Doing Well

Pre amputation, Holly had always enjoyed her acupuncture treatments and chiro adjustments. Today, almost 4 weeks post surgery, she's still loving her "Spa Day" at the vet ❤

Being a Tripod

It's been 2 weeks since Holly's front leg was amputated, and shes rocking it! Not bad for a nearly 13 year old dog.

Three weeks ago Holly came up acutely lame on that leg. X-rays revealed she had a bone lesion that had fractured. Tests later revealed that it was a radiation-induced osteosarcoma at the location she received radiation to cure her cancer nearly 4 years ago. Holly wasn't supposed to live nearly 4 years past being diagnosed with myxosarcoma. So as a result of living beyond statistical expectations, the radiation caused more cancer.

That said, I don't regret any thing we did to cure her cancer nearly 4 years ago. But now I have to decide whether I'm going to do chemo treatments for the osteosarcoma. If I don't, she might have four to six months before the osteosarcoma metastasizes to her lungs or her heart. If I do, she may have up to a year and a half. But remember, she is as of next month 13 years old. She has arthritis throughout her body, and her knees are terrible. So what exactly do I want for the quality of her life from here forward? Do I want her to live another year and a half and feel the ravages of being three-legged with lots of arthritis, perhaps leaving her totally crippled and in pain her last months of life? Or, allow her to live a shorter but more mobile and independent life, a little bit more pain free? I don't know the answer yet. What I do know is that she's healing well, she's comfortable, and she's quite mobile. I have some time to decide. In the meantime we're enjoying every moment of life during this beautiful fall weather that we have.