Chemo #6

Blue today attended his sixth session of chemotherapy.

Those three week intervals come and go, we greet each one with apprehension, fingers crossed, clinging to any positive vibes we can.

Each visit we are 100% focused on Blue's well being and welfare, if this is his world, we share it together and live it each and every moment.

Complacency, granted, planning and many similar words have long since been removed from our vocabulary.

They are now replaced with today, hope, medicine, chemotherapy and admiration.

Straight to todays appointment, this is Blue's sixth and final Chemo session. We have now got this off to a fine art. The night before Blue gets a good play session in the garden, slightly longer than other nights, he has his anti-sickness tablets, and enjoys a good nights sleep on his own duvet, in the bedroom, where sometimes a contented, gentle snore will be our lullaby to sleep.

In the morning after an extended walk of about 20 minutes, we returned home for breakfast, mixed in are the daily tablets of gabapentine and yunnan baiyao which Blue shows no interest in until, he is spoon fed.

Blue was given 10 sedatives around 8:45 in preparation of his 11:00 appointment.

We set off around 9:50 and were confident as we lifted Blue into the car, that the sedatives were already having an effect and he was not feeling any lighter.

When we arrived at Fitzpatrick Referrals Oncology and Soft Tissue Centre (Affectionally referred to as "FROST"), reception was a busier place, but we confidently walked through to our waiting pod, Blue quickly settled.

As we waited we realised that something was missing, oh dear, Blue was muzzleless, this was soon remedied it was on the back seat of the car, no one noticed our error. Walking Blue into an occupied area without his muzzle to wait for a vet is unheard of.

Dr Kelvin Kow came out to see Blue and us, and introduced us to a new member of the team, his new right hand man, although she is actually a woman.

Dr Kelvin now feels confident to take Blue's lead and with his now, three assistants walks away with Blue, who spares a couple of concerned glances our way as he is lead off for his treatment, as they were yards away from the door, Blue goes to ground, but is soon persuaded to stand up and carry on. At least he didn't resort to his crocodile death roll, which he has perfected over the years with us.

Time for a coffee and people / dog watch as others come and go, some we have seen before most are new, but a much busier place than when we first attended this new unit in November last year.

The wait was just over an hour, Blue with his entourage returned back to us, although heavily sedated, walking without his support sling.

They reported that Blue has been unsettled today, slightly agitated, but co-operative, for Blue.

His chemo was administered without a problem, his blood levels were where they needed to be and he had gained weight, now up to 50.7kg

Blue has now had his final session of chemo, we have been told that only one in five dogs can handle what Blue has gone through, and we appreciate all that has got him through to this stage, much more than words could share.

Blue will have a three week rest before he begins a new chapter in his life, this will be though medicine administered by tablets, chemo, but in tablet form.

Those tablets will be measured through a specific formula to suit his weight and needs, they will be required daily for the rest of his life, how he will respond, we will have to wait and see.

Blue lives for today, and in the moment, and we look forward to sharing each and everyone of those days with him, ensuring all his needs are catered for, as best we can.

As I write this blog, Blue lays behind the sofa, contently sleeping off the sedatives, what he is unaware of is that on Sunday we will travel to the Highlands of Scotland, for a two week holiday.

We had not considered a holiday, since this all began, but it is now the right time, we all need some quality time together.



If it works, here is a short video of Blue out walking on a frosty Sunday morning.

Blue has continued with his swimming and extended walks, playing with footballs in the garden, his jollyball is unrecognisable as a ball these days, not bad considering he has had it for six years.

Blue has started to look for something to carry while out walking, I used to give him a bottle to carry, Sue now gives him something to carry when he wishes, recently it was his own extending lead.

Time to go and give Sue and our furry friend a huge cuddle, we all need it...............

You can always keep up to date on twitter look-up @BluetheGSD & @Bluesmummy