June 29th 2009

DAY 3 PREDNISONE
DAY 14 HYDRAZINE SULFATE
No ESSIAC tea
No homeopathic remedies today
Food: Eating biscuits (lots), nibbling hot dog... and a chicken pot pie in the evening
Body: Lymph nodes all smaller, shaking a little in morning, diarrhea

FOOD
Ate one piece of hot dog. (Only one) Definite increase in interest in real food smells. She is sniffing around her bowls in the kitchen again. We continue to work on getting her back onto real food today. Encouraged by the hot dog interest. She nibbled, sampled the flavor but would drop the pieces out of her mouth without swallowing any. Finally she took and ate one piece.
She is still accepting dog biscuits, so at least she gets to fill up on calories with that. We found a brand of organic dog biscuits that has chicken, oats, carrots and fruit in them (wheat free), so it feels better than nothing. (Made in Canada)
Diarrhea again today, but a little less runny. Unfortunately this happened during the night. I heard her pacing about and got up to see if she needed to go out, but it was too late.

WATER
All good. Drinking normally now. Loves her water fountain bowl.

LYMPH NODES
Reduced in size some more from yesterday. Feeling so much looser and must be so much more comfortable for her. As the outward visible sign of the disease, it is such a relief to see them shrink. However concerned that the Prednisone may be causing the diarrhea... Will do internet research on its side effects.

PREDNISONE long term? & PREDNISOLONE?
After 7 days on Prednisone the body stops making its own steroids so the dog becomes dependent on the drug and must be weaned off it gradually. I must talk to Dr Rehanni about this! It seems to be working on reducing the lymph node size. But at what long term cost I wonder? Can we take her off it again abut 5 or 6 days and retain some of the benefit?
The Doctor in Syracuse Center for Cancer Research recommended Prednisolone instead as working well in concert with the Hydrazine Sulfate.
Seems like Prednisolone is one step ahead of the Prednisone (which gets broken down to Prednisolone by the liver once ingested, so perhaps it is less hard work on the body?)

June 28th 2009

DAY 2 PREDNISONE
DAY 13 HYDRAZINE SULFATE
No ESSIAC tea
No SCHYRINM today

FOOD Her appetite seems improved. Definitely! Asking for food, although still refusing anything but biscuits... and only one brand of biscuits will do!
Heading to get more dog foods today for her to try.
I have a good feeling about the appetite returning. However it is not really possible to know if it the result of:
a) the Prednisone
b) the Hydrazine Sulfate now kicking in
c) the 3 doses of Schrynum over last 24 hours
By the evening she has started to nibble on real food. Very tentative, but its a start and very encouraging.
However...(here is the ugly) diarrhea... probably the dog biscuit diet?? Or adjusting to the treatments? Will have to tell the vet about this. Diarrhea in morning and in early evening.

WATER Drinking more water
Lucy is using the new Water Fountain dog dish several times a day now. I am so happy about this. SHE LIKES IT! :) I wish I had known about them years before, since I have always had the feeling that she did not drink enough water.

ENERGY Playful and Curious about food.
She went for a walk at 6am with Sheila this morning, and was very playful
Had a play at the park at 6pm. Energetic.


LYMPH NODES I think they have shrunk significantly since yesterday.
If so this is very encouraging. They all feel less tight and smaller.
Again... hard to know if it is a result of:
a) the Prednisone
b) the Hydrazine Sulfate now kicking in
c) the 3 doses of Schrynum over last 24 hours