Angelbop

Angel is feeling good, but xrays showed two small spots on  her lungs, so we started Palladia chemo, which are the pills she takes at home three days a week. After her fourth dose, she threw up, etc. so we lowered dosage. She took her first one two days ago, and her appetite is not quite up to par, so I imagine her vet will want to take her off. She mentioned trying metronomics, which I think is a low dose of chemo daily. I have to research more on it. I am about to scour the Tripawds site to find out more from the experts as soon as I finish this update. Angel is still enjoying her stroller every day. We walk a block or two, and then she get in the stroller and we roll!!!! I am still worrying most every minute, but I think I am doing better about enjoying every second with my girl.

Angel will have  her third chemo on Tuesday. I am glad she is only scheduled for four treatments. It’s so nerveracking. The vet has her take the anti nausea pills for four days after, so she hasn’t had much trouble so far. We had a bit of success getting  her in her stroller, but the front entrance is really awkward, and it seems like it might be difficult for a four legged dog to enter, let alone a tripawds with any other joint problems….so I did the obsessive parent thing….I ordered  a different stroller with a rear, easier to enter opening. Petsmart says they will return the one I currently have, so I am excited to try the new one, which I hope will be easier. I want to walk Angel, and then let her get in the stroller when she is tired to continue enjoying a stroll. I’m not much of a picture taker, but I will take one when we go on a walk if we’re successful.

 

Angel had her second chemo last week, and it went as well as the first with no side effects (except a bit tired and didn’t eat as much as usual the day after). Yesterday, she hopped more than she has since the amputation, which happened to be her tenth birthday!!!! She walked all the way around my apartment complex, which isn’t far, but it was a long way for her. It was five in the morning so no one witnessed my happiness, but she had a bite of chicken to celebrate her special day. I can’t believe it’s been 10 years since my son brought her little wrinkly sweet self home.
I have read about so many losses of our beautiful animals on the blogs and forums, and my heart breaks each time I read them. I almost don’t want to read them because of the sadness, but I feel it honors the love between these wonderful furbabies and their families. It is no different than losing a son or daughter. The pain is the same. It sucks big time, and it’s not fair…Thanks for reading.

This is the closest I can get Angel to the stroller. If I put chicken inside, she will put her head in and grab it, but she just doesn’t like anything wheeled except cars. Once I get her in, I think she will like it, but it may just end up as a fixture in the living room. Tuesday is Angel’s second chemo visit. I don’t think I ever stop thinking about time, and I really want to stop obsessing. She had blood work done on Monday, and the tech said her platelets were a bit low, but her white count was okay, so we will do the chemo as scheduled. Lately I have read the blogs and forums of some beautiful pets that have passed, and no one could have a dry eye reading about the love these parents have for their Tripawds. I wish I could take the pawrents pain away. Angel is doing well. She eats way too much, though the reason I want to get her in the stroller is that she tires so easily when hopping any distance. There’s still a few sunny days left here in Washington, and she sunbathes a bit on the deck of our apartment. Wish us luck at our chemo appointment, and let’s hope it goes as good as the last one.

One month ago Angel was in surgery, and I was an absolute, terrified, mess. In this past month, she went through her first chemo like a champ, she now hops very awkwardly (but like a Gee) and she is living life very similar than before surgery. She doen’t want anything to do with her new stroller, but maybe she will if I let it sit in the front room until she is used to it so we can go on strolls in our neighborhood. While I know nothing is promised, and we still have lots of struggles, my little sunshine is doing great. If I only could’ve read this post I am now writing a month ago, it would have comforted me a whole heck of a lot.

We went to the vet today to get Angel’s blood work done, which is standard every week after the first chemo, I think. It felt good not to have any pressure going to the vet, as usually we are nervous about test results or some thing, but today it was just an in and out quick visit. Also, I went back to work for half a day today, and I go pretty much the rest of the week, so I am going through some Angelbop withdrawal. As she sleeps by my feet on her bed by the couch, her snoring somehow comforts me, and I remember that we need to appreciate every day and every minute to our fullest. Man I love this doggie!!!!

Angel had carboplatin chemo on Monday, three days ago. She will have a total of four doses by IV, adminstered every three weeks. I have not noticed any side effects, as she is always so quite and sort of sleepy..although I have been giving her a daily dose Cerenia for nasea the vet gave us just in case. Tomorrow will be her three week Ampuversary, by the way! Angel does not like the elevated dish I got her. We tried it before amputation, and she wanted nothing to do with it, but I am going to try again soon. We have been doing a bit more each day, but I think we overdid it yesterday. I drive her to the empty park early in the morning, and she loves to sniff everything and go to the bathroom. She walked a bit too far, (really only 40 feet or so) but she layed down, so I know it was too much. We waited and slowly made our way back to the car, so we decided to skip the park today. (It’s raining anyway.) I have to work a few hours each day the past two days, and I go back to work next week, so Angel will chill with my mom or son. It’s probably a good thing as I analyze everything she does all day!

Went to the surgeon yesterday to get stitches out. The dr. says Angel is doing great and to slowly start doing things to get her stronger, so we went to the park (Angel’s favorite abandoned school grounds) for a minute this morning. She loved it. She is normally a pretty sedentary dog, and smelling the empty park and car rides are her favorite things, so it will be good to get back to them. Tomorrow is her first chemo, which is not supposed to have the side effects that humans have. I have to drop her off and leave her for a few hours, which seems weird. I have to ask more questions tomorrow as when I discussed this with the dr. it was before her amputation and I was kinda loopy.

Two week visit to surgeon tomorrow…yeah….Angel will be happy to get out of the house for something other than potty. She is doing well on the eating and bathroom front, although she is not a great hopper like some videos of Tripawds I have seen or read about; she looks uncomfortable and struggles, so I ordered a Get a Grip Harness, which I hope will help me support her when she walks. Angel got family visits this week from Tami, Maura, Brandon, Candace, Nat, and Jay. She likes company! Chemo starts on Monday, and I have lots of questions for the vet.

Pretty much the same on day nine. Angel seems to get up a bit more to do things on her own, but she still struggles greatly with hopping. She is not a real energetic girl anyway, so that’s good….This picture shows her crabby girl face. She probably thinks she is going to the park every time I get up, and she loves her some park! She gets her stitches our on Saturday.