Rest easy sweet Sydney

I always meant to be better about keeping up to date on the blog. Sadly, it seems that I haven't been great about giving you the good news and have been far more timely in sharing the bad news.

Our sweet boy Sydney lost his battle with cancer tonight. While my heart is broken that my best friend is no longer a part of this world, there is a part of me that is relieved. I am relieved that he was at home in the living room at the end of his life. I didn't want his last memory to be of a place that wasn't his favorite. I am glad that he was in his home. I am relieved that he isn't suffering anymore. He is in a place where he can move with ease and cancer isn't making it hard to breath.

Treating Syd's cancer gave us an additional ten months to enjoy with Sydney. We had cheeseburgers, rides in the car, snuggles on the couch with the boys and afternoons spent laying in the back yard. For all those things I am eternally grateful. As I have always said, I would make the same choice again in a heat beat.

Even right up until he left this world Sydney was the kindest soul. Today it became too difficult for him to stand so laid by the door so that he could wag his tail at everyone who walked in. No matter how wretched he must have felt at times he was never anything but ecstatic to see us. Our house will be a different place without him.

When Sydney was first diagnosed we couldn't find enough information about what treating a basset with lymphoma would be like. I started this blog so other people could find the information.

We treated Syd's lymphoma with one round of the CHOP protocol (chemo) Syd had some minimal side effects that required stays in the hospital. After the CHOP protocol Syd was in remission for three months. We visited the Vet once a month for those three months. Once Syd was out of remission we treated him three times with CCNU. After the CCNU quit working we treated twice with LSPAR. Once the LSPAR was no longer effective we treated Syd with Prednisone. The whole treatment cost somewhere in the neighborhood of 10K. It was worth every penny.

If you are in New England and looking for a canine oncologist you won't do better than Dr. DeRegis at Pieper Memorial in Middletown. She genuinely cared for Syd and answered all of our questions honestly and fairly. She went above and beyond to make sure that he had the best treatment possible and they we weren't sending ourselves to the poor house. I wish that I had been able to be nicer when I was at her office. I think that if we had met under different circumstances we probably would have been friends.

I will always be grateful that my sister Annie was a tech on Dr. DeRegis's team while Syd was being treated. It meant the world to me that there was someone that Syd loved there with him while he was having chemo.

I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't heart broken tonight. I am trying to comfort myself with memories of Sydney. Some of my favorites; When he was a puppy he tripped over his ears when he ran, Even as an adult dog he has never able to keep his ears out of the water bowl, and  He loved us fiercely and protected our family through some scary times (an intruder, a car accident and a sick EK to name a few).

Thank you to everyone who was so kind during the time that Syd was sick. It really did mean the world to our family.

It was the best of times it was the worst of times.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only. 

- Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

Sydney had his third remission check up on Monday afternoon. I sincerely wish that we had better news to report. Sydney's cancer is back. 

I am not sure if I have mentioned it before, but Sydney is named after the character Sydney Carton from A Tale of Two Cities. I like to think that there are some similarities between the two. They are both selfless creatures when it matters most, they both can be incredible pains in the ass and they both struggled with addictive behaviors.That fact paired with the fact that I am a literary nerd makes the quote from the book feel very appropriate this afternoon.

 It is the best of times, I am happily married to a swell guy who appreciates all of my eccentricities, I have three wonderful children, the home I have always wanted, a huge, loud family I adore, animals I love, friends that understand me and time to do the things that I love. Both of the older kids found jobs recently doing things they are enjoying. Hayden is excited for warmer weather, swimming lessons, archery and bike rides. It is truly a good life. 

It is also the worst of times. I know that I am prone to dramatics. I own that fact. It might not have actually been "the worst" of times, but on Monday it certainly felt pretty crappy. Sydney has cancer again. We have to tell the kids. We had to decide what treatment to use this time. We needed to take a minute and let it sink in that no matter what we do we are going to lose our dog, best case scenario we have six months. We have to accept the fact that our family is still paying for the last round of CHOP. We have to remember that our financial situation has changed since Sydney was diagnosed the first time. No matter what we do this time it is gonna hurt worse. Sydney had a short remission. We got less time than we bargained for and it just plain sucks.

And gosh darn it, I am sick of winter. This has been a rough winter for a lot of people that I love. At times it has felt incredibly cold, dark and endless. This is the perfect rotten button on this damn winter. It was the season of darkness, It was the Spring of hope, It was the winter of despair.

If you aren't a dog person and don't understand that dogs are a part of the family, I encourage you to quit reading. This isn't the blog for you and today isn't the day to tell me that you don't understand why people would spend that kind of money on their dogs. You and I will never understand each other. Don't bother to try and change my mind and I will pay you the same courtesy.

We had a couple of options for treating Syd's relapse. We can do another round of the CHOP protocol. If he survived the whole thing we would be looking at another $5000 or $6000 dollars. We can expect that Syd's remission would last about half as long the second time. (Syd was in remission for just over 7 months the first time - SUPER RAW DEAL). Syd would have to go back to the vet weekly and spend the morning at the vet office being injected with drugs. 

Second option: CCNU. This would require a trip to the vet once every three weeks for oral chemo treatments. It would cost somewhere between $1300 and $3500 for the series. Again, that price is assuming her were to make it through the whole series without another relapse, which given the length of his first remission is unlikely. The best guess is that he would make it through about 5 treatments. So we are looking at somewhere between $700 and $1400 dollars. The higher end if if the medicine effects his liver. It will effect his liver, it would just be a matter of when.

Our last option would be steroids. This would be basically comfort care and would give us a couple of months. The financial cost would be minimal. It would means deciding that we aren't actively fighting and treating the disease anymore. We are just keeping him comfortable and enjoying what little bit of time we have left with him.

Personally, I think that all of our options suck. We decided that the lesser of all the evils would be to try CCNU. This option is less expensive than the CHOP protocol and doesn't involve nearly as many needle sticks. He also has to spend significantly less time at the Dr.'s office. We want to maximize the time he has left, but not at any cost to his comfort. The only problem: There is only about a 50/50 shot that it is going to work. If it does not work then we will treat him with prednisone and shower him with treats for whatever time he is comfortable. 

Have I mentioned that I think this sucks? 

  

Update: Recheck number two.

Guess what has four paws and is still in remission!

This guy!

Whew! I had convinced myself that we were in for bad news this time. Why you ask? Because I spend my free time sitting on the couch and grouping my dogs nodes to see if I can feel any change in them. I thought that the ones in his legs had gotten larger. Turns out I am just crazy. 

As you all know paying for Syd's treatment was difficult for our family. Even good news comes at a price. Yesterdays visit was $50. Which brings the total somewhere around $6500.  We had to cancel our honeymoon, ask our family and friends for help and make some sacrifices as a family. It was totally worth it and I would do it again in a heartbeat. We were lucky that we were able to move some things around and make it happen. I can't imagine a world where we simply weren't able to help a member of our family. Sadly, I think that sometimes people just can't do it. That is really and truly a shame. 

When Syd was first diagnosed I researched financial assistance for pets with cancer. You know what I found? Bupkis. There was no help out there. 

I was thrilled to hear that another patient at Pieper Memorial is doing something to change that. Tate's family knows that anyone who wants to give their pet a chance to live should be able to do so; regardless of their financial status.  Thus, Tate's Play Date was born. 

Here is the skinny on Tate's Play Date straight from their website: Tate's Play Date is an event that celebrates Tate and his survival.  He's six months into remission and going strong!  Come play for a purpose and experience an afternoon of fun and goodwill for pets and Pet Parents.  While your pup plays in a clean, safe environment, enjoy time to sit back and watch the excitement of a pack at play.  Take the afternoon to mingle, meet new friends or reunite with those you haven't seen lately.  100% of

 the proceeds raised will go directly into a designated fund to be utilized solely for local families in need of financial assistance throughout the treatment of their pet's fight against cancer.

Here is the official Tate's Play Date flyer. 

So grab your favorite Doggy and meet us at the Metro Pooch to help other families! We better see you there. 

Man, I have been terrible at keeping you all updated. I apologize. So here is the update on our pal Sydney.


Sydney completed the CHOP chemotherapy protocol and is in remission. Thankfully he only had a few issues (He lost some hair, Had to skip a week for a fever and had an adverse reaction one week and got a rash).

Syd is in remission and not currently being treated for his cancer. Syd goes back to his Dr. once a month so that she can monitor him and make sure that he is still in remission. The average remission for a dog after receiving treatment is 4 months. We are hopeful that Syd will be one of the lucky dogs and have a remission that lasts for years. When Syd is no longer in remission we will have to decide how we want to treat him. We will have the option to do another round of CHOP or peruse a different course of treatment.

I know you are curious, but are just to polite to ask. The whole shebang cost us nearly. six thousand dollars. With the support and help of our family and friends we were able to limp through and only had to put the last few treatments on a credit card.

Would I do it again? In a heart beat. Just look at this face.

I promise I will do a better job keeping you posted on Sydney's progress.

Bright spots

In the 48 hours since Sydney started treatment we have seen an incredible improvement. What were plum sized lumps have been reduced to barely walnuts. Today we spent an hour out on the front porch. Sydney was wildly sniffing the air and snapping at bugs. It was a great afternoon. I am amazed at how much better he feels. If you could address a Christmas card to steroids, prednisone would be on my list.

We have been amazed an humbled by all of the people who have shown support in on way or another for Syd and our family. Yesterday a friend came with an envelope full of money to help off set the cost of treatment. While the money is helpful, what was really touching was him telling us that he is a part of Sydney's team. In what he has been a tough week it was a reminder of the wonderful community that we have. Thank you Mike for being on Sydney's team. Thank you Annie, Erinn, Cady and Mama for being there to help with the decision making, the the brainstorming, the wine drinking and the feeling sorry for myself. Thank you Keavy and Ralph for the kind text, the understanding and the help with the wedding costs so that we can focus on Syd. Thank you to Evan and Gabby for the immediate willingness to part with worldly possessions. Thank you EP for your complete commitment to whatever it takes. Thank you to everyone to everyone who texted, called and sent a facebook message to let us know you are thinking of Syd and our family. You mean the world to us.

Community is an important thing to me. I am honored and blessed to have such a great community.

Today I believe that Syd will be one of the lucky 10%.

Skin in the game

When the vet told us that Syd was sick our first instinct was to do as much internet research as possible. We needed answers and we needed them fast. We wanted to be as prepared as possible to screw this cancer up. As you may have noticed, I really hate cancer. I wanted to know what would treatment for Lymphoma entail? How much was it going to cost? Was there a viable holistic option? How long would my dog live? Was he in pain? Would the treatment cause him pain? Sadly, there was not a lot of information available. My hope is that this blog will provide some of that information for other families that are going through the same thing. My other hope is that writing this blog will provide an outlet for me that stops me from blurting out during meetings "my dog has cancer" when people ask me how I am. It creates an uncomfortable moment for all involved.

On Tuesday August 7th, 2012 we took Syd to the vet. Gabby called me at work and told me that she was worried about Sydney. He was lethargic and not particularly interested in eating (a clear sign that something is wrong with Sydney) and he had large lumps under his neck. We had been watching what we thought was a gland for about a month. Knowing what I know now, I am sad that I didn't take him in to have it checked out the minute we felt it. I wanted to watch it and see if it was getting bigger before I tortured him by taking him to the vet. Syd REALLY hates the vet. When I went home to pick Syd up for his appointment and felt how large his lymph-nodes where I knew that we were not in for good news. His formerly pea sized lumps were now the size of small plums.  The vet that we saw that day was a vet that was new to the practice. She examined Sydney and told us that she was fairly certain that he had Lymphosarcoma. The vet took some blood, gave Syd some antibiotics on the off chance it was an infection, and sent us home to wait on the results. Vet bill #1 was $257.00 - yep, they charged me nearly $300 dollars to tell me they were pretty sure my dog had cancer. Ain't that a bummer.

 If she was correct and Sydney did have cancer he would have to be treated at the other vet in town. The other vet is the primary veterinarian to our other animals. We switched practices with Syd in hope that it would alleviate his dislike of the vet. Moments after leaving the vet I was already frustrated by the waiting. After speaking with my sister Annie we decided that skip the first waiting step and schedule and appointment for a consult with the oncologist as soon as she was available. Her next available appointment was for Thursday morning. So we were back to waiting. Syd had a fever of 104 and with the limited information that I was armed with I was afraid that Syd was going to die before we got the results of the blood test, or had a chance to meet with the oncologist. I had no idea how sick he was, how long he would be safe untreated, and if he was in pain. What I knew with certainty is that he was not himself. My sister Erinn called Pieper Olsen (the vet who would handle the chemo if he had cancer) and gave them the details of the day. They thought it would be best if we brought him in. I am glad we called Pieper and took Syd in that evening. They were able to help us get a jump on the process and have some of the tests that were necessary to figure out just what we were dealing with. They took samples of his Lymph-nodes for cytology, and give him subcutaneous fluids to help keep him hydrated and potentially bring down his fever.  Vet bill # 2: $265.00 for an exam, Lymph-code aspiration and fluids. After trip two to the vet we were off to wait some more.

We met the oncologist at 10 am on Thursday morning. I am thankful that my sisters were able to be there with me that day. The oncologist agreed that yes it was very likely that Syd had lymphoma. She was still waiting for the results of the cytology, (they had called that morning to say that the cytology results were still pending and we could change his appointment to the next day, but I couldn't wait. I wanted answers) but she too felt certain that this was cancer. She presented the options. Option 1.) Chemotherapy. Syd would have 19 weeks of treatment. He would visit the vet weekly and be given one of a list of drugs that would hopefully put his cancer in remission. 85% of dogs go into remission by following this course. At the 1 year mark 50% of dogs are still alive, at the 2 year mark 20-25% are still alive and a lucky 10% make it to the three year mark. Most dogs do not suffer the same complications from chemo that people do. We also were not locked into the full 19 weeks. If Syd did not respond positively we could decide to stop at any time. A complete round of chemotherapy would cost us in the neighborhood of $4000.  Option 2.) Take Syd to North Carolina for an experimental bone marrow transplant. While it is still considered experimental it is the only way to achieve a "cure". The transplant costs a cool $15,000. That is before you factor in travel, lodging and any other treatment that he may need to support a transplant. Option 3.) If we were not interested in or unable to pay for options 1 and 2 we could use palliative care and keep him comfortable for the time that he would have left.  Option 2 was well out of our reach and Option 3 was out of the question - so option one it was. In addition to chemotherapy I also wanted to attack Syd's cancer in a few natural ways. The vet recommended CVS brand Fish Oil and Maitake Mushroom supplements.  In order to "stage" the cancer Syd needed to have additional test, ex-rays and an ultrasound. We were at the vet office for 2.5 hours while they ultra-sounded, x-rayed, blood tested and urine checked. Vet Bill # 3: $680.00 - We still had a sick dog without a definitive diagnosis.

About an hour after we left the vets office she called back and said that they had received the cytology reports back and that we now had a 100% certain diagnosis (there went my last damn glimmer of my dog doesn't have cancer hope.) We know knew 100% that Syd had stage IV lymphoma and he could come back and have his first chemo treatment that day. I was pissed off that he didn't have stage III and I wanted to attack that jerk cancer even harder. I also wanted my dog to feel better. So my sister Cady took him back for his very first chemo shot less than an hour after we had a definitive diagnosis. Round #1 of Chemotherapy and prednisone to reduce the swelling $77.00. Maitake supplements: $48.00. CVS brand fish oil: $6.15

I also would like to say Syd's oncologist at Pieper Olsen in a lovely lady and the entire staff treated him very well. I am not sure that I am ready to admit to liking Dr. DeRegis yet, after all she is the your dog has cancer dr., but I believe that Syd's best interest is important to her.

So in short, for the people who are trying to find information like I was - 72 hours with a dog who has cancer has cost us $1333.00.

The good news is that between the antibiotics, the chemotherapy and the steroids we are already seeing an improvement in Sydney. He is less lethargic and seems more like his old self. Thank you to everyone that has reached out and told us that you are thinking of us. It means a lot to us.

Stay tuned for next weeks adventure in kicking cancers ass. Today I believe that we are going to be one of the lucky ten percent.

Sydney has the big C.

For as long as I can remember I wanted a Basset Hound. Growing up we had Collies or Collie crosses. Collies are great dogs. They will always have a fond spot in my heart. I loved our dogs, but I knew when I had a dog of my own it would be a Basset Hound. I longed for their Lisa Frank-esque doe eyed stares and those impossibly long velvet ears. When I finally was the master of my own dog destiny I started looking for my Basset Hound.

Rescuing dogs is something that I believe in. I wanted to balance my need for a Basset Hound with my desire to rescue. When our family was ready for our dog I signed up for Basset Hound message boards, rescue groups and religiously trolled Pet Finder. I was 100% committed to finding our dog. My boyfriend was not quite as sure (we won't hold it against him, he wasn't raised with dogs.) I knew that when I found my dog I was gonna to name him Sydney, after Sydney Carton in "A Tale of Two Cities". When I found a Basset puppy who was already named Sydney I was able to convince my boyfriend that it was kismet. We drove 2.5 hours to pick up Sydney. (Syndey was originally purchased as a high school graduation present. When they realized that he couldn't accompany the recipient of the gift to college he needed to be re-homed. There ignorance was our good fortune.)

When we met Sydney he was this impossibly adorable ball of energy who routinely tripped over his own ears. He was a wonderful puppy. He was dopey and loving and everything I'd hoped for in a Basset Hound. He also possessed all the less favorable Basset traits. He was stubborn and prone to eating all sorts of things he had no business eating (I could have a whole additional blog about the things Syd has eaten). The one hound trait that he seemed to be missing was the desire and/or ability to howl. Once my younger son asked the vet why Syd's howler was broken.

In short, we got almost everything we expected in a Hound dog out of Sydney. What we didn't expect was that Sydney would be diagnosed with stage IV Lymphoma when he was only four years old. I knew that cancer was a mean bastard. Cancer is why our aunt will never be able to meet my sister's baby and cancer is what took my granny from us. Now cancer wants my dog? Well, eff you cancer. You can kiss my ass, and you can kiss Sydney's ass. I am sick of cancer. Cancer really sucks.

Sydney was diagnosed with lymphoma a little over 48 hours ago. He has already had his first chemo treatment. Attempting to kick cancers ass and buy more time with our sweet Sydney was not a choice for our family. It was simply what we had to do. We know that the long term success rate is not what we would like it to be, but as long as Sydney has a good quality of life and we can spend more time with him we are gonna throw everything that we have at this. We are going to count every extra day with Syd as a gift and make them count.

In the last 48 hours there have been people who have understood completely and people who have thought we are nuts. I am okay with both. To the people who have understood that we will pay whatever the amount,cut back on expenses, cancel our honeymoon and if it comes to it - sell a car. Good for you, you have obviously enjoyed life with a dog. To those of you that think we are nuts. I am sorry that you have never had the opportunity to know unconditional love. Sydney is a part of our family. When we have needed him to hold up his end of the bargain he has done it. When someone walked into our house uninvited in the middle of the night he defended us. When Cady crashed the car he protected her. When Evan Knoll was at his sickest Sydney sat up nights with us. Every time we needed him he was there. Now he needs us. I certainly won't give up on him because the next six months might be a financial strain.

While I am committed to fighting this beast with every resource that I have, I know that there may come a time where I will have to say goodbye. I am heartbroken that we will more than likely lose nearly a decade with Sydney. I think that it is unfair, and if I am honest I have spent a lot of time in the last 48 hours crying about the injustice of the whole thing. As committed as I am to fighting for more time with Sydney, I am equally committed to knowing when the fight is over and he has had enough. I won't allow him to be sick for my piece of mind. I hope when the time comes I will know and I will be brave enough to do the right thing. As trite as it sounds I know he would do the right thing for me.

So there you have it. Part one of the story of Sydney, the girl who loves him, and our quest to kick cancers ass.