I’m compelled to start blogging again because my beloved greyhound, Sarge, has been diagnosed with lymphoma. I want to record all the details, which will help me to process the information. I also want to describe the roller coaster on which we are about to ride in case there are others out there who might benefit from reading a first-hand experience.
(I called this post “Sarge’s Tale” but I don’t want to forget my other sweet hound, Daphne. So, over the coming months, we will be covering some of Daphne’s escapades too.)
It started on Labor Day weekend 2010, when I noticed that Sarge’s throat was a little swollen. It looked like he had a goiter.
Sarge's swollen throat
Luckily I noticed on Saturday morning so I could call my regular vet (Dr. Fowler) and make an appointment, the first available being Wednesday afternoon. He did a fine needle aspiration, and two days later, I got the bad news that it appeared to be lymphoma.
Dr. Fowler recommended that I take Sarge to see an oncologist named Dr. Hamilton, and within minutes I had made an appointment for Tuesday, the 14th (yesterday).
Unfortunately Dr. Hamilton said Sarge definitely has lymphoma. He could feel that all the lymph nodes near the outside of Sarge’s body are swollen (which must have developed since I saw my regular vet last Wednesday because he said only the lymph nodes in Sarge’s throat were swollen at that time). The oncologist also did an x-ray of Sarge’s chest and an ultrasound of his belly as well as another fine needle aspiration to figure out what type of lymphoma he has. The good news is that there were no signs that the lymphoma has spread to other organs, e.g., the lungs, liver, or spleen. The vet did see that some of the lymph nodes in Sarge’s stomach were mildly enlarged but overall it was relatively good news. He recommended that we come in the next day (today) for – it sends shivers down my spine – a bone marrow aspirate and Sarge’s first chemotherapy injection.
Even though a bone marrow sample is painful for a human, the vet says animals do not have the same reaction. Plus, he will be asleep while they are doing it, poor boy.
The oncologist will come up with a specific treatment plan after the results of all the tests are in but he wants to start the chemo tomorrow because this cancer can spread rapidly. He said 75 – 90% of dogs respond well to the chemo and that on average it can extend their life by 12 – 15 months; 25% make it to 2 years. Extended time with good quality of life and minor side effects from the chemo. Without chemo, Sarge would die in 1 – 2 months. 😦
I set 3 alarms this morning to make sure I got up in time to make Sarge’s “before 8 AM” drop-off time. Both he and Daphne were wondering what was going on since I tend to roll out of bed around 7:30 AM. (Waking up in the dark just doesn’t make sense to me.) So after showering, I came downstairs, and I was trying to figure out how I was going to feed Daphne without hurting Sarge’s feelings since he was – again! – not allowed any breakfast. They heard me rattling around in the kitchen and both of them came scampering in, Sarge with this big smile on his face. Time to eat! Poor boy. No food for you this morning.
We made it to the animal hospital in just over 30 minutes, which was pretty good for rush hour. After checking in, the tech came to take my boy away and I nearly lost it. I was just praying that everything would go perfectly today.
After many nervous hours at work, I got the call to come pickup Sarge. All had gone well!
So I brought my boy home, and he crashed on the floor after eating some pieces of chicken and a small snack of kibble. I also gave him his first dose of prednisone, which may increase his thirst, appetite, and need to pee. He doesn’t appear to be in any pain.
Sarge crashes at home after his first chemo treatment
Close-up of the bone marrow aspiration point
I’m hoping that Sarge beats all the odds and makes it beyond two years! In the meantime, we will be doing lots of fun things to keep his mind off our regular trips to the vet’s office.
Greyt Matters 
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