grew 4mm in three weeks. We start Palladia on Friday once bloodwork comes back.
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