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