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4My2Greys

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Posts posted by 4My2Greys

    Osteo Thread Part Vi

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    Just for a little encouragement. We had to face some important decisions in 2010 with Santa and his Osteo diagnosis. We chose the amputation and chemo route. In a couple weeks it will be 27 months since his amputation. We have him checked by our oncologist every 3 months. So far, he is cancer-free. Santa got to meet Dr. Couto at our Greyhound Adoption of Ohio brunch in December of 2011. We still take a 'day at a time'.

    LIKE!! :-)

    Wish there were more experiences like this when having to deal with osteo.

    Rib Removed?

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    <blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="tydyelady" data-cid="5396262" data-time="1355285500"><p>

     

    I don't know what the odds are. And the cost. Damn, do I have to bring this up and factor it into my decision? Do I have to put a price on my boy's life? We are not rich people, surgery maybe $5-6000? I just looked up costs of ratiation, and it was $900-$3500 - this on top of surgery? OMG, how do I know what to do? This is killing me, my poor boy, I can't save him? I can't prolong his life because its out of our price range? How the heck do I make any kind of decision here? My heart is breaking, my tears are falling, and I don't to lose my boy. <br />

    I will be sending to OSU, at least to get a second opinion, but going there is out of the question, I am across the country. <br />

    I just don't know what to do. :(</p></blockquote>

     

    I wanted to let you know you are NOT alone. I faced the same thing 6 months ago when I made the very difficult decision not to leave Bruiser at the e-vet and let them perform a surgery that would start at $2500 and in most likelihood give me only 1 or 2 months if the mass was HSA, which it did turn out to be. The only reason Bruiser is still here, laying and snoring at my feet is because of my wonderful regular vet. He did the surgery for about a 1/4th of what I was quoted at the e-vet and then gave me a ridiculously cut rate on his chemo, not even charging me for his time. Unfortunately your boy's surgery is a lot more involved than a splenectomy. Deciding not to do the surgery doesn't mean you love him any less, it just means it hurts that much more :(

    :grouphug

    Swollen Lymph Nodes - It Is What I Feared

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    High grade lymphoma is actually easier to smack into remission than other cancers. While its still a punch in the gut please don't throw in the towel just yet (Not that think you would anyway). Your baby should respond very well to the Wisconsin protocol. Just getting them on pred creates a pretty fast response. Please contact Dr Couto for his input on his recommended protocol--there may be another protocol that he would recommend or he may suggest in tweaking the CHOP protocol.

    Fingers crossed for a fast remission!

    I just paid for membership through Jan 2014 and sent in a consultation inquiring what OSU's preferred chemo protocol is. The plan right now is to use I believe the modified CHOP protocol. I started the prednisone on Saturday and she will receive the vincristine tomorrow. I'm not sure if starting her will affect any changes in protocol, but I don't want to postpone treatment as her breathing is becoming more and more labored now.

    Swollen Lymph Nodes - It Is What I Feared

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    Thank you everyone for your replies. If you would please keep Beanie in your thoughts that we might achieve remission.

     

    Ok take a deep breath! My Grace, I rescued last Aug and knew when I brought her home in my heart she had cancer b/c I could see her swollen glands on her face and by her shoulder blades I could feel them. The vet, who had done bloodwork prior to me getting her, said it was normal. I brought her in and he thought it was an infection, redid the bloodwork and gave me antibiotics. I didn't give her the meds b/c I knew, being a cancer survivor myself and putting one down w/osteo earlier in the yr. I asked him to do a biopsy and it came back positive. Took her to the oncologist I used w/my other girl and started treatment about a month after her bloodwork. She was in stage 3 meaning it was in her whole body. I contacted OSU and they sent the 3 of the 4 meds that the Wisconsin Univ protocol uses. There is a vet I since found out, here in IL who tweaked the WU protocol and has had even better results. I can find out that information for you. The chemo treatments were from Oct to April with having to skip a few wks b/c of her blood levels. They may put her on prednisone when she starts to help the chemo at that point, and oh she will have to pee and drink a lot.

     

    I hope she hasn't had steroids lately b/c that can change the effect of the chemo. I am happy to say after the 3rd treatment her lymph nodes where normal and its been 13 months since starting the treatment and she is in remission. :banana

     

    I will say I have cut down dramatically on her carbs, and do no grain kibble. and got her on natural supplements now to help her immune system.

     

    I will look at some of my books I used for reference and what supplements I did give her during treatment, have to be careful what to give due to wanting assist the chemo vs block its benefit. I will pass that on.

     

    For anyone reading this one supplement that I HIGHLY recommend to help prevent CA is tumeric. I got a good brand of the spice vs the capsules and give it to my girls every day in their food.

     

     

    If you have any ?s PM me. I know how overwelming it is. I also was unemployed when this happened, and not enough time to even get her on insurance. My rescue group was awesome and did fundraisers for her, even a middle school donated their $ from a fundraiser for her treatments.

     

    There is hope, and you got it early. My vet was surprised I got it this early. I'm in the med field so I look for abnormalities. I also believe it was her vaccinations that caused this to exascerbate for the vet wouldn't have given her the shots if her felt her glands. She got all her shots since just coming up from the breeder at that visit and spayed. Very stressful on the immune system.

     

    So there is hope...pray and your friends and family will give you support. Lymphoma is the one CA that has high success rates!

     

    Hugs to you! Remember to breath and give Beanie a kiss from me!

    Kathy, thank you very much for this post. I would love to have any information you can share, whether it be about supplements or chemo. All of her glands are affected so that would also put her at stage 3. I've already changed her diet to what Bruiser, diagnosed with HSA in June, is eating, a homecooked diet of 75% beef and 25% blend of vegetables. I am using no carbs. We are starting chemo Tuesday using I believe the Wisconsin protocol, but would be very interested in learning about the tweeks to it. She started the prednisone yesterday, so far she hasn't been drinking like I would expect her to.

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