Thankfully, Bocci is still with us and feeling good. We brought her home from the ER Vet on Tuesday and have been giving her tons of TLC. She has a large, open mass near her anus (hate that word) that is not pretty. The sore bleeds at times, but we're able to keep it minimized with cold packs and powder from Petsmart.
I took her back to the vet on Friday and was told that if we can manage the sore, Bocci could be with us for some time. Since the meds were making her sick, we stopped all but the Tramadol (2x per day). She has been fabulous ever since and getting back to her old self. Ultimately, we know the cancer is growing, but since she is not in pain and her quality of life has not changed, we are going to cherish the time we have left. Having been down this path with Bailey, we opted to forgo surgery, chemo, etc. If it gets to the point where she is suffering, we will make the dreaded call. Until then, she is getting all sorts of treats and loving every bite.
One side note, Basil has been so good! I was worried about her pouncing/picking on Bocci like she has for the past year, but Basil must have a 6th sense and knows to leave Bocci alone.
Thanks again for all of the prayers and support!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Bocci - keep her in your prayers
We learned last night that Bocci has an aggressive form of cancer - likely hemangiosarcoma. What is it with this cancer?? Why can't it leave my family alone??
She was bleeding from the rear so Joe took her to the vet hoping it was a simple diagnosis. Unfortunately, she has a large mass that has ruptured and a few others in the same area. The vet shared that when a mass of this size ruptures, the cancer has likely spread to major organs. They were able to get the bleeding to stop, so now it's a waiting game. The worst kind. The mass could rupture again tomorrow or we could get lucky and it could take weeks. Because of her age, we are opting not to do xrays and chemo. One of the hardest parts is knowing what steps to take and when - especially when her mind is great and her demeanor even better.
I just don't get it. Bocci has been doing so good....full of energy and even a bit sassy with demanding more and more treats.
I'm out of town for work and taking the first flight home this morning. If you have a beloved pet, give them an extra hug because you just don't know what tomorrow will bring.
She was bleeding from the rear so Joe took her to the vet hoping it was a simple diagnosis. Unfortunately, she has a large mass that has ruptured and a few others in the same area. The vet shared that when a mass of this size ruptures, the cancer has likely spread to major organs. They were able to get the bleeding to stop, so now it's a waiting game. The worst kind. The mass could rupture again tomorrow or we could get lucky and it could take weeks. Because of her age, we are opting not to do xrays and chemo. One of the hardest parts is knowing what steps to take and when - especially when her mind is great and her demeanor even better.
I just don't get it. Bocci has been doing so good....full of energy and even a bit sassy with demanding more and more treats.
I'm out of town for work and taking the first flight home this morning. If you have a beloved pet, give them an extra hug because you just don't know what tomorrow will bring.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
One Year
It just doesn't seem real - that a whole year has disappeared.
Why is it that the "firsts" always get to us? The first month, the first Christmas, the first birthday...the first anniversary. I suppose one way of coping is to mark the milestones and to morn a little deeper on those days so that the days in-between can be a bit easier.
We woke this morning and watched a ton of Bailey videos. I started with the most recent - about 2 days before she passed and worked myself backward to the videos before she fell ill. I wanted to end with happy thoughts and remember the world as it was when Bailey was full of life and healthy.
This afternoon, we hiked with Basil to Bailey's spot on the mountain near our house. It is here that I spent many moments going through the stages of grief. A few short hours after Bailey passed, I hiked up this mountain and found a special spot off the beaten track where I could come to escape. I placed a picture of us under a big rock to protect it from the weather and animals. Over the past year, Mother Nature and the animals have swiped little trinkets left for Bailey. Two things still remain, a cheesy butterfly glow stick and our picture ~ albeit a bit warn from the sun and rain. I cracked a smile today noticing that a sliver of Bailey's hair is still submerged in the frame.
It's amazing that a four-legged creature could capture our hearts like Bailey did. I miss her as much today as the day she left. I hope she knows how much she was and is loved.
XOXO Bailey ~ I love you.
Picture from our visit to Bailey's spot 10/23/10
Why is it that the "firsts" always get to us? The first month, the first Christmas, the first birthday...the first anniversary. I suppose one way of coping is to mark the milestones and to morn a little deeper on those days so that the days in-between can be a bit easier.
We woke this morning and watched a ton of Bailey videos. I started with the most recent - about 2 days before she passed and worked myself backward to the videos before she fell ill. I wanted to end with happy thoughts and remember the world as it was when Bailey was full of life and healthy.
This afternoon, we hiked with Basil to Bailey's spot on the mountain near our house. It is here that I spent many moments going through the stages of grief. A few short hours after Bailey passed, I hiked up this mountain and found a special spot off the beaten track where I could come to escape. I placed a picture of us under a big rock to protect it from the weather and animals. Over the past year, Mother Nature and the animals have swiped little trinkets left for Bailey. Two things still remain, a cheesy butterfly glow stick and our picture ~ albeit a bit warn from the sun and rain. I cracked a smile today noticing that a sliver of Bailey's hair is still submerged in the frame.
It's amazing that a four-legged creature could capture our hearts like Bailey did. I miss her as much today as the day she left. I hope she knows how much she was and is loved.
XOXO Bailey ~ I love you.
Picture from our visit to Bailey's spot 10/23/10
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Important Warning for Doggie Parents
Month Eleven...where does time go....missing you Bailey girl - as much now as ever. I wish you were here. Damn you Cancer for taking her away.
Xylitol - A Silent Dog Killer
I wanted to share an important note about a sugar substitute that can be very deadly to dogs. I recently learned of this when a friend of a friend lost her German Shepherd from eating sugar free gum that contained Xylitol. Xylitol is found in many popular diet foods, pudding, muffins, gum and even toothpaste. From what I have read, it doesn't take much or a long period of time (as little as a few sticks of gum) for dogs to drop over. Here is a link to some additional information. If you have four legged pups around, be sure to keep this very deadly ingredient away.
Happy Birthday
On a lighter note, we had a fun birthday party for Basil and Bocci last week. I know...I can hear all of you now...a birthday party for a DOG??? Yep - two dogs in fact! With Bocci turning 13 and Basil hitting 1 we just had to celebrate. Helping the matter was some cool plates I found with a Golden wearing a birthday hat and cool shades. 
Xylitol - A Silent Dog Killer
I wanted to share an important note about a sugar substitute that can be very deadly to dogs. I recently learned of this when a friend of a friend lost her German Shepherd from eating sugar free gum that contained Xylitol. Xylitol is found in many popular diet foods, pudding, muffins, gum and even toothpaste. From what I have read, it doesn't take much or a long period of time (as little as a few sticks of gum) for dogs to drop over. Here is a link to some additional information. If you have four legged pups around, be sure to keep this very deadly ingredient away.
Happy Birthday
On a lighter note, we had a fun birthday party for Basil and Bocci last week. I know...I can hear all of you now...a birthday party for a DOG??? Yep - two dogs in fact! With Bocci turning 13 and Basil hitting 1 we just had to celebrate. Helping the matter was some cool plates I found with a Golden wearing a birthday hat and cool shades.
Baileyism
I love that Bailey could not catch to save her life. I thought of it today when throwing Bocci a piece of popcorn. Of course, Bocci caught it mid air like a true pro, but not Bailey. She would have done this counterclockwise circle thing with her head and missed completely. Love her!
I love that Bailey could not catch to save her life. I thought of it today when throwing Bocci a piece of popcorn. Of course, Bocci caught it mid air like a true pro, but not Bailey. She would have done this counterclockwise circle thing with her head and missed completely. Love her!
Monday, August 23, 2010
10 Months....
I'm in NYC for work....it's raining and in the low 70's - a nice break from the AZ heat. The past 10 months have gone by quickly - not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. They say time heals all wounds...I disagree - who the heck is "they" anyway? I'm quite certain that my wounds will never go away.
On an upbeat note, I am thankful for the enjoyment I get from Bocci and Basil. Bocci amazes me - she will be 13 in a few weeks and is looking fabulous. She has become quite active the past month - likely because Basil keeps bugging her to play. As for Basil, she is a complete hoot. I love that she looks similar to Bailey, yet has so many different quirks. We had a bad storm hit before I left for NY. Basil was on the bed with me and could not get close enough. She does this thing where she puts her face right next to mine. Cracks me up. I often wonder how she and Bailey would have played together.
Here is one of my favorite pictures of Bailey - taken by my dear friend, Marnie, (who is an awesome photographer) :) Funny/sad story about this picture. We were just at the Vet with Basil the other day and I looked up to see this picture on the Vet's bulletin board. We sent it to the Vet when Bailey passed as a thank you. It's comforting to know that she is still "with" us where ever we go.
I miss you Bailey girl!!!
On an upbeat note, I am thankful for the enjoyment I get from Bocci and Basil. Bocci amazes me - she will be 13 in a few weeks and is looking fabulous. She has become quite active the past month - likely because Basil keeps bugging her to play. As for Basil, she is a complete hoot. I love that she looks similar to Bailey, yet has so many different quirks. We had a bad storm hit before I left for NY. Basil was on the bed with me and could not get close enough. She does this thing where she puts her face right next to mine. Cracks me up. I often wonder how she and Bailey would have played together.
Here is one of my favorite pictures of Bailey - taken by my dear friend, Marnie, (who is an awesome photographer) :) Funny/sad story about this picture. We were just at the Vet with Basil the other day and I looked up to see this picture on the Vet's bulletin board. We sent it to the Vet when Bailey passed as a thank you. It's comforting to know that she is still "with" us where ever we go.
I miss you Bailey girl!!!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Trying Week...
Bailey would have been 11 years old yesterday....Friday marks 9 months since she passed...and Sunday is the 1 year anniversary of her spleen erupting and learning of her cancer.
I watched a bunch of her videos last night which brought a mixture of tears and smiles. I miss her like crazy. I miss her soft fur, show times, the little white dot on her ear, her silly eyebrow movements....
I found a video that made me laugh so will call it a night with the vision of Bailey destroying her pink baby.
I watched a bunch of her videos last night which brought a mixture of tears and smiles. I miss her like crazy. I miss her soft fur, show times, the little white dot on her ear, her silly eyebrow movements....
I found a video that made me laugh so will call it a night with the vision of Bailey destroying her pink baby.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Month Eight
I miss Bailey's quirks - she had so many funny, little habits that made me laugh every day.
Baileyism
Bailey had to be the center of attention - always. Here is a picture of her pouting (literally) because Bocci went with me for a drive while Bailey was stuck at home. Little did Bailey know, Bocci was going to the vet for a check up. I swear, Bailey wouldn't make eye contact with me for over an hour and only AFTER I tried sucking up with cuddles and treats. Miss you B - miss you every single day.
Baileyism
Bailey had to be the center of attention - always. Here is a picture of her pouting (literally) because Bocci went with me for a drive while Bailey was stuck at home. Little did Bailey know, Bocci was going to the vet for a check up. I swear, Bailey wouldn't make eye contact with me for over an hour and only AFTER I tried sucking up with cuddles and treats. Miss you B - miss you every single day.
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