Thursday, June 25, 2009

Close to the Bone

Thunderstorms, rain, hail, funnel clouds, flash floods, tornadoes. Ever heard of virga and graupel? Denver’s weather has been volatile this month. It was too wet today for an outing with Jake. I stumbled upon a fascinating photo to post instead. This is an x-ray that Dr. Hedlin took last month. You can really see the magnitude of the tumor on his leg. Every Monday during his treatment at CSU, the vets measure and photograph the bump. The good news is that it doesn’t appear to be growing anymore. And now that he’s had 3 treatments, we may actually start to see some reduction in the size.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Hairshirt

Jake is doing so much better today. He powered through the drug side effects last night like a champ. The fever is gone again. I had an 11am haircut appointment and wasn’t sure what to do. He seemed stable enough to leave alone but now I’m a little anxious on these post-treatment days. And besides, who brings a BIG dog to their salon? Hmm. I find myself asking “Why not?” about a lot of things these days. Tuesdays are usually slower at No 55 Salon so I called and asked if it would be OK to bring Jake. They said “sure!” and we were off. Karla and I realized this was the first time she has met Jake. He curled up on the cool concrete floor behind the barber chair. I could see him in the full-length mirror and watched him sleep.

“I am not the type of dog
That could keep you waiting
For no good reason”

“Hairshirt” by R.E.M.

Monday, June 22, 2009

I Want a New Drug (Week 3)

They actually let me watch Jake’s treatment this time, which was very cool. Here he is with the IV in his other leg. I sat by him, talking to him and petting him. It only took an hour. He was so cooperative. On the drive back, he slept in the back seat. We stopped to get some chicken for lunch back in Denver. He’s definitely showing some of the same side effects again but milder. Around 4pm, he threw up and has been lethargic all afternoon. He also has a slight case of the runs so you can tell his stomach is unsettled. His temp is on the high side at 104.8 degrees. But overall the side effects seem better than last Monday. Today was a vast improvement.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Happy Father's Day

Here’s a pair for you. The first one is Jake’s dad, Harvey Wallbanger. He looks like a negative image of Jake. On Mother’s Day, I posted a pic of me and my mom, so I figured I better give equal time to my dad, Bob. This is a shot from YMCA Indian Guides. Our names: Big Bison and Little Buffalo. Stop laughing and go call YOUR dad. Mine will probably be on the links somewhere.


Tomorrow Jake goes back to CSU for his 3rd cancer treatment. Monday night should be a little easier now that we know what side effects to expect, and that they’re mostly gone by Tuesday.