Daisy With Her Friends

Daisy takes a group photo at the end of the Tamiami Dog Agility event: Trish and Jordi, Lorraine and Oliver, Michelle and Bella, Doreen and Daisy, and Josh and Bell

Daisy Gets 2nd Place in JWW on Saturday

Great support from the crowd even with my "slip in the mud" maneuver. I'm just happy Daisy didn't read it as a "down" signal! Cute little thing. She had so much fun socializing with her doggie friends, wagging her tail, barking, and giving kisses throughout the day.

Daisy Places 1st in JWW on Sunday

Daisy Gets Medical Release for Tamiami Dog Agility Event

Daisy Wins First Place in Sunday's JWW 

Daisy's First Agility Practice Post BMT

Daisy finally gets to return to her agility practice (starting with some easy runs).  She had sooo much fun!!

Daisy Joins Dog Scouts of America

Daisy joins "Dog Scouts of America" and made new friends today!  I want all my dog friends to join this group!  We will be planning ALL kinds of fun activities to do with our dogs... and they get badges too!! Check out www.dogscouts.org

Daisy's Gets Medical Release to Resume Activities

Daisy received her weekly CBC (complete blood work) and her results are a "low" normal says Dr. Lurie, (Daisy's Oncologist who consults regularly with Dr. Suter,  head of the Bone Marrow Transplant Team at NCSU). Dr. Lurie reported that Daisy's current platelet count is 165,000 and he expects those numbers to continue to rise (200k is considered completely normal). Dr. Lurie said that Daisy is no longer at risk of bleeding and is safe to resume her normal activities including.... dog agility.  Yay!!!  I plan to take Daisy to her dog agility class next week. 

Daisy's Platelets are at 125,000 and climbing!!

It's been two weeks since Daisy returned home.  She is supposed to be as inactive as possible for a good 3-4 weeks to allow her platelets to climb (she reportedly is "out of the woods" at 30,000-40,000 platelets).  Well today I took Daisy in for her 3rd CBC. I don't usually get the results until the following day but tonight I had a pleasant message left on my voicemail from her oncologist Dr. Lurie. He said Daisy's platelets are at 125,000!!!! I'm so excited!!

It's still challenging keeping her calm (she wants to play with EVERYTHING and EVERYONE) but I will continue this regimen until told otherwise by Dr. Lurie.....but I think that once her platelets are in a normal range (200,000-500,000) she can do what normal dogs do.  Yay!!!!!  She is soooo adorable. I am sooo happy to have her home. 

She's home..... now what?

It's been about a week since Daisy returned home and she is doing well. She has had two CBC's to check her platelets and they continue to rise....but she will not be out of the woods until they reach 30,000.  The challenge with Daisy has been trying to keep her calm. I must say that I was not fully prepared for Daisy's release from the Randall B. Terry Jr. Center at NCSU which was supposed to be October 21st, but was extended until the 24th of October to allow her platelet counts to rise (otherwise she would be susceptible to internal bleeding especially since Daisy is such an active dog).  From my understanding of platelets you need a certain amount to help form blood clots to mend small tears within the body. If you have too few, excessive bleeding can occur.  Daisy was released when her platelets reached 13,000 which is still low but apparently still in a reasonably "safe" range for discharge but only if she remains physically inactive for the next several weeks.  She can only be let out for short walks to do her business and that's it.  Daisy is not allowed to jump, run, have long walks, get overly excited or over exert herself in anyway.  Little did I know how challenging it was going to be to keep her calm!!  I decided to make a "to do" list for other BMT dog owners so they can avoid my pitfalls:

1) When driving your dog home.... buy a ramp. I had to lift Daisy in and out of the SUV to keep her from jumping and over exerting herself during the drive home (14 hours worth). My synapses finally kicked in about half way home and I bought a ramp. 

2) Hide the toy chest.  Shortly after returning home Daisy picked up one of her toys and gave me that "chase me" look (hiding the toy chest was on my list of things to do but apparently I didn't do it quick enough).  My heart just started racing because I knew she was about to start running! Luckily I just took a deep breath and very calmly sat down on the floor which prompted her to bring the toy over. 

3) Confine your dog to one small area of the house.  Daisy tends to bark at her fish, squirrels, raccoons and even insects or lizards sitting on leaves outside the window (yes she has EXCELLENT vision).

Here is a picture of Daisy looking up at a squirrel on the utility line in the yard (not barking .....YET):

Squirrel looking back at her: 

There is one particular koi fish from her pond that likes to stare at her. When this happens its as if the two of them are in a stand-off.  She begins a tantrum of sorts barking loudly and continuously at this one fish!  She can really work herself into a tizzy... so I put up a blockade in front of the french doors overlooking the pond....and now I  keep her confined to the living room area....but the squirrels are everywhere!  

4) Close the door to all bedrooms.  If your dog likes sleeping or taking naps at the bottom of your bed..... make sure to shut all the bedroom doors. 

5) Hide all pillows.  For whatever reason Daisy began humping pillows when she returned home.  Of course I took them away from her but after awhile I had to hide them because it was excessive!! Dr. Lurie (her oncologist) said that this behavior will likely cause small tears in her abdominal muscles which might cause Patechia (minor hemorrhaging/broken capillaries).
6) Check your dogs abdomen morning and night.  I looked at Daisy's abdomen on her second night home and found "Patechia" (a small group of 1-2mm purple spots caused by minor hemorrhaging/broken capillaries).  I called Buffy at NCSU as well as Dr. Lurie, Daisy's oncologist at Miami Veterinarian Specialists. They both said that it was nothing to worry about unless it got bigger in size or began surfacing in another location. Luckily the patechia had disappeared within 24 hours!

Daisy returns home!!!!

Out with the jugular catheter!

Yay!!! Daisy finally got her jugular catheter pulled today....poor little thing.. I'm sure she has tried to "pull" it out herself.......come to think of it.... that's probably why she had a cone around her head during our Skype date last week.... boy I'll bet she's feeling free NOW!  

Dr. Warry called and said that Daisy is doing "Fabulous" today. Her Neutrophils are almost to the normal range (between 2500- 7000) Her platelets have increased to 6000 and she continues to be free from any spontaneous hemorrhaging.  Oh and BTW did I tell you that the mother of Daisy's donor, Kristin Sagarra told me that she sat with Daisy last night and told her that she loved her.  How nice is that?  Daisy loves to be told she's loved. Thank You Kristin for loving my little girl!! 

Daisy meets her new nurse

Daisy's regular nurse is on vacation this week so here is a picture of Daisy meeting her "new" nurse: 

This is just too sweet. I don't have the name of her new nurse yet but I do have an update from Dr. Warry:  Daisy's platelet counts are up to 5,000, her neutrophils up to 1,400 and her total red blood count continues to rise.  Daisy is on track to come home this weekend! Hang in there Daisy and know that you are loved. 

Daisy is finally out of the ISOLATION CHAMBER!

Dr. Warry just called to say "Daisy looks fabulous this morning! She's bright and happy and back to how she was before the transplant procedure.  She's drinking and eating very well so we have been able to take her off most of her medications, including the I.V. fluids.  She is now out of the isolation chamber and can use the toilet outside! Her blood work shows she is definitely engrafting.  Her Neutrophils are well over 1000, and her platelet count is going up as well. (she is stil at risk of bleeding until the platelets reach a certain level...but is not showing any signs of bleeding now). We will continue to monitor her closely but She will definitely be ready to go home by Friday!"  

LOOK AT THAT SMILE!! Gosh how I love seeing her happy again. Thank you Daisy for hanging in there :-)  Mama's gonna see you soon my little sweetheart!! Thank you Dr. Warry, Dr. Suter, Buffy and everyone else at the hospital for taking good care of my little angel and all of the other beautiful animals in your care. Thank you everyone who's been sending Daisy love, light and prayers. You are a special group of people :-)  

Uh oh....not so happy here.....(lol...bath time)

Daisy's engraftment is a success!!!

Daisy's stem cells have finally engrafted and she is producing her own neutrophils and platelets.  She produced 884 neutrophils overnight (up from 36 yesterday) and her platelet count is 7000!  "Daisy is clearly engrafting" says Dr. Suter and her numbers will continue to rise over the next several days. He also said that she is feeling so good she is "acting like a maniac, jumping around, and being playful." He hopes to take her out of the I.C.U by tomorrow so she can go play in the yard and run around. He said if all goes well she should be ready to go home in about 4 or 5 days.  Woooooo Hooooooo!!! Go Daisy Go!!!!  Go Daisy Go!!!  I love you Daisy!!!

Daisy runs the 5k Komen run for the Cure!

Today I ran the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure (for breast cancer) at Bayfront Park in Miami FL.  I have two best friends in the world. One was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and the other is a breast cancer survivor (25 yrs +).  So today I think of them and my heart goes out to everyone fighting this disease and the friends and families supporting them.  I brought an 8x10 agility photograph of Daisy and had it pinned it to the back of my shirt so Daisy could be there in spirit (she loves to do this kind of stuff).  I met several cancer survivors today (one of them was a dog). One thing I know for sure....God, love and light was absolutely present on this beautiful day!

Daisy update: Dr. Suter called today and said that Daisy's neutrophils are down to 36 and he is pretty sure the 36 neutrophils are all HERS (as opposed to the donors).  He said what is more important is her clinical status. He said "today she was like a maniac jumping around, playful and happy.... She is feeling just fine!"  (hmm...I wonder if this has anything to do with the 5k run she did today??  ;-)   Thank you Dr. Suter, Dr. Warry, Buffy and all the nurses in the I.C.U.

Daisy on Skype

I was soooo excited to have a Skype date with Daisy.  Dr. Warry suited up in her scrubs and gloves to bring Daisy to our Skype date.  Dr. Warry is truly one of the kindest people you will ever meet and it was sweet to watch Daisy give her kisses. However I don't think I will do it again.  I actually cut the skype date short.   I cried...not immediately but shortly thereafter.  Maybe it was the shock of seeing her weak when I've gotten so used to seeing her as "healthy" and "vibrant" in my healing meditations.
Or maybe it was the fact that she seemed so close and yet so far away....I just wanted to hug her and kiss her and talk to her (I didn't talk to her at all because I didn't want her to get excited or worse yet get up on the table and start looking around for me).  I guess setting a Skype date during the engraftment period wasn't the best timing.  For anyone else who chooses this treatment for their dog I would suggest setting a Skype date when your dog is not in the I.C.U.  Probably the best bet is to schedule it the day after you get a very positive update that your dog is hugging people and wagging his/her tail.


Daisy's neutrophils, and platelets rose today however Dr. Warry says that it is difficult to tell whether they are "Daisy's" blood cells or the donors blood cells.  She said that they should know more by tomorrow. 

Just Say "No"

Daisy received a blood transfusion today due to bleeding. Daisy also had diarrhea (that dreadful side effect that she's been able to avoid up until now).  Dr. Warry assured me that blood transfusions were normal and that every dog who has received a BMT has had them. The new blood serves to "jumpstart" her platelets and white blood cells. I know that Daisy has a 3-5 day period to get her platelets and neutrophil counts up so I'm not too worried ....yet.  Again I have learned throughout this time period that worry, fear, anxiety, hysteria etc.  is not helpful to Daisy's healing process so.........I will just say "no" to feeding any of those emotions and instead.............off to yoga to do a visualization for my little baby.   Since the goal was to jumpstart Daisy's platelets and neutrophils it only made sense to visualize electrical currents traversing through her body.   I felt rejuvenated afterwards. Let's hope she felt something.

Daisy goes to ICU

Daisy was taken to the intensive care unit today after her neutrophils and platelets dropped to zero.  This was to be expected and so they will monitor any possible bleeding (due to her low platelet count) in the ICU. Surprisingly she did not have any diarrhea or vomiting but did spike a temperature.  Dr Warry said Daisy is actually doing quite well compared to how other dogs usually are at this point.  She said that this is likely the worst day she will experience and that they expect her platelets and neutrophils to rise very soon.   With that good news I decided to go the  "Dogs" show tonight at Bicentennial park in Miami to see "Carrie" the dancing golden retriever (the golden who has been viewed more than a million times on youtube dancing the merengue). She definitely won me over and stole the show! The audience was invited to pet the dogs and take pictures after the show (picture of me saying hi to Carrie). Her eye contact was unlike any other dog I've met (besides Daisy of course). Am I biased? or do all Goldens seem like little angelic creatures? 

"Isolation" Chamber

I am very thankful today. Daisy's neutrophil count is almost zero as expected. I am also grateful and relieved that Daisy got the hang of the "toilet situation" while being isolated in the chamber.  I was concerned she would try to hold it which would just be added stress for my little baby.  I am also thankful she has not had ANY diarrhea or vomiting which normally occurs after the 3 days of full body irradiation. That is not to say this won't change later on in the week but none the less I am still thankful.

Lastly I was concerned about the emotional impact of Daisy being isolated in the chamber (she is used to getting ALOT of hugs and kisses):  

Luckily Buffy, her nurse (and new BFF) said she "just couldn't handle it anymore" (referring to Daisy's big sad brown eyes) so....... she suited up, put gloves on and went in the chamber with her.  Daisy immediately climbed on her lap and gave her kisses :-)

Earlier this morning I chose to do a guided imagery connecting to Daisy's heart center in preparation for what I knew would be Daisy's emotional isolation in the chamber.  I hope she felt it :-)

Daisy goes into the isolation chamber

Below is a picture of Daisy giving Dr. Emma Warry a hug! Just look at my little baby ....she looks happy!! Soooo cute this picture is right?!!  Dr. Warry said that Daisy's neutrophil count has dropped below 1,000 today as expected so Daisy was moved into the isolation chamber  :-(

Her neutrophil count is expected to drop to zero by tomorrow or Tuesday.  Once her neutrophil count drops to zero they expect to see it rise within in 3-5 days.  Thank you Dr. Warry for making Daisy smile today.

Daisy after bone marrow transplant

Dr. Warry sent a picture of "Daisy at sunrise" 24 hours after her bone marrow transplant. Dr. Warry said she is doing very well and everything is going as planned. Thank you everyone for saying prayers for Daisy. Thank you Dr. Warry for taking such good care of Daisy. This is the outside play area at the Randall B. Terry center at NCSU:

Although I am doing my part by visualizing, meditating and sending prayers I am fully aware of the risks involved and therefore thought it necessary to explain the process (as far as I can understand it) to anyone else who may be contemplating this procedure: 

At this point her neutrophils (most abundant type of white blood cells) need to drop to zero (this should happen within the next 48 hours or so).  Once that happens she will be put in the isolation chamber to protect her because she will be susceptible to infection and excessive bleeding. Multiple antibiotics and possibly blood transfusions will be administered to help prevent and fight infection. Transfusions of platelets will be given to prevent bleeding. Blood samples will be taken daily to determine whether or not engraftment has occurred and to monitor the function of her organs. When the transplanted bone marrow finally engrafts and begins producing normal blood cells, she will gradually be taken off the antibiotics, and any platelet or blood transfusions will no longer be required. Once the bone marrow is producing a sufficient number of healthy red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets, she will be discharged from the hospital as long as there are no other complications.  The estimated discharge date for Daisy is October 21st, 2011. 

After Bone Marrow Transplant Daisy is "bright as a little button."

Dr. Warry from NCSU called to say that Daisy successfully received her bone marrow transplant this morning and that it went as well as they could have hoped!  She also said "Daisy is bright as a little button right now." (well how cute is that??!!)  I can just see little Daisy being as "bright as a little button!!"  I am soooo happy!!

I knew her bone marrow transplant was schedule for the AM so I had a special meditation planned for her (after my yoga class of course because that is when I'm most centered).  The meditation lasted longer than normal.   I surrounded my sweet little baby in a protective bubble of florescent white light as I watched healthy stem cells pour into her body (sounding a bit like heavy rain).  I don't know how much impact these meditations are having on Daisy but they sure are helping me.  It beats the heck out of worrying about her right?  Doing something positive & productive  :-) 

Words have power

Last night I went to bed and said a prayer for Daisy and surrounded her in a bubble of love and light. I also visualized myself whispering "I love you" in her ear (this is something I normally do with her so I thought why not do it in mediation??)  I know she loves being told "I love you" because she wags her tail every time I say it to her :-)   It also works when other people say it to her.  I remember one very special day when she was out in the front yard.  She put her little paws up on the white picket fence and looked left and then right (she likes to visit with passersby).  A little boy from down the street (most likely visiting friends or family because I hadn't seen him before) walked up to her and began petting her head and out of the blue just kept repeating "I love you...I love you...." with each stroke of her head.  It was one the most adorable things I had ever seen!  Daisy just wagged her tail and gave him kisses. It was a kodak moment for sure! I didn't take a picture that day but i do have a picture of Daisy sitting on the front porch waiting for passersby:

Much Gratitude and Appreciation

Good news early this morning. Daisy did not have any side effects from the radiation yesterday (how nice is that?) and she is awake and alert and doing well, so they are proceeding with the final dose of radiation today.  I've been receiving daily pictures (via text) from Daisy's nurse, Buffy with the two of them cuddling everyday (how nice is that?? I also get a phone call after each procedure from Dr. Emma Warry (how nice is that?)  Krisin Saggara (owner of Daisy's Donor, Bruin) sent me a picture today of Daisy and Bruin side by side (Bruin needs to be there in case Daisy needs a blood transfusion.... How nice is that??).  What a wonderful group of people at the Randall. B. Terry center.  I have so much to be grateful for. Here is the picture of Daisy and Bruin (doesn't he look just like her??  so adorable.....Same age too!):

Second Dose of Full Body Radiation

Received my morning phone call from Buffy, Daisy's nurse.  She said Daisy did well through the night and will begin her second dose of full body radiation today.  I received an afternoon call from Dr. Warry who said that the radiation went as planned and Daisy is now awake and alert and doing just fine. 

Casey's 10th Birthday Party Celebration

Tonight I went to Daisy's Agility class at Paws-in-motion for Casey's 10th Birthday party celebration  (Casey is the border collie in the center of the picture with a birthday hat and her mother is Daisy's Godmother).  It was soooo nice to see Daisy's friends (Sage, Bella, Casey, Jada, Flex, Jiro and Argyll) having such a good time and of course Diasy was there in spirit with her friends:  

Something positive and productive

I went to Bikram Yoga this morning with a different intent.   I love this style of Yoga because it facilitates deeper stretching and injury prevention, reduces stress and stimulates and restores health to every muscle, joint, and organ of the body....which is the perfect form of exercise for me at this stage of my life.  Many of the postures aid in lymphatic drainage improving the elimination of infection, bacteria, and toxins from the body (I wish Daisy could do yoga with me).  The breathing exercises provide an opportunity for me to clear out and balance my chakras.  At the end of class today I decided to stay longer and continue the breathing exercises.  I visualized Daisy next to me doing the same thing.  She was having her full dose of radiation today to flush out and destroy her bone marrow (and any left over cancer cells along with it) so why not do something to help flush them? Hey its something positive and productive right?

Full Body Radiation

Daisy's nurse, Buffy called this morning and said that Daisy did well during the night and that everything is going as planned.  Daisy will receive her first dose of full body radiation. This procedure will take about an hour and a half.  The purpose of the radiation is to destroy all of the cells in the bone marrow in preparation for the engraftment of new (cancer free) stem cells.  I am so relieved and happy that Daisy did well during the night. 

Thank you Buffy for the update on Daisy!

Daisy undergoes Leukapheresis

Early this morning Buffy from the Bone Marrow Transplant team called to say that Daisy would begin the Leukapheresis procedure (the machine that harvests stem cells).  At the end of the day Dr. Warry called to say that they had completed the procedure and were able to obtain the proper amount of stem cells needed for the transplant.  It took longer than they expected but Daisy is now awake and in intermediate care and receiving fluids.  Please send love, light and prayers to Daisy.

Worry is NEVER helpful

After flying in from North Carolina last night I went to bed.  The next morning I woke up in shock.  Maybe it was the deafening silence of not having Daisy here......I was missing her BIG TIME.  I started worrying. I allowed my mind to imagine the worst.... I said to myself "OMG I just left my dog in another State! Daisy is 840 miles away from me...... and what on earth is that Leukapheresis machine doing to my little baby???  And does she feel abandoned?? Does she know what is happening to her? Is she in pain? Are they petting her and talking to her??  What the heck is a Leukapheresis machine anyway?  It must be legitimate ....I mean after all it was donated by the Mayo Clinic ......" (I couldn't understand it so of course it scared me......anything we don't understand scares us right?).  So anyway after a full day of worrying and scaring myself I became aware that this was not helping DAISY and it was only feeding my negative thoughts.  What you focus on expands right?  Then I started thinking how this might be affecting HER.  So I decided to practice what I preach and apply some of the spiritual/metaphysical/healing techniques I've studied throughout my life.  One can have a PhD in ANYTHING yet it means nothing unless you do something with it right? For this particular situation I decided to pull from the teachings of Carolyn Myss & Norman Shealy which focus on healing energy and the Chakra system (The Science of Medical Intuition & Advanced Energy Anatomy- The power of Co-creation and your power of choice) .  I listened to these tapes over and over during my drive to North Carolina. I knew that after the Leukapheresis procedure, Daisy's immune system would be weakened so I went to bed that night and did some chakra clearing on myself first. Then I visualized Daisy in my arms and surrounded her in a bubble of love & light and sent healing energy.  I said a prayer and went to sleep.  Some people don't believe in this sort of thing.  For me it just made sense to do something positive and productive for Daisy (and myself) as opposed to being self absorbed in my own worry, fear and dread.  

Saying Goodbye ...for now

Where Daisy will be during her 3 week stay:

The "Leukapheresis machines" will harvest her stem cells for an autologous transplant

The "bubble" where Daisy will stay during the engraftment period

The outside area where Daisy will be taken for short walks:

My favorite painting in the Lobby of the Terry Center, "A dog and his boy" by Juliet Barrus:

Saying goodbye to some very special people we met here at the NCSU c.v.m. Terry Center.  Never have I met so many loving, devoted and caring dog (and cat) owners in one place.  

I bought a couple of "PAW" decals before I left.  You can donate $20 for one of these "PAW" decals and the Randall B Terry Jr. Charitable Animal Foundation with match it 100% Just email Allison_crouch@ncsu.edu or call her directly at (919) 513-6427 

Daisy gets culture at NC Museum of Art

Thomas Sayre, Gyre, 1999, three ellipses of concrete, colored with iron oxide, reinforced with steel, and mottled with dirt residue from earth casting:

Martha Jackson-Jarvis, Crossroads/Trickster 1, 2005, brick, steel mortar, glass tile, and stone, H. 20 ft. x Diam. 23 in:

Ledelle Moe, Collapse I, 2000, L. 30 x W. 12 x H. 9 ft., concrete and steel:

Chakaia Booker 'The Conversationalist', 1997, DeCordova, made of interlacing repurposed tires, the large scale sculpture refers to textiles, African Art, sacrification and opposing viewpoints:

Daisy walks the trails through the NC museum of "Art in the Park"

Morning walk at Lake Johnson

Daisy mesmerized by the Ducks! And just look at her little cowlick on the back of her head...too cute!

Daisy walking the "Lake Trail" at Lake Johnson

Bethany, a jogger on the trail stopped to give Daisy a hug. She was soooooo excited to see Daisy. She misses her own Golden now that she is away at college. I asked her what she loves about her Golden:

Daisy has picnic at Lake Crabtree

After her morning shot of Neupogen Daisy heads out for a picnic at "Lake Crabtree." Daisy's first experience seeing a kite:

Daisy meets the source of the kite

Below: Daisy gets a belly rub from a little girl named Sydney at Lake Crabtree.  Daisy met Sydney shortly after pulling out one of the "palm trees" that Sydney constructed in the sand for a "day at the beach" theme (for her dolls in the right hand corner of picture).  Daisy gravitates toward children when she hears them giggling.  Sydney's father gave permission to use this photo on Daisy's blog website.

Daisy frolicking around Lake Crabtree

Daisy goes for a walk through the nature trails at Lake Crabtree

Daisy meets the owner of her donor

Saturday morning Daisy met with the owner of her donor, Kristin Saggara.  Kristin is the owner of "Bruin" who is the donor for Daisy (in case she needs a blood transfusion).

Bruin is an adorable 3 year old golden retriever :

"Bruin" Daisy's donor 

Daisy and Luke discover an organic farm

Daisy and her new friend Luke are hungry after dock diving

Dock Diving at Lake Raleigh NC

Dr. Warry said that I could have a day of fun going to the parks or swimming as long as I was back by 4pm for my shot of neupogen.  

Daisy learns dock diving when it looks like "Luke" might take her FAVORITE ball.

 

 Daisy polishes her dock diving skills to get her ball before Luke does

 

Daisy just loves dock diving!!

Some of the kindest people work at NCSU c.v.m

Its Friday morning Sept 30th. I saw Dr. Warry at 8am for my daily shot of Neupogen (we meet with her everyday at 8am and 4pm).  I have mixed feelings because I don't like shots and yet I really like all of the people here especially Dr. Warry.  We have the whole day to play and then I come back at 4pm.

Dr. Warry with Daisy

Daisy meets the Bone Marrow Transplant Team

Daisy finally meets with the bone marrow transplant team as scheduled on Thursday September 29th.  After the initial consultation Daisy stayed the entire day for a full series of tests (bloodwork, x-rays, abdominal ultrasound).  Daisy was given her first shot of "neupogen" which is given to increase the number of white blood cells. She will be given two shots a day for the next three days in preparation for stem cell harvesting on Monday October 3rd. 

Left to right: Dr. Suter, Buffy and Dr. Warry.

First night in Raleigh NC..what are the odds??

We finally made it to Raleigh NC on Wednesday night Sept 28th, 2011.  After getting settled into the hotel we walked to a nearby restaurant and sat at an outside table.  Someone left a blue object under the table and I started playing with it by tossing it. My mom reached down and picked it up and realized it was rat poison!!  She asked the waitress about  it who said "I don't know..... I'm so sorry....I know we didn't put it there."  A lady next to my mom (who also had her dog there) was upset as well.  Although my mom was pretty sure I didn't eat it (because this had all happened within seconds of sitting down at the table)...she took a piece of the object and we ended up at the emergency room at NCSU.  That evening a woman named "Stepanie Istvan" came out and introduced herself at one of the residents in the I.C.U. who would be working directly with Daisy during her second week at NCSU cvm  (see picture below).  After several tests it appeared that Daisy most likely did not eat the rat poison.  They treated her with medication for it anyway. (Dr. Suter later said that this would not affect or interfere with her bone marrow transplant procedure).

Daisy in the emergency room at NCSU Wednesday evening for possible "rat poison ingestion." Daisy meets Stephanie Istvan with the B.M.T. team that night:

Daisy gets punchy after several hours at the NCSU C.V.M. emergency room

Beach Fun at Jekyll Island

At sunrise Daisy smells her way to the ocean

Daisy Frolicking on the Sand

Daisy picks up her leash

Running out of beach!

"Sleepy sleep time" at Jekyll Island FL

Looks like we are stopping for the night at Jekyll Island.  I just love this place!

A restaurant that allows dogs on the outside deck!

Daisy sits next to her water bowl during dinner and I notice that she is absolutely fascinated with the the sounds in the ocean.  It's pitch black so she can't see anything. Nesting sea turtles are disturbed by white light so all of the beaches on Jekyll Island are dark at night. 

Driving Ms. Daisy

Today I'm heading out on a road trip... Destination NSCU c.v.m. (it must be a very long trip by the looks of the suitcases, my toys, my treats, and my big bag of dog food).

DANGEROUS PIT STOPS ALONG THE WAY

Daisy finds the darndest things along the way. I've always encouraged Daisy to be curious about her surroundings but........it's challenging trying to protect her all the same. Oops-a-Daisy watch out for that snake!! ..... and to think we haven't even left the state of Florida yet:

Daisy stops to smell the daisies ......Oops-A-Daisy.......watch out for that bee!

Daisy sees a butterfly...  Oop-sa-daisy....what is that sound......we'd better get out of here!

Daisy's first experience of a cotton field......"Oops-a-daisy don't eat the cotton....it has thorns in it"

Daisy seems smitten by a horse...(I think the feeling is mutual but......it's way too early in the trip to start a romance).  Oops-a-Daisy watch out for the electric fence!! (geez will I get her there in one piece??)

We finally made it to Raleigh NC without any mishaps however within the first hour or so of arriving in NC Daisy found "rat poison" underneath an outside table at a retaurant and had to be taken to the emergency room at NCSU (see post "First night in Raleigh NC, What are the odds??" dated 9-28-2011)

Home from Miami Veterinarian Specialist hospital

"Let me out" says Daisy as she gets picked up from the MVS hospital after a 3 day ordeal of waiting for her Neutrophils (most abundant type of the white blood cells) to rise from "zero" to normal levels. She had to be in the ICU as dogs are susceptible to infectious disease when Neutrophils are low:

Immediately upon her return home she went straight to her toy chest, began crying (whimpering) and searched frantically for that special toy to cuddle up with (seems to be a pattern).  She did this the last time she returned home from a long stay at MVS.  She seems to miss her pink toys the most:

  Daisy has always favored her pink toys....is this because she is such a girly girl maybe??....a cute coincidence is that Neutrophils are also "pink" when viewed under the microscope (other white blood cell types stain as blue, red etc). 

In Honor of Daisy

During my three day stay at the hospital one of my godmothers (mother of my friend Jada) called my mom and suggested "a night out in honor of Daisy" before I left for NSCU (It was sort of like a farewell party without me).  All my moms shared dog stories .....of course.  There was no reason for her to stay at home since I wasn't there ;-)

Has anyone seen my Neutrophils?

3rd week of September: 3rd week of September:  Okay so Dr. Lurie warned my mom that about 5-7 days after the Cytoxan my white blood cell count would likely drop and I might have diarrhea or vomiting or just feel very lethargic.  So of course my mom cancelled my Tuesday night agility in preparation for my being "ILL."  Well I didn't start feeling ill until Wednesday.  I didn't eat breakfast and all I wanted to do was lie down. My mom took my temperature.  My temperature was 103.8.  My mom called the VMS and they said to monitor me and if my temperature rose anymore then I should be brought in.  My mom cooked me a chicken breast and of course I ate it.  But I didn't want to do anything but sleep.  My mom kept taking my temperature and it went down to 102.8 but just an hour later it went back up to 104.5 So my mom took me to the VMS.  They gave me a blood test and my white blood cell count was "zero." They had to keep me overnight because they needed to hook me up to an I.V. to give me fluids and antibiotics.  My temperature went back to normal by evening and I was eating normally.  The next day  my mom visited me and I was sooooo excited.  She took me for a short walk and of course I thought I was going home...but then she brought me back in.  Then she took a picture of me with my oncologist Dr. Lurie:

After that she sat next to me in my "cage."  She knows I don't like cages because people can't hug me in there.  My mom was able to put her hand through the cage and pet me at least. So she talked to me for awhile and told me how much she loved me.  Then she told me she recorded the premiere opening of the "X" factor so I could watch it when I got home (my mom knows that my favorite show is american idol......and she said that the X factor would be just like it).  So I then my mom told me to lie down and I did.  She sang a verse from my favorite song "Daisy don't you cry" and I fell asleep (My mom was surprised because there was alot of noise in there). So anyway Dr. Lurie told my mom that I would have to stay the night because i needed that time to build up my white blood cell count.  The next morning Dr. Lurie took a blood test again.  My white blood cell count was up but my "nuetrophils" were still "zero."   My mom really wanted to take me home....but Dr. Lurie advised against it.  Dr. Lurie said that he had already consulted with Dr. Suter (my future doctor in NC) who thought it best for me to stay one more night until my "neutrophils" increased. Dr. Lurie said to my mom "I understand wanting to take Daisy home so she can be comfortable but we don't want anything to happen since we are so close to the finish line."  I'm not sure what he meant by that but I think my mom understood so......(sigh) one more night for me.  

Cytoxan = Sleep torture

2nd Week of September My Oncologist told my mom to drop me off and expect to pick me up by the end of the day for my "Cytoxan" treatment.  Everyone had told my mom how "potent" this particular chemotherapy was. When My mom picked me up he gave her very specific instructions: "You will need to give her these four different medications (anti-nausea, anti-biotics, 2 different types of diuretics)  and you will also have to take Daisy out for a walk every 90 minutes for the next 36 hours because we do not want the chemo to sit in her urinal tract." 

When I came home I immediately went to my toy chest and started crying.  I was searching for the perfect stuffed toy to take a nap with and it had to be pink.  I found my pink chicken and jumped on the couch with it and fell fast asleep.

 I was EXTREMELY tired that night.  My mom tried feeding me first but I was not hungry at all.  She called the doc and he said to give me some time maybe 24 hours.  So my mom didn't push it she let me sleep.  Then after a very short period she woke me up and told me that we were going for "walkies."  She practically had to lift me up and carry me because I was that tired.  Well this went on the whole night. It seemed like every time I would fall asleep she would wake me back up!!  This went on all the way through the next day, all through the next night and the last walk was at 5am.  One would think that I would just sleep in the next day right?? No, what happened was that I was so used to being woken up every 90 minutes that I kept waking up every 90 minutes!!!  Finally I crashed that afternoon and slept ...and slept ...and slept. By the time the weekend came around I was back to my normal, active healthy self again!!

Musical "dog beds"...til 4am

1st Week of September: I didn't have to get chemotherapy this week because the last one was supposed to last for two weeks. My mom called my oncologist and told him that she definitely wanted a bone marrow transplant for me. She told him she talked with Dr. Suter at NSCU and that she was going for the "cure." My mom felt better now that she had made that decision. They didn't have an opening until November so we were just going to have to wait 2 months. To celebrate my mom took me out shopping to the organic dog food store again.  She bought me some herbal immune system booster in powder form to add to my food.  I think it gave me gas.  At night it was uncomfortable for me to sleep.  By the end of the week I just couldn't sleep at all. I did my usual "musical dog beds" and was up for hours and didn't sleep until 4am.  I ended up sleeping in because I spent so much time trying to get comfortable.  The next morning I got up but I wasn't hungry.  My mom tried hand feeding me but i just didn't want anything else in my stomach for awhile.  At around 11am she became very scared.  She called my oncologist who said that it was very unlikely that it was from my chemotherapy because it was already over a week since my last treatment. He told me to come in.  When we got there he checked me out. He pushed on my belly and checked my nodes and told my mom that I was fine.  He asked if I had been experiencing excessive gas lately and my mom told him no more than usual.  The next day she realized that it (the gas) might be due to my "Herbal immune booster."  Sure enough once she stopped giving me that I was able to sleep comfortably. 

Bone Marrow Transplant?

4th week: When we got back from that WONDERFUL beach weekend it was business as usual and I went in for my chemotherapy on Tuesday again.  This was supposed to be the BIG chemotherapy day because they were going to give me some real potent stuff that was supposed to last two weeks until I'd get my 1/2 body radiation treatment. However my mom had second thoughts as she had been reading about canine bone marrow transplants. She had spoken with the medical director of oncology, Dr. Suter at NSCU.  He's the one who does all the bone marrow transplants.  She realized that a BMT was my only real hope for a cure.  My mom talked with Dr. Lurie after my chemotherapy treatment about a possible change of plans.  He told my mom to think on it for a week and then let him know which treatment I wanted for Daisy (apparently you can't do both 1/2 body radiation AND BMT). After chemo I felt fine except for feeling a bit restless during the night.  

Stop and smell the "Ocean"

3rd week of August: I went in for chemotherapy the next week as usual.   Only this time they said that my white blood cell count was too low and so my immune system couldn't handle the chemotherapy. I thought maybe it had something to do with the fact that I was completely weaned off of that prednisone (you know the drug that made me so hungry that I ate a plastic clip?)  I felt fine over the next couple of days.  My mom kept taking my temperature everyday to make sure I didn't have a fever. I was actually feeling pretty good. I continued to go to my agility dog class where everyone rooted me on. I was like a celebrity there! By the end of the week my mom said to me "do you want to go to Jupiter Beach for the weekend? OMG she has to ASK??  We stayed with my close friend Jada that weekend.  My mom is friends with her mom....well actually Jada's mom is my godmother.  We had a blast.  My mom even made a video called JUPITER BEACH AUGUST 2011:

 I'm glad that my mom is putting more of her energy into having fun with me instead of worrying about me.

"Daisy don't you cry"

2nd week of August:  Whew ......I actually made it to my chemotherapy appt. in one piece.  As usual I felt fine afterwards but at night I started to feel really restless.  I would lay in my dog bed and could not find a comfortable position so I'd jump up on the end of my moms bed for awhile but I still couldn't get comfortable so I'd jump down again and lay on the floor. I tossed and turned and played "musical beds" most of the night.  My mom was losing sleep too because she felt helpless to do anything. Finally my mom had an idea. She laid me down and started singing a song to me while she gently stroked my belly.  I hadn't heard that song in years but I knew it very well.  It was the same song my mom used to sing to me when I was a puppy : "Baby Don't You Cry" from the movie "Waitress."  Only she sang it "Daisy don't you cry." It worked like a charm just like it did when I was a puppy.....only this time it took a little bit longer. 

Prednisone: Plastic hanger clips are like biscuits

First week of August: I seemed to have developed quite a RAVENOUS appetite.  I think it was the prednisone they gave me.  I began jumping up on counter tops trying to get extra food.  I even started barking furiously at my mom to get her to feed me more. I had been eating like a pig lately and my mom just couldn't understand.  I practically bit my moms hand off when she would give me a treat!  I was like a human vacuum cleaner! I was so hungry that inanimate objects started looking attractive to me. As a matter of fact I grabbed a very big hard plastic hanger clip and swallowed it within seconds....(I thought it was a biscuit).  My mom had to take me to the emergency room that night to get it out. Unfortunately the "abdominal radiographs" could not see the hanger because it was made of plastic and whatever they gave me to induce vomiting didn't work either. So at about 3 am they finally told my mom that they were going to keep me over night for "observation" (quite honestly I was the one doing most of the observing.....what else was I going to do in my cage?? I don't like cages because no one ever hugs you when your in there.) So after two nights of observation they finally sent me home and told my mom to watch me closely because I would probably "pass" it.  Well I passed it two days later i threw it up!! Apparently it was so big it never left my stomach.  I heard the doc tell my mom later that it was too big to move through the opening of my colon.  After I threw it up I had diarrhea and bloody stools for a couple of days.  I left the vets with antibiotics. They didn't give me chemotherapy that week because my white blood cell count was too low. They told my mom to take my temperature on a daily basis to make sure that I did not have a fever over 102.8

Lymphoma Scares My Mom

July 28th 

Before I received my 2nd chemotherapy treatment my oncologist checked me out first.  He said that I was bright, alert, responsive, and hydrated. He said there was a "marked reduction in size of all peripheral nodes such that all of the mandibular (lower jaw area), prescapular (in front of or between the shoulder blades), and popliteal (behind the knees) lymph nodes were now within normal limits." He also saw that I had "no pain or organomegaly (enlargement of organs) on my abdominal palpation."   My heart and lungs were clear and the remainder of the exam was considered to be within normal limits. Again I felt fine that night and the next day. It wasn't until the 3rd or 4th day that I began to feel a bit tired and restless. I'm just glad I wasn't vomiting or had diarrhea....my stools were certainly alot softer than I preferred. 

That week my mom began acting strange.  Sometimes when she petted me or looked at me she'd just start crying.  I didn't know why .....because I felt fine....just a little tired sometimes.  Then she seemed to put all of her energy in front of that computer for hours at time trying to learn about my disease.  How complicated could it be I thought? The next day she switched my dog food to all organic.  She also stopped giving me  "Comfortis" to get rid of my fleas and instead switched to something "natural." She did this because she found an FDA warning saying that Comfortis should not be mixed with a drug called ivermectin which was the main ingredient in my heart guard medication. I don't know why my mom was making all these changes.  I think she just wanted to cover all areas to make sure I was healthy. 

Discovery of Lumps

July 25th: Hi, my name is Daisy.  My mom  was hugging me one day, like she usually does, but this time she felt two lumps under my neck that weren't there before.  The next day the vet took some tests and then on July 25th, 2011 the doctor said i had  "canine lymphoma" and needed to see an oncologist. The next day we saw one at the Miami Veterinarian Specialists hospital.  His name was Dr. Lurie.  Dr. Lurie surpassed ALL of my moms expectations.  She said he had a good bed side manner, well educated and very professional.  After talking with Dr. Lurie mom realized that if this cancer went untreated it would kill me within 30-60 days.   The doc recommended chemotherapy which he said would likely extend my life another 6-12 months or so.  He said they could possibly extend my life an additional year and possibly more by adding two 1/2 body radiation treatments. Although my mom always said she would choose alternative/holistic methods over traditional medicine.... I think the thought of me dying so quickly must have scared her because she started me on chemotherapy the next day.  The doc said that I might have some side effects like diarrhea or vomiting. He said most dogs handle chemotherapy "quite well" and don't feel the side effects until a couple of days later.  He said i would likely be really thirsty and hungry while on prednisone.  He told us to return two days later for my second treatment of chemotherapy. I went home that night and actually felt quite fine.  As a matter of fact I even went to my dog agility class that night!  And I'll tell you I must have had an A+ run because everyone was really rooting for me and clapping!  ...or else my mom must have told them i was sick.