Dog days of summer

It almost feels normal at home, although Mom doesn't like to get up early enough to walk Lou and me.  I miss that.  Hopefully she will feel up to walking us tonight.  She says she doesn't feel like working out during the day so much because the medicine made her tired, so she likes walking with Dad and us boys after work.

The weather is warm, which makes Mom happy.  She loves sitting on the back deck in the warm air.  We live in a microclimate of Northern California where the weather is usually mild with cool evenings which is perfect for a dog with as much fur as I have.  Like me, Mom grew up here so this is heaven to her.  Dad is from Upstate New York where they have hot summers and cold winters.  He likes it here much better.

If this is the new normal, then let the dog days continue.

Progress

Mom went in to the hospital early this morning for a blood test.  Her doctor wants to keep a close watch on the effect of the chemo drugs because she has "skinny bones".  Last time they almost killed her when her ability to fight infection dropped off the charts without them knowing it for two weeks.  Thank God Mom has good hygiene habits and didn't pick up any bacteria or virus then.  She still pets me, so maybe I'm a clean dog, right?  Her test came back with very encouraging results.  The chemo drugs smacked down the malignant white blood cells and she still has enough to fight infection.

Mom came home from work about 5:30 tonight which is earlier than normal.  She and Dad took Lou and me for a walk.  Dad set a slow pace since Mom is still weak from the treatment.  She was really happy to have walked the 1.5 miles with a couple hundred feet elevation change.  I was happy that she was out walking with us.  The air was unusually heavy and the sky was grey.  Very unusual for this time of year, or ever in this area for that matter.  A sub-tropical moisture came in and made us feel like we are living in Florida.

After the walk, Dad cooked a whole pound of bacon, five ears of fresh sweet corn, a pint of heavy cream, and a quart of homemade chicken stock into corn chowder.  Mom ate a half a bowl which was good.  She is eating better and regaining her strength and her personality is returning to reflect the warm and generous soul she is.  It was a good night at home tonight.  We are making progress.

Dad read the blood report and while it looked good that the cancer is being treated, he could see that Mom is changing from the last time.  Two markers of particular concern are her platelets are low.  And she has a market that suggests she might have an infection.  If the infection is lurking, it could really challenge Mom as the treatment continues.  We need for Mom to get the treatment she needs and not have an infection that, well, I don't want to think about it.  Diet affects platelet production so Dad did some digging to find out how to prepare foods that will help Mom.  Turns out, they already do what they should be doing.  Dad will keep making fresh and wholesome foods for Mom.  I just wish he would give me more of them!

Feeling normal

Mom rested this weekend quite a bit which she needs to fight the cancer.  The weather was mild and the gardens gorgeous at home.  Mom wanted to get outside so she worked in the gardens for a few hours then she and Dad sat on the love seat by the pool reading this afternoon.  It was idyllic so I laid at Mom's feet and let sun warm both of us.  This is life at it's best.

Mom and Dad went up to their suite for a bath for about an hour then made love on their bed.  Mom was tired, but she wanted to make love to Dad because it makes her feel normal.  It gives her a sense of purpose and makes Dad appreciate her.  Dad was very grateful afterward.  I was just bored because it meant they were too busy to pay attention to their dogs.  Afterward they fed us canned dog food, which, by the way, I love more than anything.  It wasn't normal for us like it has been, but it is bringing us to a new normal.  If it makes Mom happy, then we are all happy.

Why does Mom have this disease?  She is wonderful, everyone loves her.  she has so many friends many of whom have been friends since she was young, like six.  Yet she has this disease that may kill her and she isn't even sixty yet.  Why? It makes Dad sad so I push my head into his crotch so he pets me.  I love Dad but I really love Mom.  She exercises and eats right, but then she gets cancer.  Why?  The world is a better place with Mom in it, so many people believe that and want Mom to be okay.  Dad is losing it.  Someone help him, please.

Rest Day

Mom took it easy today to rest up from taking the medicine and a tough work week.  She walked us with Dad in the morning.  Then Dad took her to the farmer's market in San Francisco.  They had lunch at a cool place in the Ferry building.  Then they came home, did some yard work and Mom took a long nap.  I slept with her on the bed to keep the cancer away so she can get better.

Dad cooked some really awesome New york steaks on the grill tonight.  Lou and I got fat trimmings which were divine.  It was good to see Mom eat dinner.

After Mom went to bed Dad cried really hard in the family room.  What's wrong with him?  His tears made Lou's fur wet, but Lou didn't care.  In fact, Lou seemed to want to make Dad feel better so he wagged his tail and licked Dad's reddened face.  Dad needs to pull it together because Mom needs him and Lou and I need him to be strong.  Dad is the rock of this family.  If he loses it, we will all be in a bad place.  I grunted when Dad came to snuggle me to let him know he needs to step up and be a man.

Today is better than yesterday

CLL is incurable.  Once treated with chemo therapy there will be a relapse, which means more treatment.  Each time it is treated the remission periods are shorter with reduced quality of life.  The medical scientists are looking for better treatment for the disease.  For now, Mom is one of many people who are into their second treatment.  The drugs available now are better than what she had two years ago.  Although she feels worse than she did two years ago with nausea being the most difficult and sleeplessness a close second.

Today Mom came home in better spirits than yesterday.  It is a better day today than yesterday and hopefully the trend will continue.  Mom and Dad don't have any plans this weekend other than letting Mom rest.  That's cool for Lou and me because we love hanging out by the pool with Mom.  The pluot tree is starting to ripen and there are lots of tomatoes on the vines that are sweet.  It will be a good weekend.

CLL is evil

CLL is evil.  Mom came home from work last night looking completely exhausted.  Her eyes were sunken into dark sockets and she spoke in a whisper.  Dad made her drink some water with electrolytes to rehydrate her.  The chemo medicine makes her kidneys work really hard as it clears her blood which takes alot of fluid out of her system.  It also puts her at risk for kidney stones if she doesn't drink enough fluids to keep her kidneys functioning normally.

I decided the way to help was to rearrange all of the family room furniture by rubbing my jowls and wriggling on my back.  Even though the room was a complete wreck when I was done, it made Mom smile.  That is what she needed.  I was glad I helped her.

Then she ate her dinner too!  Dad made hamburgers which he almost never makes at home because they aren't the healthiest for humans although us dogs love them like candy.  Dad thought she might eat if he tempted her with something she really likes and is chock full of calories and iron.  It worked.  She at a cheese burger with onions, fresh tomatoes from our garden, mayo, mustard on a toasted potato bun.  After she ate she really perked up and was happy watching the Tour de France with Dad.  When Dad did the dishes he gave Lou and me each a hunk of the cheddar cheese that had melted onto the serving platter.  Yum.  I hope Dad makes hamburgers again real soon.

She went to bed a bit early, which was okay because she needs her rest to fight the cancer.  When she got up this morning she was complaining about cramps in her calf muscles and asked Dad to make her a strawberry smoothie because it has bananas in it.  She also commented that she feels better today.  Dad was really happy that Mom was feeling like she needed food.  He made the smoothie with two bananas, fresh strawberries, sheep's milk yogurt, whole cow's milk, ice and some honey to sweeten it and add calories.  Mom said it tasted good as she tipped out the door to work this morning.

I will do all I can to fight the evil CLL to keep Mom safe.  Lou and I have been doing alot of barking this morning to let that CLL know we are on the job.  This weekend we will all be home as a family and I'm going to make sure it is as safe and as comfortable as possible so Mom gets the rest she so desperately needs.

Tough Sledding

Mom went to work today.  She hadn't had any dinner last night and wasn't hungry tonight.  She was crabby, too.  The medicine is making her tired as it fights the cancer in her body.  Dad did his best  to be cheerful.  But he was discouraged by Mom's fatigue and the way she treated him.

Then my brother Lou had a seizure.  Lou is epileptic which means he takes really fun drugs every day. He used to have seizures every day until the vet figured out the cocktail that would minimize his suffering.  He has a seizure every 3 or 4 months now.  Well, tonight he had a grand mall.  When he starts a seizure he tries to jump on Dad because Dad comforts him through the ordeal.  Lou's body goes completely stiff and his eyes stare straight out.  Dad pets him and gently blinks his eyes for him.  It seems to help Lou to have Dad do that.  Mom was moved by Lou's predicament and it seemed to soften her mood.  A tough way for the family to come back to an even keel...Tough sledding in a dog's parlance.

Mom went to bed early and I stayed in the family room with Lou and Dad.  Lou is doing good now so Dad and I are going to go comfort Mom.  Please God, help us through this rough patch.