Canine Cancer Resources for Support Pt I Email Lists

Adopted mom has already been talking about the wonderful support she has gotten from Lookout Mountain Veterinary Clinic and especially from Dr Betsy and her Team over at the Integrative Veterinary Oncology Clinic out of Phoenix Az. (and they have great resources there that should be the first place checked: http://www.integrativeveterinaryoncology.com/index.html !)

Sometimes people dont have access to the kind of direct support Adopted Mom has now. This is where belonging to an email list can make a huge difference in finding the best and updated ssources referred by other dog owners who are experiencing the same kind of challenges with their specific cancers.

CanineCancer at the yahoo groups has been one of Adopted Moms favorite groups over the years.
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/CanineCancer/ however you need to have a dog with cancer to be a member. They have amny great resources right there from diet and nutrition (including when dogs refuse to eat, cancer drug information, household remedies to help augment the medical support your own dog's vet may be give to talk about and many many links.

If you are one of the ones determined to be proactive, there are several email lists which can help with a holistic lifestyle.
There is so much one acan do ahead of time if one is willing to help reduce risk, but joining many wellness lists available on yahoo (Adopted Mom's favorite type) and Goggle. Adopted Mom is a member of Wellpet, nevetsavesmoneyonvetbills, holistic dog, doghealth, canineanimalcare-naturally, and AuNaturelK9s.

Some of those are high volume lists so it may be easier for you to join and then check in to webmail or go no mail and search by topic of interest.

My and my fourlegged pals have taught Adopted Mom alot about listening to her intuition. she says that there are so many other then conscious signals which we may not even realize which can trigger that intuition that there is something useful or revelvent to talk to the vet about.

As tough as this kind of journey is on use fourleggeds, it is nuttin to how hard it is on you-all who have to watch us go through this, trying to guess what helps, what eases our way, how much or little to do and when...

so Ill be back soon diary, cause I got alot more to say about this for caregivers AND care providers!!!

Off setting Chemo

Dear diary,

Well, this chemo stuff is no fun to be sure. Adopted mom has heard all kind of stories about how awful sick one can get from this stuff, with hair falling out and loss of appitite and all.

Adopted mom determined that if she was going to go this route, that she wanted to learn what an INTEGRATED approach could get me in my quality of life experience! BOY Howdie, is she shocked and amazed at what a difference it does make!!!

When I come out of getting my weekly treatment, rather then my fanny draggin and Adopted mom having to practically carry me to the car, I come out dancin and prancin like I own the joint! (Well the people who treat me tell me I do anyway).

Adopted mom says that it is the combination of the accupuncture treatment I get immediately after I get that chemo treatment, combined with super nutritional support! Doc Betsey has this wonderful herbal combination powder that Adopted Mom mixes in my food so I don't even notice. Adopted mom also makes sure I get food that is all protein and NO CARBS (I mentioned that before).

Adopted mom has got some movie pictures she is going to put together to show some of the things I have been through to help others see how people work to help me get better.

Adopted mom finially decided to give me a bath cause I have medicine smell on me sometimes. She actually took me to a holistic doggie wash where they had this natural soap and super conditioners for my coat and some stuff that leaves me smellin good (according to everyone who has been pettin me) instead of like wet dog (whats wrong with dat?). I have to admit I came out of dat feelin pretty spiffy and everyone who sees me cant get over how soft and beautiful my fur is now! I only got one place on my whole body that is missin hair and dat's where they shaved a 2 inch square on my leg back by my hind knee where no one even notices.

One other thing we havent talked about much is the importance of keeping me hydrated and eliminating good. Adopted mom knows that that is so important to keep those toxins in my body coming out though my body's own elimination system.

Gee all of a sudden I hafta go out at least every two hours. I can hold it longer but Adopted mom works really hard to make sure that I go out on a regular basis. It is not so easy where we are right now in the mountains because there is no doggie door and I just won't go inside the house! Adotped mom takes me for long walkes too, because that "stimulates" my elimination system to be effective, but she can tell that I get tired easy so we go in circles alot (like she thinks I dont notice I have been by the same ole spots - vbg), and take lotsa breaks for me to laydown and look around. (I do alot more "smellin" breaks now then I used to, but she doesnt mind).

One thing I sure miss is all my therapy doggin, I keep wanting to go up to anybody who walks by for the pets I used to get when we would go out to events. Adopted Mom has promised though when I get through all this chemo stuff, if I'm doing as well as I am doing now I can go back to it.

I am so grateful that Doc Adam and team over at Lookout Mountain Animal Clinic were willing to refer me over to Doc Betset and her team over at the Integrative Veterinary Oncology clinic where they were able to determin that I had the most agressive kind of Lymphomoa and adjust my treatment to specifically go after that.

Why, just this morning I went out for the first time in a month, and woofed at some passerbys that did NOT ask MY permission to walk along MY side of the road! I even told Adopted mom that I was going to sleep in her side of the bed but that the couch was open if she wanted it! (didn't work, but at least she shared!)
Look for those pictrues shortly diary!

Knowledge is Power Pt II

Dear Diary,

When one is caught up being a primary caregiver for others, it is easy to ignore signs of fears, anxiety, doubt or stress in oneself. Adopted Mom has tried five times to talk about the specifics of what this cancer is for this next part, but the subject keeps veering off to other tracks before she recognized she was stalling! So I had to tell her to cut to the chase because we have WALKS to do today!

Last time, we talked about cancer in general. Adopted mom talked about how important it was to understand what KIND of cancer had to be fought to be able to use the most appropriate response.

My cancer is called Canine Lymphoma. Lymphoma is a blood disorder of the lymph system. The lymph system is an important part of the body’s immune defense system.
So this cancer is NOT foolin around! It has gone right to the very system that would fight it off!

Why didn’t my body fight this beast off? Well because Lymphoma is most importantly an immune DYSFUNCTION disease. Sheesh ~ my own body doesn’t even recognize that the cancer cells are invaders to be fought!

What does that mean? Well, my body’s normal recognition response alarm needs to be retriggered to alert my body’s system to fight this disease. The chemotherapy and multi drug approach is an important component to beat this beast back from the many footholds it has taken through out my body, but that action alone would not be enough to trigger my own immune response without additional support from the nutritional supplements that Adopted Mom is giving me in addition to the acupuncture treatments and immune enhancement program provided by Dr Hershey.

The average life expectancy for a dog with untreated lymphoma is only about 2 to 4 months from the time of diagnosis. But modern treatment can dramatically
increase the odds of a remission, and in many cases, provide a long term cure. In Dogs which are otherwise healthy lymphoma is the type of cancer with one of the highest remission rates of any of the canine cancers.

Now please bear with me as I explain about the specifics you need to learn about where your dog (or human) may be with this disease. I am using the correct word so you can do a further search on any term you recognize but do not understand:
Classification of my kind of lymphoma is also based on involvement of B-lymphocytes or T-lymphocytes. Approximately 70 percent of the cases are B-cell lymphoma. A biopsy is needed to confirm the diagnosis X-rays, ultrasound, blood analysis, and bone marrow biopsy reveal other locations of the cancer. The stage of the disease is important to treatment and prognosis.
• Stage I - only one lymph node or lymphoid tissue in one organ involved.
• Stage II - lymph nodes in only one area of the body involved.
• Stage III - generalized lymph node involvement.
• Stage IV - any of the above with liver or spleen involvement.
• Stage V - any of the above with blood or bone marrow involvement.
Each stage is divided into those with systemic symptoms (loss of appetite, weight loss, etc.) and those without.
Dr Hershey used a biopsy combined with blood work, combined with the x-rays provided by my primary vets over at Lookout Mountain, to determine that I am at Stage III with T-cell (or T-lymphocytes). The most aggressive kind I could have!
Here is a brief summary of current thinking on the prognosis (projection) of the average progress of this specific kind of cancer. Complete cure is rare with lymphoma and treatment tends to be palliative, but long remission times are possible with chemotherapy and other forms of immune system support.
What does this mean?
It means, that at this point, there is no treatment available to make this disease go away and never comeback.
It means that my fight will not be an easy fight, full of simple bandage fixes or fast solutions.
It means that there have been some dogs, who have lived 6 more quality of life years with my exact cancer – and Dr Hershey has one right now that has lived 5 years with my exact t-cell aggressive lymphoma! It also means that thousands of others – (dogs and humans) have just lived with cancer, until they died.
It means Adoption Mom can never drop her guard, ever vigilant prepared to fight this disease as long as that fight will give me the kind of quality of life I have right now. (I will talk about those choices another time).
It means that Adoption Mom once again picks up the mantle of “primary caregiver/patient advocate” and juggles that with the mantle of a spiritual “warrior” fighting a demon she can’t win~ with tools, weapons and resources now available that others may not know about.
It means that Adoption Mom MUST remember that while she cannot win her war against the demon cancer with today’s technology, medicine and holistic options. She CAN win battles which will help others in their own fights and decisions.
More importantly, Adopted Mom agrees with Eugene O’Kelly CEO of KPMG who wrote “Chasing Daylight, How my Forthcoming Death, Transformed my Life” commented “I asked my self to answer two questions: Must the end of life, be the worst part?” (He answered no). Then asked, “Can it be made a constructive experience, even the best part of life?” (He answered yes – and so does she!)
He set his life to “beautifully resolve personal relationships”, and experience an abundance of “Perfect Moments” and “Perfect Days”. Adoption Mom says that is her paycheck for helping me find my way though this experience, because even on the bad hair days, it is always perfect for me!
I am glad you are joining me on this journey. I hope you will share your stories with me too because a journey shared is enriched in spirit, heart and soul.

Knowledge is Power- Pt I

Dear Diary,

Adopted Mom is surprised that no matter how much she works with these diseases, when it hits close to home, it is so easy to lose the moments.

Take hearing the diagnoses; one would think after the initial shock, that one would just get with the business. Not true! There are always new “events”, “curve balls” and changes. Adopted Mom got some news today that changed alot of things. but see Pt II for more about that!

Adopted Mom asked Dr. Hershey permission to video the different processes that were done so that others could see and understand better what was done and how it could affect their dogs.

Dr Hershey and her staff is going to help us tell my story to help other families facing this to be less afraid, to become more comfortable and at peace about their choices or decisions!

Why dont you take a moment and book mark Dr Hershey's site because there is going to be alot of cool things happening there coming up:
http://www.integrativeveterinaryoncology.com .

Please look at the great handouts on the left side menu labeled: "Patient Handouts"

So the first thing that was done one week ago was for me to get a chemo treatment. Why? We know I have cancer and we know that it is lymphoma.

What does that mean?
Some cancers stay in one place where they can be attacked by something like a silver bullet called radiation. Other cancers, like mine spread through the whole body like spilled water. So we need something like a shotgun to spread the medicine everywhere.
This is where chemotherapy comes in.

This treatment uses something called “cyto-toxic chemicals”. The word cytotoxic means “toxic to cells”… all cells, even healthy ones. It is just more toxic to cancer cells then to healthy cells. So the first decision Adopted Mom made ,was if this route was going to be taken, then Adopted Mom would really have to chance my lifestyle to give me more strength and internal help to deal with this, meaning vitamins, healthy food and no more JUNK in my life. There go my little treats that have never been especially good for me(bleh).

Adopted Mom said – no more carbs! Carbs FEEDS cancer!!!
Nothing with: No gluten~ which contributes to allergies, causes bowel problems or encourages diabetes. Corn ~ which frequently has mold or fungus, sugars and corn syrup ~ which adds to diabetes, weight gain, hyperactivity, or soy which can contribute to bloat problems. Fortunately, Adopted Mom already believed in much of that, so I was on a diet of a product of Earthblend Natural and Dog Whisperer Canine Adult Organic Dog Food.

She started me on this 100% healthy diet of protein, vitamin, minerals and other supplements before during the ten days that I was being diagnosed and transferred over to Dr Hershey’s care, 2 times a day. Man, lemme tell you I was feeling pretty good with all this bulking up!

Only thing, I was starting to run down a lot, need more naps. But gee, when I was up, ~ I was up!

So this is how I came into the chemo treatment. Stay tuned for Part II coming up!

Can you do Verbal First Aid?

Remember when I said that Adopted Mom went into emotional, mental, spiritual and (yes) physical shock when she heard the news about me?

Well, Adopted Mom is a pretty powerful person. She really understands how to work with energy, just like teachers, healers and martial artists do. She tends to go into lock down take care of business mode. The problem is, when she does that, she doesn’t take time to deal with alllllll the energy that roils around inside her. When that happens, things mechanical and electronic tend to blow out!

When she focuses her energy on things that should take a soda pop of energy to work with, like her car or computer, she just takes that target lock focus and with the power of a super nova, takes care of the next task.

Problem is, just about everything she works with can’t handle that kind of energy out pup and it goes poof! So first it was the car – the STARTER (roflmao – she got it).
Then last Friday, her poor laptop which had been struggling with blue screens and re-boots since she got the news, (really! There are witnesses!) and finally just gave up the ghost, (although the hard drive is now safe in an external container). Adopted Mom thinks the Laptop (called Mobile Paradigms) does NOT want to come home until she gets her energy under control, because it refuses to load any replacement Operating System on to any new hard drive they try!!!

One of the great blessings of Adopted mom’s life is that she has volunteered with or been a recipient of services for Hospice of the Valley here in Maricopa County Az. They have so many helpful tools that help people through times like this:
http://www.hov.org/education_and_resources.aspx Adopted Mom knows how blessed she is to have a non-profit Hospice like this when so many places don’t.

Still, Adopted Mom did one of the best things she has EVER done for her self when she went up to Flagstaff Az to take a class by Judith Simon Prager, PhD called “Verbal First Aid.
Verbal First Aid is based on the book: The Worst is Over: What to Say When Every Moment Counts, by Judith Acosta, LCSW and Judith Simon Prager, PhD. It is changing the way first responders, doctors, nurses, other medical professionals, fire fighters, and police officers are speaking during medical emergencies and crises.
The International Journal of Emergency Mental Health wrote of the book:
“The Worst Is Over is the seminal work for teaching compassionate crisis intervention communication in medical and emotional emergencies. All future books will reference this source as the ‘bible’ for crisis communication."
They are right! You can learn some about this here: http://www.wordsaremedicine.com/verbal-first-aid/ and here http://www.judithprager.com/VFA.html Adopted Mom said the information provided in this class is so important, that she is going to do everything she can to tell others about it and encourage them to learn how to use the tools provided to help others (and themselves) to turn crisis into healing opportunities of empowerment,
When people experience pain, grief or fear knowing what to say in those early moments can make critical differences in not only the critical situation being better or worse, but can change a person’s life forever by using life saving words, beyond any CPR or first aid skills you might have, like she does.
Today, Adopted Mom reactivated her membership on the Canine Cancer lists she joined when Foxie was going through her insulinoma 4 years ago. One of the first things she saw, was a member posting their grief on losing their beloved dog to a cancer after a long hard battle.
Adopted Mom said, “I cannot imagine what you must be going through. You gave so much to help your furbaby and yet it feels like it was not enough. Jake must have really been something, for you to fight as hard as you did for him. I hope the memories of your time with him, what his presence in your life gave to you bring warmth to comfort the coldness of this empty space in your life, until you are ready to share your life, love and passion with another four-legged soul!”

This was an important skill called a “yes set” which made statements that they could agree with, and ended with a lead statement where a suggestion was made to take them to a place one wants them to go like peace and healing.

Adoption Mom teaches many things about safety, health, healing and the environment and considers this information and skills to be the most important new skill set she needs to develop, support and encourage others to learn since she first learned about the conflicts and challenges that generational differences have with each other 30 years ago!

People will do for their dogs what they will not do for themselves. Please check out this wonderful book: http://www.amazon.com/Worst-Over-Counts-Verbal-Relieve-Promo te/dp/1588720241 and the websites of the two wonderful creators of this new healing resource:
Judith Simon Prager, PhD, www.judithprager.com and
Judith Acosta, LISW, www.wordsaremedicine.com

Fur Family, I have no commercial interest here. Just my experience as a Therapy dog and knowing the healing power of such action from my work in disasters, with at-risk children and in hospice situations!
Let us help our human family learn how to help each other when we get sick or suffer losses by learning words that heal and empower those who are suffering!

Tomorrow – my battle with Demon Cancer begins in earnest!

Choices Pt II, the REST of the story!

Dear Diary,

Well, when last I left you. Adopted Mom had decided to accept the status quo and help me to be comfortable until I let her know I didn’t want to be here any more.
A friend of Adoption Mom’s (who brought her, her first problem dog rescue to work with that was facing being euthanized for his behavior problems). Said, “Gee, you know you could raise money to help with Junebug!” Adopted Mom explained that she had a challenge spending money on a health problem for which there was no known cure. Her friend started talking about how much Junebug had done for others and the simple reality that this was one of the better types of cancers to put a dog into remission if caught early and acted on quickly.

After that conversation, Adopted mom got to thinking about the many levels of synchronicity about Adopted Mom and Junebug’s life in the last 15 months.

Adopted Mom has taught safety and health over 30 years, all her professional life.
Some of her favorite educational comments to her classes of adult learners have been about how 52% of dogs alive today will be affected by cancer (up from 48% a few years ago. She says dogs are the new “mine canaries” for humans showing us our fate if we don’t get this warning about the toxins we are allowing into our lives.

Adopted Mom knows that people will do for their dogs what they will not do for themselves. She knows that dogs can help to stop the cycle of abuse with children by opening the door o compassion as well as heal broken hearts with no hope for adults facing their own end of life experiences for their beloved pets, a family member or even for themselves.

Adopted Mom does not believe in accidents or lost opportunities as part of her spiritual life philosophy. She realized that all the foundations she laid with me might not be for nothing after all.

She said to me,” Junebug, in you I recognized a kindred soul. Someone who could teach people about hard experiences and better choices. Someone who would help others understand how they could reduce their own risks and suffering by their own self empowerment choices and actions. June, maybe your life as a therapy dog is not over, maybe it is changing!”

She told me that maybe together, we can help others learn how to prepare for and face great life challenges in a way that helps them with coping skills and clear decisions.

Maybe together we can help people move from being a victim of their life, to become a hero for their life during their most vulnerable times.

Maybe, we can help them see that it is all about the journey, the QUALITY of life, not the quantity of life!”

Welllllll sheesh!!! I could have told her that! Sometimes humans forget that no one is getting out of here alive! All we ever have is this moment – right now!!!

I am a teacher, just like my adopted mom!

Together we are going to share our next journey, our lessons, our mistakes and our successes with anyone who wants to know how to face such a scary experience like this cancer like it was an adventure in which we are the Heroes of this journey!

Choices Part I

Dear Diary,
A few short days ago, Adopted Mom, took me to the vets. Well actually, she took my, ummmmm, poo, ~ for something called a fecal exam, something I have to have done as a Therapy Dog requirement every year. She took me along because my neck swelled up on Memorial Day that she thought was a bee sting, but she couldn’t find the stinger place and an ice pack didn’t make the swelling go down. (Its so cool she learned doggie first aid!).

Well, within a few short minutes Doc Adam Shore from Lookout Mountain, told Adopted Mom that he was all but 100% certain that I had a “fast acting cancer, called lymphoma, because all my lymph glands were swollen”.

I have to admit I was kinda worried about Adopted mom for a few minutes because she went white and poor Doc Adam had to keep repeating himself. Adopted Mom explained to me later that when humans are blindsided by the unexpected, something happens called shock. When shock happens on an emotional/mental/spiritual level, that it doesn’t matter if you work in the medical field as a professional even, the ability to take in medical information, goes right out the window.

Me, I don’t understand what the big deal is! I mean I feel fine. I am playing with my foster pals, eating like normal and ready to do my Therapy dog thing.

Doc Adam said the good news was that this was one of the most curable cancers there is…if one acts quickly and if it was found quickly and early, (which it was).

Adopted mom was really tied up in knots. See, because she volunteers with Hospice, because she helped first her mom, then her dad go through their cancers, and because she has already had four other dogs with cancers that she helped through their final journey, she knows intimately what this process is like.

Adopted mom thought hard about how much money it would take to get me a few more years of life, with luck two to even as much as six by today’s standards. The problem was that Adopted mom is not afraid of death.

She understands that that is going to happen to all of us!

She has learned that the most important thing of all – is how well we live this journey of life we live on! That it doesn’t matter if it is a day, a week, a year or ten years. If one is hating everything, because they are suffering so much, it is not worth the journey for just one more breath! Adopted Mom thought of all the other rescue dogs that that much money could help who have fixable problems, like broken legs, or cuts, or need shots…and she decided to let me have my final journey as comfortably as possible, until I showed her I didn’t want to be on this planet any more.

The thing that made her the saddest, was that we had worked so hard on making me her “Poster Dog“ for her “Adopt a Rescue dog and Make ‘em a Therapy Dog campaign”.

Shoot, this last year alone I went to all kinds of events where people stopped and learned about how to create a Therapy dog because of ME! I helped Gabriel’s Angels with several fund raiser’s (my very favorite because EVERYONE thinks that I am just the best thing since sliced bread because of MY work promoting Therapy Teams for At-risk kids)!

I had even just completed training for the “Pet Connection Program for Hospice of the Valley”, so that I could go with Adopted mom for her speaking engagements here in Maricopa County, in the coming fall, to encourage people to get involved as volunteers with their pets.

Adopted Mom knew that many people are afraid of this process, whether for their pets, for their family members, or even themselves. Adopted Mom knew that one of the easiest ways to learn what a wonderful and rewarding journey this can become, when shared with someone who understands, is though this Pet connection experience, where the attention is on the pet and not on the human volunteer. (How very strange that I have just become one of those affected by the same kind of disease that Hospice of the Valley serves!)

Adopted mom gave her self one day to grieve. She says that one of the most important things to do is to NOT pre-grieve my dying, because then we lose such very important precious memories while I am still here!

Besides, this is about is the glass half-empty or half full? Am I LIVING with cancer?
Or Am I dying from Cancer!

HA! Adopted Mom KNOWS we are all dying - - - -from LIFE! Sheesh! This is not really rocket science! Adopted Mom knows what we could all understand! She could be hit by a car and gone tomorrow! I could actually out live her!

Well diary that is a good note to end this blog entry on, but come back for my next entry, Choices 2, “the REST of the Story, as Paul Harvey would say!

I just started my career and now I have cancer

I spent this last year getting my therapy dog ticket punched, becoming an inspiration and volunteer for Gabriels Angel's Program for At Risk Kids, a new team Member of Hospice of the Valley's Pet connection program so I could join my adopted mom in her speaking engagements "Dispelling the Myths of Hospice", " Living with Chronic Disease" (before it becomes terminal), and "Health Care Discisions" (End of life before you need them decisions).

Have you seen the movie of my journey on youtube.com/cjanderson?
Adoptive mom is trying to figure out how to get that over here too.

Adopted Mom last Thursday JUST completed an presentation to create a pilot project of a joint actvity for an Organization called "Love House" which works with at risk teens and the Rescue she works most closely with that rescues and rehomes dogs that other rescues find to hard to do.

I was going to be the poster dog with my fellow Therapy dog buds, ~ Boo Bear and Boo to inspire these kids to learn and do more.

After wandering aimlessly all my life. Now I have a job to do and I am sick? I dont FEEL sick!

Adopted Mom says that this is a fast acting cancer (blew up in a few days) but is one of the most treatable. The treatment is very expensive. the money spent on me could be spent on many other dogs with more easily fixable problems.

What's a doggie to do?