Trip to the Vet - Updated 10/1/08

UPDATE--It's a fatty tumor (not cancer), but because it's on her throat, she will probably have to go to a specialist for the surgery. The surgery will probably be her Hanukkah present this year.

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Robin realized this morning that Cleo (my 6 year old black lab) was coughing. Fearing that something was caught in her throat, I took her to the vet. The vet looked down her throat and it was clear. While feeling Cleo's throat, she felt a mass somewhere by her thyroid. That was enough to prompt some x-rays. The x-rays revealed a mass that is beginning to choke off her trachea and is therefore causing the coughing. They did a biopsy and the results should arrive in a few days.

The vet said that it could be one of 2 things--a fatty mass (a growth of sorts) or doggie cancer. Fortunately, the x-rays didn't show that it has spread anywhere. We won't know anything until the tests come back.

I have to say that it was particularly tough for me to hear. It's bad enough that I have cancer--but to hear that my dog may have it too was really hard to hear. I was an emotional mess after the vet visit. This dog has been my buddy and companion. She was an absolute terror when she was young and my father in law warned me that a lab doesn't get "good" until they're 2 or 3 years old. He was so right. Fortunately she and I both survived her early doggie childhood. Now she's older and mellowed out a lot. She's a great dog and has really developed a great personality with age.

I'll post to the blog after I hear from her vet. Also, I'm doing great and have a CT scan schedule for Monday. It's a routine cancer-patient thing. We'll be looking for no new cancer. It's a no-news-is-good-news kind of thing.

Luxury of Getting a Haircut

After several months of having a wicked face (and head and shoulders and chest and arm and leg) rash, I was finally able to get a haircut! Woohoo! It is so nice to be able to do that. However, the chemo has thinned my hair bigtime, so it was time to get it cut really short. Here's me with my new cool short haircut.

Business as Usual

It's Monday and I'm working today. I'm looking forward to a nice day at the office. We spent the weekend in Idyllwild with Steve and Nancy. We really enjoyed watching the squirrels and blue jays play.

I'm back to chemo this week and meet with the doctor prior to that. I suspect that he'll put me back on a weekly chemo schedule. We'll see what he says and go from there. While the break has been nice (every other week for the last month or so), going back to killing cancer weekly is a good thing too. :)

Best wishes to all,

Tim

Mr. Magoo

What can I say, I've had a craving for some vintage Mr. Magoo cartoons lately. Maybe it's from all of those movie nights at Susan and Frank's house when I was a kid.

In my search for Mr. Magoo, I found a great video where Mr. Magoo gets checked out for cancer. It's fantastic. Click here to see it. It's from 1960, but is still very relevant (and worth having a peek at).

As for me, I'm doing very well. With the lighter chemo schedule, I have more energy and feel more like myself. I'll go back for chemo next week and will meet with the doctor then. I expect that he'll restore my weekly chemo schedule, but still without the drug that causes the neuropathy and susceptibility to cold. I'll keep you posted.

One more thing. I just learned about a little boy with cancer. We've been asked to keep him in our thoughts and prayers. With all of the people who have done the same for me, how could I say no to that. Here's a link to his website: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/coleruotsala

Best wishes to all,

Tim

Man in the Mirror

It's so nice to be off of the Erbitux. My face rash is going away quickly. I've actually been able to shave and I'm just about ready to get a haircut. Both of which haven't been possible with the face rash that I've had.

I'm back for chemo this week on Wednesday. I had a great week off of chemo last week. Work is great and is keeping me very busy, and my family is doing fantastic.

I'll put another update up next Monday or so. Best wishes to all.

Tim

Tour of the Kaiser ER

Erica picked up a small cough (probably due to congestion) on Thursday. By Friday, I had a mild fever. Unfortunately, it lasted until Sunday. I suspect that it was either the same illness that Erica had or it was due to the inflammation/rash on my face (due to the Erbitux that I no longer take). My chemotherapy guidelines say that if you have a low grade fever for 2 days, you have to call in and probably go to the ER to be seen. So, we called the Kaiser nurses and they cordially invited me to come tour the ER.

The nurses and doctor were fantastic. I've come to expect nothing less when I visit Kaiser. During my 6 1/2 hour visit, they took a chest x-ray, tested my blood, and looked for everything. I came out just fine. Just to be safe they gave me 2 antibiotics via IV (one of them was one of those super-duper antibiotics) and one antibiotic prescription to take home. I figure with that many antibiotics, I should probably go eat some sushi or something that could possibly have bacteria. With all of those antibiotics, bacteria doesn't stand a chance in my system now. Maybe this is the time to eat at a restaurant that has less than an A rating! Just kidding--no unsafe food for me.

I'm feeling very well and am doing great. My fever is gone and it's back to life as usual, except that I'll give myself some extra time to rest.

Best wishes to all,

Tim