8 yrs old, May 2008
Now that I’m over the shock of Morgan’s exit from remission, I’m continuing to research how we can best help him maintain a high quality of life while we banish this evil condition once and for all.
He did not respond to the Asparaginase (Elspar). His lymph nodes swelled up again and are very firm—like two eggs under his jaw, and smaller firm pouches behind his knees, so we went back to the oncologist yesterday.
Because the Doxorubicin worked well the last time, we’re going with that one again this week to see what happens. The doctor said while it doesn’t always work the second time around, there were times when it did—so we’ll give it a shot. If it doesn’t work, we’ll try something else.
They also put him back on Prednisone, so we can expect the appetite to return to normal, at least.
I did a urine test and he’s really acidic—but is that because of the chemo or not? I’ll have to check with the oncologist next week.
On Saturday he didn’t want to get up in the morning and when he began to stand and then stopped, I tried to help him up—the wrong way, apparently—and pulled something in my back so Ibuprofen is my best friend and keeps the pain down to a dull roar. We’re quite the pair. He can’t jump into the truck and I can’t lift him to help. Dads come in really handy sometimes and the vet techs, too!
Morgan is not up to snuff today as usually happens after a chemo treatment and wasn’t interested in breakfast until almost noon, but the good news is, we were prepared this time and with the meds, so far no vomiting, diarrhea or other negative side-effects we experienced the very first time he had this really nasty chemo drug. He’s just “tired” and perhaps a little bored. I feel Morgan needs a friend to keep him engaged and active, but despite my pleas, we will not be getting another dog at this time.
Mo’s not enthused about the food he used to vacuum down, but will eat with special things mixed in like a hard-boiled egg, banana or turkey wiener-laced with medication. We may have to get creative as time goes on, from what I’m reading, as their likes and inclinations morph over time, depending on how they feel and even perhaps what their inner wisdom tells them they need.
The next designated hitter up to bat: marine phytoplankton. Morgan has been taking Green Power for 15 months, but we’re going to go one better as it’s touted as the most important nutrient—even above chlorella and spirulina, alfalfa, etc.
That’s the update. For anyone who is interested in what we’re doing because they have a beloved furry friend in a similar situation, I will share some info below that may help you in your healing journey.
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For dogs needing treatments for cancer I recommend this site I’ve been using. A Toronto therapist, Cheryl Baldwin HBSc., CNHP has shared very detailed information about the supplements she has used for Buddy, some of her sources, Buddy’s responses over time, etc. Her posts are here: www.cananinecancer.com/alternatives.html
I’ve learned I can easily massage Morgan to simulate walking which is what makes the lymph flow in his body so although his system may be sluggish from old age and inactivity, we can still mimic the effects and keep things moving. Here’s a video to show how to do that. Easy peasy.
Overall, Morgan doesn’t feel too bad most days. He was fetching stick in the lake on Tuesday and went for a full-blown long walk in the desert on Monday night which we haven’t done in quite some time, so we accept that he will have good and not so good days and will deal with what is in front of us. Tonight he wouldn’t go for a walk, but he went out back and nabbed his favourite pool toy and brought it in, so he’s doing okay. He’ll feel better tomorrow.
My feeling is that he has lots of time if we manage his nutrition, supplements, exercize and detoxification well—whether he is on chemo or not—but we need that Event NOW!
I learned a couple of things I would want to mention for anyone using alternative methods of eliminating cancer as they clarified some misunderstandings.
- Hemp Oil is a term used too loosely. Hemp is the female marijuana plant while cannabis is the mail plant. Hemp oil is made from crushed hemp seeds, is common and relatively inexpensive. Cannabis oil is the heavy hitter in healing cancer and less easy to find. You’re more likely to find a recipe for making your own than a supplier. I have a lot of hemp oil to use up before I look for or make cannabis oil in my slow cooker.
- Essiac Tea is the name spelled backwards of the aboriginal who cured hundreds of people in Canada- Rene M. Caisse, R.N. It can be brewed easily at home from the raw ingredients if you want to keep the cost down, and unlike many teas, should not be left out at room temperature. I bought a box of tea bags of Essiac Tea (Ojibway brand) at the health food store as it is a great detoxifier for Morgan, and it doesn’t say anything about needing to refrigerate it—but I will now. It’s best to administer between meals, if possible, maybe mixed with a little beef broth.
- I’m going to build him a pyramid. Many people have impressive stories about how that improved their health and people working in the Bosnian pyramids, for example, experienced relief from their health conditions. There are plenty of web sites about this as well as instructions on how to build one according to Pi and align it properly with either true north or magnetic north, and why it’s important to do this according to the materials you used to construct the pyramid. You can sit/lie in it, and even put supplements, etc. in it to boost their effectiveness. They must be placed half way up the full height for a few days to do this.
I like the “shotgun” effect for targeting disease. Throw everything you can at the wall and see what sticks. What works for one will not for all.
Visit this web page for important info about taking Essiac Tea. www.caninecancer.com/essiac.html