Please Keep Your Arms and Hands Inside the Ride at All Times!

What a roller coaster ride!! I ended up going into the office yesterday morning as opposed to working from home. Logan was a little out of it, but I figured he'd be ok - at least for a few hours. I came back home for a late lunch to try to feed him, and found him alone in the office lying in a pool of drool, wouldn't lift his head and barely opened his eyes. He was also burning up and panting. Took his temp and it was above the max we're supposed to allow it to get to before we take him to the emergency vet (103.5 - Logan's was 103.9). I couldn't get him to stand up and walk. I had to use a beach towel under his back end to get him out to the car. He was in some sad, sad shape. I took him to our regular vet because he's closest. They checked him quick in the waiting room to make sure it wasn't a real bad emergency, and we waited for 2 hours.

Basically, Logan's white blood cell count has been completely knocked out by the chemo. The vet said it was the lowest count he's ever seen in his career! So, as you know - this opens his system up to infection. Well, that's what the high fever was for.....his body was fighting some sort of infection (not exactly sure where - could be anything, even just the general bacteria that's always in his stomach - just like humans). They also did an x-ray of his lungs (doc said they sounded very "harsh"). They're still clear - at least in the area he x-rayed. They kept him for another 2 hours for the x-ray and another fluid IV and added an antibiotic fluid this time. I came home in the meantime, and had myself pretty convinced the cancer had spread to his lungs, etc. I was 99% sure I'd have to call my husband and prepare him for the "decision". But...nope...clear lungs. My husband was able to skip his work dinner with clients and met me back home to help me get the pup out of the car and into the house.

The drugs started to kick in, and he had to keep the catheter in in case they needed it again today. Thank god we're not doing anymore chemo!! He was a total mess this time and much worse than round 1. Our vet says they call Adriamycin the "red devil"..... I can see why!!

It's been a week since round 2, so hopefully by the weekend, he'll be more like his old self.

Recovery from Mandibulectomy & The Chemo Treatment Plan

So Logan recovered very well from his surgery. He was such a good boy with the e-collar on all the time even though the healing was starting to make him itch like crazy. All he wanted to do was plunge his face onto our kitchen rug to scratch (like he used to do).


The one issue we ran into though was getting his medication in him! Not good considering one of them was his pain medication! Since he wasn't eating solids, there was no using cheese or deli meat or pill pockets! We tried crushing it into a powder and hiding it in his "flurry", etc. No go! We tried pilling him, and that was a nightmare since we had to be so careful not to tear his stitches and he fought us like a champ!! Finally, our general vet came to the rescue and suggested a pain patch and an injection for the antibiotic! Whew!! This took a huge weight off our shoulders - I can't even explain!


So, when they said "pain patch", I'm thinking...."hmmmm....patch....like a nicotine patch....they'll stick it on his belly where he can't reach it, or up under his front leg or something". Ummmmm....NO! Apparently it's necessary to shave an area the size of Texas right on his back to accommodate the patch! And they staple it to him!! Crazy. But hey...it worked! So, while we were there for the patch and shot, the vet went ahead and removed Logan's drain too (very minor 1 minute procedure).

Two weeks after op day we took him back to the hospital to get his stitches removed and he got to ditch the satellite dish (collar) too!! The surgeon said he looked great and that he could "graduate" to canned food for the next 2 - 3 weeks!

We went back a few days later to discuss next steps with the oncologist. It was explained that with Logan's type of cancer, the best option would be 6 rounds of treatment (3 cisplatin and 3 adriamycin). We were scheduled to drop Logan off the very next morning for his first treatment.