Life's What You Make It

Jake had an appointment at the CSU Animal Cancer Center at 11 am this morning. Paul took him up there for restaging, so we could check on the spread of the cancer. I got a sad call from him late in the afternoon while I was at work, telling me the ultrasound indicated that his spleen had ruptured. He was bleeding internally and would be gone soon…a couple days at the most…maybe even just a few hours.

Paul and I talked about whether I should make the drive up to Ft. Collins or if Jake could make it back to Denver. We decided that we would try to do it in Denver. The vets at CSUACC called Dr. Hedlin at Aspenwood Animal Hospital to let her know that we’d all be there in about an hour and to have a room set up for him. I left work right away and waited for them at the clinic.

When Paul arrived, Jake was laying on his bed in the back of the SUV. His eyes were looking around but not really registering anything. It took a few moments before he recognized me and managed a few taps of his tail to let me know he was back.

We carried him into the room on a stretcher and waited for Dr. Hedlin. Jake looked worn out and exhausted but fortunately did not seem to be in any pain. We spent about an hour in the room, talking to him and brushing his fur, as soft as it was the day he came home on 9/10/2001. He seemed ready.

The vet techs came in, shaved a small patch on his forearm, close to the furless scar tissue left over from the original tumor in 2009, and set the catheter. Dr. Hedlin came in and sat with us for awhile. We talked about how many times we had brought him to Aspenwood over the last 9 years, and what an amazing dog he was, particularly over the last couple years during his up-and-down battle against cancer. We all cried and said goodbye. She pushed the chemicals in the syringe and he fell asleep quickly, much faster than I expected.

As I watched him take his last breath, I couldn’t help but remember watching my mom do the same, a few months later the same year he was born. If you’ve never witnessed something like that, you may think that it’s tragic, or painful, or something to avoid. But it is truly an honor and privilege to be there when it happens to someone you love…when they leave us in a familiar place…surrounded by people who cared about them, and for them.

And so, if there’s a message here, you already know what it is. It’s a bit like the ending of that Monty Python movie, “The Meaning of Life” where everything is distilled to a few basic instructions. So simple:

Go for a walk with your dog.

Call your mom or dad, or someone close to you.

Try something new.

And don’t forget to take some pictures.

Tougher Than the Rest

Jake went to CSU Animal Cancer Center for what was supposed to be his last IV dose of chemo (liposomal clodronate). However, during the physical exam, the vets thought they should do an ultrasound. The cancer is back. But we’ve heard that news before. It doesn’t seem to stop us. We still have a few more places to go.

Ready to Start

It’s about time for Jake’s next chemo treatment at CSU Animal Cancer Center. He always needs a blood draw prior to treatment and once again, it looks fine.

Everyday Is Like Sunday

Jake and I were asked to speak at Camp Bow Wow’s annual meeting at the Omni Interlocken. The Bow Wow Buddies Foundation is dedicated to finding a cure for canine cancer. They also fund a yearly scholarship at CSU Animal Cancer Center. The oncologist that oversees Jake’s clinical trial, Dr. Scott Hafeman, was their first recipient.

Walking Wounded

Dan drove us all down to Stapleton’s Central Park for the K-9’s for Cancer walk today…me, Jake, Mary Ann and Maggie. The weather was so much better than last year when the high was 17 degrees. This event, like Project Ruffway back in April, supports the CSU Animal Cancer Center. We love to attend these events, help raise money for a great cause and reconnect with the amazing staff from CSUACC. After the walk started, we went over to Jaime Rowe’s tent to do “paw-tographs” for people buying her new book, “Survivors – Your Best Friends’ Journey with Cancer”. Jake is one of the featured dogs in the book. He was very patient while we gently pressed his paw on a green ink pad, and then stamped each book.

Blood Makes Noise

Jake’s post-chemo bloodwork is great this time.

Bulletproof

Time for Jake’s 2nd round of chemo at CSU Animal Cancer Center. The treatment last month went really well so we’re not expecting any problems with side effects today. Dave from 9News joined us to shoot more footage so I actually got to the sit with Jake during the infusion of Liposomal Clodronate. This cool device administers the drug through his IV over a 1-hour period.

All things considered, Jake is compliant while this is going on. However, towards the end he got a bit restless and kept messing with the IV. We managed to distract him with a toy but you can see the carnage he can inflict when he’s focused on something. Thank god the puppy stage is long gone.

Ugly on the Outside

Oh, don’t even try to think this is creepy. Jake’s foot looks fantastic compared to what I saw a few weeks ago. You can thank me later for not posting those photos!

Again & Again

We were back at CSU Animal Cancer Center today and here’s another photo of Jake in front of their building. This is the first of 3 rounds of an IV drug called Liposomal Clodronate. No GI side effects this time, thanks to a pre-dose of Cerenia. When we got back to Denver, we cooked out tonight with the gas grill that Dan gave me. Am I running out of background ideas for the photos??? Jake has to wear a white gym sock taped on his foot so he won’t tear off the bandage. Why does he always cross his paws like that?

Interesting Drug

The UPS man brought Jake’s chemo again. Same as the last time. It’s called Lomustine (CCNU). One 40mg capsule and two 10mg capsules. He takes them easily in Pill Pockets. “Wear gloves”? You bet I will follow those instructions.

Young Blood

Jake had more bloodwork done. His numbers are great so we’re cleared to start another round of chemo next week.

The Book I Read

Here’s the information on the “Survivors” book, which features a number of inspirational stories about dogs who are fighting cancer, including Jake’s. Jamie Rowe did an amazing job at our photo shoot a few weeks back. Check out her blog and the video below. And if you’re feeling generous, buy a copy for yourself or another dog lover. I just ordered mine. Proceeds benefit the CSU Animal Cancer. Thanks to the great docs up there, I’ve had Jake a year longer than I thought. That’s worth $25 to me any day.

Ease the Pressure

Still recovering from surgery but, in general, Jake’s doing pretty well. We sat on the porch for most of the day, enjoying a beautiful summer afternoon in Denver. The bandage will get professionally changed by the vet every 2 – 3 days. Because of the difficult location between his toes, they really want to watch out for potential infection. We have to keep it wrapped pretty tight to keep him from chewing it off.

I'm Hurtin'

Jake had surgery today on Thursday. I picked him up at the vet’s office and his paw was wrapped in a massive bandage. I had to carry him from the car to the house, limp in my arms like an 80-pound sack of furry potatoes. I made a bed for him in the living room and slept with him on the floor all night. He was pretty doped up from the morphine and in a lot of pain. Every breath that he exhaled came with a tiny whine. All…night…long. Poor guy. But he slept most of the day on Friday while I worked from home. Saturday was a major improvement even though he can’t put weight on the leg and won’t be able to for awhile. Today he was back in the front yard sporting his trademark colorful bandages and a pretty fine attitude, considering what he just went through.

Hello Again

Ruh roh. D’oh. Found another bump this week, between Jake’s toes, on the same leg as last year. A quick visit to the vets at Aspenwood Animal Hospital. They aspirated it and the results are in: cancer consistent with the soft tissue sarcoma last year. They conferred with CSU Animal Cancer Center and want it removed. Surgery is scheduled for next week.

I doubt he’ll be able to get wet afterwards so we decided to bathe him today. Hosed him down in the front yard and used some swanky hotel shampoo. He always likes to be brushed afterwards. Hairy dog.

Feelin' Good

Today was Jake’s checkup at the CSU Animal Cancer Center. Our appointment was at 8 am so we were on the road early this morning. Among other tests, he was scheduled for an abdominal ultrasound, which requires fasting. That’s always a pain for humans but worse for a yellow Lab (with an endless appetite) who doesn’t understand why I “forgot” his breakfast today. It was a bit surreal today. Driving up to Fort Collins, with Jake in the backseat, I remembered the first time I brought him here last year and he was accepted into the clinical drug trial. All I wanted then was a few more weeks with him (or maybe months, if I could be really greedy).

While we were waiting in the lobby, I met a first-time client whose 3-year old Golden Retriever was being treated for cancer. I told him to have faith – that Jake was here a year ago with a tough diagnosis but is doing well – and that the staff at CSUACC would take good care of both of them.

We started with a physical exam from Dr. Lana and Dr. Hafeman. They aspirated a number of the lumps on his body…all normal, non-cancerous.

I really like this photo of them measuring what used to be the tumor on his leg. It just looks like a birthmark now but check this or this out if you want to see how massive it was in the past.

They took him away for a couple hours for x-rays and ultrasound. I came back at 1:00 pm to get the test results. ALL CLEAR! We’re done with pills and docs! He gets to go back to being a regular dog for awhile.

Thanks to all of everyone at CSUACC for everything…on so many levels. Jake and I really appreciated the extra attention today. But looking back, everyone was fantastic when we first walked in the door last year like any other patient. Thanks, too, for accommodating Dave from 9News and letting him go “backstage”. He’s working on a follow-up to last year’s story on “Jake’s Journey”. I’ll post the link when it airs.

Dr. Hafeman asked me if I was going to keep doing this blog now that Jake is OK. I only thought about that for a second. Absolutely. We’ve only visited 27 out of the 260 parks in Denver. We still need to get on Coors Field. And I really want to get him to a beach one day. This is just the prologue.

Ready for the Floor

Project Ruffway, the benefit for the Bow Wow Buddies Foundation, was a blast. Jake was a pro. A little shaky walking up the 3 steps with his leg braces but once he was on the runway, he was in his element. Dr. Hardy from the CSU Animal Cancer Center introduced him as a cancer survivor, which got the crowd energized. I bet he thought, “Hey, that applause must be for me!” So right on cue he did a couple laps, generously doling out love to the VIP’s sitting around the edge of the stage while the cameras flashed.

There are lots of party pics at the MetroMix and Blacktie-Colorado websites. I’ll post some others soon. There are so many to choose from. 9News was also there to shoot footage for a follow-up feature on Jake’s battle with cancer. April 18th will be the one-year anniversary of his diagnosis. A lot can happen in one year.

One More Time

Two more medical visits this week. Dr. Hedlin at Aspenwood Animal Hospital takes x-rays to confirm that Jake has torn the CCL on the other rear leg. We were expecting that eventually. It’s pretty common. However, the left rear leg (the first one to tear) is actually stabilizing a bit so we’re happy about that. Surgery is still not an option due to the chemo, so we’re back to OrthoPets (at their new, expanded building) for his second leg brace. As usual, Martin and Amy Kaufman, and their staff were fantastic. And I can’t believe that we’re just two weeks away from the one-year anniversary of the cancer diagnosis. He was supposed to be gone last summer. So what if he wears two braces for walks now? He’s still here and cancer-free right now.

I've Seen That Movie Too

Here’s the finished video from the interview that Jake and I did at Orthopets. We taped this on my birthday when my nephew, Grant, was in town. They asked me to do a testimonial about the leg brace for his torn ACL/CCL. We still can’t do surgery on his leg, due to the chemo, so this is a great alternative.

OrthoPets Customer Testimonial: Mike and Jake from OrthoPets on Vimeo.

Quick Painless & Easy

Jake took another round of his chemo today. Just 3 pills of a drug called Lomustine (CCNU). We put them in this cool treat called Pill Pockets and he wolfs them down. It’s not even a big deal at this point. No visible side effects. We’ll go back to his vet in a week to recheck his bloodwork.