dogboy, chemo week 7

Yesterday Buzz and I went to Michigan State for his second adriamycin. This is week seven, and yesterday completed his second cycle of two vincristines then one adriamycin (one week off after the adriamycin).

I still don't have an actual diagnosis. His white cells were big when we first went to MSU, but was it acute leukemia? stage 5 lymphoma? chronic leukemia with a blast crisis? I believe they are thinking now that it is not acute leukemia, as he has responded so well to the chemo.

His cbc was normal yesterday ("his platelets have even increased this time") and he is "in complete remission." (Though the onc was careful to tell me three or four times that this is not a cure and it will be back.)

I am told that a big part of prognosis is how well they respond to the chemo, and his good response is a good sign...............

Buzz has been feeling good. Yesterday was the first time he has felt good enough at MSU to show that he didn't want to be there (nervous, panting). He has been barking at everything, picking on his brother......... Lively, alert, all there.

Today, he doesn't feel so good. Any time a corgi doesn't snarf all food within reach, you know he isn't feeling himself.

Sigh.

They want him to have "at least four more cycles" of two vincristines and one adriamycin, and since he's doing well, they want to eliminate the week off after the adria and go right back to the vincristine.

"The harder we hit it now, the longer before it comes back."

This is hard for me -- I have really (REALLY) appreciated that week off......

I have been pushing to have all the treatment at my vet rather than having to drive to MSU. If I drop him at my vet (one mile from home!) it doesn't eat my whole day, and I can work (gotta pay for all of this somehow!).

I'm not going to make the decision about intensifying the chemo right now.

I'm just going to get through the aftermath of yesterday's chemo and see how he does (he's on metoclopramide and metronidazole as preventatives for GI upset).....

I saw yet another corgi at MSU yesterday (lymphoma). Entirely WAY too many corgis there.................