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?