LUNA LOVEGOOD - CHAPTER 13

Luna Lovegood - Chapter 13 - In Which We Realize What a Strange Situation We Are In

Thursday, December 21, 2017

Luna’s disease is a complete mind <game>. 

She has a rapidly progressing fatal disease and yet feels great. She looks like herself, yet cancer cells are taking over her body and shutting it down. It is such a strange situation to be in - celebrating her “health” while mourning her upcoming demise. I don’t like it, but I like it better than if she already felt sick. I don’t know what to compare it to, except a very accelerated mourning of a pet’s mortality that you always know will eventually catch up with them. It’s like going from having a three year old dog to having a fifteen year old dog, without getting the years in between.

You just keep being healthy there Joy. I know your lymph nodes are normal because I've felt them 87 times since Luna's diagnosis.

ONE YEAR AGO

BOOKS AT NEBRASKA HUMANE SOCIETY

TWO YEARS AGO

HAPPY MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY

LUNA LOVEGOOD - CHAPTER 12

Luna Lovegood - Chapter 12 - Luna's First Chemotherapy Session

Thursday, December 21, 2017

Tuesday was Luna’s first chemotherapy appointment. She spent the day with Dr. Cooley and Brandy and the rest of the MidWest Vet team.

Luna’s chemotherapy medicine was prepared in the morning. An IV catheter was placed in her front leg. She received an IV drip of her medication in the early afternoon. Then she was monitored for signs of illness for the rest of the afternoon. All went well, and Luna did great.

Russ worried that Luna would be wiped out after her first Big Day. He waited anxiously in the waiting room. Luna saw Russ and ran straight to him and jumped up onto the chair with him. She was so happy to see him, and he was so happy she was still her goofy, high energy self.

Russ and Luna's Selfie to Assure Us All was Well

That night, Luna was still fine, but the rest of us were wiped out. While we usually go to Finches’ for dinner Tuesday nights, we stayed home with Luna and rested.

ONE YEAR AGO

GULLIVER DOG

TWO YEARS AGO

THE DAY WE MET DAWN SCOTT'S SON CHRISTOPH, WHO HAD FINALLY ARRIVED FROM HAITI

LUNA LOVEGOOD - CHAPTER 11

Luna Lovegood - Chapter 11 - In Which Luna and Her Team Make the Best of Thrombocytopenia

Thursday, December 21, 2017

Luna has a persistent low platelet count (thrombocytopenia), I suspect because her bone marrow has been overtaken by cancer cells and does not have room to make platelets. Platelets are important because they help control bleeding and prevent spontaneous bleeding.

Because Luna’s platelets were still low, her chemotherapy was adjusted to a lower, safer dose.

ONE YEAR AGO

PATIENT PROFILE PICTURE OUTTAKES

TWO YEARS AGO

SHOUT OUT TO AWESOME TECHS

LUNA LOVEGOOD - CHAPTER 10

Luna Lovegood - Chapter 10 - In Which Luna and Arthur Get Matching Elephants for Christmas

Thursday, December 21, 2017

We bought our nephew Arthur an elephant chair for Christmas. Luna promptly decided it was hers. So we bought Luna an identical one. Now she and Arthur can be elephant buddies.

Monday I brought Luna to work with me in her brand new elephant bed. Kelly drew a complete blood count to send to MidWest Vet.

If anything important were too high or too low in her blood work, they would adjust or even postpone chemotherapy. I was anxious to get started.

ONE YEAR AGO

SAPPHIRE, THE FISH WHO LIVED

TWO YEARS AGO

GREATER THAN OR EQUAL TO ONE BOTTLE CAP

ABBY'S LITTLE SNOWMAN

This is a snowman Abby built last winter. The paw prints behind him are Luna's :)

ONE YEAR AGO

BIRD

TWO YEARS AGO

PHOEBE

LUNA LOVEGOOD - CHAPTER 9

Luna Lovegood - Chapter 9 - In Which the Small Dog Gets Her Energy Back

Sunday, December 17, 2017

With Dr. Clemans' blessing, we started prednisone early. It is part of the chemotherapy protocol, but started too soon can interfere with the rest of chemotherapy's effectiveness.

Luna was becoming pretty mopey and was unable to jump onto the bed or the couch. Now she can do both again.

I have to admit, this picture was taken a good half year before Luna's cancer diagnosis.

It was a small risk to take, but a risk nonetheless. I am happy she is happy. I expect there will be many of such quality of life decisions to make over the next several weeks.

ONE YEAR AGO

WRIGLEY AND STARLA

TWO YEARS AGO

SARGE THE BOXER

LUNA LOVEGOOD - CHAPTER 8

Luna Lovegood - Chapter 8 - In Which the Veterinarian Takes Her Sick Dog to the Veterinarian

Friday, December 15, 2017

We met with Brandy the veterinary technician and Dr. Clemans, one of the internal medicine specialists at VCA MidWest Vet. They are both so nice. We were completely tidal waved with information. Even knowing all the big words, I had a difficult time keeping up with how they went together and what they meant for Luna.

Luna has at least stage four (of five) lymphoma, and possibly stage five. The younger the dog, the more aggressive the lymphoma tends to be. Although I read in the Five Minute Veterinary Consult that lymphoma is "rarely cured," it turns out the authors were just trying to say gently that it is never cured. This is a fatal disease. Always. I knew that. I had to be told that by an expert.

The CHOP chemotherapy protocol for lymphoma is twenty-five weeks long.

Dr. Clemans is not certain Luna will live through the twenty five weeks.

She handed me a box of Kleenex and continued. I tried in vain to pull it together. I have not been okay since hearing this.

Luna will have a complete blood count (blood work) done at Gentle Doctor every Monday. We will purchase the IV chemotherapy medications at Kohll's pharmacy once a week (no veterinarian discount!) and drop Luna off at VCA MidWest Vet every Tuesday. There she will be evaluated by Dr. Clemans. Brandy and the rest of the team will administer chemotherapy. She will come home in the afternoon. Luna loves Brandy and Dr. Clemans, so this once a week day long stay should not be a problem.

Chemotherapy for dogs tends to be much gentler than chemotherapy for humans. Luna will not lose her hair, and will probably not develop gastrointestinal signs or even be tired or mopey.

Luna took in all the information like a champ!

I had a heads up from two kind client families about the costs associated with chemotherapy for lymphoma. Brandy went over an itemized estimate with us. The price is steep but the potential  benefits are priceless and worth the investment for us. Many clients have chosen not to go through chemotherapy with their pets, which was the absolute right decision for them too. Our goal is to allow Luna as much high quality time as we possibly can. We will quit when she is no longer loving life. I have not wrapped my head around that yet though.

ONE YEAR AGO

IN LOVING MEMORY OF SNOOKIE JONES

TWO YEARS AGO

SOMETIMES GOD WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS, AND OTHER TIMES HE SENDS A CORGI

JACK SKELLINGTON

A few years ago, Abby dressed Luna up as Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas...

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM ONYX

Onyx is my niece Kylah's kitty. Isn't he gorgeous?

Merry Happy Thanksgiving Christmas from the always dapper young man Onyx!

ONE YEAR AGO

THANK YOU DR. TETER

TWO YEARS AGO

PUPPY CLASS

FROM THE FOX FAMILY

One of my favorite client families has the last name "Fox." They gave me this wine and fox wine topper for Christmas last year. I love it so much!

ONE YEAR AGO

WHY I LOVE SCOTTIES: MATTIE AND MURPHY MCCOOK

TWO YEARS AGO

I SUSPECT A LINK

PICTURES FROM THANKSGIVING 2017

Thanksgiving for us this year was at Mom and Dad's home. It was also the eve of Amanda's 17th (!) birthday! It was a wonderful day. Here are some pictures. I hope you had a very happy Thanksgiving!

Arthur and I ate ALL the fruit.

Amanda made these pumpkin rolls! I love them so much! She started at 7 am.

Amanda and her pumpkin rolls

Mom's beautiful table - pay no attention to the lumpy mashed potatoes.

Amanda, Russ, Abby and Grandma Finch

Dave and Mom, Amanda and Arthur

Arthur figuring out a puzzle

Grandma Finch and the Sour Cream Raisin Pie Abby made her!

Arthur, Olive and Grandma Finch playing with pumpkin plah doh

Amanda winning at the game she plays

Amanda, Mom and Olive

Happy birthday Amanda!

Felix (black) and Oscar (white)

Happy Turkey Day!

ONE YEAR AGO

HAPPY THANKSGIVING 2016

TWO YEARS AGO

KID GRATITUDE IS THE BEST GRATITUDE

OUR NEIGHBORS ARE THE BEST NEIGHBORS, EXAMPLE 3

This actually happened on November 26, 2017, and I back posted it so it would match up with the first two stories of our neighbors! Maybe this should be a yearly post!

Russ was outside unloading groceries when our across the street neighbor we had not yet met but had waved at from time to time came over to give us something. Our next door neighbor Christian (my coworker Chrystal's boyfriend) noticed they were not understanding each other and came to help.

Christian speaks Spanish and English. He helped Russ and our neighbor talk to each other. The neighbor had just had a birthday party for his daughter who turned five. He had come to bring us tostadas and cake from the party!

That was so sweet of him and his family!

I love our ever changing neighborhood and our neighbors.

ONE YEAR AGO

OUR NEIGHBORS ARE THE BEST NEIGHBORS, EXAMPLE 2

TWO YEARS AGO

OUR NEIGHBORS ARE THE BEST NEIGHBORS