Positive News

We had our appointment with Dr. Earl today and have come away with a much more positive attitude toward Treasure's future. Yes, she does have a mass in her bladder. And yes, it is inoperable. But he says it is very small and was apparently caught in an early stage. The rest of her exam showed her to be very healthy, which is a good thing as we try to stave off the cancer.

He wants to see her regularly to measure the growth through ultrasound and prescribed an additional medication that should prevent bladder infections. She'll continue the piroxicam "as tolerated" and we'll go from there. But mainly, he thinks she has many more months of good quality life before the cancer takes her. And that's good news to my ears. Beyond his medical expertise I found him to be most compassionate as well as passionate for his patients and their humans.

I must tell you that Treasure's friend, Jefferson, came to the clinic to give us all moral support, laced with a whole lot of humor. Jeffie is well known and much loved at that clinic, so he paved the way for Treasure to become a favorite too! Jeffie's mom and dad were a huge morale booster to my fragile countenance and surely helped me maintain my dignity (without breaking out into tears!). I so appreciate their "compulsive doggie affection" - makes me feel more normal!

I'll keep you posted as we start some new medication on Wednesday. Thanks for caring and for praying.

Irresistible!

Don't I have the cutest grandson you've ever seen?

Not only is he not camera-shy, he loves to ham it up when the camera comes out!

His mama has been photographing him since he was hours old and he is now "photo-savvy!"

I just had to share this picture - hope it brightens your day.

Second Opinion

*** FRIDAY UPDATE***
I have an appointment for Treasure to see Dr. Earl next Monday. I feel much peace about this decision.

I suppose this is something I should have done a few weeks ago, but this is all new territory for me and I'm feeling my way around one day at a time.

What I'm talking about is getting another opinion about Treasure's diagnosis. What has had me in a quandary is that her doctor gave me his opinion that my little dog would be dead in two months and there was little we could do about it, even though we chose to do the "little." And that was it, except to say that we could be with her when they "put her down" or to make note of the emergency clinic that is open on weekends. When I asked if they wouldn't want to see her occasionally, they said, "Sure, give us a call."

So for four weeks I have been medicating my little dog, watching her pee, and waiting for her to tell me it's time to die. And all along she has appeared healthy, happy, hungry, and any other "h" adjective I can think of. So what gives?

Enter my friend, Lois, mother of Jefferson Lincoln White, poodle extraordinnaire. Jeffie, as with most purebred dogs, has his share of "issues" and spends a lot of time with his veterinarian. And Lois, not being one given to shyness, has spoken often of Jeffie's little friend Treasure to Dr. Earl. So it was not unusual for her to mention Treasure's saga of bladder cancer and my bewilderment over her condition.

After lending a compassionate, listening ear, Dr. Earl graciously offered to see Treasure and give us his opinion of her condition, treatment, outlook, etc. So after a lot of prayer, I have decided that I will call and take him up on his offer. If there is any way I can help prolong the life and quality of same for my Treasure, I feel I owe it her.

Stay tuned in the next few days to hear what may be a new chapter in our journey.

Quiet Time

We are so fortunate to be living close to our children. Meredith is able to bring Adrian over four or five times a week and we have become very familiar to him because of that. Since he gets lots of noisy playtime with his Grandpa, I usually take the quieter moments with him, whether it's with a book or a yummy treat. And of course, Treasure stays close by, keeping her eye on everyone!

Allow me a bit of nostalgia, as I see my Mother so clearly in the photos!

Play Time with Grandpa

Any time Meredith brings Adrian over it becomes play time with Grandpa. These two are fascinated with each other. Graham marvels at how Adrian learns so quickly, using his hands or mimicing a sound. And Adrian is mystified by Grandpa's mustache and glasses! It's a "mutual admiration society!"

Complacency

It has been three weeks since we got the news of Treasure's cancer. For the first few days I was convinced that she would die if I let her out of my sight. Knowing that we were going to be out of town for three days was agony. After we returned home and found that she was quite all right, I allowed myself to relax and pay more attention to each moment, not dwelling on what was to come.

Now, I feel sometimes that I'm getting complacent concerning her illness. Yes, every two or three days she gets an upset tummy from her meds. So we go a day without eating, then she's fine for a few more days. Every time she goes out to pee we celebrate, as that's the only sign I know that will tell me the end is near.

Here are a couple recent pictures, taken last week on my birthday.

Trying to get used to me "watching" her do her business!

Not a care in the world.

Rude Awakening!

Treasure loves to slip up beside me when I take a nap.

Once I get up, though, she finds a prime spot to continue her snoozing.

I stepped into our room today to find her sound asleep at my pillow,

so I went to grab my camera and apparently woke her up.

She has an uncanny ability to hear even the lightest step on the carpet!

She quickly realized I had my camera aimed at her, so the mood was broken and...

now starts the process of waking up.

First a really big stretch...

Next comes a great big yawn...

Then there's the process of rubbing the sleep from her eyes...

OK, Mom, I'm awake. Now what?

Treasure and My Birthday

Today is my birthday.

Three weeks ago today I was given the news that Treasure has bladder cancer.

I have to confess that for three days I was reeling with the diagnosis and facing a big "unknown" for her future. In my frantic imagination I feared having to put her down on my birthday, just three weeks from then. Then I would have had a sad and tragic date to remember.

I'm happy to say that on my birthday I still have a happy and healthy-appearing little dog.

Some days her appetite is good. Those are the days she gets her medicine as it must be taken with food. Usually the following day is one in which she won't eat until late afternoon. That is the only sign we have that something might be wrong. Otherwise she is still enjoying life, following me around, watching Adrian as he plays or eats.

Adrian is eating "finger food" now and that usually consists of pieces of chicken or cheese. It didn't take Treasure very long to realize that Adrian often will toss a piece of his food onto the floor. She even knows which side of the high chair to stay on to get the most from his meal!

Most of her time, however, is spent in "our" room where I have my computer and sewing machine. A little pile of fabric scraps makes a nice pillow when sandwiched between the wall and the ironing board!

Other times it just gets too boring so she finds yet another corner in the room to take a snooze.

These are the moments I treasure - just having her near, knowing she is not in pain, taking one day at a time. I'm thankful for a birthday that will not be remembered in sorrow.

Remembering the Texas Coast

With the threat of Hurricane Ike heading toward the Texas coast, I'd like to share some photos and highlights of our trip to Port Aransas just last week. This was the first time my brother Bill had been to Padre Island, so we were anxious to show him every aspect of it that we could.

After a really delicious seafood dinner at Pelican's Landing, we walked around the nearly deserted wharf area where lots of boats are moored. This was the day after Labor Day, the first day of "off-season", and many businesses were closed, some for the week. One sign we saw read "We're tired... See you Friday"!

So Wednesday morning Bill and I get up really early to take pictures of the sunrise. Unfortunately, the sun was rising on the other side of the building! But we did capture this tranquil shot of the beautiful pools at Port Royal. They look just the same as our first trip there back in the '80's. Then we rushed to the in house restaurant to be first in line for breakfast... "off-season", remember! We were the only ones in line for breakfast!

The beach is just a short boardwalk away from the condos, so after breakfast, with cameras in tow, we head out to capture some of the "beach activity". The birds were out, taking advantage of the incoming tide to grab a bite. And look! Footprints! Someone else is out on the beach, though we can't see anyone for miles. We have this place all to ourselves. This is heavenly.

At the north end of Port Aransas, the only way to leave town is by ferry. This is truly a gem of the State of Texas - a free ride across the ship channel 24/7. And since this is the "off-season" we never had to wait more than three or four minutes for a ferry. "So what?" you say. I have been here in the middle of summer when the wait was more than an hour long! A little jaunt over to Rockport was made easier by the short ferry ride.

After a great lunch at Charlotte Plummer's in Rockport, Bill and I drove over to the jetty back at Port A and took a stroll along the ship channel. At the right side of this picture you can see a fisherman napping while his line is out. And this old gentleman pelican came up to us, looking for a handout. Poor fellow, it's "off-season" and no one is around to feed him! We watched a huge oil platform moving out the channel to some place out in the gulf. Often you will see tankers coming up this channel.

All good things must come to an end, and this happy seagull bid us "Adieu" as we took the ferry back to the mainland for our drive home. Graham got his fill of fish and seafood, Bill and I had a ball with our cameras, and we filed away some memories of a beautiful three days at the coast. I pray that Hurricane Ike is gentle with us this weekend. Yes, we've been hit many times before, and always the sturdy people of the coast bounce back. But maybe, just maybe, it won't be so bad this time.

I have posted all my pictures at http://favoritetravelmemories.shutterfly.com/.

My Best Buddy

I'm feeling a little pensive and introspective today, so bear with me as I share some thoughts.

~ Dutchess Treasure McLeod ~

From the moment we met, four and half years ago, our hearts bonded together and we became best buddies for life. The first week she was with us, she never let me out of her sight. We had a mutual mission - to heal a broken heart and pledge undying love for one another. I think we accomplished both goals in fast order.

I've often wondered what Treasure's previous owners were like. They gave her a wonderful upbringing, as we were presented with a beautifully trained, wonderfully behaved dog. From the vet to her groomer, everyone who has had any dealings with her has commented on her sweet and cooperative temperament. I wonder how much love it took to be able to hand her over to Westie Rescue for a better life than they could give. How grateful I am for every day I've had with her. Her name says it all - she is my Treasure.

Soon I will be faced with a decision to do what's best for Treasure. Will I be able to do it? Yes, of course I will. I can do no less. But it won't be easy. Love isn't easy. Opening one's heart to love another, whether it be a human or an animal, brings with it great risk. What is it they say? "It's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."

We cherish every day as if it were her last. And yet, she shows no symptoms of the cancer that will take her. So we'll live each day as we usually do, only more intensely, looking for those "Treasured moments."

Treasure's Meds

This first week has been a little rough on Treasure's tummy. We have had her on an antibiotic for a week as a prevention of a bladder infection. It seems to have done its job for she is still perky most of the time and greatly enjoys our walks.

Before we left for the coast we started her on the Piroxicam. The first week she gets it every other day with a half tablet of acid reducer. The morning we were to leave she ate a good breakfast, including her meds, and then threw up everything. Sigh. I'd like to think that was just nervousness, knowing we were leaving town.

But her pet-sitter said she was not eating much and had to skip a couple of pills. As I noted in the last post, she was in a kind of malaise until I walked her into the house. So I postponed starting her meds again until last night. And so far she is tolerating them again. Right now she is settled upon the sewing table opposite my computer and has fallen asleep. I guess the key is to have her Mom by her side - one of Treasure's "Treasured moments."

Back Home to a Happy Dog

We enjoyed our midweek break to the Texas coast. The weather was great, though very hot, and the crowds were gone. We were able to enjoy swims in the pool, walks on the beach, rides on the ferry and delicious meals in the restaurants virtually to ourselves. I had a great time testing myself on my new camera and will begin posting pictures soon.

We picked Treasure up from the sitter on our way in and found her to be rather subdued, but obviously happy to see her Mom. As soon as we walked into the house, though, she perked up and took a big dive into the carpet, doing what we like to call the "Westie roll!" Our happy girl was home again! She ate a good dinner, visited with Bill and the Moza's, and then we took a nice walk in the neighborhood. It did my heart good to see her acting so "normally."

This was a very good "Treasured moment."

Going to the Coast

Lest you worry about a lapse in posts this week, we have decided to go with our plans to spend a couple days at the coast. This trip was planned with Bill several weeks ago. Little did we know that a hurricane and bladder cancer would threaten to spoil everything. As you know, the hurricane landed in Louisiana, thus giving Texas a reprieve for now.

Treasure is doing well this week. She is tolerating her meds, eating well, playing with her toys, taking her daily walks, and best of all, able to pee! I am leaving her with a friend, a professional pet-sitter, who happens to be a nurse and is more than willing to administer her meds and watch her closely. Treasure enjoys the other dogs in her care, so it's a win-win situation.

And, we will be gone only two days instead of three. Plus, we're only two hours away in case of an emergency.

To my friends on Ebay who have taken an interest in Treasure's progress, thank you so much for checking on her as you do. When I recognize familiar places on the Feedjit menu I am comforted by your love and support. And that is also a "Treasured moment."