I want a new drug. One that won't make me sick.

Yesterday I started my second session of chemotherapy with Dr. Freeman and the Veterinary Cancer Referral Center.  The Veterinary Cancer Referral Center has office hours Tuesday through Friday at Dove Lewis here in NW Portland.  I have to tell you a little about Dove Lewis.  I've been there twice.  My brother Fred's been there a couple of times, too. He actually ate a whole bottle of Imodium once.  Don't know why.  It doesn't even taste good. But if you have to go to an emergency animal clinic, Dove Lewis is it.  The people there are really good.  They treat you like you're important.

It's a very sad and a very happy place to be at the same time.  Some animals come in who have never had any health care at all - no shots, no exams, no nothing.  They come in because they get hit by a car or are attacked by another animal or are just getting old.  It's funny because you listen to them call out names from the reception desk: "Rumpelstiltskin? Are Rumpelstiltskin's owners here?... Golaith?  Are Golaith's owners here?..."  (I wish they would call them "parents."  Owner is SO demeaning.)  Golaith was the oldest Pug I've ever seen.  So old his normally black face was white!  And Golaith had gotten into some chocolate the night before.  When Golaith's dad was taking him home, another Pug named Samson came in.  His dad was frantic!  Samson was attacked by an Akita.  One of his eyes looked really bad but I don't know who was more traumatized: the dad or Samson.  I think Samson was okay.

When I came in yesterday, there was this cute little girl named Sky at Dove Lewis.  (She's cute but she's not my type.)  She lives in Lake Oswego and is only a year old.  She got her leg caught in some sort of bear trap! I was stunned.  I mean I guess if you were looking at mountain lions or bears or ...no.  There's no reason to use traps like these.  They are really cruel and just plain mean.  And what if a small kid had found it?  It was in Lake Oswego!  Sky had gotten out and was being adventurous and came back a day later with a mangled front right leg.  Her leg's going to be okay.  She lost a toe or two but we have to be careful because this is what some people do - put out dangerous, mean traps and see what they catch.  I'm glad she's going to be okay.

There were also two really big, really old Basset Hounds there.  I feel a certain affinity with Bassets and Dachshunds.  We all have a genetic condition called chondrodysplasia which gives us our short yet undeniably attractive legs.  I suppose chondrodysplasia can be bad in other dogs but for us, it's what makes us US.  While Corgi's have large round front paws and small oval back paws, Bassets just have big everything.  Big chests.  Big feet.  Big ears.  Big skin.  WAY too much skin.  It just flaps around too much and their ears are constantly getting in the way because they have such a low center of gravity.  If you want to see some pretty funny pictures of Bassets running, you can go here.

I got something called Cytoxan yesterday.  I also get another Cytoxan pill for the next four days that my mom can give me.  They gave her gloves to handle the Cytoxan pills and told her NOT to touch them without the gloves on.  That is a tad disconcerting.  If she can't even touch them, why should I be swallowing them?  I get them along with the Prednisone pills.  I also got something called Onco Support.  It's a powder that she sprinkles on my food.  I'm not sure I like it yet.  As long as she sprinkles it on ground beef, I guess I can stomach it.  It is supposed to have vitamins and supplements that make up for my compromised immune system.

Again - so far so good. My blood test was normal and I found out that I have B cell lymphoma which is supposedly better than T cell lymphoma.  I'd rather not have ANY cell lymphoma but I don't think that's a viable option at this late date.

When I come back from Dove Lewis, Fred and Tomo always give me the once over. I must smell funny to them.  I smell like other animals and other people.  The Dove Lewis techs swab my leg with alcohol to take blood and it must make my siblings wonder.  I think they know something's wrong because they're not as rambunctious as they normally are - running around and challenging me. They don't try to eat my food even though it has extra goodies in it like the ground beef or eggs.  As soon as I get better I'm sure that preferential treatment will stop.

So just for fun I sent my mom some flowers.  You'd be amazed at how easy it is to get ANYTHING online.  Even for a dog.  All I needed was a credit card number and the ability to type.  I'm thinking more toys from Petsmart?  Maybe Omaha Steaks?

My dad was home last weekend. That's always fun. He feeds us on cue as opposed to my mom who feeds us on her schedule. At 5 pm, if we start barking, my dad stops whatever he's doing and gives us dinner. When we try that stunt with my mom, she just says "Quiet" and feeds us when she comes downstairs. Don't get me wrong - it's not as if she's starving us or anything (like that poor puppy in Newark). She just makes us wait. She says it's taking advantage of every opportunity to train. But we've got my dad trained pretty good if you ask me. He also naps which is GREAT for us.  Tomo and I get to nap on the bed.

I also found out how to make a slide show and put it up on something called youtube.  If I can do it, anybody can.  So, help sing me out here.  You can do it.  No one's watching.  C'mon..."I just want to be okay, be okay, be okay .  I just want to be okay today..."
Boo yah!