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

Thursday July 30th 2009

DAILY

• ESSIAC tea (orally) 10 ml + 1ml extra Sheep Sorrel Decoction Twice a day.
  
• DAY 20 PREDNISOLONE 1ml x2/day (An 80% reduction from the original dose)
• DAY 30 OPC one capsule twice/day - South African 'anti-cancer' herb
• DAY 29 CF IP-6 & Inositol one capsule twice/day
• DAY 45 HYDRAZINE SULFATE

JUST TODAY

• SHEEP SORREL DECOCTION ON GAUZE compress : on back left leg lump.
  
• SCHRHINNUM 3 doses 8 hours apart. Twice today.
  

Sheep Sorrel Decoction : Soaked Dressing on tumor lump
Excited! The mast (?) cell tumor on Lucy's back leg shrank by about 30% in 24 hours with the Sheep Sorrel decoction soaked dressing. I shaved that area yesterday lunchtime and tapped a soaked gauze dressing on there. Before doing this, the lump was one hard irregular shaped mass, about half an inch high and diameter of 3/4 of an inch. Today it is smaller and softer and seems to be breaking down.
Shaved Chest & Heat Wave
Due to the heatwave and the need to apply soaked dressings, and have a better look at what is going on with the enlarged lymph glands, I shaved Lucy's chest area again yesterday. She seems quite happy about it. It's amazing how soft her skin is!
You always hear that heat waves are not good for people with chronic ailments, so I am paying particular attention to keeping her cool. She gets hosed down in cold water two or three times a day as well as keeping her in the shade as much as possible, and less exertion than normal. However I feel it's good for her to run a little every day to keep her lymph system active. (Not sure if that is scientific... but feels right to me).

Food & Energy
Appetite very good still, despite being on a reduced steroid (Prednisolone) dose of only 1ml (=5mg) twice a day. She is happy and playful, despite the temperature in Vancouver today being over 32 degrees! Big smiles.

a shamanic photo from our trip away.. a jaguar and a dog

Sunday July 26th 2009

ESSIAC tea 10 ml + 1ml extra Sheep Sorrel Decoction Twice a day
SHEEP SORREL DECOCTION ON GAUZE compress : on neck for 30 minutes
DAY 16 PREDNISOLONE 1ml x2/day (An 80% reduction from the original dose)
DAY 26 OPC one capsule twice/day - South African 'anti-cancer' herb
DAY 25 CF IP-6 & Inositol x2 - supplement
DAY 41 HYDRAZINE SULFATE


PREDNISOLONE dose is now down to 1.0ml (equivalent to 5mg of the tablet form she was originally on) which is an 80% reduction from the original dose.
Today I noticed that her throat lymph glands are bigger and harder again. So the reduction in the dose is now beginning to show in her body response.
This is a difficult time.. I am nervous, but still feel we are doing the right thing. The next few days are crucial, to see if her own body system will kick in and take over from the steroids. Her appetite is also reduced. She did eat, but not as eagerly as normal. Most people's reports seem to concur that the steroids cause a rampant hunger and appetite as well as to reduce the lymph swelling size. That certainly holds true for Lucy. We have been letting her eat as much as she wants.
Last night I also soaked a Gauze pad with Sheep Sorrel Decoction and wrapped it around her neck for half an hour.

We have just come back from a walk at Jericho Park. First we saw a Flicker bird... (first nations here believe the Flicker is a call to Prayer and to raise the Chanuppah (medicine pipe).
Then we sat for a rest in the shade, only to realise there was a large Grey Heron a few feet above us in the tree, watching the beaver pond.
And then we watched THREE Belted Kingfishers, as they fished (successfully).. watching the water from overhanging willow branches. I think it must have been a breeding pair and one offspring.


Here is my prayer for the Flicker bird to carry behind the veil:
Creator, Great Spirit, All That Is, All That Ever Was, All That Ever Will Be, As you are the perfection in all things, perfect flow, perfect health, perfect love, perfect cells, We acknowledge that we are a part of this magnificent design of life, and that we too, contain within us and are but one small part of the same perfection. We thank you for the beauty of the lives we live and the loves we all share. We thank you for lucy's big radiant loving self, and for the joy she feels in her body when she runs and plays and swims. We thank you for the perfect normal functioning of her cells returning now, as she re-aligns herself with your perfection, and chooses to stay longer in her beautiful strong and healthy body. For this we are so grateful. And so it is.

... and one photo from last night in East Vancouver at the Luminaires event. There was a massive thunderstorm and heavy rain, but in a lull in the storm you can see Lucy and I standing next to a solar powered 'Burning Man' chariot. Very cool design. The batteries for it are charged by riding a stationary bicycle, so it is powered by people power and the sun.

Tuesday July 21st 2009

ESSIAC tea 10 ml + 1ml extra Sheep Sorrel Decoction
DAY 11 PREDNISOLONE (1.5ml x2/day)
DAY 21 OPC x2 - supplement
DAY 20 CF IP-6 & Inositol x2 - supplement
DAY 36 HYDRAZINE SULFATE

BACK FROM THE COUNTRYSIDE
All is well. Lucy and I had an amazing trip up North to a private valley where friends have their cabins. She has put on more weight, despite having the Prednisolone reduced down to 1.5ml doses now (twice a day). On Friday she'll be weaned down further to 1ml.
The lymph glands have become very small on her low belly, though still enlarged on her neck, they have remained stable in size there and still much much smaller than they were.
So Far, So Good!
She is now firmly back on her Essiac tea 10ml, with an additional 1ml of Sheep Sorrel decoction added to it. She gets that by oral syringe into the mouth twice a day. She seems quite happy to 'drink' it down, without resisting it when I syringe it into the side of her mouth.
I am also continuing with the IP6 & Inositol capsule, and the Sutherland OPC, which is also twice a day.
Inthe morning she gets one capsule of Hydrazine Sulfate.

And so onward we go.
I feel Lucy had such a wonderful mental and emotional break in the countryside. She 'smiled' every minute of every day, revelling in it all. Her energy level was high. However I made sure she didn't do too much physical exertion at one time, but smaller bursts throughout the day. 2 or three shorter walks each day in the valley, exploring, rather than a big hike.

Saturday July 11th 2009

DAY 15 PREDNISONE (morning - last dose)
DAY 1 PREDNISOLONE (evening - first dose)
DAY 26 HYDRAZINE SULFATE

No ESSIAC tea
No Chaga tea

DAY 11 OPC x2 - supplement
DAY 10 CF IP-6 & Inositol x2 - supplement
DAY 10 ph 8.5 Alkaline 'Kangen' Drinking Water

STEROID - DOSE REDUCTION BEGINS
Switched to Prednisolone from Prednisone
Gradual dose reduction begins today wean off the steroids if possible.
Prednisone dose was 25mg/day
First week of Prednisolone is now 20Mg/day.

RAW FOOD
Lucy started to eat Raw food again, and her diet has returned to normal.
She's loving raw carrots as snacks in the afternoon, plus some kibble if she's really hungry midday.
Raw food with some kibble added (morning and evening)
Feeding her as much as she wants, to keep her weight up.

Photo: Lucy waiting for more carrots!

Friday July 3rd 2009

DAY 7 PREDNISONE (new batch 50mg tablets - one-quarter tablet twice a day = 25mg per day)
DAY 18 HYDRAZINE SULFATE
No homeopathic remedies today

No ESSIAC tea (need to brew new batch)
CHAGA tea instead (NEW)
DAY 2 OPC - supplement
DAY 2 Artemisinin - supplement
DAY 1 CF IP-6 & Inositol - supplement (NEW)
DAY 1 ph 8.5 Alkaline Drinking Water (NEW) ('Kangen' water)

Food:

Water: Drinking normal. Started her on 'Kangen' water which we put into the fountain water bowl. Alkaline ph water (is this a fad perhaps?) All of a sudden everyone is buying Kangen water filtering units for $2500 for the miraculous effects of drinking alkaline ph water. We think its worth a try. It is available from Finlandia Natural Pharmacy for 50cents a liter for 8 weeks. After that they make you buy the machine... however Sheilas' mum already bought one, so at that point we'll start getting the water from her instead. It is a bit controversial since Kangen is somewhat of a pyramid marketing system, I think...and cost a lot more than all the other water ionizers on the market. NB There are other brands that do the same thing but dont cost as much!

Body: Lymph glands stable. Still enlarged but so much better than before. Their shrinking seems to be due to the Prednisone? Although its not a naturopathic treatment we decided to try it because her lymph glands were so enormous that they seemed to be stopping her from eating. The Prednisone is also known to restore apetite.
She ran the whole length of the garden again today. This is the first time in weeks! She is very perky today and seems to be feeling very well.

PLAYTIME
Lucy came to UBC (work) with me today and we drove on errands. She had to wait in the (underground, shady) car at Finlandia Natural Pharmacy. This is where we get the alkaline ph 'Kangen' water, the Hydrazine Sulfate and the Prednisone as well as all her vitamins & supplements.

Wed July 1st 2009, Canada Day

DAY 5 PREDNISONE
DAY 16 HYDRAZINE SULFATE
ESSIAC tea
No homeopathic remedies today
Food: Eating sausage and hot dog. Some EVO kibble, and cooked Lamb shank.
Body: Lymph nodes stable, shaking a little from time to time, stools soft, but no more diarrhea
Water: drinking normal

PLAYTIME
CANADA DAY. Relaxed at the beach. She was quieter than her usual beach behaviour. I built her a 'cave' under shelter in the cool sand. She loved it. She looked like she was in a foxhole, keeping watch over the desert sands.









EVENING. Relaxed at Leigh & Mandy's with their dog 'Beau'... a huge Akita. Lucy was boss ;)
She ate some dog food (EVO kibble) and some Lamb shank BBQ'd just for her. Yum.

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

Sat June 27 2009

WATER - Its all about Flow!
Lucy had stopped drinking from her bowl for several days. She would only drink water poured into my hand. Thankfully I decided to water the garden... she leapt at the hose (as usual) and drank and drank. We now have invested in a water fountain dogs bowl. Hooray! (I had to give her some encouragement to get her to start using it). It has a motor that circulates the water as a constant 'fountain'. Makes me wonder if she thinks it is bubbling up from under the floorboards??

'Cos drinking from the hose is fun... but too wet for indoors!


FOOD
Lucy will only eat bland dog biscuits again today. (This has been for about a week now). Vet thinks it is because of nausea. Its a weird feeling to see a dog refuse bacon, steak, expensive raw foods, eggs, fish.... everything except bland biscuits.

TREATMENTS

Ipecac: Thursday & Friday (Yesterday). Lucy had three doses of Ipecac homeopathic remedy six hours apart and then three more 8 hours apart. Got up at 2am and next night at 4am to give her the remedy at correct times. This seems to have helped her apetite??

10am Hydrazine Sulfate. 60 mg tablet. Supposed to be taken in the morning with food.
Lucy has been taking this for about ten days now. It has to be phoned or faxed in by a vet to a compounding pharmacy. $40 for 2 months supply.
This is one of two conventional (ie non-homeopathic) 'medicines' she is receiving. It is supposed to stop the muscle wasting and help restore apetite. For a more detailed description of this drug, look for it under the label 'hydrazine sulfate'. I was told about this drug by a friend of a friend who treated her cat and dog with it.

"I really recommend that you give Judy Taylor at the Syracuse cancer research center a call. She's a really great lady and great to talk to as well. She'll be willing to talk to your vet to explain dosage etc."

It is used on people too. I spoke directly with the research center in New York that has pioneered the use of this drug for cancer treatment.
Syracuse Cancer Research Center http://scri.ngen.com/ Judy Taylor (315)472-6616

"LUCY"S DOSE: 60 mg capsule: One capsule at breakfast by mouth or roll into cream cheese or meat. MUST be compounded with an inert starch - methyl cellulose
Regular food ok but no hard cheeses, processed meats, fresh meat & poultry is ok, no liver, no yoghourt, no chocolate, (ice cream ok). Hydrazine must me mixed with inert filler such as starch. You can mix the Hydrazine in with her food."

10.30am Schrynim Homeopathic remedy. 3 doses.
1 teaspoon from a jar with 11 teaspoons of distilled water to one dose of dissolved remedy.
One tsp last night, one this morning and one tonight. Then call the homeopathic vet tomorrow to discuss how she is doing. Lst time she did this remedy it lifted her up from a crash. That time she had Arsenicum remedy and it seemed to affect her badly. We stopped the Arsenicum and she was given Schrynum instead which reversed the situation. Now we are trying it again.

noon Prednasone 2.5 tablets twice a day. morning and night.
Lucy's first day of taking this drug.
A 'traditional' steroid treatment that I have been resisting. However it is hoped that this will shrink the (now very big) lymph glands in her neck to reduce the discomfort and thereby hopefully help her return to more normal eating habits.
I have to ask the vet again about the possibilty if changing this to Prednesalone instead?
The Syracuse Clinic siad it works well alongside the Hydrazine Sulfate...

No Essiac tea - on hold at the moment. I was worried that this herbal medicine might be affecting her apetite, so decided to take her off it for a week and see what happens with these other treatments. I have read that a break from Essiac for a few days is not a big deal. Infact is recommended.
More about Essiac tea in upcoming posts, or click on the 'Essiac tea' label.

LYMPH GLANDS
Same. No change. Left side much more swollen than the right.

WEIGHT
Lucy seems to have slowed down her weight loss, despite eating much less than she did in the first month of her diagnosis, so perhaps this is due to the Hydrazine Sulfate?
She now weighs 17.1 Kg. At the start of the diagnosis 2nd week of may she weighed in at 19.8Kg

PLAYTIME
An hour at Jericho Park tonight at 6.30pm, in slight rain. We played under a tree with a tennis ball and I took photos in the park. Didn't cover a lot of ground so not too tiring for Lucy. But it was fun for both of us.
Lucy was full of interest and energy. :)

What's up with Lucy?

Lucy is my 6 year old border collie cross.
She was diagnosed with lymphoma (cancer of the lymph system) about 6 weeks ago.

It has already been a rollercoaster of experiences and decisions. I realised that I need a notebook to keep track of all her various treatments and responses in order to best manage her medical history with the homeopathic vet and traditional vet that I work with. In the photo above (taken 5 days ago) you can see that the left side of her neck is distended from her hugely swollen lymph glands. It was these swollen glands that alerted us to her problem, which was diagnosed with needle aspiration to the gland to collect cells that were then sent to a lab for testing.

The point of this blog is to;
- keep track of Lucy's treatment for myself and her vets
- create a video and photographic gallery of lucy's journey
- share the Good... (stories, treatment tips and successes) along with the the Bad and the Ugly
- share weblinks and information about alternative canine cancer therapies

hope that her story and mine is helpful to someone
thanks
jamie and lucy in Vancouver, Canada