zip

Thought you might like to see my gang. We are a lively group but I don’t run and play with many of them anymore because they can knocked me down so I’ve been promoted to supervisor of the gang. I am their leader and the handsome guy just left of me is Ace and he is second-in-command. I came first and then Ace. We have lived with each other and next door to each other[in college] and now we live across town but we still see each other over at my person’s parent’s house. Oh, I am the cutie second from the right on the wall. This was taken right before my amputation on a really hot Texas summer day. I was sooooo glad when this was over!!

Okay, let me tell you who is who. From left to right on the wall is Mia, we have issues, then Ace, me. then Captain, I go to therapy pet pals with him to the hospital, he’s a good guy but he steals my bones. On the ground from left to right is Killa, my roommate and a really okay blab, I call them that because they are black labs and they talk lots. Next is Safari, she is a Ridgeback who thinks she is a lap dog and likes to counter surf, muy big trouble for that! Next is Torque, another roommate who like his father can dive to the bottom of the pool to fetch things, cute kid. Next is the dad to Killa and Torque, Steel.  He is a really talented hunt test and field test dog  who is afraid of just about nothing. He lives with my person’s sister cross town, rommie of Ace. Next is Soliel and she lives with me also. She’s cool too, doesn’t say much just likes to hang out and have fun at the pool. The last one is the pup of the group, o’ Slider. He is really large but really good at field trials, likes to hold those ducks in his mouth but is very gentle except sometimes he doesn’t know where all his body parts are and he bumps things. He lives with Steel and Ace.

Lots of good times with the gang but now I’m tired so think I will catch up on my napping. Had a rough weekend.  Oh, I am the only tripawd dog here in our family and everyone is real proud of me.  I think I hear my pillow calling, good night.

This is me being ‘needled’

Well, I am up to 20 minutes twice a day for about a mile. I do nap between my two sessions but boy howdy, I am getting tired of wet fur! I have to do this three times a week and  they don’t seem to understand that it takes me quite awhile to groom my fur and I have lots! I still am a bit sparse over my missing leg and on my back. Someone said the chemo might be what is slowing down the regrowth but other areas are coming back nicely. I had my blood count done yesterday but no one has told me yet how well I did. My person got a little worried because I had some of that eye junk in my eyes the other day and some vets feel that could be an earlier warning of undetectable lung mets. I think I have a little allergy like some of my other dog friends.

I go back to see Dr. Wall in the Woodlands today for more needling, trigger release, lasering and whirlpool. Hope the water is warm today cause there is a chill in the air here.

Hope to see some cows to bark and  get lots of face rubbing and treats and a NAP on my long trip down and back. I have to go to work when I get home so it will be a long day. Tell you more about it later. Bye.

Nov. 14

My WBC [wonderful border collie] numbers were 4900 so I got my chemo on the 3rd. My liver enzymes, one of them, is starting to go back up so my owner wasn’t happy about that but otherwise I did okay. I think I haven’t felt quite as good in my tummy this time but all in all I am doing okay. My appetite is not as strong so that worries you-know-who. I went back to the Woodlands to see the pain and rehab vet. I really didn’t like some of it this week, it hurt! I am also going three days a week here in Austin to do this silly thing called underwater treadmilling. It would  more fun if they at least put up a movie of a squirrel running in front of me. Now that would inspire me! My mouse, Tiny Hat died and I felt sad. He had his wheel that went so fast sometimes he would go upside down. I have a new mouse named Cinnamon Saddle, guess why!

Well, I am more weak in my backside this week and they are wondering if I am exercising too much. That treadmill is tiring but it’s supposed to make me stronger. I hope it helps soon.

We are looking forward to Wyatt coming to visit. I wonder if he will wear his six-shooter like Wyatt Earp did in those western my person’s grandfather used to watch. That would be way cool. I hope to be able to meet Fortis also. He looks like a real hunk!

Got to get up early to go put in my hours tomorrow. Bye for now.

Zip

Well, my WBC was way low this week, 1870 but the good news my liver enzymes were coming down so it was a trade off. My oncologist was not too worried because she said it was about the same percentage as last time. I am one of those dogs that take a double dip so I get my next chemo next week. She also said she went to a conference where a vet gave a paper on his findings that dogs who WBC goes real low are responding better to the carbo. She says she is not too certain about his findings but it is an interesting report.  I also was “mapped” and I have no new tumors, just more lypomas, what ever those are, I think it means I have hidden jelly pockets!

I got to go back to the “spa” today but the current in the needles didn’t feel too good today. Next week they are going to show my person how to do it. I did like my whirlpool and I have ‘show and tell’ pictures for you all! I slept a good bit on the three hour trip home but I also got to bark at some cows, I really like that! They move away from the car so fast you would think they were flying!  Hope we see some more next week when I go back!

Finally had some good news today, exactly 8 weeks and 1 day since my leg went missing, my lungs look clear except for a little allergy stuff [hurray for allergies] my blood work is passable for day 14 since last chemo ,the wbc is at 3000 and I don’t remember my liver reports but I was told I was okay so I am celebrating!! I go to the Woodlands tomorrow for my rehab and pain management treatment but that means I can sleep 31/2 hours both ways! I love my naps! Just ate my dinner but spit out my pills, they were in something new but I found them. I got the rest in leftover steak! I am border collie smart! Talk to you all later and tell you about the “spa”.

Saturday, Oct.23

My visit on Thursday to Dr. Wall turned out to be good. Though I didn’t like him making me hurt some he then helped those areas not hurt so much. My person didn’t even know some of my areas were in that much pain. Dr. Wall did some myofascial trigger points, dry needle, and therapeutic laser, new stretches then I got to be hoisted into a whirlpool that was warm and had bubbles. Oh, did I come out a limp rag. My person and her mom wanted to get in it also but it was just for me. He also changed my pain meds, upped the gabapentan[ can’t spell that] and told Rachel [my person] to start me on something else but because of my liver enzymes we are waiting till she can talk to my oncologist. I slept almost all 3 and a half hours back to Austin and did it feel good! I was so hungry for my dinner that I could hardly wait for it. On Friday I felt so good that I even jumped off a small ledge at the park and scared everyone! It felt so good to run around again. Today I got to go be a part of my group called Therapy Pet Pals of Texas. I used to go to the hospital and visit sick people but the floors are too slippery now but I missed my Pet pal friends. We had a booth today at Dogtober fest at an outdoor mall and I got to sit in the booth and talk to all the funny dogs that came by dressed in costumes. I got a lot of looks because of being a tripawd but that’s okay, I am here with my person and she loves me and is proud of me. I got more attention and rubs than my co-worker Captain but he is okay with that as long as someone is rubbing his rump!

I go next Monday to have another ultrasound of my heart, then more blood tests, a chest x-ray and then back down to the Houston area for more of Dr. Wall. I get to start the underwater treadmill in two weeks, not too sure how I feel about that.

Must go, I hear a full treatball calling me.

We are on day 5 since round 2 and we are doing better than last time though the appetite is not great we can usually get something she will eat. Hopefully when we check blood tomorrow the liver enzymes will still be heading downward the the wbc will not have dropped much. Seems like the back leg gets weak during the chemo and the physical therapist said to only take short easy walks, salt soaks and a little swimming but we are having to cut back because the pool water is getting too cool. We go to a rehab vet near Houston on Thursday to see what he would suggest. Dr. Wall comes highly regarded by Texas A&M vet school as a leader in pain management and rehab for dogs. Hopefully he can help this older girl out.

Zip had another good day yesterday. She got to watch some squirrels at lunch and then had so much energy last night and ate well. This resting her must be helping because she seems so much like the old Zip. She has gotten so used to being with her person every minute that when Rachel leaves the room she does not want to do anything except lie where she knows that Rachel will reappear. She would rather skip her icing of her leg and keep the massaging going longer but that is not going to happen. This week end holds a good chance of another swim which puts a big doggy smile on her face but the bath afterwords, not so much! Blood test at 4pm today hoping levels are still going down on the liver.

My week has been pretty good. Got to swim twice in the “cement pond” out back and had a grand time chasing the pool sweep. Caught it a couple of times and didn’t even get scolded!

My back leg seems to be a bit weaker this week or at least that what my person thinks. I work out twice a day on the wobble board and take some short walks but recently I have had to sit down  more on our walks. Maybe my leg is sore or my muscles are tired but it has my person worried. I have been eating but not with lots of enthusiasm maybe my tummy isn’t too happy. I am off my Deramax now because my liver enzymes were too high and we are hoping that was the problem. I am also off my Tagamet so maybe that is why my appetite is not so good. It has been almost 4 weeks since my last chemo so why is my appetite not as strong?   All my ultrasounds [they sure do tickle and no one will scratch for me] of my liver, lungs, spleen, kidneys and intestines were good and my heart is okay . I keep being asked to answer these questions but shoot, I don’t know, I just want some more squirrels to come by my windows! That’s the real question, where have all my squirrels gone?

Well, think of me on Wednesday when they take my blood again and hopefully I can get more of that cancer-killing juice.

One more thing, did you know that minnows like flour tortillas? Saw it with my own eyes today down at the lake. Pretty cool.

Yippee! I get my own PT on Tuesday…. is that good? What is a PT?

Good-woof to you all,

Zip

This is Zip. Today was a better day. I could tell Rachel felt somewhat better about me because I was up and ready to go today. We watched a bunch of squirrelavision, for those who don’t have one, it is a big glass door that has all sorts of dishes with peanuts and corn in them and then some of those hanging things for birds filled with hard things that have no taste and crunch lots. I don’t care to eat them but that’s okay. Lots of squirrels come right up to my door and stare at me and I stare right back, sometimes I even lip my lips, if you know what I mean! The birds are interesting too but they move so fast that you have to be quick to see them.

We went to the P-A-R-K today, I don’t know why she can’t say it, she always spells it as though I can’t figure out what we are doing. Anyway, this is the place we go at lunch and sit under the trees and watch the squirrels and pigeons. Sometimes this lady comes  and we call her the squirrel lady because all the squirrels and birds come racing over and she feeds them. It’s fun to watch and once a squirrel ate out of Rachel’s hand just inches from my nose. Oh, that was exciting.

We did some walking and I forget and go too fast sometimes and then, oops, down the rear end goes. My leg isn’t too strong after I sit for awhile and I have to walk it out but then it goes okay. I have these pink socks she puts on me to keep me from slipping. I feel silly but it makes the humans feel better so I wear them.

Rachel worries if I don’t do just what I used to do so I try but sometimes a girl just has to lie down and not look out the car windows till there is something to see and I know because, I have a nose! We have lots of deer here so I like to bark a hello to them when we pass.

I did a little begging while the humans ate tonight, not bad pushy but just interested, Rachel never feeds me from the table but she was happy to see me want food that she slipped me a little treat. Wish I could remember which look it was that I gave her so she would do it some more. I think Rachel’s mom is slipping some of my KD food in with the broth and rice she gives me.I really don’t care for the taste of it anymore. For those who don’t know KD is for those of us that have a renal problem, I can’t have too much protein which makes it a bit more complicated in getting me hungry to eat again. I did well today with my food so everyone is happy with me. My Rachel worries about everything and I can’t get her to understand that I am happy just to be with her even if I don’t feel good.

Thanks to all who wrote to us. It really helps to hear about all of you. Hey James, I like older guys so keep writing sometime.

I hear I am going to have staples put in where I got a thermal burn during surgery. I hate staples but this huge bandage I am wearing around my waist does nothing for my figure so on Tuesday back to that place I go again and then the next Tuesday I get more chemo.

That’s all for now, thanks for walking this trail with me.

Zip