Frustration

So for the last 2 weeks we’ve been trying to contact the oncologist at The Cancer Group in Culver City and for some reason she’s not returning our calls.  I don’t know about you but four messages and multiple conversations with the receptionist borders on stalking if you ask me.  Is it possible that our decision to not have the surgery (and spend thousands of dollars) somehow put us on the blacklist?  Are we no longer economically viable?

That being said, we’re going back to AllCare in Fountain Valley.   AllCare is where Casey had her hip replacement and TPLO surgeries.  It’s not as fancy as The Cancer Group but at least they return phone calls.

Starbuck Walsh, LLP

For those of you that haven't heard, Joe is leaving his current position at Choice and going into partnership with another CPA.  He starts his new job on August 16th!  Congrats Joe!

Denial?

Well for those of you wondering, we decided not to have the surgery…for now.  The thought of cutting away part of Casey’s jaw and putting her through weeks of recovery and months of chemotherapy didn’t seem to make any sense.  Of course, we continue to have second thoughts and are inquiring about other treatment options.  Aside from having the Big “C”, Casey seems to be doing well.  She loves the new wet food we’ve been giving her and continues to be “bright, alert and responsive.”  Are we in denial?

A Decision Has Been Made

decision |diˈsi zh ən|, noun

A conclusion or resolution reached after consideration.  The action or process of deciding something or of resolving a question.

A Dose of Reality

At some point it occurred to me that if we went through with Casey’s surgery she would probably never go swimming again; one of her absolute favorite things.  So last Monday evening we decided to take her to Jackson Lake where as a puppy she broke through the ice just to get to the water and we didn’t even know if she could even swim. 

As she walked towards the lake our hopes were high and we were anticipating a glimmer of her former self.  She swam around a little, barely keeping her head above water.  There was no glimmer, no spark, or any sign of enjoyment; just the look of misery.  As she came out of the water onto the muddy shoreline she lost her footing and fell into the mud, unable to get up.  Our hearts were broken.

Bright, Alert and Responsive

Today we took Casey to see the surgeon at Advanced Critical Care in Culver City.  According to her chart she was “bright, alert and responsive with normal heart and lungs.”  Her “oral mass” was noted as being 5mm x 5mm x 5mm which I estimate is about the size of a lady bug.   In order to get back to normal tissue a 1-2 cm section of bone around the mass would need to be removed.  This procedure is called a partial left maxillectomy.  They would need to shave half of her face and use the inside part of her lip to reconstruct her soft palette; the piece the separates the mouth cavity from the nasal passage.  She would be hospitalized for 2-3 days and recovery time is estimated at 8-10 days.   “Prognosis following surgery is dependent on the type of mass and the extent or tumor excision.”   So now what?

Summer

Testing 1, 2, 3 ...

Well as you can see below, Casey had every test under the sun and then some.  The good news is that the cancer in her jaw is very localized (i.e., in the early stages) and has not spread to her lungs or her stomach.  The only suspicious thing they saw was a small growth in her chest.  If everything comes back clear, she will be an excellent candidate for surgery followed by 5 sessions /10 weeks of chemotherapy.

Since the entire process took approximately 6 hours, Joe and I went to Santa Monica for a day of surf and sun.  We walked the pier, had a delicious lunch at Border Grill (http://www.bordergrill.com/) and spent the remainder of the afternoon on the beach.

Old Dog Lungs?

Below are the x-rays of Casey’s chest.  Pretty cool, eh?  The large masses for the most part are organs and the lungs themselves appear to be fairly clear except for some small speckles in the x-ray taken from above.  Based on these fairly positive x-rays, we will be taking Casey on Friday to see the oncologist and to possibly have a CT scan done of her jaw.  As mentioned previously, the CT scan will determine how much of her jaw has been affected and whether or not removing the affected portion is feasible.

X-Rays

Well, the good news is that Casey’s x-rays did not show any obvious signs of cancer in her lungs although there were some “suspicious spots”.  Once the x-rays are viewed by the oncologist and/or radiologist early next week we’ll know more.

Consultation

Tonight we had a consultation with an oncologist to discuss Casey’s condition. The good news is that we have options.

The doctor explained that osteosarcoma typically occurs as a long bone tumor with treatment being amputation of the affected limb followed by chemotherapy.  Since Casey’s tumor is in her upper jaw, treatment would include removal of the affected portion of the upper jaw followed by chemotherapy.  Sounds horrible doesn’t it?  Well believe it or not, dogs adapt relatively well and cosmetically there would be little impact.  Not that we’re entering Casey into any dog shows any time soon.

The first step, before removing anything would include a set of chest x-rays to determine if the cancer has metastasized in her lungs.  If it has, there would be no point in doing the surgery and treatment would then shift to palliative radiation to slow the growth of the cancer and relieve the pain from her jaw.  If the chest x-rays are clear then our next step would be to consult with a surgeon and have a CT scan done to determine the amount of bone affected by the cancer.

So, what if we don’t do anything?  The cancer will spread in Casey’s jaw and will eventually affect her teeth and her nasal cavity resulting in a lot of pain which we would have no way of gauging.

So, we’re proceeding with having the chest x-rays done this Saturday.  Of course, we’ve told Casey that she’ll need to reapply for her line of credit since her account’s been exhausted by her previous procedures (hip replacement, knee surgery, heartworm treatment and stem cell treatment).  Can we say high maintenance?

Trouper

It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I write to tell you that Casey was diagnosed with canine osteosarcoma (i.e., bone cancer) last Saturday. As all of you know, Casey is like a child to us and she has brought great happiness and joy to our lives for the past thirteen and a half years. Her prognosis isn’t known at this time but we are seeking consultation from specialists this week as we have with all her past ailments. In our hearts we hope that we can prolong her life with treatment but realize that this type of cancer can be extremely aggressive and that we may be faced with very difficult decisions in the near future. Casey’s quality of life has always been of the utmost important to us and our goal is to preserve that for as long as we can and for as long as she will allow us. Thus far, Casey seems oblivious to her diagnosis, as it should be, and she doesn’t appear to be in any pain, thankfully.  Please keep her in your thoughts and we will do our best to update you on her condition.

Brookgreen Gardens

Retreat

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National Scrapbooking Month

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Wedding Tag

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Two-Step into Spring

Stampin' Up!'s Two-Step Stampin' sets allow you to quickly and easily take your creativity to the next level. And now, from April 1-30 only, you can purchase the brand-new Awash with Flowers Two-Step Stampin' set--or get it FREE when you host a $350 workshop!  Click here to order.

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This gorgeous journal is the perfect gift for your mother, sister, daughter—or even your favorite  green-thumbed friend!  Click here for a supply list.

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Sale-A-Bration

Just a quick reminder that there are only 10 days left in this year's Sale-A-Bration event.  There are over 60 stamp sets you can receive for FREE in addition to the wonderful new stamp sets in the Sale-A-Bration mini catalog.  You can also get a 72 pack set of designer paper or a scallop edge punch for FREE with each $50 order.