Gizmo had his first CHOP treatment on June 13, 2024. He had vincristine chemotherapy cycle 1 week 1 and it went well. I gave him some Trazodone a couple of hours before the appointment to keep him calm during it which seems to have worked, and he was just a little groggy for the rest of the day as a result. They sent us home with some meds for nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, and diarrhea in case any would be needed. I was also pleasantly shocked to find out he’s already in full remission with his lymph nodes returned to normal size after last week’s L-asparaginase and the Prednisone. I didn’t expect it to happen so soon! They didn’t even tell me in person. I was reading his paperwork and saw the comment that said he was in full remission and emailed them to clarify. They said that his lymph nodes returned to normal size and now we’re going to keep doing the chemo to keep him in remission as long as possible.
While I was at the oncologists I ran into another woman who has been bringing her dog for some time. She reminded me that there will be bad days, but that there will also be good days. She also let me know about a canine lymphoma Facebook support group which I joined and spent most of my evening reading through. It was comforting to listen to Gizmo breathing steadily as he slept on the floor at the foot of the bed while I read up on advice and stories from others going through the same things.
A lot of folks in the Facebook group discuss diet changes for dogs with cancer. Apparently, a high protein diet is preferable to starve the cancer cells from the carbs they prefer, and a lot of folks switch food and/or start cooking at home. I discussed this with Gizmo’s oncologist, but she suggested that Gizmo stay on his prescription joint food since he still has so many orthopedic issues to contend with, he has been sensitive to other foods in the past, and we should stick with what he’s eating and has the taste for now that he’s eating again. We have started supplementing the kibble with chicken and protein-rich meal mixers though.
In the first few days after his CHOP treatment, he was drinking and urinating more frequently and his poo was a little runny, but we didn’t feel the need to give him any of the medications that were sent home with us. I expected him to start eating less, but the oppositive happened. His appetite came back in full force! He actually stopped losing weight this week and ate enough to put on a few extra ounces. He even started getting more energy and moving around on his own again. One night he got himself up and walked into the kitchen to supervise me preparing his dinner – he hasn’t done that in months! He also got up and came to greet me at the door and throw himself in my lap for cuddles when I came home from work one day – another thing he hasn’t done in months! I was so worried about what his quality of life would be life on chemo, but things are really looking up and we’re feeling so good about our choice to try it. Our only concern is that he has been urinating more frequently and was a bit sputtery at times, but the oncologist told us to expect some changes in bathroom habits, so we decided to just monitor it a couple more days before we raised it as a concern. And he did have really stinky farts one day which was a little unpleasant but nothing concerning. Gizmo got up on the bed (Colin had to lift him) and we took naps together, we took walks to the park to hang out in the late afternoons/early evenings, Colin took him to physical therapy (this time without making any messes in the tank!), and life seemed to be getting back to the normal we had back before he broke his femur.
A friend from the Berner community came over for brunch one day this week. She told me that it’s normal after having a dog with so many health problems to feel, among a great sadness, also a bit of relief when it is all over. I have to admit that the thought had crossed my mind before and I felt very guilty about it. It was nice to have someone so understanding proactively reach out and normalize that feeling (so thank you, Lisa!). I know that I will be a train wreck when I lose my baby bear. It has also been a lot to manage his health for so many years and watch him live with the pains, and I know there will be some sense of relief that he won’t be in pain and we won’t have to spend so much time and energy on his healthcare at some point. The sadness will be prominent, but there will be many feelings that I can’t deny. I’m in no hurry for it to end and will do it as long as he is happy and having more good days than bad. And right now it looks like we have plenty of good days ahead!