Max's Journey

Hi everyone.

It has been a very long time since I’ve been here to speak about Max.The wonderful news is that Max is doing very well.  He has had some ups and downs.  However, he’s a trooper and still amazes me with his ability to just keep going!

He’s on Palladia now for almost 2 years and I am happy to report that in August 2013, Max was declared “cancer free”.  I did not want to have an xray done because I was not going to put him through anymore no matter what it showed so I did not allow it for over a year.  But, he was in for a check up and I said please do the xray and lets see how well the Palladia is doing and maybe we can take him off.

His doctor all but skipped into the room and said “I can’t find the tumor on the xray anywhere”.  I cried!  He smiled from ear to ear!  Together we realized we’d done something wonderful.  His willingness and steadfastness in using Palladia for something it wasn’t meant for and me with my homeopathic ideas from Dr. Dresslers Cancer guide had given a pup with great determination a new life.

Unfortunately, in this process of helping Max prosper, we lost another of our precious little ones to bladder cancer.Although he was on the same food regiment at Max, there’s just no chemo for that cancer yet.  It was a huge blow to us and Max and he was lost without his partner in crime.  Ultimately, we added a little old soul to our family and now Max has someone his age to keep him company and she (Heidi) has a seasoned companion!

I’d like to wish everyone a wonderful and SAFE holiday season.  Be good to each other and all animals…2, 3, or 4 leggers!

Max & Mom

Hi everyone.
Happy holidays…ok a little late but I’ve been out of touch for quite a while.  I wanted to jump in and say hello and give a quick update on Maxwell.

Looks like last time I was here Max was fighting with his chemo, well he “sorta” won that battle.  We finally figured out how to make it work without causing his counts to drop…Yeah MAX.

HOWEVER…and there’s always a however…I was advised on 9-15-11 that Max had mets in his lungs.  BANG…I think someone hit me with a brick.  Now what?  Change of chemo for 2 more months and then new xrays.  Two months later I’m advised that “there’s nothing more we can do”.  Well what the heck does that mean?  Apparently it means he has maybe 2 months so take him home and enjoy the holidays.  SERIOUSLY?  I’m sure there’s no need to explain what my holidays were like…tears from November until the day after Christmas.

I started doing some research and decided I could not accept this diagnosis, there must be something else.  Well, I discovered the Dog Cancer Diet by Dr Dressler and I started immediately cooking for him.  Then I came here and started seeing something called Palladia.  Ok, I researched this as well and then I called for a second opinion.  I also purchased Apocaps and started them right away.  And I reached out to my local holistic pet man and got everything recommended for a pup with a terminal diagnosis.  NO STONE UNTURNED.

So, finally, the day after Christmas comes and so does the appointment for our second opinion.  Very difficult for sure, but I presented everything I had past and present and potentially future.  Then it was the Dr’s turn to present everything he had.  He wanted new xrays…OK.  He came back and seemed rather excited and called us to the back to look at the xrays.  It appeared to him that things were not nearly as bleak as we were led to believe.  This required a new CT scan before we could decide the right course of action.  CT done now it’s time to decide.  It’s not as bad as we were told, but it’s not as good as we hoped.  BUT we were cleared to start Palladia.  He’s handling it very well for the last 4 months and we intend to continue with this until such time as Max says “no more”.

The quality of Max’s life has improved greatly and I cannot ask for more than that.  The Dr wanted new xrays to see if the Palladia was working but I told him NO.  It’s between Max and God now and as long as his quality of life is this good and he can tolerate the Palladia and we’re not causing harm to any other body function then we leave him alone!!!

And here we are almost the end of April and Max is just awesome!  I don’t know what specifically is working, but whatever it is I wouldn’t change a thing!  Next milestone for Max is his one year ampuversary end of May.

See you all then…
Max & Lisa

Hi everyone!  It’s been a very long time since I’ve been here to update my blog, but today seemed like as good a day as any.

Max has been through 2 chemo treatments and they have been the most distressing 6 weeks of our lives.  At first it seemed Max was going to do wonderfully with his treatments.  He had no initial reactions and seemed to be doing as well as he had after his amputation.  I thought he was in the clear when DAY 10 hit…
I felt him shaking in the middle of the night, but I didn’t give it much thought and figured he was dreaming, but then I realized this is no dream he’s shivering as if he was cold.  I held him close to me and he seemed to settle, so back to sleep we both went.
In the morning, I put him on the floor and that’s when I knew something was terribly wrong.  He would not take even one step.  With his food dish filled a few feet from him, he was not going to move.
I called the vet and when she returned my call she told me she knew exactly what was wrong and she would call in a prescription for antibiotics for him.  His white blood count had dropped severely and it’s not uncommon for that to happen.  I was thrilled there was something that was going to make him better.  I went to the pharmacy, picked up his meds, and gave him one as soon as I walked in the door.  WELL, Max had a surprise for me…within 30 minutes he started vomiting.  OK now what, ah the anti-nausea meds.  OK I gave him that pill.  STILL, Max was determined to keep surprising me…seems he was allergic to the anti-nausea meds.  He started breathing heavy and getting fidgety…it was not good.  Eventually, I was able to (thank you Google) figure out what helps settle puppy tummies.  Are you ready for this???  Maple Syrup!!! Seems it works like flat soda does for people, a tiny little bit goes a long way!
Finally, I could get the antibiotics into him and they were staying down, the worst was over.

Now, it’s July 21st and time for the second chemo.  I don’t like that he has to go because he’s finally back to himself and I’m afraid he’s going to have a problem again.  However, I take him and I am reassured by the vet that what happened to him is normal, but as a precaution they are going to lower his dose and they gave me something to give him for the first 4 days after his treatment.  I feel better with this and off he goes for his shot.  Once again, Max has another surprise waiting for me.
The good doctor comes from treating Max, wringing her hands, sits down next to me and says…”we have a problem”.  It seem Max has decided he has had ENOUGH of those people and their poking and sticking and probing and has pitched a fit that has made him turn blue.  I didn’t understand turning blue until I realized he was fighting them so hard he was having trouble getting oxygen.  He went into an oxygen cage to try to get him to settle down.  She told me we had some options…give him a puppy Valium or forgo his treatment.  At that point, I’d already put him though the trauma so I said give him the Valium and get the shot in him.
A short while later the vet tech comes out with “mini-Mike Tyson” and sits with us and explains that maybe the next time he should have a Valium before he comes for the treatment.  I agree to this then I ask why he’s all wet underneath.  She said it was the alcohol from the shot.  I accepted this answer.   She explained that he fought the Valium and they had to rush the chemo into him because he was not cooperating.  I pay the bill and off we go…get Max in the car, start the car, look down at my WHITE pants to discover the “wet” is not alcohol.  Max got himself so upset that he peed himself and consequently me.  WHAT A WONDERFUL ADVENTURE!!!!
After a shower for both of us, I wrapped my little boy in a towel and sat with him…and guess what happened next…the Valium kicked in and he slept like a log!

Max did fantastic with the chemo this time around and I was starting to let my guard down when DAY 10 came around.  We woke up that morning and he seemed VERY WARM to me.  So, I put him on the floor and he would not move.  I was so upset.  I carried him to his food dish and he turned his nose up at it.  I got even more upset and picked up a nugget of food and hand fed him.  He agreed to eating this way.  I figured it was a day for him to do nothing but rest…and rest he did.  I went out for a little while and got a harness for the other dog and came home and was tying to get him fitted in it and I realized something was making a funny noise.  It was Max.  He seemed to be having some trouble breathing.  Needless to say the harness didn’t get fitted and off Max and I went to the emergency vet.
The tech came right away looked at his gums and said he was very pale and whisked him away.  She came back a short while later said he was in an oxygen cage doing very well, but he had a fever and the vet would be out soon to talk to me.
The ER vet came out got all the necessary information about him and asked if they could do xrays and blood work…I agreed to this.  He comes back and says his lungs are clear, his heart looks good, he has food in his tummy BUT…he turned blue when we tried to do the xrays and blood and he’s back in the oxygen cage.  OK now whats going on here!!!  Does my dog have PTSD?  Has he gotten it in his head that when they touch him something bad happens?  I am beside myself that my little boy is so afraid he’s turning blue!
The vet gave me antibiotics for him and he did fantastic with them and in 2 days he was back to himself again.

He goes on August 15th for his next chemo.  I will give him the Valium before he goes, but I think I need some reassurances before I agree to the treatment.  Will he bottom out on day 10 again?  Can I give him preventative antibiotics on day 8 or 9 before he has a problem?  Can I go with him to possibly prevent him from turning blue when they touch him?  What happens to him if he keeps depriving himself of oxygen?  How much stress does being oxygen deprived put on his body?  I’m not comfortable with the chemo and I’m not sure it’s the best for him anymore.  I hope the vet can help make that feeling go away.  The picture is after we left the vet…how can you look at that sad face and not feel bad that he is having a hard time?

Wish us luck with our next treatment!

Max & Lisa

Hello all. I know it’s been a while since I’ve been online…life seems to have gotten in the way of blogging!

Max is doing well.  I have discovered that I need to push him a little or he’s not going to do too much without a push.  So, no more free rides to the trees or fire hydrants.  He seems to be annoyed by this, and it has made going outside a much longer adventure than normal.  But after much coaxing and standing my ground, he’s coming around.  I am not a huge believer in exercise, but my 3 legger has gotten me jogging just to keep up with him.  LOL.
Max also went for his first round of Chemo today.  I thought I was doing real well with it all until the Dr asked if it would be ok if she gave me a hug…it’s been a downward emotional slide for me ever since this morning.  Ya see, I have cried here and there, but I knew I needed to hold it together for Max and so that’s what I did.  But for some reason, when a virtual stranger saw past the rough exterior and reached out to console me everything from the last 6 weeks came crashing in on me and I have not really been able to get a grip on myself…however, this will come to an end TODAY b/c Max needs me.
So, she peeled Max off my shoulder and off they went to start his treatment.  I didn’t want to let him go b/c for some reason, the chemo is scarier to me than the amputation.  Anyway, 30 minutes later they brought him back to me and he was all wound up and bouncing around like a silly dog.  They told me he vomited during the procedure but that they gave him an anti-nausea shot and a benedryl alternative (he’s allergic to benedryl) and they gave me 2 scripts for him for nausea/appetite and for diarrhea.   I gave him a very little bit of food and he’s been laying knocked out in my lap since.  I hope and pray that he handles the chemo well.

Stay tuned…
Lisa & Max

Hi everyone!  Just wanted to give a quick update on Max so I can go read other blogs and forums.  Max is doing pretty well over all.  He’s still flopping around like a fish at night trying to find the spot, but I’m hopeful this won’t last too much longer.  He’s getting around pretty well…WHEN HE FEELS LIKE IT.  He will walk and run around for food or his friends, but when it’s time to “tend to business” outside he’s a little less willing to find his way.  If time permits and I’m not already late for work, I’ll stand as stubborn as him and see who wins the battle (we all know it’s Max).  AHHHH Pugs, such willful little dogs!

Anyway, I discovered yesterday that he has an ear infection so he goes Friday to the regular vet to get some meds.  He also has something on the back of his neck.  I can’t tell what it is, at first I thought it might be a tick, but that’s not it…and it smells awful!  SO, Max will get that looked at while we’re there as well!  Poor guy can’t catch a break right now.

I will get back here as soon as I can.  I hope all the Tripawds and their parents are doing well!

Lisa & Max

Last night was Max’s first night with NO pain pills.  I can only assume he was not to happy about that because he tossed and turned and flopped himself all over the place all night.  After a while he did finally find a spot that worked, but I felt so bad for him.  Hopefully, he’ll have a good nap today and feel much better later.

Lisa & Max

Hi everyone.  Max went for a visit to see the good Dr Johnson yesterday and he got his stitches out…YEAH.  He has some red scabbiness on his “stump”, but she said that will get better over time.  I thought for SURE he was going to realize where he was and run the other way when we got there, but not Max.  He ran right up the ramp and waited for me to open the door for him.  I guess he’s just soooo happy he’s not in pain anymore that he’s not afraid to be there.  He starts his chemo on the 27th and hopefully he’ll do as well with that as he has with everything else so far.  He also got his stroller yesterday and that I’m very excited about.  Put it together, popped him in it and out we went for a stroll.  I think I may need to be careful with that…he could possibly get spoiled!!!  All the attention he got, I’m surprised I could get his head through the door when we got home.  I’m excited to get him to the park this weekend!

Admin Guy…Thanks for the bandanna!

Lisa & Max

Howdy!  Hope everyone had a good week.  Max and I had a slow day…he seems just a little out of sorts today.  He’s having a big case of   “mommy-itis”.  Hey, he’s been doing so well to this point, a slow and droopy day is OK.  I did notice that he’s been coughing a little the last few days…has anyone else run into this?
Lisa & Max

Well, it’s been a week now since Max’s amputation.  My expectations have not even come close to the reality of it all.  I can’t even say it has been difficult in the grand scheme of things.  Max is a trooper, I don’t know what else to say about him.  He has defeated every challenge that he has faced and he did it without so much as a whimper.  I discovered late last night that at some point while I wasn’t paying attention, he ventured up to the second floor and pooped.  I wanted to believe that it was Killer (a silky terror…I mean terrier) but he doesn’t do that in the house EVER whereas Max has been known to leave a surprise.  Since his pain patch came off, his affectionate, goofy personality has returned and he’s gotten even more capable of doing his normal routines.  Today his walk was a little bit longer, slow with many stops, but never the less a little farther than he had been venturing.  I watch him in total and complete awe and a renewed sense of hope that he will live a perfectly normal life.
I think we can all look at our beloved pets and learn a lesson in fearlessness and perseverance.  I know I have been fortunate that Max has done so well and I thank God for answering my prayers.  He goes back on Monday for a check up and then we will find out when chemo starts.  I hope and pray that he does as well with it as he has with the amputation.  From what Max has showed me about what kind of Pug he is, I’m sure he will.
Thank you again for all your support and encouragement, this journey would be so much more difficult if there was not a place for tripawds and their pawrents to go!

Lisa & Max

Good morning Tripawds and Pawrents.
Today is our first day without a pain patch and so far so good.  We got up VERY early today and Max was a totally different puppy than he’s been for the last few days.  He was cuddled up next to me and kissing my face…2 things he hasn’t done since he’s been home.  So, I think Shari was right that the patch was masking his personality.  He was even excited when I suggested going potty and having breakfast, it was refreshing.  He’s still trying to figure out the poop thing, but he’s at least pooping once a day and I’m sure he’ll find his way.  Then he decided he wanted to stroll back home…it’s funny I had to tell him to slow down several times.  He’s doing very well and I’m very happy to see that he’s making such great strides and I cross my fingers that he continues on the path to a speedy recovery.
Keep up the good work Max, I love you.
Lisa & Max