Sassy's Tripawd Journey

Boy, I think Sassy,  Bosch & Barney all got pretty tired out Saturday afternoon.  We continued our journey with a few of the great sites around here.  We first made a stop at Bass Pro Shop where Barney tried out sitting on a 4-wheeler.  He looked pretty good on that.

Sassy Barney & I with Barney’s new hair before we left for our adventures 

Barney on the 4-wheeler

From Bass Pro Shops we went the 1st National Bank of Omaha’s Park downt town where they had some statues that Barney loved playing on.

From the 1st National Park we moved onto another park showing the settlers

 From the Settlers park we moved onto  “the Road to Omaha Statue”  Which is now at TD Ameritrade Park (Baseball diamond).  The statue was originally at Rosenblatt Stadium where the college world series was held up until about 2 years ago.  Then Omaha built a new stadium and moved the statue there.

the “Bridge to no where” as people around here call it.  Actual name is the Bob Kerry pedestrian bridge which is approx 2.5 miles long (its more but I don’t remember the exact amount).  It covers the Nebraska side of the Missouri River to the Iowa side of the Missouri river, so Barney & I made the treck across the bridge so he could say he was in 2 states at one time.

From the long hike across the river we decided we would take him to Lewis & Clark monument.  Where Lewis & Clark met with the Indian Council on the Bluffs.

From Lewis & Clark monument we made just 2 more stops.  The Lincoln monument (from when President Abraham Lincoln visited Council Bluffs)  and the Black Angel Monument for Ruth Anne Dodge.  The Black Angel is made from Brass.  Ms Dodge used to have an dreams about this angel who would visit her.  I will include a little picture about that monument also.

The Black Angel

Wow, What a Day, Everyone Was DOG tired.

Spirit Jerry’s Barney landed in Council Bluffs, Iowa.  Yay.   Sassy is so excited to see him.  It has been a fun time showing Barney around the Council Bluffs/Omaha area.  We spent the first night of Barney’s visit the actual ampuversary March 14th taking a ride around our state park.  Sassy & Bosch showed him how it was done and how to bark at the deer.  We had a great time.

Here is Barney when we got the box with Sassy & Bosch

As you can see Barney is still wearing the t-shirt Tripawd Kitty Jill & her mom Erica sent him with

Before we left for our ride

Lake Manawa State Park  

Barney looking at the deer  

Saturday Barney went with Sassy’s mom Michelle to get her hair done,  while we were there Barney decided to have a little addition done to himself

more on another post about later Saturday afternoon 🙂

I know a lot of people wont believe this but I totally do.  I do know there are some pretty special things with Barney.  The day after we got him I decided since Sassy was kinda sleeping I would try to take some pictures with Barney & her.  Well, I caught this glow right on Sassy’s head.  I believe its a guardian angel or maybe a spirit that came with Barney (whatever the cause maybe it doesn’t really matter).  I caught something on my picture.  I do not believe its dust (my brother has said that to me).  Its too perfect, too round and a glow to it and there was nothing on the following picture which was taken right away after this one.  So believe what you may but I know 🙂

What a journey.  Today is a great milestone.  4 months since losing her leg.  It doesn’t seem like 4 months ago she was at the vet having her leg removed.  Sassy has recovered better than the vets ever expected.  Hopping around and enjoying life.   Doesn’t act like the cancer has spread, its been 5 days on the metronomics that we started on Sunday the 10th of March.   She seems to be doing very well with them.  No side effects that I can tell.  We are making sure that she gets out every couple of hours so there are no bladder infections which could be a possible side affect.

I did forget to add that Sassy’s vet featured her on their facebook page it was awesome.   https://www.facebook.com/notes/bellevue-animal-hospital/sassy-sugar-bear-amazing-amputee/613165415366974

Happy 4th Ampuversary Baby girl.  Many more 🙂

I did forget to add that we did decide to go with the Metronomic therapy vs the Padaillia as the cost of the Padaillia was $1100 plus at least $300 in monitoring of blood urine etc.  The Metronomics that we are doing is a Cyclophophamide 22 mgs (for Sassy’s weight, the chemo drug) & the NSAID is carproben (generic for Rimadyl).  total with shipping from Diamondback drugs is 97.32.  There of course will be some blood work & follow up lung xrays every couple of months.  This fits in the budget much better.  Sassy is doing wonderful on it so far.

Sassy with her vet Dr Boyer.

Shari, DakotaDawg’s mom told me that I had to let Sassy have the Flying Dutchman which is a Tripawd Tradition and that I had to show that Sassy is still doing good because a “sick” dog wouldn’t & couldn’t eat one of these.  So here goes.  This is Sassy’s Flying Dutchman that she had last night and ate every bite of it.  Now you have to understand for a Rottie she doesn’t gobble her food she is kind of dainty as Rene, Spirit Jerry & Wyatt Ray Dawg’s mom, said.  So we had to break it into 1/2 then a few pieces off.  I would have had to do this even if Sassy didn’t have lung mets.  She seems to be doing pretty well today.  We are just enjoying going for rides.  I might even go get her DQ tonight just as a fun treat.

Today was a very tough day.  Last night (Thursday Feb 28) Sassy coughed a couple of times.  I freaked out.  Then she hacked one big time this morning and on her walk in the yard coughed a couple of times.  I sobbed all day even before we went to the vet.  I made an appointment for 3 pm to have x-rays.  I tried to talk myself out of it but I knew.   The vet listened to her lungs didn’t say anything and said lets check out her belly.  Said everything feels good.  Then said we will set up the x-rays.  They took Sassy out and xrayed her and brought her back to me.  We sat there for what seemed hours.  I just kept getting more & more nervous.  I knew when he came back in that there were mets in her lungs.

It wasn’t just one there were multiple and one large one.  He said if we do nothing she could have 2-6 weeks but we could do Padilla and it could be longer but its a very expensive drug that they don’t even stock and they have to check the price and then order it.  They would get back to us on Monday.  In the mean time gave us prednisone to take.

Cancer sucks.

This last week we had some very bad news.  Cadence crossed the rainbow bridge.   This has been very hard for me as we started this journey around the same time.  The diagnosis, joining tripawds & amputation.  Cadence finished her chemo before us.  Just scary.  I know its natural to be upset but honestly this is one that really really bugs the heck out of me because of the timing.   I will always be worried & concerned about everything but with this happening so soon after Cadence finishing chemo it just scares me that the same thing will happen to Sassy.  I was reminded that every dog or cat’s journey is different and that because this happened doesn’t mean it will happen to Sassy.

RIP Cadence.  Run Free at the Rainbow Bridge.  We all miss you.

Hard to believe how time flies and that Sassy is celebrating her 3 month ampuversary.   I am so amazed everyday how well she is doing.  How well she is getting a long with 3 legs.   Our vet is totally amazed and they want to feature her on their facebook page with pictures and her story of her amputation & chemo.  They asked it that would be ok to do and I said yes.  I haven’t wanted to post pictures on my facebook page as this to me is important and I do not want people on there to make rude comments.  I am getting closer to making that post.  Maybe after the next chemo and things go ok.  It just its our battle and people know but I dont want to have to defend my actions or why I chose to do what I have done.  This if a fight for my baby and she is important.  I will do anything to protect her and myself from those kinds of people.

Everything went great.  Sassy’s blood work was in the normal range and she got to have her 4th chemo.  One more to go and that will be March 6th.  I am so happy she had done so well.  It doesn’t happen very often that dogs or cats don’t have to miss a chemo appointment and get to have them all straight through.  Hoping white blood cells stay up after this one

HELP US CELEBRATE   🙂