Quick update

Though we have received the official test results (hopefully today or tomorrow), Cali is doing sooooo well.  She has responded to the first two chemotherapy treatments.  Her belly is close to normal, she's gained 2 pounds and her attitude and spirits are VERY high.  She feels great.  And she's eating normally for the first time in months. 
She will get chemo EVERY week for over 3 months (three different kinds)...but if she continues like this we anticipate a full remission.  So far (fingers crossed) she's had zero side effects from the chemo.
So today..I'm heading to Birmingham, Alabama with a few other volunteers to visit the racing greyhound track and adoption center where the group I volunteer with receives their dogs.  We will help with the adoption kennel, watch some races and have some fun with the hounds! 
Photos to follow!!!!

Celebrations Dashed

It was a moment to celebrate and revel in everything this little girl has done.
Cali turned 12 on Tuesday (St. Patrick's Day).

I will admit when we celebrated her 11th birthday last year, I was hopeful she'd see 12 but knew the odds were against her.  She will celebrate her 14 month ampuversary next week.  Beating osteosarcoma for 14 months..with clear Xrays. It's remarkable. And we are very proud of her.

so imagine our disappointment when during her 3 month check up on Monday, the oncologist pulled us in to a room.  We go to this doctor a lot and we never leave the waiting room.  She takes Cali and brings her back..giving us the good news right there.  Her Xrays were again clear but Cali's bloodwork came back to show markedly reduced Red blood cells and PVC.  This meant she was anemic for some reason.  Since she has bloodwork done every 3 month..we have a lot  to compare it to and she had been not eating well for over a month with periods of lethargy.  She'd even double checked it to make sure.  Cali was losing blood somewhere..but where and why?  We scheduled an ultrasound for the very next day (her birthday).  It revealed an enlarged spleen and some blood in the abdomen..which became apparent physically.  We sent off a needle aspirate and waited 24 hours.  The call came..the cells were cancerous.  The cells were indicative of either Lymphoma or Histiolytic sarcoma.  We sent off another test to determine which...every finger, toe and paw is crossed that it is Lymphoma.  HS is highly aggressive, metastatic and hard to treat.  Lymphoma..though not a wonderful diagnosis has a chemotherapy protocol that is well tolerated and going in to remission for a year is not unusual.  Regardless..it was like getting punched in the gut..we were/are devastated.

On friday, we started the lymphoma protocol as the oncologist is fairly confident that is the diagnosis we will get..so cali is back on chemotherapy (four different kinds plus prednisone).

Do we restart the 'cancer free clock' ?  Or does she get two?  14 months/ 3 days in to treatment?

it is unfair.

Luckily, her appetite has come back (with the help of baby food, rotisserie chicken and satin balls) and she seems to feel good (albeit with a slightly swollen belly which has come down after the first chemo dose).  She plays like normal and has a great attitude.

She is a fighter and we will continue to fight as long as she seems to 'want' to fight...so now we begin a new journey.

Craving Vitamin D

We are all craving sunny days..

Birthday snow

As a February baby, I'm quite used to snow on my birthday. This year was no different. But today is Cody's birthday.  Since he raced in Birmingham, I doubt he saw too much snow on his birthday.  So maybe this was a treat for him.
The state bird is likely the only thing happy about my new neighbors.  She feeds them so it gives me some photos ops.

 You'd think they would be tired of playing in the snow...but it doesn't appear to grow old to them

 I am super happy that Cali is happy.  She is 14 months this week (and her birthday is right around the corner)

 She surveys her kingdom

 Happy 6th Birthday, Cody!!!

 Roxi finds joy in everything..

 Pink Dinosaur must die!