Life is like an ice cream sundae... Mmm, ice cream - Cancer update 7/29/05

Sometimes when life can be difficult, it is easy to lay around and sulk. Sometimes that can turn into something darker and the more you think about it, the worse it gets.

When that happens, it is important to push those thoughts aside and focus on all of life's blessings. I've had some difficult times, true, but as I've said before, I am a lucky dog indeed.

Of course, it starts with my pack. I know that they love me very much and that they do all that they can to make my life happy. (Well, on second thought, they might be- okay, they are a little stingy with the good eats.) On the bad days, they are there to take care of me and comfort me. And of course, the good days are great. And of course there is my extended pack. All wonderful really.

Then there are all of my friends. As a distinguished dog of 68, I've made a number of good friends. If my life were a sundae, my alpha dogs would ice cream, Lyle would of course be the nuts (He he) and then my friends would be the whipped cream and cherry on top. They are so thoughtful and supportive.

Well, I know you are all wondering how things are going after my injection yesterday. I wish I could tell you that the bumps are completely gone and that the cancer was dead. The news is that while the largest bump might be smaller than it was yesterday morning, it still is quite large. There is still hope, as the vincristine takes up to 48 hours to do it's work and that is still about eighteen hours away as I type this. Still, I was hoping for an immediate and drastic change. My bosses are worried too.

The bottom line is that it is just too early to know for sure. Either way, I'll be getting another round of chemotherapy next Thursday. If my bump is gone, I'll be back on the weekly vincristine injections for 6 weeks, then the every other week and once a month. Well, if you have been following along you know the drill. If the evil cancer is still obvious, then I'll be taking that 85 mile trip to visit with my oncologist and I'll start on something new. No sense speculating now, we will know tomorrow and the appropriate appointment will be made.

In the mean time, all that is left to do is hope and pray that my therapy will kill that nasty old cancer for good so that I can grow very, very old with my pack. That, and snuggle with my pack. They seem to need a lot of Little Bit time these last few days...

Thanks again everyone for your love, support and prayers.

Little Bit

Is it live...or is it Little Bit? Cancer Story LIVE!

I've caught up with my journal and from here on out, my entries are live, real time!

So, like I was saying last time, the boss man had to do a picture for school that was supposed to be like someone else's work. I said that he was going to do it like one of William Wegman's Polaroid photographs. I agreed to help, but once he told us which one he was going to do, I told him "Smell you later" and so Lyle was stuck with it. In the end, he decided to use Catty (2000) as his original.
Well, let me tell you, that was not a good day for Lyle. Not only did he have to pose for the picture (Ha Ha), but he had to have a bath to boot! Ha ha ha ha. That will teach him for rolling (well more of a scoot really) in unmentionables.

Well, after that, I thought that photo day was over, but it turns out that Milkbone is having a contest for a new face on their box. Well, I was beautiful. The picture on the right isn't the one we used because of the soft focus on my eyes (the boss says that means out of focus in photo geek speak). Still, I was happy and it shows.

Well, I guess I've put this off long enough. Not everything is happiness in Bit world.
As you know, I have been getting regular bump checks to make sure that the evil cancer hasn't come back. As recent as Monday (July 25, 2005), things have been good.

Today, not good. Not good at all.

Today the boss ma'am found a new bump on my neck. And it wasn't a small one. I did my best to comfort her and the boss man, but they are very worried about me.

Well, the boss man called both of my doctors. After talking to both my regular veterinarian and my oncologist, it was decided that I need to start back up on the vincristine injections. June 15, 2005 was my last one and it has been a nice break. I really wish that the evil cancer would have stayed away for another twelve or fifteen years but I guess that wasn't realistic. So, I'm off to see my doctorfor another injection tomorrow. If the bump doesn't go away within a couple of days, then I'll be heading to Cincinnati to visit with my oncologist again.

I remember how happy we all were back on June 152005. I remember how we had ice cream. Mmmm, my own bowl of ice cream. I think tomorrow I should get another bowl of ice cream. I hear that ice cream is good for pity parties as well as happy celebrations.

Well, all of this bad news has made me a little sleepy. I'm going to snuggle the boss ma'am now.

Little Bit

My boss's muse - Cancer story archive 7/21/05

I've mentioned before that the boss man has been taking some photography classes. Last week he needed the boss ma'am and my help because he had to to a portrait. I didn't really want to participate until the boss ma'am told me that there would be a little something-something in it for me. Of course I had naturally assumed that meant a Cheeseburger Blizzard (Mmmm, double cow goodness), but I'm still waiting. Apparently it just meant that I would get a little peck on the cheek.

Anyway, he finished that homework and now he has a new one. Seems he has to submit a copy of some famous photographer's work along side of his own rendition of it. He said that this time it isn't about being creative, but rather giving thought to how professional photographers meet the challenges that face them. A mile in their shoes kind of thing.

Well, leave it to the boss ma'am to help come up with a good suggestion. (She is chalk full of good ideas you know). Anyway, she suggests that since he has such photogenic dogs at his disposal, perhaps he should duplicate a William Wegman photograph. With that in mind, Lyle and I were recruited to help. Here we are practicing the alphabet. Lyle said that he can do "C" and "U" no problem. With a little practice, I bet he can even do an "O". Me, well I was thinking that I cold do a pretty fair "I". Or maybe a lowercase "l". I guess we will just have to see what he decides to do.

Well, I'm starting to nod off here so I am going to sign off to take a nap. I'll bark at you later.

Little Bit

My Bodyguard - Cancer story archives 7/17/05

I think Filipi (or Smelly Belly if you know her by that name) is going to work out after all. This morning she was patrolling the back yard while I was inside enjoying a spot of breakfast. (Mmmm, banana. Mmmm, baby carrots. Mmmm, biscuits. Mmmm, cereal.) Well, guess who should just happen to walk past my backyard.

No really, guess.

For all of you that guessed Puddles, give yourselves a pat on the back!

Anyway, she has the nerve to walk by my backyard but only I'm too busy to notice because I'm eating breakfast and reading the Sunday morning paper. Who knows what Lyle was up to, but either way, he has a spotty record at best when it comes to these things.

Well, as I was saying, Filipi was on patrol. And boy o boy, did she sound the alarm. My heart swelled with pride. These last few weeks of training have paid off! Not only did she protect me from the ever present threat of the D.A.W.G. Pound, but she didn't even get any of my breakfast! What more could a little dog like me hope for?!?

So here's to you Filipi, dog (#2) of the hour!

I'll bark at you later.

Little Bit

Butchie, The Good Dog - Cancer story archives 7/11/05

I continue to be amazed by the kindness and generosity of my Dogster buddies.

Today, I'm going to bark about my Dogster buddy Butchie and his pack Heidi (dog) and his boss ma'am.

First off, I have to say that Butchie is having troubles of his own. He also has cancer and he isn't doing nearly as well as I am. His boss ma'am has to regularly drive to see his doctor 80 miles away (160 miles round trip) to get his breathing medicine. If you are the praying type, please add Butchie and his pack to your list.

Then, with everything that is going on in their lives, Butchie tells me that his boss ma' am wants to make me a special "Die cancer! Die!" collar. She asked me what my neck size was so that it would fit just right. She made it red which suits me very well. And she says that every time I ring the bells it is like saying Die cancer! Die! And not just for my cancer but other dogs too. She goes on to tell me that some dogs sadly don't win the fight. That is a fact that I know only too well. Well, she says that when the bells ring, it means that another dog on the rainbow bridge gets their wings. It makes me real sad, but happy at the same time. I hope that some day people and dogs don't have to worry about things like cancer.

Thank you Butcie, Heidi and their boss ma'am. My pack and I have you in our prayers too.

Little Bit
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Sadly, I have to add an addendum to this entry. Yesterday (7/20/05) Butchie lost his battle. If you are participating in the candle vigil tonight (8:00 pm in what ever time zone you happen to be in), please include his mom in your thoughts. While I know Butchie is now in a better place, it is always hard for those that are left behind.

LB

These are the dogs in my life - Cancer story archives 7/3/05

Or some of them at least...

Okay. So I invited this dog named Filipi to share my house for six weeks or so. I thought some things would change, others would be the same. As it turns out, she doesn't really have a lot of energy and she likes to lay around the back yard or in the living room. No big deal there. In the mornings, the boss man takes Filipi and me alone for our daily walk. Since neither of us are in a hurry, that suits me just fine. The Whigle gets to go later (when it is warmer) at the faster pace that he likes.

One thing I would not have seen coming though, is the alarming lack of road trips that I've been on since she arrived.

Now, I'm not talking about going to the vet clinic. My next visit isn't scheduled for another three months. (Hooray!) No. What alarms me is that I haven't been for a Blizzard since June 18, 2005. And it has been great weather for a Blizzard treat! Tonight isn't looking good either. I don't know if it is her fault or not, but I sure hope that something changes soon.

Oh, by the way, if you are wondering how she is fitting in - she is doing just fine.

The other thing that I need to bark about is how great my friends Skye, Basil and their packs are. They sent us a care package that included awesome bandanas and wormy toys. They even sent something for Filipi too! It was really good to be able to put a smell with their names and faces!

Well, that's about all I've got for today.

I'll bark at you later.

Little Bit

Filipi speaks--Cancer Story Archives, 7/2/05

Hello. I'm Filipi. Little Bit said that I could write a little today.

I'm a good dog. The new people are nice, but I don't know what to call them. Little Bit and Lyle call them the bosses, but I have my own bosses, I'm just temporarily reassigned. I think that I will call them George.

The Georges do things a little differently around here. They seem to like dogs and they have been real kind to feed me and to walk me around the neighborhood. Also, their friends sent me a wormy and this nice blue bandana. Blue suits me just fine.

One thing that I wish was better was that I wish the Georges appreciated my hobbies. I like chasing skunks. It is fun really. They said that I still smell and they gave me another bath. I had two before I moved in. Three is too many if you ask me.

Also, the Georges talked about putting me on a diet. Said my bosses told them to. I don't believe them. I think I'm already too skinny. I wish they would feed me more. Man George did share popcorn last night, but not as much as a big dog like me wanted.

Well, I guess that's about it. Maybe Little Bit or Lyle will let me write again sometime. I miss my bosses.

Filipi

I can admit when I am wrong - Cancer story archives 6/29/05

Okay, okay. I was warned.

I should have listened.

But I'm such an optimist. It is just my nature to expect the best.

Filipi (fill-eep-â), arrived yesterday without any problems. Lyle and I barked and barked and barked and barked and barked and barked while she got familiar with our backyard before we were allowed out to meet and greet her one at a time.

Right off the bat I knew that she had misrepresented herself. She might have some lab in her, but she is just as much a mutt as Lyle and I are. We think maybe if her fur hadn't been clipped, she would look like a brown golden retriever. Still, she is bigger than me and I thought she might do nicely.

Well, let me just say. Even for being 70 years old, I'd have expected a little more spunk. It seems that her hobbies include: Sleeping. Eating. Sleeping. Taking short walks. Sound like anyone you know?

Well anyway, I thought I'd try her out for the day. Well, let me tell you, Filipi and I have way too much in common to have a good working relationship. Plus, this afternoon, she TALKED BACK to me. Can you believe it?!? I know I couldn't.

The bosses say that she is actually very sweet and we will all get along just fine once we get to know each other a little better. I say, what EVER. At least she hasn't tried to take any of my treats away from me.

Well, I'll keep you posted. For now, I'm thinking maybe I should just skip this whole bodyguard thing and go back into disguise. If you see a 25 pound Great Dane, you just never know, it might be Little Bit incognito.

Peace, out.

Little Bit

Happy Birthday Boss Man - Cancer story archives 6/28/05

It's a very important day here at my house. The boss man has turned 238. He's older than Methuselah. Hee, hee. He's entering his golden years, now, so I guess I should probably try to take it easy on him.

More important than the birthday itself, though, is the cake. Mmmm....cake. I helped bake him a cake for breakfast AND a cake for later. Can you believe it? I didn't even get a single cake for my big day and already he has two.

So, anyway, as I was saying, I was very helpful in the kitchen. I always am. I help by sampling ingredients for freshness. I have the most important job of taste-testing any batter to make sure it is fit for consumption. I mean, what's the point of baking something that's not up to my standards? If it doesn't taste good raw, it probably isn't going to be any better after it's baked. I remind the boss ma'am of this by barking at her while the mixer is running. That way, she remembers to let me lick the beaters.

The boss man argues that my reasoning is flawed. He says that dogs (not just me) have very little judgment as to what we put in our mouths. He thinks that just because I have been known to eat unmentionables that I can't be trusted to let him know if he'll like his cake. This couldn't be further from the truth. The information is all there. It's not like I publish a review for anything I sample (but if I did, the breakfast cake would get 4 paws of 5), but just look at my eyes. See? It's easy to know when something is really tasty.

I'll bark at you later!

Naysayers say Nay! - Cancer story archives 6/23/05

I'm not going to name any names, but I received some feedback yesterday that I found a little startling.

It seems that some people, while looking out for my best interest, wanted to warn me that they seem to think that I might be in for a rude awakening. They think that, perhaps, my houseguest coming next Tuesday, might be coming under the guise of being a bodyguard, but might, in fact, actually be working against me.

First off, my source suggested that she might not actually be trained to protect and serve but might actually be a regular house pet. Not that anything is wrong with that mind you. An as for retrieving things for me, my source even went so far as to say that she might just be "a third mooch in the house that will scarf up anything that is within reach and her reach is longer than yours."

Well, I never would have imagined that!

I mean, hasn't she been instructed in the ways of the Bit?

Not that this changes anything. She still needs a home for a while and my pack and I can provide that. And as I mentioned yesterday, I have given thought about the real estate issues. But never, ever had I imagined that she might be competing for my tasty, tasty treats.

I guess this means that the first few days will be filled with intensive training. I sure hope the boss man is up to it...

Peace, out.

Little Bit