The many warm wishes and concern I have received about treatment of Bow's brain tumor over the past two months has been a great support through a traumatic period. I don't want to jinx it by saying too much too soon, but by the standard odds she would not even be alive today if I had given into the standard odds.Her radiation treatment was completed May 14, and she has continued to be happy, healthy and energetic. We had a follow up check up last week. The ophthalmologist said that there is no damage to her eye because of the brain tumor. All of her vitals continue to be good. She still has considerable muscle wasting on the right side of her face. This might not reverse, but it might reverse completely. There is no sign advancing muscle wasting which is encouraging.
The biggest concern is that she has been on the steroid prednisone, but that has now been cut back by 50%.
The team at UC Davis has been so tremendous, and it has been an enormous to have such a great resource an hour and a half away. There is even a canine dermatologist there who has no connection to our case, but she comes out to see us and give moral support every time since she has a basenji and just want to be part of the basenji support team.
Thank you to everyone within BRAT for sending well wishes. And Bow is doing her part for BRAT too. On the way to our check up, we did a home evaluation visit for a potential adopter. Bow was a good girl and gave the woman a good once over and a sniff of approval. We hope that this will soon result in another basenji finding a forever home.
Wishing you + Bow a happy + healthy year!!! She is so lucky to have an owner like you. :)
ReplyDeleteEven thou I only know you and Bow through the BRAT blog I think of you both every day. I hope she does really well with her treatment and becomes the basenji poster girl for beating brain tumours. She is a lovely girl and sooo lucky to have you.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful dog! I will keep Bow in my prayers so that she maintains her good health.
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone for all the good support. Yes, we definitely hope Bow is an inspiration for others facing this. I am pleased that because UC Davis is a teaching hospital her case will help other dogs in the future.
ReplyDeleteGregg: We just lost our pit bull mix to this same cancer (based on Bow's photos and your description of her symptoms it sounds like a trigeminal nerve sheath tumor). Ours was a long heartbreaking story, and I just learned they are doing the stereotactic radiation in Washington, but hadn't heard that UC Davis was using it yet. I've passed on what you said to an acquaintance in No. Ca. w/a Newfie that's fighting it. So, perhaps your news has helped someone. Gotten the word out. Give yourself and Bow a big hug for doing your part to beat brain tumors in others. Sometimes it's hard for us to reach out when we're so frightened and hurting so much, but it IS important. For ourselves and others.
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