Life is Good!

Oso is doing really well. He is still in remission and his energy level has returned full throttle. He loves to play with his toys and manage multiple tennis balls at one time. On my recent visit to see him, I gave him a toy otter that holds a clam between it's paws. He loved this toy so! He kept grabbing the clam and shaking the otter with full intent to free the clam from the otter's grasp! When you see Oso, you would never believe he had this terrible disease and that it still lurks beneath the surface. Oso has far exceeded the survival rate predicted by scientists but also for what we had set in our minds. Now he's on borrowed time. So each day is a true blessing that he's around and still alive. He enjoys his time living in a huge house with Stella and Jingo and he's a very happy boy. I so enjoyed seeing him again. I hope to make another visit out to see him again while he's doing well. It truly pleases me that the work we did in administering the CCNU has done a fabulous job. I am forever grateful for all the prayers extended to Oso here on this site. And for all the furbabies on the Rainbow Bridge that have been looking out for Oso as well. All of your prayers and guidance from your angels have helped Oso in the end. What a happy, lucky boy he is.

Incontinence

Oso has become increasingly incontinent. At first we thought he was submissive peeing but the problem has gotten progressively worse to the point that he's leaking constantly, even in his sleep.

Oso's Dad will be taking him in to see Dr. Andres this weekend to get checked out. But we truly believe that the incontinence comes from the aggressive treatment of CCNU to save his life.

In the meantime, I have located, male-dog, no leak diapers on Drs. Foster and Smith. Silly to put diapers on him eh? But when he's leaking throughout the house and on beds, it becomes a necessity.

It's sad in some ways because he's only 2 years old and these type of things happen to older dogs. But then again, we as his owners have to understand that he's not a normal dog anymore. And expect the unexpected.

So doggie diapers it is.

Aside from the occasional embarrassment that he expresses due to his problem, he's a happy boy and he's living a wonderful life in Mexico.

It's My 1-Year Anniversary!

Hey guys! Sorry I haven't written in a while. I've been busy moving into my new house. I actually get my own doggie room that I share with Stella and Jingo. Can you believe that? Life has been good. I'm still in remission and I've made it a full year since my initial diagnosis.

This time last year my Mom and Dad were battling to keep me alive as the Cutaneous Lymphoma had spread to my chest and the tumor was growing and compressing my lungs. I was struggling to breath and in constant pain. It was a horrible experience! Mom and Dad didn't think I would make it through the night.

Mom and Dad were racing against the clock to locate chemo agents they could use on me before I would die from this cancer. Things looked pretty grim. It didn't look like we would secure the chemo in time to save my life.

Mom and Dad decided that the best thing to do for me on one of my last days was to take me on a final walk. Mom took pictures of that day and my parents quietly were preparing to say goodbye to me then.

3 days later, my chemo agents showed up and I started on an aggressive protocol to fight Cutaneous Lymphoma. My parents and the vet were too aggressive with the chemo because a few days after my initial treatment, my liver couldn't take the toxic poisons and it began to fail.

I was rushed into the vet where my doctor, Dr. Andres, worked quickly to save my life. I was on IV fluids and it took me a while to recuperate. But I did.

I've come a long ways since that time. That was one year ago today.

The survival rate for dogs with Cutaneous Lymphoma is practically 0%. This type of cancer is almost always fatal. I'm hoping to be one of the dogs that beats the statistics. It was rare for me to get this type of cancer during my first year of life any ways. This type of cancer strikes older dogs. And this gave my Mom and Dad hope that I could beat this since I'm younger and my immune system is stronger.

For now there are no tumors in sight. We don't know how much time I have left here on earth. But we cherish each and every additional day we get to spend together.

Boy, I sure am lucky to have the parents that I do. If it wasn't for them and their courageous action and proactive care, I wouldn't be here today. I owe my life to them.

I love you Mom and Dad!!

Love, Oso the MexiChemo Pup XOXO

Blowout City!!!

Not only do we have amoebas, we have worms!!!!!!!! We've been dosed with deworming meds for the 3rd time in less than 3 months and the backyard is a disaster zone. Mom cleaned up at least 10# of poo this morning. The house smells kind of bad too. Moms not happy with us at all. We are smelly, poopy creatures. And she is disgusted. It's a Mexican Poo Party!! No wonder Mom has banished us to sleeping downstairs. It all makes sense now.

Love, Oso the MexiChemo Pup

For the Most Part, I'm a Happy Boy

Mom treated my bump on my face with Prednisone cream and it got better and went away! YAY! That means it's not cancer. Also, for some reason......well OK, after I blew poo & vomit in her bedroom, I have been banished to sleeping downstairs. It's not all that bad as I get to sleep with Stella and Jingo too. But my status as King of the house has been demoted as I sleep on a regular floor on the 1st floor now. Mom set up our beds in the living room but I still prefer to sleep directly on the tile. Even after moving my bed behind her desk where I normally sleep, I choose to sleep directly on the tile. So Mom has given up on trying to pamper me. I am perfectly content with life as it is.

Love, Oso the MexiChemo Pup XOXO

ANOTHER Mystery Bump

So I just returned to Mexico. The bumps on Oso's lips are red and they do not look good but they are not growing. He has a new mystery bump below his eye which we are applying topical Prednisone to in hopes that it will go away. Dr. Andres asked me to bring Oso back next week to review all of the bumps and figure out whether they are growing, holding at the same size or going away. At this point, we have 3 mystery bumps that we do not know the cause of. This causes anxiety in our household as Oso has Cutaneous Lymphoma and his past tumors have presented on his face, paw and chest. At this poing, we can only watch and wait. Please continue to send your prayers our way. We hope to keep Oso healthy and alive for as long as possible. Our expected move in date is in September now. If we move in with Oso, this will accomplish my first goal that I set for Oso. Please keep your fingers crossed that he will be able to enjoy that new house.

Oso's Mom

P.S. I have added a photo of Oso's latest mystery bump that is under his left eye. See the 2nd photo on his Dogster page.

Oso to Lose His Alpha Status

Yes, it's true. Oso is going to lose his Alpha status when I return to Mexico next week. I heard he's been running a muck. He's causing serious trouble by jumping on Jingo and Stella. He likes to harass them when they are playing with toys and chewing on bones by taking their precious items away! He has even resorted to establishing his dominance by pooping in places he's not suppose to like the back patio! EEEEW! That will stop when I get home. What Oso also doesn't know is that I have Karen Pryor's clicker book and some doggie clickers to use on him when I return. Not only will I re-establish my status as the Alpha, I will be putting Oso to the test of clicker training. Poor pup! His reign as a terror king will be ending soon enough!!! Don't worry Jingo and Stella!!! Help is on the way!!!

Love, Oso's Mom in the U.S.

A New Bump Lateral to My Other One! What's Going On Here?

So this week produced another bump on Oso's lip but it's lateral to his existing bump. This makes the vet suspect that Oso is causing irritation or harm to his lips either by jamming his face into the gate, chicken wire or it's some injury from a toy he's chewing on or playing with. We basically have no idea what is causing these bumps but the vet is deeply suspicious that it's something other than cancer. I am ever so hopeful! I'm still not home, so I can't tell you all first hand what these bumps look like. But my daughter just returned home so it might be helpful to get a third person's perspective now that she's there and can look at it. Will let you know if there are any new developments. But for now, we are still watching and waiting. P.S. Keep your prayers coming. They are working!

Looks Like the Cancer Might Be Coming Back.......MAYBE

Written by: Oso's Mom

It is great sadness that I must communicate that the bump on Oso's lip is now growing in size. Oso's Dad expressed interest in having the mass biopsied but having treated this dog with a KNOWN cause of Cutaneous Lyphoma and the with the knowledge that these type tumors tend to present in the mouth, gums, lips and around the eyes....well, I think it's a no brainer what this stuff is. I am recommending that we mobilize to begin treatment. I have tasked Oso's Dad with the job of contacting our vet from UC Davis to ask for advice on how to treat the 2nd go around. Oso will also be making a special trip in to see our local vet, Dr. Andres, where we will initiate the process of trying to acquire CCNU in Mexico, in a timely manner. We have enough chemo on hand to give him his first treatment but after that, we'll be waiting for the 2nd order, hoping it comes within 21 days. Also, we want to make sure that our consult with the vet from UC Davis comes back with a green light to treat with CCNU again. Maybe even perhaps at a higher dose. He was being given 70mg. of CCNU per treatment. Now we are thinking we should bump this up to maybe 100mg. Will keep you posted.

It sickens me and my family to think that Oso may be coming out of remission after 3 months. His last chemo treatment was in May 2007. He is just getting ready to hit 24 months of life. My ultimate goal is to give him 30 months of life. If I can get 6 more months with a second chemo treatment, then I may be able to achieve this goal. This will then double his life from 15 months to 30 months. That is the hope.

Please keep Oso in your prayers. When you look at his photo, please envision healing white light around him. Your support has been so tremendous and helpful in the past. Thank you for staying connected with Oso and his plight to fight Cutaneous Lymphoma. I appreciate all of your support.

UPDATE 8/13/07: Dr. Andres just doesn't know. He acknowledged that the lump is larger but he says the mass has changed consistency from hard to soft. He's perplexed by this and is ordering that we remain in watch and wait mode. Now I'm of the thinking we might as well have the darn thing biopsied. That way we will know definitively in 10 days.

ANOTHER UPDATE 8/13/07: Oso's Dad said the vet felt this bump although larger is going away due to the consistency of being hard then going soft. He also felt that due to this change, that the bump is not acting like a tumor. His other concerns were over Oso's immune system (or lack of thereof) and the proximity of the proposed biopsy site to Oso's actual mouth. The vet feels that Oso would have a very hard time healing from a biopsy in this location and that the risks are not feasible at the moment. Again, we are back to watch and wait. I am feeling frustrated because I truly believe we don't have the luxury to watch and wait. And being 1500 miles from the situation, it just sickens me to not be there.

Not a Pimple!

I don't know.....this bump is not going away! My Dad's taking me in to see Dr. Andres on Monday. It's still here. WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!