Week 7 – Getting Ready for Round 3

We just had our blood work, and we’re about where the vet expected we’d be.  Red blood cells are good, but only 49% of normal.  White blood cells are low.  Neutrophyls (sp?) are also low, which apparently must be at a certain level before they can do chemo.  The vet thinks they’ll rise in the next week.  His third round of chemo is a week from yesterday.  If he gets in and they’re not recovered to appropriate levels, then he won’t get his treatment.

Porter is back at nearly 100% for his volunteering pet therapy work!  Today he has his second visit at the Shriners Hospital, and he’s already had two visits at the alzheimers home.  I find he’s just as happy to be there, see people, and get pets.  But he does tire out faster than before.  Part of that is the fact that he’s still undergoing chemo I’m sure, but it also just takes so much more energy for him to hop around.  He wants to lay down a lot, which works ok with some patients but not others (anyone confined to a bed or wheelchair).

His “yips” have gone down in frequency, yay!  I guess he might only have 3 a day – usually only one in the evenings when he’s home.  His appetite is down a little, but again I’m assuming that’s due to the chemo.  He still seems to get really tired on his walks.  We’re only up to about 8 blocks total, which is way less than before his amputation but more than he’s ever done since.  I have mixed feelings about it.  I don’t see much advancement now – he’ll go that distance, but then not really be able to go any farther.  I guess I shouldn’t push him much until after his chemo is all done – I have to remember on the surface he seems like his normal self, but inside he’s still getting poisoned.

We’ve added one more supplement to his regimen – Thorne Meriva-SR, which apparently is made of turmeric.  It’s funny, it is bright orange and looks like Cheeto cheese!  It supposedly helps his joints and also helps fight the cancer.  He’s still seeing his acupuncturist every two weeks during the course of his chemo & still loving it.  His incision is completely healed & the fur is about 1/3 of the way grown back in.

Mom’s birthday was Monday – I had a great day, but the best gift was having Porter still here.  I hope he’s here to celebrate my next few birthdays too!  He was very interested in the cake with the candle, but ran away when I blew it out (he doesn’t like smoke in his face!).  But it was cake, so he did come back – ha.