Chocolate Kisses

Dr. Luther, Charley’s surgeon,  just called at 12:35pm CST and Charley is out of surgery.  The breathing tube has been removed and he is on a medication drip in the ICU and appears groggy, but comfortable.

The mass was not the prescapular lymph node as they suspected, but rather a separate mass next to that node.  Going outwards, the mass attached up to the skin through the fat and muscle along part of his amputation scar.  Going inwards, the mass went all the way to his brachial plexus (the area that contains his nerves and blood vessels that supplied his missing left front leg).

Dr. Luther was able to remove the entire mass that she could visualize using the CT scan.  She was able to get 2cm margins and she took off more of the already severed (from his prior amputation) brachial plexus, but she won’t know until the biopsy comes back whether there are cancer cells still along the nerves.  She did remove the prescapular lymph node that was next to the mass because it was enlarged and that will also be sent for biopsy.

She doesn’t know if the cancer started at the skin and went deeper internally…or if it started deeper internally and progressed towards the skin, and she doesn’t know if the biopsy will be able to tell us that.  She does still feel like this is an OS met and not another type of cancer and the biopsy will hopefully answer that question also.

The good news is that Charley is recovering and the mass is out.  We are not sure yet if Charley will be able to come home today because it depends on whether his pain can be controlled without a drip and with oral medications.  If we don’t here from MVRC by 4pm CST, then we need to call to find out the plan.  If they send a picture of Charley recovering, I will post that too!

Thank you for all of your prayers, positive thoughts, hugs, and kisses.  It is greatly appreciated and we can’t thank you enough for all of your support!

♥  Hugs from me and chocolate Labby kisses from Charley!  xoxo  ♥

Here’s a picture of Charley recovering in the ICU.  He’s well taken care of! 🙂

MVRC just called at 9:53am CST and Charley is under anesthesia and doing well. He’s going in now for surgery. I’ll keep praying for my boy and for another miracle.

It makes me feel so much better knowing that we are surrounded by love, hope, and prayers for Charley!

♥  Hugs from me and chocolate Labby kisses from Charley! xoxo  ♥

Charley’s surgery is tomorrow morning to remove the OS met in his lymph node that is near his amputation site.  He has to be there at 7:45am CST.  I’m not sure the exact time of his surgery, but I will keep everyone posted.  Charley can’t have anything to eat past 8:00pm CST tonight, so I fed him 2 dinners because he was not happy last Thursday when he couldn’t eat before his CT scan.  Charley thinks he hit the lotto…or his mommy is going crazy and forgot that he already ate his dinner.

We’re praying for the skill and wisdom of his surgeon, a successful surgery, clear margins (even though we are fully aware that the surgeon will may not be able to get clear margins), a quick recovery, and more precious time with our cancer warrior!

Positive thoughts, prayers, and keeping fingers and 3-paws crossed are greatly appreciated!  I will post updates tomorrow.

Here are 4 reasons that I believe are good karma for Charley’s surgery tomorrow:

1.  November is National Pet Cancer Awareness Month….maybe Charley could be their poster child!  🙂

2.  Charley won Penn Vet School’s Halloween contest on Facebook and I just found out last night!   His costume was, of course, “Superman Cancer Warrior”.  Charley’s prize is a package of Penn Vet swag.  Here’s the link to the post of Penn Vet’s FB page:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151694550011573&set=a.126537196572.115175.86740226572&type=1&theater

3. Penn Vet (University of Pennsylvania) is also where Dr. Nicola Mason is running the trial for the Bone Cancer Vaccine, so I’m thinking this is a sign!

It is now over 16 months since the first dog diagnosed with spontaneous osteosarcoma received an experimental bone cancer vaccine at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine.  The results are highly promising and a larger phase II clinical trial is now being planned at Penn and at collaborating sites including Colorado State University and the University of Florida.  If you would like to learn more about the clinical trial, are interested in enrolling your dog, or wish to support Dr. Mason’s research, visit http://www.vet.upenn.edu/research/centers-initiatives/canine-cancer-studies.

4.  Charley received a very special present in the mail today….a beautiful handmade collar that reads “Together We Can Make a Difference” in support of Bone Cancer Dogs.  Chris O’Riley of Collars By Chris (Wellington, New Zealand) donates 50% of her profits to Bone Cancer Dogs for cancer research.  Until Chris raises $1500, she is donating 100% of her profits to Bone Cancer Dogs.

If you need a beautiful, high quality, and affordable dog collar please consider purchasing one from Collars by Chris: http://collarsbychris.weebly.com

Chris also dedicated a page for Charley on her website over a year ago!  I am still touched and honored that Charley continues to grace a page on her website.  http://collarsbychris.weebly.com/a-special-model-charley-the-hero.html

Thank you for all of your prayers, positive thoughts, hugs, and kisses.  It is greatly appreciated and we can’t thank you enough for all of your support!

♥  Hugs from me and chocolate Labby kisses from Charley! xoxo  ♥

Here’s a few pictures of Charley modeling his new collar….and they are the “before” pictures for this surgery.  The next pictures that you’ll see after tomorrow he’ll be shaved (or at least 1/2 shaved).

….and my favorite collage that shows Charley’s personality!

The surgeon said the CT scan looks clear except for the cancer that’s in the prescapular lymph node.  Lungs, heart and everything else looked good.  There was some increased uptake along the border of his abdomen where she thought could be a deeper cancer or scar tissue, but she aspirated it and all she saw were fat cells.  The radiologist will have to review the scan to give a definitive, but and we won’t know until tomorrow (Friday) or Wednesday (Dr. Luther is out of the office Mon and Tues).

Charley is scheduled for surgery to remove the lymph node next Friday 11/8.  The surgeon obviously won’t be able to get clear margins because the structures near the prescapular lymph node are his jugular vein and trachea.  It would be considered a palliative surgery just like his amputation was considered (versus curative).  Dr. Luther (surgeon) has already consulted with Dr. Buss (oncologist) and the treatment options are chemo, radiation, or a combo of both based on the histopathogy of the lymph node tumor.  The surgeon says that it’s rare that OS mets to the prescapular lymph node (typically lungs or bone), but Charley’s case has not been typical since the beginning and he’s still here 3 years later.

All things considered, the news could have been worse.

Thank you for all of your prayers, positive thoughts, hugs, and kisses.  It is greatly appreciated and we can’t thank you enough for all of your support!

♥  Hugs from me and chocolate Labby kisses from Charley! xoxo  ♥

Unfortunately, no surgery today for Charley. The surgeon said the cancer lump is the lymph node and that she thinks it goes into deeper structures because it’s connected at one end and that area feels hard. She said it could be scar tissue from his amp or more cancer.  A CT scan will show where the cancer is and how much is there.  I guess it’s an osteosarcoma met in a lymph node that’s not behaving typical???  Whatever it is, I just have a really bad feeling…

If they can even do surgery on Charley it wouldn’t be until end of next week. We most likely won’t have the radiology report from the CT scan until Monday.  Here’s some pictures of Charley wearing his Superman Cancer Warrior costume while we were waiting for the surgeon. Charley was just upset that he hadn’t eaten since last night!

MVRC just called and Charley’s awake and alert after his CT scan. He’s still in the ICU, but here’s the picture they sent. Dr. Luther, who did the MRI, will call sometime today. We get to pick Charley up this evening.

Thank you for all of your prayers, positive thoughts, hugs, and kisses.  It is greatly appreciated and we can’t thank you enough for all of your support!

♥  Hugs from me and chocolate Labby kisses from Charley! xoxo  ♥

Charley’s surgery is at 9am cst tomorrow to remove the OS met that is near his amputation site.  He’s walking in to MVRC wearing his “Superman Cancer Warrior” costume too!

Positive thoughts, prayers, and keeping fingers and 3-paws crossed are greatly appreciated!  I will post an update tomorrow.

Thank you for all of your prayers, positive thoughts, hugs, and kisses.  It is greatly appreciated and we can’t thank you enough for all of your support!

♥  Hugs from me and chocolate Labby kisses from Charley! xoxo  ♥

This post has taken me all day to write (and I apologize to everyone for having to wait so long for the news)….

I have started typing and then deleted everything and I’ve repeated this process multiple times.  I’ve given up on writing something enlightening and eloquent because I’m pissed off.  I hate freaking cancer!

Today is Charley’s 3 Year Ampuversary!  I am so proud of Charley for being the OS Warrior that he is and has been for over 3 years!  I’m so proud of his courage, strength, and resiliency!  I’m blessed to have been given an additional 1,095 precious days with Charley since his amputation!  I’m in awe of the lessons that Charley has taught me along this journey!  BUT…I am pissed that this freaking cancer has tried to ruin a day of celebration for Charley, for me, for Joe, for my family, for this community (Tripawds) and the other communities (Bone Cancer Dogs, Arte and Cancer group) that Charley is a big part of!

This afternoon, I received the dreaded phone call from Dr. Buss with the results of Charley’s FNA of his “lump”.  His 3cm hard lump near his amputation site is officially a sarcoma and as the pathologist worded it, “….strongly suspect an osteosarcoma.  The exhibited phenomorphism and noted mitotic figures are very suggestive of an aggressive behavior”.  After talking to Dr. Buss, surgery is still scheduled for Thursday morning with Dr. Jill Luther who amputated his leg.  Charley will spend the night Thursday at MVRC for pain management and we’ll bring him home on Friday afternoon.  Pending the histopathology from the tumor after it’s removed, Dr. Buss wants to try an oral chemo that has shown some good results.  Of course I can’t remember the name of the oral chemo for certain because I was still processing the OS return, but I think he said Lomustine (I’ll confirm in a later post).

This evening we celebrated Charley’s 3 Year Ampuversary (he doesn’t know that his cancer returned).  I made him his famous “meat cake” aka “3-Year Warrior Cake” with 2 pounds of ground sirloin ( mixed with 2 eggs & small container of cottage cheese), Philly cream cheese for the icing, and natural peanut butter for the writing.  Charley would have been delighted to eat the entire cake, but I only let him eat a piece (in addition to his dinner).  The cake is a bit crooked (I need a new spring-form pan), but Charley didn’t seem to mind!

Here’s some pictures of Charley from this weekend and this afternoon!  He’s his typical happy Labby self and he doesn’t know his cancer is back!  All he knows is that he has a great life and his mommy and daddy love him very much!

So far now, we’ll continue to pray for a miracle and hope for the best.

We’ll pray that Charley has a successful surgery this Thursday and a speedy recovery.

We’ll pray that Charley’s journey here is far from being finished and that he has plenty of lessons left to teach us.

We’re not finished fighting and either is Charley.  We will continue this battle with Charley as long as he wants to fight!

Thank you for all of your prayers, positive thoughts, hugs, and kisses.  It is greatly appreciated and we can’t thank you enough for all of your support!

♥  Hugs from me and chocolate Labby kisses from Charley! xoxo  ♥

♥ ♥ ♥  Here’s more pictures of our beautiful boy!  ♥ ♥ ♥

Charley’s Halloween costume is “Superman Cancer Warrior”.  It’s amazing how white electrical tape and a lot of cutting can transform an off the shelf costume into something wonderful!

We took Charley to a local pet boutique, Treats Unleashed, and he won 1st place in their costume contest.  Here’s some pictures of Charley sporting his costume!

We felt that a family portrait was in order since it was a special day for all of us!

Charley was so proud of his 1st place prize!

We had planned to have Charley’s 3 Year Ampuvesary Party and my mom’s Birthday Party together yesterday, but instead we had a change of plans and we only celebrated my mom’s birthday yesterday.  Monday, October 28th, which is Charley’s actual 3 Year ampuversary is when we decided to celebrate his special day.  Monday is also the day we should get the pathology report back on the aspirate from his new cancer “lump”, so we thought we’d celebrate his 3 Year Ampuversary and “Cancer Warrior” status that day regardless of the results!

This Thursday, October 31st, Charley’s has surgery scheduled to remove his new cancer lump (pending the path results).  We thought since Thursday is Halloween, he’d wear his “Superman Cancer Warrior” costume into the surgery center that morning as a “pawsitive” omen…and to show that he is going to battle!!!

We’re still praying that Charley has an operable soft tissue sarcoma so he can continue on his journey of hope inspiring others and proving that OS doesn’t have to be a death sentence and that you can live happily with cancer!!!

Thank you for all of your prayers, positive thoughts, hugs, and kisses.  It is greatly appreciated and we can’t thank you enough for all of your support!

♥  Hugs from me and chocolate Labby kisses from Charley!  xoxo  ♥

It looks like the pathology report won’t be back until Monday 10/28, how ironic……that’s Charley’s 3 Year Ampuversary.

We tentatively scheduled Charley’s surgery for Thursday 10/31 with the same surgeon that did his amputation 3 years ago, pending the pathology results.  Depending on the path report and the surgeon’s physical exam of how operable the tumor is, Charley may need an MRI on Friday and then surgery the following week.  Worst worst case scenario is that the tumor is inoperable.

We are still praying and hoping that this is an operable soft tissue sarcoma and not a return of the osteosarcoma.

Hugs and chocolate Labby kisses,

Ellen and Charley xoxo

I wish the news was better to share, but unfortunately it’s not.   I was waiting until Monday, 10/28, to post happy news about Charley’s big 3 Year Ampuversary, but I guess that wasn’t in the cards.

We just left the oncologist after Charley’s 3 year follow up for osteosarcoma…. and I just got done crying, for now.

Dr. Buss found a 3 cm hard lump that’s moveable close to Charley’s amptation site.  He aspirated it and he doesn’t like the look of the cells and it’s definitely a cancer.  He thinks it’s either a soft tissue sarcoma or an OS met.  We’ll find out tomorrow when he gets the pathology report back.

Best case scenario, it’s a soft tissue sarcoma and we can have it removed with clear margins and that’s the end of the story. Worst case scenario, it’s an OS met…and we have much bigger issues.

We go back Wednesday morning to meet with the surgeon as long as it’s a soft tissue sarcoma.  It would be an aggressive surgery to remove it since it’s close to his amp site and a lot of the tissue has already been removed, but we are willing if it’s a possibility.  We are not giving up on Charley now, just like we didn’t give up on him over 3 years ago.

The positive news if there is any is that Charley’s chest rads appeared clear, but we’re waiting on confirmation from the radiologist.

Please keep Charley in your thoughts and prayers.   I’m devastated…