Appointment

So i guess we had a good appt with this oncologist...He was nice, but very clinical. I'm sorta annoyed that his body language changed when i told him i didn't want to go the chemo route. He still explained the different types of chemo i could do "to keep my options open" . He said there was really no point in doing the b or t cell test because the treatments for both are the same and because of that he recommends putting the $ into treatment vs more tests.

Multi drug chemo would be 6months of treatment and ~7k for her and even with this it's maybe a year they would live past. NOT a year from remission but a year from when they dog was diagnosed. He said in his experience less than 25% of dogs last more then a year with favorable B cell lymphoma. However 90% of dogs achieve remission with the chemo

Single drug chemo would be every 3 weeks for a total of 5 sessions would be ~ 3k with a outcome of 6-9 months from date of diagnosis. On the estimate it shows 4 drugs that she would have to take at home to counter act or battle side affects of this chemo.

Prednisione would be 1-2mo from date of diagnosis.

Full diagnostic work up if i wanted too would be about 1600 bucks (ouch). I decided to go ahead and do the blood and urine panel to see if it has hit her organs yet and to give a baseline. She was NOT happy about being separated from me and barreled out of the back dragging the nurse in tow. She didnt even have time to put the pee vial down LOL.

Three things that put me off was that i felt like he was judging me on not wanting to do chemo. maybe it's because i was starting to get upset. Two he said that diet and supplements would not help her. I dont get why vets are so anti supplements. We humans use them for our bodies why not animals? And three i had asked him since she was acting not sick if i should start prednisione now or if i should wait for symptoms to appear. He didnt answer me directly on this all he said is if i wanted to start treatment, he then pointed to the chemo, i should start it right away. I almost felt pressured to do what he wanted vs what i wanted.

I will follow up with the vet i met with last sat after her blood results come back and see what she thinks. She seems to be the most compassionate and understanding of my decision. So even though she is in the city i think ill keep going to see her.

As for athena...She was a rockstar in the waiting room. I swear she never made me look so good. Being quiet and sitting a my feet. Not jumping all over the tables and barking and being wild beasts like the other dogs. She is still eating, playing and doing her business and acting normal! Love my beasty beast :)

I will be beyond heart broken when her time comes. But i think that i am doing what is best for her. So i will take it day by day and love her through everything.

Ramblings of a stressed out momma

On Friday Dr P called to tell me pricing on finding out if its b cell or t cell and if it had to be a new biopsy. i told her that dr atwater (oncologist she referred me too) was on vacation so i'm going to go see another vet and does holistic work and she said "that is a horrible idea. Holistic care wont do anything for her and you will spend all this money and it wont help her at all" WTF? seriously? so then i started crying and could tell her to fuck off. Who the hell is she to tell me what i'm choosing is good or bad. what i wanted to say is I know this wont cure her. 

Anywho...i had already decided to go see Healthy Pets in sfo   because i had worked with the owner many moons ago when athena was a puppy and he was really the one who inspired me to do so much research into dog food and animal nutrition. Unfortunately Dr Adam was not available, but  Dr Strubel was. So off we went. My brother went with me for support  and to help wrangle her lol. 

i had an amazing vet visit. Dr Strubel was so nice and caring and explained so much about lymphoma. She said its a cancer of the immune system and she has seen many animals with it over the years and it doesn't necessarily mean a death sentence right away. Depending on how fast it is growing really determines the life span. She said the report did say that the there aren't very many abnormal cells and she said this could very well mean she has the slow growing kind. However they'd need to do another needle aspirate to find out. She went over different methods of treating this disease from pretinazone (sp? i know is wrong) to full on chemo and radiation. She said since athena was NOT acting sick and still playing and eating etc that was a very good sign for her prognosis.

She gave me some immune system supplement and suggested a full body supplement too, but they were out. ill prob get this when they get more. She also said it was good she was on grain free and that i wanted to keep her on that and give her as little carbs as possible. Also feed her dark leafy greens such as kale and broccoli and green beans and to steam them and don't give them raw. Also to suggested turmeric and cinnamon and said mixing them in with her cookies i make would be a great way to give her them. I also brought up the fireworks and how she freaks. She gave me some xanax and a scrip for tranqs to use as needed.

the appt was only a half hour but I left feeling confident and informed and felt how everyone should feel about the vet. that they listened and supported you and your pet.Plus she gave me more info my original vet ever did even from the report! 

I already made an appt with an oncologist for Tuesday on this side of the bay, but she recommended someone else whom she works closely with. Part of me wants to cancel and go with who she recommends but the other part of me wants to find someone completely separate. I made an appt with sage centers in Campbell. So i think i'm just going to stick with what i have scheduled. i really want to find out if it's b cell or t cell and really i think the best person to read those results would be an oncologist. 


All the reading in the world wouldn't have given me the peace of mind this Dr strubel did. So glad i went to go see her!

How can such a awesome dog be sick! 

Unfair

It took me a while to find a vet office that I liked and trusted enough with my animals. And honestly I thought that I had found the right place for me and Athena. But after events over the last week I am not so sure anymore.

Last week I was told the sample they took last Monday was not clear enough to read. So I had to bring Athena back in for another needle biopsy. Okay no problem. So we went in on Saturday and she got poked again for slides to go to the lab for her swollen glands. Doc said they'd be back Monday or the latest Tuesday. Tuesday rolls around and I hear nothing. So I call at 2pm  and was told they are in, but the doc has to look at them and will call me back. 5pm rolls around and hear nothing. I wasn't really mad at that point just wanted the results and figured someone would call me first thing today.

So I'm driving home Tuesday from getting dinner and I get a call and it's from the vet office at 5:50 the night before a holiday...It's one of the office techs...calling to tell me Athena has round cell lymphoma and the vet won't be back in until Thursday....I took the news in stride until I hung up the phone then cried all the way home. Then i got pissed. Why the hell was anyone other than the vet calling me to give me this news? esp on the night before they were closed for a day. Seriously? WTF?

The vet basically told me to go see an oncologist for her...I'm not really sure I want to go down the chemo route or just let her live her life as she is now. Is it really worth putting her through 25weeks of chemo only to get 6mo-to a year more? Or maybe just leave her as she is now and get longer. I don't know. The vet didn't give me a stage or how long she could have she only recommended me to a Oncologist. And if I wanted to find out if she has B or T cell then I would have to have additional testing.

This is so unfair. She is a young dog and so healthy and full of life. Blah F you cancer.