Hello again.
Forgive me for not posting. It gets depressing..this whole thing -
dealing with cancer. So we battened down the hatches and do what has to
be done. But I couldn't continue to talk/write about it - it was
getting to be too much. So I stopped posting to dog groups, cancer
groups, even stopped emailing with a boxer group because I didn't want
to answer questions about his progress.

As for Ollie (3 year old male neutered Boxer), he appears content and
happy. He's gained weight and eats well and his stools are solid and as
lovely as stools can be (gross but true). He's come out of his "rescue"
shell and he is loving and dear. And like any true Boxer, he's wiggly
and sweet and demanding and silly. If it weren't for cancer, I'd think
he was just another dippy Boxer.

His cancer is resilient, virulent and we're fighting it like crazys.
After five monthly CCNU treatments, we've moved into weekly vinblastine
treatments.

Good news is we did a sonicgram last week and no spread to vital organs.
Bad news is new tumors - one odd one in mouth, one on front toe (weight
bearing) and thus far both are growing in spite of treatment.

We give him many herbals to offset the effects of chemo and prednisone
treatments on liver. Milk thistle, echinachea/goldenseal,
constitutional blend, yogurt are a part of his daily diet, and this
helps with the antibiotics he takes daily now. We're twice a day
feeding a mix of raw with a home made vegetable/oatmeal stew because he
digests it well. (raw alone gives him diarrhea)

He is clingy, wants to be with us all the time. I'm grateful to have
him. Our philosophy is simple: so long as he's comfortable and happy
we're in it for the long haul. I still have hope this will turn around.
Say a little prayer that he remain painfree and comfortable. Thank you.

Cynthia
Ollie and Petunia Faloonia

"2 Smelly Dogs" wrote in message
...
His cancer is resilient, virulent and we're fighting it like crazys.
After five monthly CCNU treatments, we've moved into weekly vinblastine
treatments.

Good news is we did a sonicgram last week and no spread to vital organs.
Bad news is new tumors - one odd one in mouth, one on front toe (weight
bearing) and thus far both are growing in spite of treatment. happy
we're in it for the long haul. I still have hope this will turn around.
Say a little prayer that he remain painfree and comfortable. Thank you.

...........I've been thinking about you and Ollie for the past month. I'm so
sorry to hear he's still got new tumors cropping up, but it's good that
there are no metastases. I'm hoping his itchies are over at least?? It is
indeed painful to realize that despite everything you might do, sometimes
you just can't seem to get ahead on these things. That in essence you have
zero control. Someone who had cancer at one point told me what she used to
say to herself during the experience "Rejoice, rejoice, there is no choice."

I'm glad you decided to get back in touch. Hugs and scritches to you, Ollie
and Petunia.

buglady
take out the dog before replying

"2 Smelly Dogs" wrote in message
...
His cancer is resilient, virulent and we're fighting it like crazys.
After five monthly CCNU treatments, we've moved into weekly vinblastine
treatments.

Good news is we did a sonicgram last week and no spread to vital organs.
Bad news is new tumors - one odd one in mouth, one on front toe (weight
bearing) and thus far both are growing in spite of treatment. happy
we're in it for the long haul. I still have hope this will turn around.
Say a little prayer that he remain painfree and comfortable. Thank you.

...........I've been thinking about you and Ollie for the past month. I'm so
sorry to hear he's still got new tumors cropping up, but it's good that
there are no metastases. I'm hoping his itchies are over at least?? It is
indeed painful to realize that despite everything you might do, sometimes
you just can't seem to get ahead on these things. That in essence you have
zero control. Someone who had cancer at one point told me what she used to
say to herself during the experience "Rejoice, rejoice, there is no choice."

I'm glad you decided to get back in touch. Hugs and scritches to you, Ollie
and Petunia.

buglady
take out the dog before replying

In article k.net,
"buglady" wrote:

"2 Smelly Dogs" wrote in message
...
His cancer is resilient, virulent and we're fighting it like crazys.
After five monthly CCNU treatments, we've moved into weekly vinblastine
treatments.

Good news is we did a sonicgram last week and no spread to vital organs.
Bad news is new tumors - one odd one in mouth, one on front toe (weight
bearing) and thus far both are growing in spite of treatment. happy
we're in it for the long haul. I still have hope this will turn around.
Say a little prayer that he remain painfree and comfortable. Thank you.

..........I've been thinking about you and Ollie for the past month. I'm so
sorry to hear he's still got new tumors cropping up, but it's good that
there are no metastases. I'm hoping his itchies are over at least?? It is
indeed painful to realize that despite everything you might do, sometimes
you just can't seem to get ahead on these things. That in essence you have
zero control. Someone who had cancer at one point told me what she used to
say to herself during the experience "Rejoice, rejoice, there is no choice."

I'm glad you decided to get back in touch. Hugs and scritches to you, Ollie
and Petunia.

buglady
take out the dog before replying



Thanks buglady.

he's still itching like crazy, licking those paws, which I believe has a
great deal to do with the recurring MCTs. he keeps aggrevating himself
and because he's prone and those mast cells are circulating through him,
he's really a sitting duck for his own body.

today may have been his last chemo. we've tried everything, including
cancema, CCNU, preds, herbals, mushrooms, vitamins and now vinblastin.
if there is no improvement we may stop everything except stuff for
comfort because all they can offer is unconventional and/or experimental
treatments. I think its time to let this boy live his life with no
additional pain which I believe he suffers with the chemo treatments.

I tell myself a hundred times a day that this is beyond anyone's
control. either the treatments were going to work or not. in his case,
it looks like no deal. (please God, surprise me).

In article k.net,
"buglady" wrote:

"2 Smelly Dogs" wrote in message
...
His cancer is resilient, virulent and we're fighting it like crazys.
After five monthly CCNU treatments, we've moved into weekly vinblastine
treatments.

Good news is we did a sonicgram last week and no spread to vital organs.
Bad news is new tumors - one odd one in mouth, one on front toe (weight
bearing) and thus far both are growing in spite of treatment. happy
we're in it for the long haul. I still have hope this will turn around.
Say a little prayer that he remain painfree and comfortable. Thank you.

..........I've been thinking about you and Ollie for the past month. I'm so
sorry to hear he's still got new tumors cropping up, but it's good that
there are no metastases. I'm hoping his itchies are over at least?? It is
indeed painful to realize that despite everything you might do, sometimes
you just can't seem to get ahead on these things. That in essence you have
zero control. Someone who had cancer at one point told me what she used to
say to herself during the experience "Rejoice, rejoice, there is no choice."

I'm glad you decided to get back in touch. Hugs and scritches to you, Ollie
and Petunia.

buglady
take out the dog before replying



Thanks buglady.

he's still itching like crazy, licking those paws, which I believe has a
great deal to do with the recurring MCTs. he keeps aggrevating himself
and because he's prone and those mast cells are circulating through him,
he's really a sitting duck for his own body.

today may have been his last chemo. we've tried everything, including
cancema, CCNU, preds, herbals, mushrooms, vitamins and now vinblastin.
if there is no improvement we may stop everything except stuff for
comfort because all they can offer is unconventional and/or experimental
treatments. I think its time to let this boy live his life with no
additional pain which I believe he suffers with the chemo treatments.

I tell myself a hundred times a day that this is beyond anyone's
control. either the treatments were going to work or not. in his case,
it looks like no deal. (please God, surprise me).