Jack's Journey

At our appointment at NEVOG, Jack received prescriptions for Rimadyl and Tramadol.  The Rimadyl, an NSAID for inflammation and the Tramadol, an opioid pain reliever.  One week on both of these medications and Jack is acting like a one year old puppy!

Now we were onto our first visit to PEAK Veterinary Referral Center with x-rays and labwork in hand.  We met with Dr. Kurt Schulz.  We discussed options besides amputation. This included removing the ulna bone (this was the bone that the cancer had eaten away at) and keeping the leg or removing the ulna bone and placing a rod or bone graft in it’s place.  Dr. Schulz did not recommend either option; he said that often infection sets in and sometimes they after all that they amputate anyway.  We also discussed the urine test for the fungal infection that could be causing the lesion of the bone.  The urine test was over $200.  I decided against it.  We talked about the biopsy and how it could be inconclusive.

The game plan was to have Dr. Schulz perform a tree? biopsy.  He would use x-rays to pull pieces of bone in the correct spots that would give the best possibility of results.  The biopsy was described to me as being like a bone marrow biopsy in humans.  A large hollow needle twisted into bone and a corkscrew like device that is screwed inside it into the bone that pulls out bone.  If if sounds painful, let me tell you it is!!!  I had a bone marrow biopsy done 15 plus years ago and would never have another unless I was completely under.

They took Jack for the procedure and I was all happy like he was going off to play with friends.  I’d learned over the last couple of days how much he takes cues from me.  I’m his alpha dog and if I’m happy, then he is, if I’m sad or scared, most likely he is too.  This was important for me to realize and keep in the forefront of my mind when making decisions.

Four hours later, Dr. Schulz called and said he was all set, the biopsies went well, there was more hemorrhaging than he thought there would be so he was going to prescribe antibiotics.  I picked him up, front leg wrapped in a tractor bandage, his prescriptions, used Care Credit to pay for the $1300 biopsy and we headed home.  This was the first time I wondered if I had made the right decision; my baby boy who had a limp every now and again with a lump on his leg now would not put weight on the leg and was limping quite badly.  Doctors orders were to lay low, no running, jumping etc…basically no fun, no being a dog!  All we could do now is wait for the pathology report…Jack on “his” couch that night.Two days post biopsy, I could have removed the bandage but it was holding up so well and he wasn’t bothering with it, so I left it on.

Three days post biopsy.  Six staples, very little swelling, putting weight on the leg and acting normal.  Bandage off and Jack isn’t really messing with it.

As we all know, life doesn’t stop for cancer; laundry needs to be done, alarm clocks still go off bright and early and bills still need to be paid.  First thing Monday December 29, I called Peak Veterinary Referral Center; a multi-speciality hospital about an hour north.  We set up an appointment for Wednesday with their oncologist.  I was feeling better, more in control; I had a game plan (it’s my OCD, type A, gotta be in charge personality)!

Later that day, PEAK calls me back and says that their oncologist had her baby (6 weeks early) and there wasn’t another oncologist to see.  I was then referred to NEVOG ( The New England Veterinary Oncology Group) in Waltham, MA.  Our appointment was set for Friday January 2nd.

My sister agreed to ride along with me to Mass.  It was kind of a big deal ~ she’s not animal person….at…all.  She is however, a physician assistant, so it was nice to have another person at the consult who understood all the medical lingo.

Jack was super excited to go for a ride that morning.  Every time I tell him that he can come with me, he turns inside out and flips out like a teenage girl at a Bieber concert.  Lauren came along as well.

We met with Dr. Gabrielle Angelo.  While we were in the room filling out paperwork, another Golden came in, then another, then another; that was eye opening to see.  Four Goldens, various ages, all being see at a Veterinary Oncology clinic.

Dr. Angelo was very knowledgeable and thorough.  We discussed fungal infection vs. cancer.  She discussed case with her fellow vets. She explained that the lesion was on his ulna, a non weight bearing bone.  This was a good thing and probably why he hadn’t broken his leg yet.  We decided to do some basic blood work – CBC and chemistry panel and have a Radiologist review his chest/abdomen x-rays to confirm it hadn’t metastasized.  I was most concerned about his alkaline phosphatase level.  I’m a medical technologist – labwork is what I do.  I knew that a high alk phos was not a good thing.

Labwork was NORMAL!!  That’s my boy!  Perfect!  They offered to do a punch biopsy to confirm cancer but I didn’t want to stay longer (we were two hours into our appointment).  While in the exam room, I called PEAK and talked with their surgeon, Dr. Shultz and he said there was a 10% chance that it was a fungal infection. 10% was enough of a chance to do a biopsy before amputation.  My new game plan was to go to Peak for the biopsy.

Three hours later, we left NEVOG overwhelmed with information and a $460 bill.  A quick stop at Costco and we started the three hour drive home.  Lauren watched movies in the backseat with her Ipad and headphones.  A few times I caught Jack watching the movies too and it melted my heart.

This  was Lauren in the backseat with her muffin for breakfast.

Just before Christmas, I noticed a lump/bump on Jack’s front left leg.  It was hard, slightly warm, but he didn’t mind when I touched it.  He wasn’t limping, licking or doing anything to it.  It was just there.  We were still playing fetch with our brand spanking new LED tennis ball (http://www.amazon.com/Nite-Ize-MTLP-08-03-MeteorLight-ball/dp/B001QC0JRU) every night.  Life was good!

We saw our vet at Bradford Veterinary Clinic (http://bradfordvet.com) on December 27, 2014.  Dr. Dyer said, let’s take some x-rays.  My 3 yr old neice and 5 yr old nephew were with me and very bored.  Jacob is not really an animal lover and his sister Lauren is exactly opposite.  I was trying to keep them busy and out of trouble when Dr. Dyer had me come in another room to see the x-rays.  She said, “it’s cancer”.  My stomach dropped, my entire face felt flush and I didn’t say anything.  She continued on…”treatment is amputation”.  I remember asking questions with no emotion, looking at the kids who were fighting about who would hold Jack’s leash.  Jack, on the other hand, was just laying on the ground waiting to go home.

She suggested x-rays of his chest/abdomen to determine if the cancer had metastisized.  More waiting…more bored/impatient kids…more thoughts running through my head ~ not a good combination! By then I was crying; I don’t know why I didn’t think that it could be cancer, but it never crossed my mind.

Finally, a tech came in and said the chest/abdomen x-rays looked clear. Phew!  $268 later, I loaded up Jack, Lauren and Jacob.  I didn’t stick around to wait for the amputation estimate, I asked them to email it to me.

The ride home was quiet, long and full of tears. (mostly on my part, but a few from Lauren; she was scared that I was crying and didn’t know what to make of it).

Next step – Get these kids back to their Mother so I can focus on my kid!

Jack was born April 11, 2006.  He’s a Chelsea dog; meaning he’s from the country.  In his first life, Jack’s Mom was Katie.  She was excited to have a beautiful little puppy and boy was he beautiful.  He spent his first nine months growing up in Washington, Vermont, also the country, but didn’t have as much freedom and attention as he wanted.  I met Jack through my sister Sara (Katie’s sister-in-law).  It was early 2007, I had just finished up three years of traveling as a medical technologist, had purchased a home two years earlier and was ready for the responsibility a dog would require.  I just didn’t have a dog…enter Jack.  He became mine in March 2007 and moved from Vermont to New Hampshire.  Finally, my fenced in backyard had a purpose!!

Jack learned to love the outdoors; making snow angels, playing fetch, going for walks, learning tricks, lounging in his kiddie pool and chasing water from the hose.  Jack became best friends with his “aunt” Harley (another Golden Retriever).

Fast forward to 2009, Jack and I moved back to Vermont and the country; no more fenced in backyards!  We lived with my Mom and her puppies while my house was being built.  Mom is a “puppy raiser” for Freedom Guide Dogs.  Her first puppy was Kip, a yellow lab.  Kip idolized Jack and everything he did including peeing like a girl dog.  Cinder was her second puppy, a black lab, smaller but smarter than Kip.  Cinder also idolized Jack along with chewing on his ears and putting herself in the middle of his personal space.

In January 2012, Jack and I moved into our new house.  It was just down the driveway from Grammy’s.  Thus began Grammy’s daily routine of coming over to get Jack for an afternoon of playtime.  Instead of Doggie Daycare, it was Grammy Daycare.  At the end of the day, Jack would spy me coming down the driveway and follow me home.  Life was good.