Thanksgiving Break

Keith and I haven't really seen any side effects from the chemotherapy. She was a little tired for a couple of days, but hasn't had any GI problems. She didn't eat her food one day, but realized that it was because we started putting fish oil pills in her food.. and well she didn't like them one bit. She actually ate all her food and spit the pill out. We went Costco today to get flaxseed to put in her food. It was successful! On Thursday, the day after chemotherapy she was making this weird clearing her throat noise. We think it may actually be the bad taste in her mouth from the fish oil. I hope so anyways.. luckily after a few times that day.. we haven't heard anything like that from her. She has made it one month after her diagnosis. I can't believe it has only been a month.. a very tough month. It has gotten easier each day. I'm glad we are done with the "draining" from the amputation, that was pretty gross. I feel lucky that I have time to enjoy with her. Today she was playing with her toy pumpkin and I was throwing it and she zoomed after it. I wish I was recording it!

First Round of Chemo

I've been VERY busy, so I haven't been able to post. Lila got all of her staples out last Sunday. The wound healed beautifully. The only problem is that Becca noticed a little bit of puss come out of a section of the wound. So they called in a prescription of antibiotics just in case.

Yesterday, I came home and the first thing Keith said to me was go look in the bedroom. Sure enough, Lila jumped up on giant bed.. It is almost as tall as she is! Well she got up there 2 more times yesterday and one time this morning. It is her favorite place in the whole world. Unfortunately we feel like we should keep her off it because she could easily hurt herself. Last night we watched her get down.. we were astonished! We told her to get down and then she hopped over to the side of the bed that had her soft bed on the floor. Then she got really low crouching -like and got off the bed slowly. What a SMART dog!

Then this morning we had an appointment at AVS at 9. We were at the consultation for about an hour and half. We had to make some hard choices and we decided to not recheck lungs or do an ultra sound on her stomach... it was $500! So hopefully, she is fine. They did blood work and everything was in normal limits. So then they were able to give Lila one dose of the Carboplatin. I am not liking the fact that the price is done per pound, considering her giant size. Everyone at the vet just loved her, as they always do. Everyone comments on her beautiful markings and her charming personality! If they only knew how amazing she really is!

270 days.. that is the average lifespan of a dog from day of diagnosis with Osteosarcoma. I'm so hoping that they are way off. The Doctors said that because she is young the cancer is most likely more aggressive, but considering her disposition and eagerness to eat she may beat the odds.

It should be interesting to see how she does with this first round of chemotherapy. So far, so good. The only stressful thing is having to keeping her slobber and "business" safe from everyone. We actually have to use gloves to pick up her "stuff". Cancer is CRAZY! We got great news today that the Dog and Cat Cancer fund wants to help us pay for chemotherapy! We are also thinking about starting our own fundraising website because this is getting exponentially expensive! There a very few things that I would spend this much money on.. but I consider her a part of the family and I love her ..probably way more than I should!

Drain+ 1/3 Staples are out!

Finally the icky drain is out! Becca also took out about 20 of 70 staples out. It was amazing how still Lila was during the removal. By Sunday, she will have all of her staples out! Then the dirty dog can get a bath! We have decided to pursue chemotherapy. We have to make another consultation with AVS, since it is a different department. We are trying to make the appointment for Friday or Saturday, so that way she can start the treatment on Monday.

Today Lila was very playful with her bone. I want to take her, but she is still a little bloody. I will post a video once she stop "draining". Everyday she is stronger and more playful! The future looks bright!

Cancer Results

Well... not a surprise it is officially osteosarcoma... pretty much one of the worst cancers a dog can get. It is okay because Keith and I are thinking positively. She is so lively and is ready to eat everyday and today.. she was a little too lively! Burnie was chasing a squirrel outside and began jumping on the fence. Lila heard this and RAN outside! I tried to yell at her to stop, but squirrel chasing is a serious business in a dog's life.

I would like to thank Lila for being my sanity at the end of my day. Keith and I bought her during my first year of teaching. At that time, she did not give me that "feeling of sanity". She was a puppy, what do you expect? By my second year she had settled down and on my "bad days" she would comfort me by either pushing her head underneath my hand so I would pet her or come give me sloppy Great Dane kisses. So, I think that the past few days that I have had to watch her every move and help her do certain things or wake up ten times a night are nothing compared to what she has done for me. She has given me unconditional love at all times.

I really hope she makes it until Christmas. There are moments that I think she will leave a full life, but then the rational side of me knows that we are up against great odds. I know she has only been given 3-12 months, but I hope she can beat those odds. Depending on what the Doctor finds out from the specialist at AVS and the specialist in Tampa, we are going to decide to pursue Chemo. If it is already in Stage 4, well, we are going to enjoy each day that is left. We are taking it day by day and sometimes hour by hour. This awful situation has really made me realize what is truly important. I think sometimes we get so busy in our lives, that we don't take time to realize what is truly important. I am so blessed! Keith has been my rock through all of this, even though I know how much he is hurting inside. Surprisingly, this has been one of the hardest things I have ever had to deal with. So, I consider myself VERY lucky!

Weekend

Well it has been a challenging few days. I have told myself that I can't continue to worry with every step she takes or I will go crazy! The vet tech, Becca, came out to our house today to check up on her.. by the way I love Piedmont Animal Hospital! She told us that is still going to be a few more days worth of drainage and her staples will come out next Monday. Lila just loves it when people visit! She hoping around like a crazy maniac!

Tomorrow is a BIG day we find out for sure what type of cancer it is and what stage it is in. Keith said to Becca, "Stage zero, right?" Wouldn't that be nice? Too bad that isn't going to be the case. Overall, I am very proud of Lila and I hope that her will to live will keep her happy and healthy for a long time. I am nervous about leaving her alone all day tomorrow. I am planning on putting a sock on her foot so she can't scratch her wound through the shirt. She is going to LOVE that! I hope to post some great news tomorrow!

Post Amp Day 4

Well.. I was so preoccupied loving her that I didn't get to write last night. When we picked her up from the Piedmont Animal Hospital she was hopping excitedly. She knew it was time to come home and she was soo ready. She is doing EVERYTHING on her own! Anyways, I was in paying the extremely big bill when Lila apparently JUMPED into hatchback. She is crazy! The doctor is a little worried that her back legs aren't strong enough, so we have to build up those leg muscles. He suggested swimming. We happened to get a life vest to support her walking.

Last night she was just finishing doing her business and then she wanted to run into the house. Instead she fell and let out a yelp.. my heart dropped. After she got up she just stood up and looked at us thinking... do I really want to do that again? We kept telling her to slow down. Luckily there was only that fall. We have to put a t-shirt on her because she continues to "drain" from her surgery. I can't wait until it stops so she can come out her crate. I took the mattress off the guest bed and placed it next to her crate so she wasn't so lonely last night. So far so good!

Day 3: Post Amp

I was so excited to see Lila. I kept telling Keith to AT LEAST drive the speed limit! Haha.. he just loves it when I tell him how to drive! I was bouncing up and down as we were heading into the vet. As soon as she saw us she began wagging her tail. We watched her walk with the vet technician. She has to keep a towel under Lila to help support her as she walks. It seems like it is going to take her a while before she can get this 3 legged thing down. She hadn't really been eating her food today, but as soon as we showed up she chowed down! When we were outside with her,she went over to the gate... looking longingly at the cars in the parking lot. I'm sure she was thinking.. isn't time to go home? We could have taken her home today, but she is still draining a lot. It is a lot of blood.. it scares me a bit, but I know it is normal. We are hoping that the drain can come out tomorrow and we can bring her home. Tomorrow we are making a call to the specialist about chemotherapy. It is expensive, but we are hoping to grants from companies that give money to dogs with cancer. I want her to have a fighting chance.

Day 2: Post Amp

I didn't get much sleep last night because I had Lila on the brain. I was just worried about her being alone overnight with such a major surgery, but everything went well! I called the vet as soon as they opened and I was told that she was doing great. She already began to hop within hours of surgery! It really doesn't surprise me too much, considering Lila's spirit.

When we went to see after this afternoon, she almost looked Lila we know and love. She was still a little out of it, but she was sitting up and was just loving all the attention we were giving her! I sat next to her for about thirty minutes.. it was nice to have some quality time. When were were leaving, she stood up on her three legs! She watched us go.. I hate leaving her, but I know that she is with people that are taking good care of her. She is already pulling the vets on walks.. She is unbelievable! I can't wait for her return!! All of us are a mess without her! She is our sunshine.

Amputation Day

What a rough day! Stomach was in knots the whole time until right before 2:00 when I found out that she had made it through surgery. She wanted to eat so bad this morning, but I couldn't feed her because she needed to fast for surgery. When we went to visit her this afternoon, it killed me to look at her laying there.. I wish there was something I could do. She was on morphine, but she could still hear us and began wagging her tail! Keith thought that would be a stretch, but I knew that my Lila even when faced with the worst of circumstances, can prevail! She is way tougher than I am! I am still worried about this first night. Keith and I plan to visit her again tomorrow. I just hope she keeps fighting! :-)

Afternoon at the park

The News

On the night of Oct. 20, 2010 we noticed that Lila was beginning to limp. We thought it was just from playing outside... I wish that was the case! The limp didn't go away and after a few days we began to worry! We took her into the vet on her third birthday, not knowing the horrible news we were about to get. They found a bone tumor when they x-rayed her distal radius. I couldn't believe it.. we were in SHOCK! They said the x-ray of her chest was clear and it was most likely Osteosarcoma! We wanted to believe it was a mistake.. there is no way our healthy, energetic puppy could have cancer! We had a needle biopsy and it was confirmed that it was sarcoma. Last Thursday, we went to the specialist to get our options. He told us if it was his dog he would have the amputation and chemotherapy. So after several grueling days of running through all the scenarios that could happen, we decided to go through with the amputation. So after tomorrow morning, Lila will become a three-legged friend. We are extremely nervous about this procedure, but I couldn't watch her slowly die. Cancer has already taken too many lives.. I want to give her a fighting chance! I think she is capable of so much. We are in the process of trying to get financial assistance to pay for all these procedures. So if anyone happens to know of any providers, please let us know!

DogStory

This is the video I created for my grad school class to remember Lila.

I created this movie for my grad school class.

Burnie + Lila = Play at first sight!

About a year after we brought Lila home, we decided to begin looking for a furry friend for her. She was so good with other dogs, as long as they didn't "mind her energy"! Keith had wanted to rescue a Greyhound for a while, so one afternoon we went to visit a rescue with Lila. Lila was introduced to many greyhounds, but most of them just ignored her or were annoyed by her. We needed a large male greyhound that could attempt to put her in her place. They suggested a dog named Burnie. They brought him out and boy was it play at first sight! There were definitely fireworks! So that next Friday, we took Burnie home. He wasn't used to being a pet. So it took a few months before he warmed up to us three. Lila and him became quite the couple. They defended each other in times where other dogs would try to challenge them. They kindly share the same water bowl. They would play until they couldn't play anymore. Lila is such an amazing role model for him. Burnie who had been so distant at first became very attached to Lila. Anytime Lila isn't around, Burnie will cry and try to find her. He likes to cuddle up next to her and rest his head on her backside.

Puppy months

Oh, Lila was quite the challenging puppy! She was so stubborn and was very aggressive. Thank goodness for The Dog Whisper! When we first brought Lila home we were living in a one bedroom apartment. Lila's behavior seemed to improve when we moved into our new home. She had more freedom to roam and NEEDED the space! She had quite the battle with colitis during her puppy months.. boy was that fun! :-/ We found that her name "Lila" actually means playful.. and was that an understatement! She definitely kept us busy! We spent days at the dog park and there were many walks to "get out her energy"! Keith and I were always entertained by Lila. The first time she jumped on the bed.. the first time she farted doing downward facing dog.. the first time she literally sat on the couch next to us. She was always full of surprises. By the time she was about 8 months, she had turned into the most lovable dog I had ever known. She was always wanted to snuggle and she couldn't give you enough kisses. Normally the dogs at the dog park would be so excited to see the other canines....well Lila was more excited about the people there. However, not everyone was excited to see her coming at them! HA! Most of the time when other people see Lila they comment on how beautiful and wonderful she is.. and as a proud mother I would have to agree!

Welcome Home, Lila!

In October of 2007, my fiance and I had just recently purchased a built-to-order home.One of the biggest reasons why we were so excited to get a house was because we both wanted to have dogs of our own. Keith and I spent many of our weekends at Petland. One weekend in January, we went up to Petland and I spotted her... a beautiful Great Dane. She was a perfect match for me. I originally wanted a dalmatian, but after much research decided that a dalmatian wasn't the best match. After seeing the spotting of a Harlequin Great Dane, I knew that was the kind of dog I wanted. So back to that day, well she looked really cute in her crate then when she got out, that was a whole nother story! She was so rambunctious! Within minutes Keith and I both had scratches all over our bodies. The bitting of the toes was no fun and games either. OUCH! Even though she was a complete terror of a puppy, I still felt strongly that this could be my future dog. We didn't purchase her on that first day, but we made 2 other trips to see her and on January 19, 2008 we brought home the beautiful beast! :-) She was so small under 30 pounds and I could hold her in my lap... oh how times have changed!