Happy Anniversary, Lucy!

Exactly one year ago today, our Lucy had surgery to remove a hemangiopericytoma cancer.  I'm delighted to report, she is still with us and doing well.  Yippee!

Lucy laying on her stuffed baby

We go for walks and play ball every day.  She never misses a food opportunity either.  We're hoping for 10 more years together.  Go big or go home!

Lucy Has Cancer, Part 5

Since my last posting regarding Lucy's cancer, we took Lucy to have her lung  x-rays .  Great news:  Clear--no signs of cancer!

During the x-ray reading, Doctor Kevin informed me Lucy's tummy was full of chicken bones.  He let me know in case she had gotten into the trash.  I told him they were from the chicken leg she ate for lunch.  Yum, yum!

Lucy is thriving on her grain-free, raw food diet.  She went from an allergic, ichy, hot spot, yeasty-earred dog to clear skin, no bald spots and spotless, clean smelling ears.  Yippee!

In addition to Lucy's raw diet, she receives the following supplements to support her immune system:

• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E
• Milk Thistle
• Chlorella
• Spirulina
• CoQ10
• Bone Meal Powder
• Astaxanthin
• Balanced Amino Acids
• Halo VitaGlo Hip & Joint Supplement

We have more great news:  Lucy made it through her second surgery to remove two additional tumors!  She had prolotherapy injections to her torn ACL in her knee too.  The two tumors were benign and her knee is getting stronger.  Doctor Kevin at Loving Touch Animal Center:  You rock!

Kevin Brantly, DVM

Upon the healing of her incisions, we started messaging Lucy's scars to prevent scar tissue from forming and adhering to other internal areas of her body.  Lucy loves the extra-special attention.  Who doesn't love a message?

Lucy is a bit more tired these days.  We've started our 1 mile walks again.  She doesn't ever seem too tired to walk me. I forgot how fast she goes and got shin splints the first few times.  They were well worth the smile on her face as she paced through the 'hood to smell the roses.  Err, replace the word "roses" with "pee spots".

Lucy laying under my desk

We are extremely happy Lucy made it through her surgeries.  Her innocent, joyful spirit completes our lives.

In case you missed the other posts leading up to this one, here they are:

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4

Lucy Has Cancer, Part 4

Since I last posted, Lucy has had all 30 of her staples removed.  Well, actually it was 29.  One was missing and today as I was cleaning up her toenail clippings, I found it.  A souvenir to place in her keepsake box!  And yes, I have a few of her baby teeth saved there too.

Speaking of teeth, let me take you back almost 10 years ago when Lucy was a pup.  We lived in IL at the time.  She and I were headed outside for a late-night potty.  Lucy slipped on the icy step and her tooth popped out.  Help!

I frantically placed an emergency call to her vet, Dr. Youssef, at Essington Road Animal Hospital in the wee hours of the morning informing him of the situation at hand.  He explained it was normal and another one would grow in it's place.  It had been 14 years since our last puppy and I had forgotten they lose their teeth like humans.  OMG!  How embarrassing was that?

Back to today....  Lucy is still under doctors orders to wear her wardrobe of t-shirts.  Her scabs need to fall off enabling her wound to close up completely before she can undress and RUFF-house again.

Playing "tug" with Lucy.

Also, we still stay with her 24/7.  She gets entangled in the t-shirt when she bends and brings her legs to her chest.  Plus, sometimes it comes untied enabling her to scratch the area and irritate it.  So in this case, we are her "watch dog".

We have extended the length of Lucy's walks from 4 houses to 10 houses, back and forth.  She just loves her walks.  The more, the merrier, as she regains her strength and energy each and every day.

All in all, Lucy's recovery is going excellent!!!  We are extremely happy with the progress she's made to date.  I chalk this up to the staff at Loving Touch Animal Center, her raw diet, high antioxidant supplement regimen and the love, affection and respect we have for her within our home. ♥ ♥ ♥


Click on the links below for other posts in this series:

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3

Lucy Has Cancer, Part 3

Lucy has had two additional visits to her vet, Loving Touch Animal Center, since my last post. The first visit was for the flushing of her 2 drains along with a set of antibiotics and probiotics; the second, for removal of her drains. She is doing remarkably well, especially still having to wear a t-shirt 24/7.

Lucy’s lab results came back with an interpretation of “Spindle Cell Neoplasia, Grade 1 Hemangiopericytoma”. We are very thankful it was the lowest grade.

Upon having her 30 staples removed, we will have her lungs x-rays. This is the most likely place for metastasis of this type of cancer. Hopefully, these x-rays will only ever serve as a base-line set.

If Lucy’s lungs come up clean, she will undergo surgery for the other 2 small masses on her body. She has one on the other side of her trunk and another under her leg which, in time, will interfere with her walking. (The veterinary surgeon was unable to remove them during the first surgery. She would have been under anesthesia too long.)

I researched “hemangiopericytoma” on-line and located this info:

• 'Grossly, hemangiopericytomas can be soft, firm, or rubbery and are frequently mistaken for lipomas. They also may be nodular and locally invasive. Hemangiopericytomas occur most frequently on the extremities, but may arise on the trunk.'

Lucy’s hemangiopericytoma was diagnosed for a lipoma at first.  It was located on the trunk of her body. From this experience, we learned the surest way to tell what’s growing is through a biopsy. Let me say it again: If you feel a lump on your pooch, get a biopsy ASAP!

Lucy and her "babies".

If you missed any of the previous posts in this series, here are the links to them:

• Part 1
• Part 2