We've hit the 10 treatment mark...countdown begins

So I haven't posted to the blog since Thursday because I really didn't want to jinx what I am about to post. Since Thursday Carmine has been like a new dog. He is showing interest again and hasn't bumped into a wall since last week. He stands on his back legs to see what is on the table and he gets excited when people come over. I want to yell "IT'S A MIRACLE"! but I know we are not done yet.

They put him on prednisone, which I really was nervous about and it isn't bad at all. He is more thirsty which makes him want to pee more but I take him out so much anyway that it really doesnt matter. He is also VERY VERY hungry and whins all the time because he wants to eat. I bought him some carrots that when I gave him the first one he looked at me like I was crazy. He now enjoys them and they are healthy for him.

I may sound crazy but I feel like he looks different as if the pressure in his head is gone. He looks like he did when I first got him. He has a puppish face. This morning was the one morning I knew he was getting better. Every morning before he started showing signs he would get up in the morning and jump on my chest and stretch...he hadn't done that since October. This morning he did it and looked at me in a way like he if he could talk he would say "I did it! I did it!"

Whether it is from the prednisone or if the tumor is starting to shrink today was the day the 2% of me that didn't know if I was doing the right thing went away. I 100% know I am doing the right thing for my dog.

So the countdown begins as he only has 6 more treatments...Thanks for the all the well wishes and thoughts because it really helped.

Finally out of Double digits...9 more to go!

So personally I am thrilled that today was the last of the double digits....Even though I know Carmine is in the best hands and thank god that he is responding to treatment I still worry everyday! He had some crazy energy today and I really think it was from the acupuncture yesterday. I haven't noticed any difference in his drinking or eating since his first dosage of prednisone but it was only his first. The one thing is his GAS...VERY BAD and VERY LOUD:) Sort of hilarious and makes me laugh every time a toot (or horn) comes out..LOL!

So I say on this 7th treatment day that all is good!!!

Treatment # 6

So today Carmine finished his 6th treatment. He was really in good spirits this morning which really makes it hard for me to drop him off because there are days that it seems like there is nothing wrong. He did see two of his friends outside the hospital this morning so he was excited to get going.

I also restarted the acupuncture I was giving to him before he started radiation. It helps with swelling and it helps with his neck issue. What I love about City of Angels is that they have acupuncture under the same roof. I didn't want to traumatize him by going from hospital to hospital. The acupuncturist, Dr. Shift, was great. She actually sat on the floor with Carmine, on a blanket in a very non-clinic kind of room. He was really relaxed and she said that he will be overly exhausted.

The one thing today is that they gave him prednisone(steroid) to help with any swelling. I am not sure I am %100 sure about giving it to him because of side effects but I am comfortable with their decisions so far.

Looking forward to Friday because there will only be 7 treatments left:)

1st weekend after 4 treatments

Well I am happy to report that Carmine, for the most part, is doing well. He had his 4th radiation treatment on Friday and so far so good. I must say that I actually see a slight difference in him. He isn't as glazed over and he actually has some interest in playing with other dogs. He has moments of exhaustion but I expect that...I'm exhausted and I am not getting the radiation:) We start our 1st full week tomorrow so wish us luck.

Wed & Thursday (2nd and 3rd treatment)

Well today Carmine finished his 3rd treatment. Yesterday when he came out of it he was really tired. It is really sad to see his little face just wiped out. When he knows he is going to eat he really perks up. I have to say that except for the exaustion issue there have been no side effects to date. I will say that the scary part is that he has vomited every day coming out of anesthia which can cause a deadly outcome. The techs at City Of Angels really watch over him when he wakes up and so far no complications. They did give him some anti nausea meds that worked today...Carmine did not puke this morning which is a good sign.

So as I type this today, the end of his 3rd treatment, everything is fine. I really don't see any signs of improvement yet but the tech said for a brain tumor it will take a little longer so I will keep my fingers crossed. Looking forward to tomorrow being over because he has a little rest over the weekend.

Carmine's 1st Radiation appointment

Well Today SUCKED! Carmine was supposed to have his first appointment yesterday but because I was freaking out I moved it until today. The weird thing is Carmine was actually pretty good for the past few days which makes it harder knowing what he has to go through or in my mind what I am putting him through. I know it is for the best and so far so good.

Well he wasn't able to eat anything after midnight and that is how it's going to be for the next 15 days. Today was bad only because his appointment was at 2;30 which, if you have a Boston Terrier, is a long time for them not to go with food. He was confused this morning as to why I wasn't in the kitchen after our walk. I tried to break the cycle today because I didn't want to confuse him. The morning was horrible for me because I just had a fear of the unknown. I know that I brought him to the best place possible but it's still stressful.

When we got to City of Angels he was very perky and nosey. There were a few other animals in the waiting area which is something we hadn't seen last week. There was a golden who had her back shaved and her owner told me this was her 3rd treatment. There was another woman there who had a 16 year old cat that had mouth cancer and she wasn't sure if the cat was going to make it. Basically I wanted to get out of there and fast since I was nervous on my own. I did realize that if the cat lady was get her 16 year old cat treatment, there isn't a question that I am doing the right thing for Carmine. So Carmine was dropped off at 2:30 and I waited for that phone to ring so I can pick him up which was around 5:30.

When I got to City Of Angels they brought Carmine out right away and he was very alert. So much so that I thought the one treatment already worked! Now, Carmine has a sensitive stomach and he usually vomits a little in the morning because his stomach is empty. I told the nurse when I dropped Carmine off that he was going to vomit because he hadn't eaten and he did. The good thing is they watched him closely because I told them that and all was fine. I brought them a bag of food to keep there so they can feed him when he comes too and he ate as soon as he woke up...GOOD SIGN.

The car ride home was interesting because he started looking out the window and they he sat down and was sort of sleeping just sitting there and then he started whining and crying. Of course, the nut that I am, called the doctor and they said just to keep an eye on him. I thought he had to pee or poop so I stopped to let him out and that wasn't it. Basically he REALLY wanted to come home because when he got here he ate and stopped crying and now I am watching him sleep.

So the first day is down without any real drama(hope I didn't just jinx myself). Can't wait to see the effects of the radiation and hopefully start seeing the old Carmine:)

1st appointment down

So this morning I was wreck because Carmine had his first appointment at the radiologist. He actually was in really good spirits and was more alert then I had seen him in months. I think he thought if he perked up he wouldn't have to go today:) He couldn't eat and that was torture for him as I had to spell FOOD and HUNGRY because he's smart like that.

I took him to City Of Angels in Culver City and to be completely honest with you as soon as i arrived my nerves went from a 10 to 2. This place is top notch and the comfort that I felt when we walked in was what I was waiting for. I mean I just found out that Carmine had this tumor last Tuesday so the past week has been a little stressful(thanks to all for the calls). From the front desk women, especially Carmine, to Dr. Lyons to the nurses. All AMAZING!!!!

Dr. Lyons came in and took Carmine's history and I had to go through the whole story hopefully for the last time. He did tell me that out of hundreds of people a week I was one of the most on target with my pet which pretty much is the reason his life is going to be extended. He did a neurological exam and said Carmine was in good shape. He said he was stiff but that was from his disk issue. He said he would opt for the radiation because it will shrink his tumor. He had to go through all the disclaimers like it may not shrink and side effects like irritation and dry eye. When he told me that he can have 1-4 years added to his life I said "I'll TAKE IT"! like I was at an auction or something.

Carmine is there as I post doing his CT scan. They needed to do this so they know how deep the tumor is and so they know the exact position for the radiation. Let me tell you something if god forbid something like this ever happens to me I want to go to this hospital....I'll bark if I have too:)

Anyway Carmine is going to get 16 treatments starting on Monday which means he will be done on March 29th. They give him the weekends off. I have to say, even though i am still nervous about putting him under, I am pretty excited to see if this will give him the spunk he once had. I would settle for just a little. There are no guarantee's but at least I know I am taking the right steps in getting him better..not cured...just better and that is all I ask.

Carmine's Journey

My 7 year old Boston Terrier Carmine was diagnosed with a macroadenoma. What is that you ask? Well after his diagnosis on Tuesday I quickly started searching and it is very hard to find a simple definition so that is why I am starting this blog. I feel like if I can help just one person then it is worth my time. Basically a Macroadenoma is a large non-cancerous tumor in the brain. Because there is not much extra space within the skull for extra-structures, a macrotumor can compress normal brain tissue and lead to neurologic disease. Which is where my journey with Carmine began.

In October 2009 I started noticing subtle changes in Carmine's behavior. He was slow moving, almost like a robot, and he started hugging the right wall when we went on walks. He seemed like he was just getting older but he is a Boston Terrier and those rules don't apply. He was only 61/2 at the time and I knew something was happening. I took him to his vet and they did a blood panel and everything came back great, they took a chest extra and that was good I even had an ultrasound of his stomach and that came back fine as well.

Christmas came and I was going to NY and something was happening to Carmine. It turns out that he had a pinched nerve(or as I know now two ruptured disks) in his spine. This was totally unrelated to the tumor but I feel like it was worth mentioning. He was treated for that and recovered pretty well. Something was still not right in his behavior. I really thought that pain from his neck/spine had caused him to act as if he were out of it. I finally just couldn't take it anymore...he had no interest in playing with his bones, not interest in taking walks and just was acting like a whole different dog...he still wanted to eat though:)

I was taking Carmine for acupuncture and the vet asked me how he was. I was telling her that he was staring into space and facing the wall when he got into bed. She said that we still have not uncovered what was wrong with Carmine and suggested I go to a neurologist...I immediately made an appt and within 3 days he was getting an MRI. It was here that I was told about his brain tumor(macroadenoma) and here that I was told about his disks. I was in shock and couldn't even comprehend what the vet was telling me. I was told without treatment they would give him 6 months to a year to live...HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN??? I ran home and searched online and as I have said could not find anything significant so I started e-mailing boston rescue sites and searching facebook. A great woman from Boston Buddies(bostonbuddies.org) e-mailed me saying her Boston went through this and did pretty well but unfortunately passed away 6 months later from an unrelated heart condition. She did give me hope though. I just don't want Carmine to suffer from seizures which I feel will happen soon if I don't treat the tumor. I was told that the treatment will only shrink the tumor and not get rid of it. But I was also told that I can have him for another 2 years!!!

The only way to treat this is through radiation therapy. I made an appt for March 4th and I am hoping that the answers I need come from that appt. I did hear that there aren't many side effects and that you can see improvement almost immediately. The only setback is Carmine would need to be put under 5 days a week for 3 to 4 weeks(won't know until tomorrow).

I will be posting daily updates on Carmine's progress so until then!