There is so much history of everything that we have beem through that I would love to blog about, and I might later, but for now I just want to focus on the present. November 2012, I started noticing Daphne having a non-productive cough and took her to the vet where he took x-rays and made the diagnosis that it looked like pneumonia. She was treated with steriods and antibiotics and got better for a short time but it kep coming back. I felt bad taking Daphen to the barn with me as she would be constantly coughing and out of breath. It broke my heart to see her like this. Her behavior started to change, just little things. She no longer wanted to sleep in the bed with me but chose to stya on her dog bed on the floor. She almost isolated herself in a sense and I could jsut tell she didn't feel right.
After trying a couple more things, more x-rays were taken in February 2013, revealing that the cloudiness in her lung was getting bigger. Dr. Miller sent me off to a specialist to get an ultrasound which revelaed a mass in her left lung lobe. On top of the mass in her lung, the Internal Medicine vet informed me that Daphne had a severely deformed kidney and has probely been functioning on just on kidney her whole life. I sat in disbelief asking why my dog, what did she do to deserve this? My heart sank as the vet suggested we do a CT Scan to be 100% what we were dealing with. After the CT, it was suggested that Daphne have surgery to remove the affected lung lobe to be able to diagnose what was in her lung. I promptly scheduled the sugery for April 23rd, giving Daphne the opportunity to enjoy the beach trip my boyfriend and I had been planning for months.
The beach trip was a nice way to enjoy Daphne and remove my mind from the decisions I was having to make on her behalf. I was so nervous about having my almost 9 year old dog have her chest cracked open and part of her lung removed. The night before her surgery I could hardly sleep I was so nervous. I drove her to CVS and dropped her off, hating that I wouldn't be able to see her for a couple of days, as she would have to be in ICU. The next couple of hours were torture and it took everything I had not to call every hour. When the surgeon, Dr. Arnold called I wanted to jump for joy when he said she was awake and doing well. I thought that we had done it and made it through the sugery and it was time to celebrate as we were home free. The pathalogy results came back as intermediate carcinoma and Dr. Arnold suggested we see an oncologist as a follow up. So I scheduled an appointment Dr. McFadden!
During Daphne's recovery it was a bunch of ups and downs. I felt bad leaving Daphne at home when I went to the barn and she got depressed because she had to be kenneled for her recovery. She stopped wanting to eat because every meal was full of meds that upset her tummy and things just sucked plain and simple. I started researching cancer diets and changed Daphne's food to almost completely home made with raw meats, cottage cheese, and other good sources of human grade protien. She was still hesitant but started to gain her appetite back slowly but surely!
We met with Dr McFadden and decided on a course of chemo as a lump had appeared on her breast bone and there might be other cancer cells that were in her that weren't removed during her surgery. Daphne had her first chemo on May 10, 2013! We are sitting here a week later from chemo and almost 4 weeks after her surgery and I couldn't be happier. I know there will be ups and downs and I just enjoy every day I can with this dog who stole my heart 9 years ago. She is going to the barn with me, enjoying her home cooked meals and has started sleeping in the bed again. This journey is going to be draining both emotionally and financially but I am blessed to have a wonderful support team of friends and family.
