Lucy tribute video in the works

I have decided to make a tribute video for Lucy. Since I am video artist, I have made these before for people in my life that have passed on. I'll post it when its ready.
Thanks for all your comments. Please continue to provide feedback on the remedies and treatments. I will keep working on this blog so that it can be of help to other dogs.
This picture was taken in early summer near the time she diagnosed.
peace
jamie

Lovely Lucy

It is with a very sad heart that I have to share the news now that Lucy passed on last night at 9pm. She was such a trooper, but in the last three days the effect of the cancer in her body became too strong with increased heart rate and fever, and swollen belly. She was in pain and her body was starting to shut down. I made the difficult decision and she was helped on her way with a painless medication by a wonderful vet. She didn't show any fear and was conscious and aware. She was ready to go. There was no resistance. I had spent 8 hours that day sitting in the garden with her on soft grass in the shade with a warm breeze.

I'll update the blog entries in a few days so that all the medical history is here and make sure all the links are active.
I am certain that the natural treatments she went through helped her to live a full and happy summer for the last 4 and a half months, pain free and surrounded by love. She did so well!

More photos soon too and a video clip.
If you have any questions about the treatments ffeel free to post a comment and I will get back to you.

peace and grace
R.I.P. Lucy-Love
xxx

Tuesday Sept 8th 2009

DAILY

• ESSIAC tea (orally) 10 ml Twice a day. NOT TODAY YET
  
• DAY 60 PREDNISOLONE 2.0 ml x2/day (80% of the original dose)
• DAY 3 PREDNISONE quarter tablet (ran out of Prednisolone temporarily)
  
• OPC one capsule twice/day - South African 'anti-cancer' herb: Stopped at Day 50 for a break from the OPC.
  
• DAY 69 CF IP-6 & Inositol one capsule twice/day
• DAY 85 HYDRAZINE SULFATE one capsule/once a day in morning after food.
• Liver tonic ( 2 drops in food twice a day) Ongoing since the beginning of Lucy's treatment. (from homeopathic vet)
• Nox Vomica 30 + H (from homeopathic vet) For nausea. Tuesday/Wednesday 3 doses.

DOWNSWING
Lucy managed to keep her spirit up while I was away for 7 days. But last three days she is not doing well. Loss of appetite, but swollen belly, nausea (vomited), restless at night, panting.
Not going to write too much today.

NOX VOMICA
Just given her a dose of this homeopathic remedy to see if it will help the nausea.

Thursday August 25th 2009

DAILY

• ESSIAC tea (orally) 10 ml Twice a day.
  
• DAY 48 PREDNISOLONE 2.0 ml x2/day (Reduced to 80% of the original dose)
  
• DAY 50 OPC one capsule twice/day - South African 'anti-cancer' herb: Stopped at Day 50 for a break from the OPC.
  
• DAY 57 CF IP-6 & Inositol one capsule twice/day
• DAY73 HYDRAZINE SULFATE one capsule/once a day in morning after food.
• SHEEP SORREL DECOCTION ON GAUZE compress : on back left leg lump. Nightly applied with a gauze soaked in the sheep sorrel, kept in place with first aid tape.
• Liver tonic ( 2 drops in food twice a day) Ongoing since the beginning of Lucy's treatment. (from homeopathic vet)
• Nox Vomica 30 + H (from homeopathic vet) For nausea. Sunday/Monday 3 doses.

UPSWING
So very good news.... another UPSWING! Hooray. Thanks for the support, from Lucy's blog readers :) We appreciate that a lot!
After four days of refusing to eat anything but the 'Macdonalds' of dog foods... MILK BONES... she has begun to eat meat again, and has her energy back. She is doing well again.
She lost a bit of weight this last week, but is putting it back on now.

STEROIDS & NAUSEA?
The vet thinks the nausea may be a side-effect of the steroid Prednisolone rather than caused by the Lymphoma. It is a known side-effect in some dogs. I reduced the dose back down to 2.0ml morning & night. Combining that with the Nox Vomica, and stopping the OPC for now, seems to have done the trick.

NOX VOMICA Homeopathic Remedy
Lucy wasn't eating at all on Friday or Saturday. On Sunday we went back to the vet who gave us some Nox Vomica for Lucy to see if nausea was causing her lack of apetite.
Not sure if it was the Nox Vomica or combination of things (I stopped the OPC as well and decreased the dose of the steroid Prednisolone), but on Monday morning I had the idea to go to the coffee shop nearby where they give her dog biscuits. It worked. She snapped into her mental routine and got all excited and ate two big biscuits... So that gave me the idea to go and buy a box of MILK BONES (full of coloring and preservatives.. YUCK!), but at least she would eat them perhaps? I was right. BUT unfortunately then she would only eat Milk Bones until last night. Now she is starting to eat ground beef with them and today hopefully some ground pork as well.

GOING AWAY FOR A WEEK
I have to go on a trip for work to Amsterdam, and so Lucy will be taken care of by my partner, who has to take time off work to do that. I have arranged for some of her favorite friends to drop by to take her for walks too, to keep her spirit up, and also for another friend to come by and do an energy healing session. It's hard to leave her. I have deliberated long and hard, but it feels ok. Thankful for the upswing of course!!

Saturday August 22nd 2009

DAILY

• not today (nausea) ESSIAC tea (orally) 10 ml + 1ml extra Sheep Sorrel Decoction Twice a day.
  
• DAY 43 PREDNISOLONE 2.5 ml x2/day (100% of the original dose)
• not today (nausea) DAY 48 OPC one capsule twice/day - South African 'anti-cancer' herb
• DAY 52 CF IP-6 & Inositol one capsule twice/day
• DAY68 HYDRAZINE SULFATE one capsule/once a day in morning after food.
• SHEEP SORREL DECOCTION ON GAUZE compress : on back left leg lump. Nightly applied with a gauze soaked in the sheep sorrel, kept in place with first aid tape.
• not eating Liver tonic ( 2 drops in food twice a day) Ongoing since the beginning of Lucy's treatment. (from homeopathic vet)
• Ipecac - 3 doses (nausea treatment)
  

DOWNSWING (see below info)
Waiting for an appointment time with the vet. Concerned that new complications are rearing their head... central nervous system? She seems less steady on her feet... nausea... slight cough...

UPSWING
The sheep Sorrel decoction on her elbow overnight seems to be rapidly shrinking the inflammation there. Much improved. The size of the lump on her back leg is stable and seems to no longer be attached to the muscle underneath but floating in the skin instead. It is soft and perhaps still reducing in size.

FOOD/WATER/NAUSEA?
Refusing all food today. Did not eat much yesterday. Threw up all the water when she finally did drank today.
I am going to try syringing some ginger infused tea into her mouth. This is supposed to be very helpful for nausea in chemo patients.

COUGH - sounds a bit phlegmy
She started to cough a little since yesterday. Just now and then.. maybe five or six times during the day. Just one cough, as if clearing the throat.

ENERGY
She seems weak. Wants to lie outside on the cool ground.
Slow walking, although the usual keyword triggers will still rouse her to bark and be playful. (eg... "is there a skunk?"... "where's the cat" etc ) Her gait is a little slower and she has stumbled occasionally on some surprisingly simple steps since last few days.

SCHIRRINUM Instructions

SCHIRRINUM 30c : 3 doses at 8 hours apart. Repeat weekly on Wednesdays.
First dose in evening, 2nd dose next morning, third dose next evening
Cover bottom of lid with a layer of remedy pills, and dissolve in half a cup of water (20 minutes). Stir ten times and then give her 2 tsps. Keep it covered and repeat the stirring for the next two doses. Use a clean tsp each time. Do not put a used spoon back into the mixture.

Wednesday August 19th 2009

FAILED ATTEMPT TO WEAN OFF THE STEROIDS.
Lucy is now back at the original dose of Steroid, so its official now that I wasn't able to wean her off it. Lymph glands have become smaller again now, as a result. They are not so hard as two days ago. Lucy was beginning to refuse food again on Monday, and so that was the day I decided to go back up to the original steroid dose. She is eating again, but still being picky. I am hoping that that the eating now returns to normal as well in the next few days.
She's doing the steroid 'stare' again... and lots of panting...all known side effects.