An Evening with Everett

5:32pm--Everett is back inside after a quick walk, and waiting for dinner. She passes the time by tormenting Ansel, and chewing on a tennis ball bone.

6:12pm After eating, she is such a pest, we go out the back to run around. User Error, of course, with the action shot.
6:15pm What? Something caught her attention, she stops for a few seconds, and I get a still shot of her. I know it's only seconds, because she is already moving in the next frame (not shown, thankfully).
6:21pm Back inside, her jaunt in the yard was clearly not enough exercise for her. She has shoved herself under my legs at the table--that is my knee taking up most of this frame. She is pestering me for more attention.

6:53pm I have largely ignored her, as I try to get some work done. So she goes after Ansel, and takes his toy. She's now chewing on the remains of a tennis ball bone, which Ansel had just a minute ago. 6:59pm Not content with just taking the tennis ball remnant from him, Everett has moved on to stealing the Galileo from him. Ansel gives up and goes to his basket. 7:25pm Having conquered all the toys in Ansel's possession, Everett goes back to the tennis ball remnant, and takes it to this bed, where she can stretch out and watch me while I'm working.
And so goes an evening with Everett.

Radiation--the new dental floss

Very wet day, today.
I was able to get out with the poodles while it was spitting, but not really raining yet. It is really hard to see, but Everett has a stick between her feet. She was chewing it just a few seconds prior to this photo, when something in the neighbor's yard caught her attention. I brought Everett with me in the car today. She was nervous, as always, with the pending storm. Panting, she tried to climb into the front seat (she's never allowed in front), and I had a good view of the tumor area.

No doubt about it--radiation is good for getting rid of tartar. Her tooth at the surgery area is completely clean--what's left of it anyway. And as her infection is retreating, so is the material holding in said tooth. The entire root is completely exposed. Her tooth looks like it will go to the tooth fairy any minute, and I am just amazed that she continues to eat chewy food, AND chew on sticks!!

What used to look like a separation in the sewn tissue now looks like the parting of the Red Sea. To my untrained eye, there appears to be no evidence the two pieces used to be together. And it looks like another small growth is starting forward two teeth--if you look at the photo a few days ago you can see it. It's tiny, sesame seed size, and an ugly color. On a more positive note, besides that small seed, the fissure in the gum looks like healthy tissue; it is not an angry red nor puffy nor weepy.

A Great Night

She slept so well! I only heard her moving around once, a little before 5am, but she went right back to sleep. I awoke after 7, and she was still sleeping! Here she is after breakfast, with the tennis ball bone, shredding it as per usual.

And while she's not finished destroying this one, she did gather up the others (one behind her, the other just at the bottom of the photo), to make sure Ansel does not have access to any of them. And now for a short snooze....

Because she slept so late, her meds were given 13 hrs apart, instead of the prescribed 12. Even so, she seems to be responding well! I am thrilled she had a good night of sleep--happy for myself, too. :-)

There is no visible swelling left in her face, and as you can see, she's resting on the tumor side of her muzzle. What a great way to start a Saturday!

Watching the Rain

She is lying at my feet, looking out on the rain storm that is passing through town. Our first one of the year, complete with thunder. She hates thunder. She knew the storm was coming before I did...she always does.

No stick today. But her face looks pretty normal, and the smell from her mouth is minimal. So all in all, a good day so far!

Dealing With It

Taken April 1st, before we knew the cancer has already spread to her lungs. Taken April 3rd, after we knew the cancer has metastasized.
Does she look any different? Well, these are all action shots, so maybe that's not a fair question.
These two photos from today were taken 4 minutes apart--one in the snow and one in the grass. Please note the size of this stick, by its shadow in the photo. And the game was instigated by Everett, not me! In her current sore mouth condition, I would never ask her to pick up a stick, much less one this big.

My point is--she doesn't know anything is different from yesterday to today. Sure she was slow moving today, and yes, she was drooling blood--most likely from the poking around in her mouth yesterday. It may even be a good sign, if the drainage from the infection has improved. But give Everett the opportunity to have some fun, and she'll take it. Wouldn't it be great, if I could have the same attitude!

Bad News

The cancer has spread to Eve's lungs. As of today, her life span prediction has been altered--odds are she'll be gone in less than two months.

Secondary bad news is the surgically altered area (where the tumor was removed Jan. 15th) has separated. Without bothering with the dog anatomy terms, her lip had been sewn to her gum area, to close the space where the tumor had grown just below the gum line. The new tumor growth, which is the first growth the oncologist at the U saw on Jan. 29, was growing out of the back side of that altered space, not up through it. The open space is so large that the doctor could see the roots of her teeth--it's possible the space is open all the way down to her jawbone, and it's infected. The smell emanating from her mouth is from the infection.

Knowing her time is so short now, we are treating the infection in her jaw with antibiotics. I know the doctor gave me at least 2 options on what next to do for that space, but for the life of me I cannot remember what they are. Not his fault--he spent far too much time with me as it was, doing his best to help me understand her options, as well as the possible outcome of each one. I just don't remember what they are....

Mother Nature's Joke for April 1

Well, the snow has stopped falling. The roads are a mess, and just in our back yard, there are at least 8 inches on the ground. I'm sure much more snow fell than we were able to measure here, but a lot melted as it hit the ground, or at the bottom as it began to accumulate. Just 24 hours ago, there was no snow left in the yard at all.

Everett had a rough night. She went back and forth between the round dog bed and the rectangular one--one is harder than the other, but it seemed she just couldn't get comfortable.

I have called the hospital--we are going in to see her oncologist Wednesday morning.