a_daerr

Henry's home! He was so happy to see me. Came in with tail wagging, and immediately licked me on the face. Everyone at the vet's office sang his praises and said he was a very good boy. Not depressed, not mopey. He must've felt like he was in a resort, because everyone was giving out free chicken and massages. His energy seemed great, and I was impressed with how well he was getting around (I'm still in a cast myself, so he was definitely moving better and faster than me). The first thing he did when we got home was find his super pimped-out hospital bed. No hesitation- laid right down in it. He's been sleeping comfortably for the last few hours. His nurses said they were getting him up every two hours to ice his incision and massage the other leg, plus, they had nine other patients coming and going in ICU. I imagined he would be very tired when he got home, and indeed, he was. We received a very exuberant greeting from Truman and Meezer. I tried to keep Truman away, but he was not having any parts of it. He wouldn't even lie on the couch with me. He insisted on being near his brother. After I brought his bed down and put it next to Henry, he settled and was also able to rest too. Here they are together in the Daerr Hospital Wing. I'll post some more pics later, but the bruising has mostly migrated to his belly. He is retaining some fluid in the other leg and also a little bit on his belly and groin area. It looks a lot worse than it is. They said it's already improved significantly in the last few days, so they expect that to dissipate in less than a week. We are icing and massaging at scheduled intervals and administering Amicar. I was actually expecting the shock of the amp to be worse for me- but I saw his happy face, and knew it was Henry, just minus a leg. All things considered, he's doing very well. I'm taking another day off work, then Sterling will be home with him all day Friday. I'll continue to post pics and updates for all of Henry's fans and supporters. And to everyone who's asked, I'm doing okay. Things are much better now that the dreaded waiting phase is over. I'm ready to have a good attitude and take care of my boy.

Tentatively, the plan is for Henry to come home today. Unfortunately, everybody is stealing his special "get well soon" presents. Meezer staked his claim on this Christmas Lamb Chop (which is bigger than he is). Truman tested out the "hospital bed."

Maggie Mae. This gives me hope that Henry can still live a long, fulfilling life. She was diagnosed at age 6, then?

These are all great ideas, especially about the yoga mats! As for the Amicar, he started it on Saturday, so he was on it a few days prior to the surgery. The surgeon said greyhounds are different in the fact that their bruising can have a delayed reaction. But she said it wasn't bad for a greyhound- she's seen a lot worse. The dog door will stay open for Truman, but Henry will be gated off in the living room by himself. Truman can still see him, sniff him, and be near him, but I do worry about accidents since Truman is like a bull in a China closet.

Tuesday Morning Update: Another one of the surgeons called and said they are all very impressed with how well Henry is doing. Still eating, still walking around and going outside for them. Going to the bathroom and taking his meds normally. The bruising is still a concern, and they want to monitor him and ice his incision site every two hours. He's also getting pain meds in his IV cath every six hours, which has made his pain very minimal. His progress today will determine whether or not he'll come home tomorrow.

We do have steps... A LOT of them. Too many for a ramp to be possible. Tentatively, the plan is to walk him to the backyard from the front of the house as to avoid the steps. Before his amp, he had already stopped using the back leg. He was good going down on three legs, but not too sure how to get back up. And he got stuck in the dog door twice. After he heals from the amp, I'm hopeful that he'll start to figure out stairs again.

So sorry for your bad news with Python... Poor girl. Hoping you have some more good days together.

Thanks for asking. I'm doing a little better. I'm in "preparations mode" now, so trying to stay busy. The huge worry now is whether or not the pet insurance will cover us. This is the first claim we'll be filing with them, so I have to get all our records together, then it takes about two weeks for them to review it. I'll be waiting with bated breath.

The nurse called with an evening update. He's coming around and ate some canned food (he even tricked them by finding and discarding the pills they hid inside). They said he was up and walking around outside too. Very stable, seems comfortable. The bruising is pretty bad, which was expected. But they're icing it every hour, and he's tolerating that well. If he continues to eat and appear stable, he may come home tomorrow. They're watching him close, though, due to his seizure history.

Love this! Rachel (RMarie) said I was meant to be a tripod mom. Good to hear from you, Kristine! Hope silly ol' Wendell is doing well.

Surgery went well! Henry is doing okay. I dropped his meds off a little while ago. They didn't want me to visit yet since he's still coming off the anesthesia. But according to the surgeon's report, everything went as well as it could've gone. They'll call me later this evening with an update. He should be in hospital for at least another two days.

Yep, we specifically requested Dr. Urie. That was a huge comfort- the next best thing to Guillermo himself.

We just dropped Henry off at PVSEC. Tonight, he'll get started on IV fluids, pain meds, and mild sedatives. Hopefully he'll be nice and relaxed for his amp surgery tomorrow. We're ninth on the surgical list, so there is a chance that his surgery could be delayed by a day. He seemed to be in good spirits, though. Even though it's nerve-racking and scary and we know everything is about to change, we're making the most out of the situation. The best news is that some of our greyhound friends stopped by and threw him an osteo party! I couldn't be more grateful for the support. Handsome James Bond. The Tripod-To-Be

Thank you again for the feedback and photos. I loved looking at those! I think I'm still in a fair amount of shock, and the waiting is the hardest part. Once I'm busy and making preparations, and handling responsibilities, I won't be sitting around dwelling and replaying worst case scenarios. I think at first, I convinced myself that he was dying- no stopping it, and all I was doing was (selfishly) prolonging the inevitable. It's a little easier knowing there's a good chance we can get more good months/years together. That our days hiking, going to the lake and dog park, going on vacations, doing therapy dog work... those don't have to come to an end just yet. I'm much more hopeful than I was yesterday. Things will get better.

Thank you for these photos. Charlie still had so much joy as a tripod! That's the thing I was most worried about, but it's good to know that Henry can still have a great quality of life.

Okay, that's reassuring. I would be a nervous wreck if they tried to send him home the same day or something. Another question to those who have gone through this. How did your other pets respond? Truman, who usually gets into trouble and prefers "his" space has been doing this a lot. Also, my cat, who is not cuddly or clingy, and hardly ever ventures downstairs, was camped out by my sewing table with me for hours today. This is very out of character for him. In the first picture, you can see him lying on the pillow next to the dogs. Although he does like to snuggle with Truman in our bed, this is the first time he's been downstairs hanging out with both dogs. Do they sense or smell that something is wrong with Henry? Are they picking up on my anxiety and grief? Or is this likely a huge coincidence, and I'm just reading way too far into it? I'd be curious to hear your stories and experiences with other household pets during a battle with cancer.

I really hope so. I can mope and cry and reminisce and wish this were all a bad dream, but it doesn't change the situation. What's done is done, and the only option is to move forward. I will say- I'm definitely not ready to see him on three legs. THIS is how I picture my boy.

Thanks for the advice, Nancy. I'm trying to be strong, but I fall apart every time I look at him. I wonder- will he make it through the surgery? Will he adjust to being a tripod? What will I do about Truman if he loses his companion? Am I making the right decisions? Is this what he would want? I flash back to the day we brought him home- the hundreds of memories we've had together. I see his gentle face and soulful eyes, and my heart feels like it's breaking in half. He is an extraordinary dog. This is by far, the most difficult thing I've ever had to do.

Right rear, tibia. Anybody know where I can/should purchase one of those nanny cams so I can monitor him during the day? I'm going to take some time and set up our living room as Henry's personal 'recovery zone.' I'd like to be able to check in on him, like Tempo's dad did. Also, up until the aspirate, he was acting normal. Good appetite, playing, trying to run in the yard. Now he seems in much more pain. Not acting himself, barely moves from his bed. He isn't eating much, so I've been making special food to entice him- scrambled eggs, chicken and rice, canned food, etc. Is the biopsy painful? Could it just be the meds? Also, the vet didn't mention how long he'd be hospitalized following his amp. I'll speak to them tomorrow, but I'm curious. How long until he'll get to come home? P.S. Wendy, I'm going to take your advice and give him a bath tomorrow. He'll like that.

Thanks again, everyone. The one thing I forgot to mention is that Henry definitely thought we were at a therapy visit last night at the e-vet. He's usually pretty stressed and panting at vets' offices. But he was taking turns going up to all the pet parents, putting his face close to theirs, and comforting them. He spent a lot of time with a woman whose galgo was in advanced stages of kidney failure (I didn't catch her name, but Nancy, if you're reading this, she knew who you are). Also, another huge coincidence is that the attending vet who saw Henry, Dr. Rexford, is also a greyhound owner. His 8-year-old just had a rear leg amputation a week ago, and they're starting chemo soon. We talked for a long time- he seemed impressed that I knew as much as I did. When the side-by-side x-rays came up, I held up my hand and said, 'You don't have to tell me, I know what it is.' We'll be going through this journey together and can exchange stories and advice. The oncologist did her residence at OSU, which was also a huge comfort.

My 5-year-old, Henry, was just diagnosed today. Amp is scheduled for Monday. After I get past the initial shock, I'll be anxious to read through this thread.

Just to give a little update, we're home from the e-vet. He's pretty out of it due to the sedation for the FNA, but they recommended bringing him home for the weekend. He'll be comfortable and pain-free here for the next few days. Then we'll bring him back on Sunday before the amp on Monday. I made him scrambled eggs and beef ravioli when we got home- he scarfed them up and took his pills like a champ. We'll be starting him on the Amicar tomorrow. I'll make arrangements to take time off work to be with him for a week post-surgery. I also plan to get a home camera so I can monitor him when I'm not home. Look for me soon in the osteo thread. Even if we don't get a miracle, I'm hoping and praying that we get a decent amount of time left to enjoy him. I'll be researching and reading all of your advice and experiences to make sure Henry gets the best possible fighting chance. He's my special boy, my heart dog, my best friend- we'll take this journey together. For all the joy and comfort he's brought me, he deserves it.

Also, I'm already in contact with Penn regarding the osteo vaccination. Four of the five dogs in the trial have survived 16+ months post amp. But it has to be a certain type of tumor to qualify. Dr. Mason should be in touch with me next week. He's only 5.

Aspirate came back- definitely a sarcoma. Amp will be Monday. I think I managed to get the bulk of my crying out, and I'm ready to start fighting. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for the positive thoughts and prayers. Henry is my best friend, my heart dog, my everything. I'm going to do whatever it takes to do right by him.

Just looked at the x-rays with the vet. The tibia almost certainly has a tumor. Doing an aspirate now to confirm, then we'll take him home for the weekend. The amp is tentatively scheduled for Monday. I am absolutely heartbroken. Not sure how I'm going to get through this one...