It’s taken me over 4 1/2 months to find the strength to get through this (and I won’t claim it was with dry eyes), but here it is.

On the day we said our good byes to Beau, I asked several people who knew him to send me their most cherished memories of Beau, so that we could all remember the best things about him.

I’ve collected those and placed them here on his web site. Please take a look, and think of our Beau Beau.

Cheers,

Ken

It saddens me beyond any words to report here that today we had to put Beau Diddley down. 21 February 2000 - 18 March 2009 is far far too short a time on this earth for one so beautiful as Beau.

In the week following Beau’s last MOPP treatment, his nervous system slowly shut down. I got him to the clinic, but after extensive tests and ineffective treatment paths, our options were gone. His body just couldn’t take it any more, so this morning we consented to the advice of his oncologist that we let him go.

Needless to say, we’re all wrecks around here today.

In a few days, I’ll write a posting here that will share my thoughts about the medical treatments we opted for with Beau, in hopes that his and our experiences will help others faced with similar battles in the future.

Beau’s 14 months on chemo fighting off his cancers were emotional roller coasters for all of us. We’re comforted today, however, knowing that he knew only love, and that his battle was also filled with many many happy moments, hugs, songs, and wags. Moments like the one below:



Go in peace, my precious one. You’ll live on in our hearts forever. Aloha nui loa, ko`u `ilio.

Love,

Ken

Greetings. Beau has completed another two weeks of the MOPP protocol. He remains happy and enthusiastic -- gave me quite the slobberfest welcome when I got home from Belgium last night.

I noticed his energy was a little low this morning, but that’s to be expected after two weeks on MOPP. It’s a very strong protocol. I took him to his vet today for a blood test. Some of his blood numbers were slightly low, just on the margins. We’re of course hoping that these next two weeks of rest time will help him bounce back and he’ll be plenty strong.

Meanwhile, we haven’t noticed his chest symptoms changing much. His coughing is very rare. We’re hoping that the mass in his chest is being held at bay by the MOPP, but he’ll have a new round of chest x-rays (“radiographs” as they call them these days) done in two weeks, so we’ll know better then.

So we continue to continue, taking one day at a time. That cliché certainly has taken new meaning for us these days, but it surely is important when you’re battling against a disease like lymphoma. Every happy day is good.

AROOOOOOOO’s,

Ken

Greetings all. Beau had a good week this week. His energy and appetite remain legendary. He’s starting the 2nd cycle of the MOPP chemo protocol later this week.

But today, there’s no talk of chemo in the house. Today is Beau’s 9th birthday. He got a nice birthday note from his brother, Hoagie -- an AKC Champion! Beau and Hoagie were the two surviving puppies from Red Bay’s “H” litter.

We’re ecstatic to celebrate Beau’s 9th with him today. He’ll be getting plenty (!) of TLC, treats, and belly rubs today. It’s his 2nd birthday since being diagnosed with lymphoma, after all. Untreated, canine lymphoma would never let a basset see two birthdays.

Happy birthday Beau Beau and “Heaugie”!

AROOOOOOOOS!

Ken

Greetings,

Well, this week has been a rest week for Beau. But, since there was mild concern over his platelet count in last week’s blood test, his oncologist recommended a follow-up blood test this week to see how things are going.

Good news, his platelet count is “substantially improved” and he’s doing well. In fact, he’s had a great week. He’s been happy, perky, energetic, and enthusiastic all week. Even the drive up/back to New Jersey over the weekend was easy. (He often doesn’t care for being in the car.)

And, on top of all that, the weather has taken a good turn here in Virginia, and we’ve enjoyed a couple “open window” days.

Aroooo’s,

Ken

Beau is home from his second week on the MOPP protocol.

The good news is that the lymphoma responded very quickly to the MOPP, as I’d guessed by the nearly immediate reduction in his lymph node sizes. His lymphoma is once again in complete remission.

The bad news is that the mass in his chest remains unchanged--which is better than if it had grown. And since it was too deep to sample last week, we’re still not certain what it is. However, since it didn’t respond to MOPP, it’s a fair bet that it is NOT lymphoma. Although it could still be a number of things, the most likely guess is that it’s some other form of cancer.

I discussed this at length with his oncologist. If it were his only issue, she’d recommend a CT scan and surgery to remove the mass, but since it’s not, and since his lymphoma responses have been hit-or-miss, she recommends against surgery--and I agree. Further, there are some chemo options for lung cancers, but the best case with most (as with in humans) is to slow the spread. Remission is rare.

As a result, his oncologist recommends we keep him on MOPP and not augment it with other chemos. We’ll continue to monitor the mass and hope that it doesn’t grow, or at least that it grows very (!) slowly.

That’s not great news, although the lymphoma remission is certainly a good thing by itself.

So, he’s home and resting in front of the fireplace. He’s perky and happy today. In fact, he’s had a very good week overall. And as I’ve said here many times, we’re thankful for every good week, day, hour... He’s in no shortage of love and aloha here.

Arooooos,

Ken

Thanks for the outpouring of support after yesterday’s update on Beau. Here’s some more info.

Beau is currently on the “MOPP” chemo regimen: Mustargen, Oncovin (aka vincristine or VCR), Procarbazine, Prednisone. I did some reading up on it today and found some very useful information here. (I can’t imagine how people/dogs got through any of this prior to the Internet...)

Obviously, I’m no doctor, much less a veterinary oncologist. I can’t say whether it’s due to the prednisone (steroid) or the chemo, but today I can’t even find Beau’s lymph nodes. Yesterday, the two nodes below his tonsils were roughly the size of golf balls. I hope that’s a good sign.

Aroooo’s,

Ken

Sorry I’ve been remiss in putting updates here. The words have been there, but they just wouldn’t leave my fingers.

Most importantly though, Beau continues to be happy and energetic. His appetite is excellent, and he’s had no nausea or diarrhea. That’s all good.

The bad news is that his lymphoma continues to progress. After some mild coughing, he had a chest x-ray last week that revealed an unknown mass between his heart and lungs. His doctor put him on a different chemo last week to try to kick the lymphoma back a bit. As of today’s follow-up x-ray, that doesn’t seem to have helped or hurt. The lymphoma and the chest mass are about the same.

So, today they’re aspirating the chest mass to find out what we’re dealing with. It could be lymphoma, although his oncologist said it doesn’t look like a normal lymphoma mass. It could be another type of cancer. (After all, several of his chemo drugs have themselves been carcinogenic.) Or it could be an opportunistic bacterial or fungal infection. But we have to know what it is before we can decide what to do.

We also decided to try another, slightly more aggressive chemo that he has NOT yet been exposed to. It has about a 40% success rate with only mild and infrequent side effects. That will likely be augmented with some other treatment, depending on what the mass turns out to be.

Our feeling is that he’s happy, energetic, etc. We want to give him every chance to stay happy and energetic as long as he can. As much as we’d love to see another remission, and one that lasts for (say) a century or so, that’s not likely to happen.

So we proceed one day at a time. My goal is to keep that tail wagging as much as I can, and for him to never ever doubt how much we love him.

Your thoughts, prayers, and aloha are greatly appreciated!

Aroooos,

Ken

FOLLOW-UP: The vet was NOT able to reach the mass in his chest via his esophagus, so we’re proceeding (with the new chemo) under the assumption that it’s the most likely thing, the lymphoma. Oh, and the radiologist mistakenly thought Beau would also be getting an ultrasound, so he’s gotten another “Brazilian” cut... He’ll be home sometime around 5 or 6 PM and will get LOTS of TLC then.

Hi all,

Yesterday was Beau’s week 4 (of third cycle) in his chemo treatment. His white cell count was fine and the chemo was administered.

However, the doctor noticed he had some swollen lymph nodes, and a quick aspiration of one confirmed it was the beginning of another lymphoma relapse.

My heart sank when she told me the news, as I’m sure you can all appreciate.

After a phone consultation, they ended up using a different chemo medication than any he’d previously had. Since the cancer cells were no longer responding to the previous chemo, this is the best course of action at this time.

We won’t know until he goes back in for an exam next week if the lymphoma responds against the new medication, so please keep sending Beau your best wishes, prayers, and aloha. He’ll have a restful week here in front of the fireplace, and with gobs and gobs of TLC from his food slaves.

(Maggie, on the other hand, appears to be doing just fine re her bladder issues.)

Aroooos,

Ken

Happy new year, everyone. If you’re still reading here, I know you must be a Beau Diddley fan. Thank you for all your positive thoughts, prayers, and genuine aloha you’ve all sent here to Beau.

Beau had his week 3 treatment this week, but we had another scare as well. His sister Maggie was at South Paws today. I’ll explain...

Maggie has been on urised for quite some time now to help keep a chronic urinary tract infection under control. It’s been working just fine, but now is being taken off the market by the manufacturer. So, we contacted the dogs’ vet to come up with a new course of action. She requested a urine sample which we provided. But when she looked at it under the microscope, she saw something odd and asked me to come back into the office.

She saw some cells that were not normal. My heart stopped. She said that they *could* be pre-tumorous cells. My heart stopped again. She suggested getting an ultrasound on Maggie’s urinary tract to see if there’s anything odd there.

I made Maggie an appointment immediately with South Paws and took her there today. After getting her customary “Brazilian,” they invited me into the exam room to see the ultrasound in progress. The doctor showed me her bladder and surrounding areas.

Everything looked pretty normal. The only anomaly is that one side of her bladder wall was slightly thicker than the other (5 mm vs. 3 mm). This could indicate some mild irritation and UTI-like activity, but there was no indication of any tumor activity at all.

We all breathed an enormous sigh of relief and I brought Maggie home. Now on to figuring out her next course of treatment...

But back to the Beau front, his treatments are continuing normally. Dare I say “routine” even...

It was a year ago this month that Beau was diagnosed with lymphoma. Had it not been for the chemo, he wouldn’t have made it until the summer solstice, much less the winter solstice. And, since he continues to be happy and energetic, I have to say it’s been a great success for all of us. To be blessed with *any* more time with such a wonderful creature as Beau is one of life’s greatest treats. Here’s to the treatments continuing to be successful and Beau continuing to be happy and enthusiastic!

Cheers,

Ken

Well, it’s week 2 up here in Pennsylvania at Camp Yorkie. Beau took his pills yesterday without a hitch. In fact, we’re really lucky with both Beau and Maggie that way--when they need to take medication, all we have to do is put the meds on their food, and WHOOOOOOOOSH the meds disappear.

But the good news is that Beau has been relaxing in front of the fireplace (pellet stove, actually) and enjoying a pleasant holiday visit. He’s surrounded by family and his extended canine pack. Heck, there’s even a cat here.

Merry festivus and sloppy solstice to all!

Cheers,

Ken

Yesterday was Beau’s week 1 of cycle 3. All went well. (What was it that Lisa said about “routine” several months back?)

Next week, I’ll administer his chemo pills as normal. (24 tablets, and I have to wear latex gloves and SCRUB anything the tablets come in contact with.)

The good news about the pills is that he won’t need to go to the clinic, so he’ll be with us the whole time. In fact, we’ll be hitting the road for our Christmas visits with our families, so he’ll take the pills while we’re in PA at “Camp Yorkie”.

Yesterday’s session did go well, as I said. One interesting/funny bit... Beau and I got to the clinic quite early, so he was #1 in line for treatment. I always request early pick-up so he doesn’t have to spend even a minute longer than necessary at the clinic. (The place frightens the poor little guy.) I got the call just after 10, and went straight over as soon as I was able to get off the conference call I was on at the time.

When I arrived, some of the staff were in a meeting. The receptionists called back and asked for someone to pick up Beau. There was clearly some confusion in the back office over which dog to bring out. I said to the receptionist, “you’ll hear him,” and that was a big hit out front. Seems that the entire front office staff knows Beau by the distinctive acoustic signature he generates when he comes out of his treatments.

Sure enough, he came charging out of the back office doorway and literally dragged the technician along the hallway to where I was standing. At that point, all conversation in the reception area comes to a complete halt out of necessity. Beau the shingle shaker has arrived!

I immediately got Beau out to the car for the ride home, of course. It’s on this drive home each week that Beau tells me about everything they did to him in the clinic. How they poked and prodded. And heaven forbid the car comes to a stop--say, at a traffic signal.

All he wants is to be home.

But, I’m again happy to say that Beau is energetic, enthusiastic, and overall doing well. When we started down this chemo path (both times), we knew that managing his quality of life is very important. By that litmus test, the chemo continues to do its job.

Cheers and AROOOOOOOs,

Ken

All went well last week (week 4), even though it was a new chemo in Beau’s regimen. His doctors have now swapped out the old week 4 medication for a new one, as there’s a lifetime limit of 5 doses on the prior one.

So, other than Beau being so scared when we arrive at South Paws in the morning, he was bouncing and happy when I picked him up later in the day. Over the weekend, we took him to his regular vet for a blood test, but I’m pretty confident that will be ok -- he’s been energetic and happy all week.

In the meantime, we discovered that Beau and Maggie really enjoy romping through the woods behind our house. We’ve been walking them off lead, like they enjoy on the beach at OBX, around some of the walking trails in our woods. They absolutely love it, and seem to walk quicker and more vigorously than they’ve ever done walking the sidewalks around our neighborhood. (Who knew?)

Perhaps Beau thinks the woods smell like the leaf piles in Lancaster that he enjoyed so much.

Cheers,

Ken

Well, it was a basically uneventful week 3 of chemo today. Beau arrived at South Paws early this morning. He was immediately alert and didn’t want to be there. He even refused a treat I tried to give him. But, I asked for an early release time, and by about 11:30, he was ready for pick-up.

And again, he was extremely vocal when I came to pick him up. I can never figure out if he’s saying, “LET’S GO HOME!” or simply telling me about the horrible experience he’d been through. Perhaps it’s a bit of both.

In any case, he’s at home and resting up this afternoon (see below), while the smells of Thanksgiving food preparation waft through the house. Not many things better than food prep to a basset, so he’s savoring every moment of it.

Happy Thanksgiving and AROOOO’s to all. Thank you all for keeping Beau in your thoughts and prayers.

Cheers,

Ken

So, everything went smoothly this past week. Beau had a treatment, but it was oral and he didn’t have to go in to South Paws. In fact, both Beau and Maggie joined me up in Pennsylvania at “Club Yorkie” for a couple days while I did some client work.

They had a wonderful time visiting the yorkies and my parents. Beau always loves the big fenced in back yard there, and seems absolutely focused on “erasing” all the yorkie piddles in the yard during our stays there.

We took them for a nice long walk as well. Although the temperature was right at freezing, we all had fun. It turns out that Beau absolutely adores Autumn leaf piles. We literally ran from one pile to the next. He’d dive in, sniff around, and leave a bit of “pee mail” for the canines in the neighborhood. Who knew?! (We don’t have leaf piles in our neighborhood.)

Yesterday, he and Maggie were both troupers as we made our way down to Virginia AND then up to New Jersey for an early Thanksgiving with Caren’s family. Beau does not like being in a car, and this was asking quite a lot of him. But no problems were encountered. The occasional ginger snap bribe seemed to keep him and Maggie content.

Cheers,

Ken

Hi all. Sorry for the silence here, but I’ve been in Europe on business for 2 (long) weeks. (Photos on my site, if you’re interested.)

Beau remains in remission. We cheer every day! He’s now in the second cycle of his second chemo program. Last week, he was at Southpaws as usual; this week he gets the treatment in pill form, which I’ll give him.

I’m taking Beau and Maggie with me for a couple days to Camp Yorkie, while I combine a day of business with a day of visiting my folks. Beau and Maggie love it there, and will enjoy visiting with their yorkie “cousins”, and getting the special treatment from their Ouma.

As always, thanks to all for your positive thoughts and prayers for Beau’s continued successes. His tail keeps wagging and he greets every meal with vigor and enthusiasm. And, he gave me a rousing welcome when I got home from Germany and Italy. All good news.

Cheers,

Ken

After several relaxing and fun days in the North Carolina Outer Banks, we’re back home and back on the chemo. Today was week 4 of Beau’s treatment, and next week is a rest week.

Beau’s doctor wrote on his release notes today that, “Beau Diddley is in complete remission”. What a relief that is.

He and Maggie had a great time in the OBX as well. And, as a really special treat, his Red Bay pack was in Virginia Beach at a dog show, so we were able to stop through there and see the gang. Beau was able to see his brother Hoagie again, which he clearly enjoyed.

Maggie was also there, and she saw her brother Johnny, but she was more than a little frightened by all these big dogs. Too bad.

It was a lot of fun to see everyone, though -- at least, for all of us except Maggie.

Aroooos,

Ken

Beau is resting comfortably at home after week 3 of his (second) round of chemo. All systems looking good. Blood work looked good, etc.

Now it’s off to OBX for a couple days of romping on the beach and relaxing with family, friends, and his yorkie “cousins”. The trip will culminate with a stop-in visit with the Red Bay Gang. By complete coincidence, they’ll be in Virginia Beach at a dog show on the day we’re heading home.

Beau and Maggie will again have the opportunity to be reunited with their canine pack, including Beau’s brother Hoagie. Hoagie is now a champion, although we’re hoping he won’t insist that his brother refer to him as Sir Hoagie. :-)

Arooooos,

Ken

Well, Beau had his first chemo (round 2) treatment last Friday, as I reported in the last posting. He’s had his second one this past friday as well.

In parallel with the chemo, he’s been on prednisone both orally and in eye drop form.

We’re happy to report he once again appears to be responding positively to the chemo. All lymph node swelling is gone. His oncologist wrote “Beau Diddley is looking great today!” in his notes on Friday.

So, we buy some more time with this most precious little guy. Beau is happy. He wags his tail. He HOLLERS at dinner time. When I offered him a walk yesterday, he RAN to the door and barked enthusiastically.

We watched the Basset Hound segment on Dogs 101 together last night even -- though I probably enjoyed it more than he did. (Great show, by the way!)

Enjoying every day, every hour, every minute...

Cheers,

Ken

I just got home from South Paws; Beau’s lymphoma has relapsed. :-(

After consultation with his oncologist, we’ve decided to try the same CHOP chemo treatment again, but without the really bad stuff (cytoxan) that caused his bladder problems last time. The doctor says that this is the best course of treatment.

Basically, as long as it works, we keep trying it. We all know that someday the chemo will likely cease being effective, but we keep trying.

The positive news is that Beau remains happy and his appetite is still...rigorous. As long as the tail is wagging, I can’t give up on him. I want to afford him every opportunity to be as happy as he can for as long as he can.

So, it’s back on the chemo. But, in a couple weeks, he’ll get another OBX vacation to enjoy. I hope we’ll have plenty of running on the beach moments there to savor and appreciate.

Arooooos,

Ken

Sorry for the delay in updating here. Beau had a check-up two weeks ago and again yesterday, and the good news is that his condition seems unchanged. The lymph nodes, while still slightly enlarged, remain “reactive” and not indicative of a lymphoma relapse. His doctor wants to see him again in 4 weeks time.

Apart from that, he’s happy, energetic, and has a hugely enthusiastic appetite for meals and treats, so we’re doing our best to simply enjoy every single day.

Also, in the time since his last chemo treatment, his hair has filled out significantly, and I’m not just referring to his “Brazilian” that he received for a sonogram early on during the treatment.

Enjoy every single day. Hugs and arooooos!

Cheers,

Ken

Greetings and aroooo’s.

We had a bit of a fright here today. Beau went in to South Paws for his recurring checkup. Early this morning, they called me and said that his lymph nodes were slightly enlarged and they wanted to take a small sample and check it under a microscope to see if it’s possibly a relapse or something else.

Hearing those words was just awful. I approved the testing and waited for the phone to ring. And waited. And waited. Sick with fear, I called them a couple times, but no word yet.

Finally, they called. The lymph nodes are indeed slightly enlarged, but they are NOT consistent with a relapse at this point. His doctor referred to them as “reactive,” meaning they’re doing their job trying to clean his system.

I told her about our OBX vacation and the fact that both he and Maggie were exposed to a house full of autonomous petri dishes (aka “toddlers”) that ALL had “foot and mouth” disease last week. (Another story for another blog...)

His doctor agreed that this exposure could have been what caused the lymph enlargement, or it could have simply been that he was exposed to some allergens that have caused his system to react a bit.

He’ll be going back next week and the week after for follow-ups to closely monitor the situation.

Let’s all hope and pray that I’m correct about the toddler exposure and that it’s not an early stage of a relapse. Keep all that positive energy focused for Beau to rally here!

Cheers,

Ken

Many of you who know Beau know he loves running, walking, and sniffing on the beach. Well, we’re back here in the Outer Banks (OBX) of North Carolina for a week of beaching, and both he and Maggie have been having a blast.

We hit the beach each morning and evening for a nice jaunt. His favorite thing is to greet all the other doggies we see on the beach. Even after a long walk when he’s beginning to drag a bit, he immediately picks up his gait whenever we see a doggie in the distance.

It’s so wonderful to see him strong and happy, enjoying life and love. Alas, I’ve been remiss on taking photos, but I’ll do my best to get some before we leave. It’s only because we’re busy enjoying ourselves that I haven’t done better with the pix.

As I type this, Beau and Maggie are lying by my feet, exhausted after 2 beach outings today. They even slept in until nearly 0700 this morning, with no over night “potty” outings. Talk about getting lucky all night long!

Cheers,

Ken

It’s been a month (give or take) since Beau’s last chemo treatment, and today we went to Southpaws for his first follow-up. We met with his oncologist and had a great check-up and discussion.

Beau’s lymph nodes are looking “excellent” and show no signs of problems. Whew! Oh, and he weighed in at a healthy 73 pounds. (The doctor agreed that ~70ish seems to be about ideal for his frame and build.)

Over the month, Beau has been rapidly building his strength up. I’ve been keeping him (and Maggie) on his organic diet, and apart from him really enjoying the food, I’m convinced it’s helping him.

He didn’t need to fast this morning, so he didn’t figure out where we were going. Even in the car, he didn’t seem much to mind. It wasn’t until we arrived at the clinic that he started acting nervous. He was excessively clingy in the waiting room.

Then, when we went back to the exam room, he clearly wanted to leave. It helped that I could stay with him and that I didn’t just drop him off and pick him up later.

The exam was quick and simple. I discussed his upcoming annual check-up (and vaccinations) with his oncologist. She had some great words of wisdom on that. Although she feels he is quite strong enough for the vaccinations, she feels that adult dog vaccinations are hopelessly over-done in the US. When he gets his blood work done again at the 3 month point, she can check his immune system to see if he needs any vaccinations, and then do them. Otherwise, stick with what is required by law -- rabies, basically.

So we were done and headed out of the clinic. At the reception desk, Beau knew the routine -- wait for Ken to pay and then DEMAND a milk bone. (Fortunately, Southpaws keeps a cookie jar on the counter for just such situations.)

Then, when we got home, Beau and Maggie greeted each other with wagging tails and curious noses. Then Beau immediately ran to his bed and gave me that “treat me hither” look once again. He clearly remembered the good parts of going to Southpaws, which is nice.

So, he’s good to go once again. We’ll head back in 4-6 weeks for his next check-up, but in the meantime, we will enjoy each and every remission day we get.

Hugs and arooooos,

Ken

Well, Beau is at South Paws as I type this, getting his final chemo treatment in his 19-week CHOP program. It’s been a tough 19 weeks for all of us. I can’t even imagine how it’s been for Beau.

He has most definitely figured out our Monday morning clinic routine. When he didn’t get his breakfast this morning, he immediately knew what was up and went to hide in our bedroom, behind the bed. Then, when we got to South Paws, he was shaking with fear. My heart breaks...

At South Paws, the nurse congratulated me on making it through the program. I rejected her congratulations and said that all the credit goes to Beau. I only did the easy part. She smiled a look of understanding to me.

And, along those lines, I have to say that everyone at South Paws has been absolutely awesome to work with through such a difficult time. To work there--to witness all that they witness--can only be done by someone who isn’t just there for the paycheck. I don’t know how they do it. I’d be a complete wreck if I had to be there.

But the South Paws gang always greets Beau with a smile, and he always greets them with a wag, despite the fact that he’s scared out of his wits just being there.

Anyway, tonight will be a special night here. Before I go fetch Beau, I’ll stop at the market and pick up a nice fresh beef tenderloin steak for him and Maggie to devour tonight. I’m sure Beau will completely forgive me when he gets his steak.

For those of you still reading this blog, thank you all for your support. I do track Beau’s traffic through his site (thanks to Google Analytics). Seeing the hundreds and hundreds of hits on his site has been a great strength for all of us.

Many of you found this site by searching on related terms also. Some of the searched-for keywords have included: veterinary oncology, lymphoma treatment for dogs, lymphoma diet. I hope you’ve found value in these writings. I’ve always tried my best to include URL links to sites that I’ve found useful myself during this whole nightmare of an ordeal.

Beau’s battle is far from over, though, and neither is this blog. He’ll be going back to South Paws for monthly check-ups with his oncologist. I’ll keep posting updates here as they are relevant, but probably not on a weekly basis any more.

Thank you all.

AROOOOOs,

Ken

Well, we’re officially in week 18 of 19 now. Feels like we’re truly “home stretch” material. Beau continues to respond well and is in great spirits. He’s as vocal as ever when I pick him up after his treatment, and palpably relieved/happy when we get home.

First thing he does when we’re home is greet Maggie. The two of them wag-n-sniff for quite some time. Then, he’s come to expect the extra special TLC treatment, and has been milking that for all it’s worth. I don’t mind, though. Just seeing him so happy is worth it.

Next week is his final CHOP week, and I’ll be here in town all week. We’ll have a house guest, though, as a colleague of mine will be in town to formally kick-off our next book project. More on that over on my site, though, in due time. The important thing is that Beau will have much cause for celebration. I think I’ll get them each a small steak for Monday night...

Cheers,

Ken

Well, we made it today. I successfully administered 23 Chlorambucil tablets to Beau. Now the hard work is for him and him alone--all I can do is watch and hug.

The easy work was “hiding” the tablets in some scrambled eggs. The eggs and the pills vanished at a speed that would make David Copperfield envious. Only slightly less easy was keeping Maggie away from licking Beau’s dish when he was done. (Don’t worry, she also got some scrambled eggs to enjoy.)

Administering the pills, although mechanically trivial in Beau’s case, really brings this whole CHOP program home, so to speak. I’m not just dropping him off at “day care” or some such. On the positive side, Beau didn’t have to fast this morning either, so that’s a bit of a relief for us all.

Then, to add yet another poignant note, I’m sitting here in my office, trying to catch up on some work (like writing my overdue monthly column for eSecurityPlanet), I saw a headline on CNN that made me sad: “Bo Diddley Dies”. The timing of Beau’s namesake passing couldn’t have been worse for us, although I guess that’s a rather selfish thing to even think--sorry, Bo.

That’s enough poignancy for now. Time to go over to Beau, who is resting comfortably on his sofa, for a big hug. Who do you love?

Aroooos,

Ken

Greetings all. Rest week went flawlessly. Beau and Maggie thoroughly enjoyed their romping around at “Camp Yorkie” and then their weekend in NJ. Well, to be honest, Beau didn’t much enjoy the driving, but he was a trouper about it.

This past Monday began his fourth and final 4-week cycle in the CHOP program. All systems go with the vincristine, with no bad side effects noticed. Whew!

I’m pretty sure that South Paws is going to need to re-shingle their roof, though, as Beau probably knocked the shingles a bit loose when I arrived to pick him up. Although it’s more than obvious he doesn’t like his clinic visits, he’s always so very happy to go home. His Ken is there (usually) and he gets a treat.

And then, the nurse handed me a prescription for next week. It was tough to hear her instructions over Beau’s vocalization, but I’m quite sure I heard “these are for you to administer to Beau for his treatment next week”. WHAT?!

I called back from home when I could actually speak with them and, sure enough, they want me to administer his chemo next week. It’s an oral (pill) format, so “no big deal”. (Words that I don’t think should ever be used to describe any chemo treatment...)

But, I got the prescription filled and will be administering 23 tablets of chlorambucil to him on Monday. Gulp. Wish us both luck!

Cheers,

Ken

Here we sit up in Pennsylvania at "camp yorkie". We're well into Beau's third rest week of the 19-week CHOP program, and so far so good.

Beau and Maggie have been enjoying a few days up here. They have a big back yard to play (and "sport piddle") in here, as well as three yorkies and a Himalayan cat to play with and torment. The weather is cold, but has finally cleared up nicely. Today, we went for a nice walk around the block with Ouma and the Yorkies--which, by the way, would be an excellent name for a band.

This weekend we'll continue the rest week with a couple days' visit up in New Jersey. No yorkies there, though. Just a couple toddlers to return the tormenting favor. But the forecast is for sunny and warm weather, so we're looking forward to it.

Next week, we're back to the final CHOP cycle. Fingers crossed!

Cheers,

Ken

Well, I'm home from Singapore and it's Monday, so this morning, still in a 12-hour time zone shift haze, I climbed in the car with Beau and took him to South Paws. All went well with his treatment this week.

This completes the third full cycle of his CHOP treatment. He gets a rest week next week, as normal, and then it's on to the last cycle. For his rest week, he and I will be spending a couple days up in Pennsylvania at "Camp Yorkie".

He was in great spirits today after his treatment. In the South Paws lobby, he was his usual vocal self. Then, when we got home, I directed him to the back door so I could let him out for a "leg stretch". On the way to the door, he played his old "nip at Ken's ankles while he walks" game--a sure sign that he's happy and in a playful mood. Talk about a great home coming gift after being on the road so much for the past few weeks!

(Also, I'm experimenting with a "talkback" feature here. As of this Beau Blog entry, you should be able to post comments if you choose. Note: nothing you wouldn't want Beau to read, as I'll be moderating the entries...)

Cheers and Aroooos to all,

Ken

Ok, I've been slow to get an update here, sorry. Blame it on the 24 hours' flight time to Singapore, the 12 hour time shift, the Tuesday chemo treatment, whatever -- but I'm sorry.

Beau did have his treatment this week, on Tuesday (after a longish weekend with Caren's family in New Jersey). All went well. No nasty side effects noted thus far, so we're all relieved and happy.

Next week is the final week of the third complete CHOP cycle. Just one more cycle to go after that, following a rest week and a couple days up in Pennsylvania at "Camp Yorkie".

Keep those positive thoughts, prayers, and aloha nui loa thoughts coming!

Mahalo,

Ken

Aloha nui loa!

We're back home from beautiful Kaua`i, and what a glorious slobber-fest of a welcome we got from the land seals!

Beau and Maggie were both ecstatic to welcome us back home, as I'm sure all you dog people can appreciate.

So Monday, everything was back to normal, apart from the alarm clock waking me up at 6 AM local time to get Beau over to South Paws for the second week of cycle 3 of his chemo. This week was once again the Chlorambucil. We're of course hoping that he doesn't have any of the stomach issues he had while Lisa was hound sitting. (The fact that Maggie also had stomach "issues," however, leads me to believe it was a stomach bug and not a side effect of the chemo.)

I showed Beau and Maggie the photos I took in Kaua`i, including the ones of the sea basset, but they seemed more impressed with their treats than my photos. Go figure.

Funny, those of you who looked at my pictures saw the shot I got of a seal resting on the rocks up near Kilauea Lighthouse. We also saw one just a few feet away from us on the beach at Po`ipo Beach, but I foolishly didn't have my camera with me.

Still, Caren and I both felt that bassets and seals are kindred spirits. And so did the Hawai`ians. The Hawai`ian name for seal is ʻĪlio-holo-i-ka-uaua. This loosely translates to dog who plays in the surf. Hence sea bassets and land seals. Seemed appropriate.

I wonder what the Hawai`ian name for dog who sleeps on the sofa is...

Aroooo-ha,

Ken

As we prepare to start the journey home from our island paradise of Kaua`i, we have one last Beau Beau Blog update from our intrepid hound sitter, Lisa. Seems they've found a routine that--more or less--works for all. Judge for yourself...


Routine

I like this word. To me, the word implies stability and calm. Others will undoubtedly have a different view – even define routine as “boring.” I would say driving to work each day is pretty routine, even boring. On the other hand, I prefer that routine over an unexpected flat tire or car malfunction.

As unexpected and unwanted as Beau's diagnosis of lymphoma was to everyone, his treatment has become a "routine" of his until he completes the CHOP program. Beau continues to do well since his last chemo treatment. He has a healthy appetite, is quite energetic, and is fully engrossed in his other routines around the house (even if they include sleeping and quiet cuddle times on the couch).

Even bedtime has become somewhat routine. While the hounds are already used to sleeping in bed with their “food slaves,” I had to adjust, and in the end, it hasn’t been too bad. Due to my work schedule, I needed to introduce a change to their routine and get each day off to an earlier start than normal. Needless to say, this change has been met with a little resistance. It’s never an issue getting them to go to bed, but getting them up and off the bed to start the morning routine on my schedule is another story. Maggie pretty much responds when you tell her it’s time to get up and get down, while Beau needs a little more encouragement. I commented to Ken that the past few mornings Beau’s been “scamming” me. He scams me by slowly getting up and walking towards the edge of the bed as if to be helped down. At this point he will lie back down and roll over, presenting his belly for a belly rub. I am pretty sure he’s thinking “gotcha!” every time he does it. Sure I see the humor in it, but it does delay the rest of the routine. Ken was quick to remind me of one important thing in response: “That is his job. That’s what he does for a living. Respect it.” Ok, ok—I get it, that’s his routine he’s trying to hold on to.

Now that I am nearing the end of my stay here taking care of the hounds, Maggie is just about back to normal since her bout of the "Basset Bowel Syndrome." As a result, I can honestly say the past few days have been pretty close to being categorized as routine, the kind of routine I expected when I moved in almost two weeks ago. Looking back, I encountered many difficult times with Beau taking ill as he did, and then Maggie. Yes it was stressful, I dealt with a lot of changes – all mingled with opportunities to relax. In the end, the three of us have finally developed our own routine.

Would I take care of them again if asked? Absolutely! I would do it again in a heartbeat. I would do it for Ken and Caren. I would do it for Beau and Maggie. (This may surprise you) I would do it again for me! Why? Simply because I know that when I leave, I will be leaving behind a “routine” that I will truly miss.

Sharing

To have a share or part; take part. That’s one way to define it. Growing up I had to learn to share with my brothers, and it wasn’t always an easy lesson. As a former kindergarten teacher, I had to reinforce the concept quite often. This past week of hound sitting I have been part of a variety of examples of sharing like:

*Giving the bassets toast crust leftovers from breakfast.
*Peaceful moments with the Beau and Maggie on the couch.
*Seeing distress in Beau’s eyes knowing he’s seeing the same in mine.
*Beau looking into my eyes with a look that I know in my heart meant “thank you for taking care of me.”
*Sharing how Beau was “back to his old self” with Bitsy, his South Paws technician.

Yes, today Beau was back at South Paws for his scheduled treatment. This marked the beginning of cycle 3 with the week 1 treatment of vincristine. I am happy to report that he has been resting comfortably since his return home today. He has lost a few more pounds since last week, but Bitsy told me that it was not a concern. His CBC was within normal limits, and they were happy to see that he was much better since his last unscheduled visit. I was told to decrease his prednisone dosage starting tonight, and to continue with the metronidazole until he finishes the pills he has. Oh, and Beau did some sharing of his own…charming this nice woman by sharing that sweet gaze of his with her while in the waiting area this morning. She was so enchanted with him, and was tickled to be there in the afternoon when I arrived to pick him up.

But that’s not all. Apparently there was an instance, that had I known, I would have stopped it from happening at all.

It revealed itself last night, and continues into tonight.

Yesterday was a pretty nasty day here in Virginia, with thunderstorms and lots of rain. It was the kind of day where you didn’t want to get out of bed or go outside, so the hounds and I shared the couch pretty much all afternoon.

That evening Maggie started having diarrhea. As matter of fact, I am beginning to think that Beau must have had a stomach bug that he has since shared with her! Oh great… how do you teach a basset the difference between good and bad sharing?

With Maggie’s system in turmoil, Ken has shared the recipe for cooking a bland meal for her. I am sharing more of my time with her by getting up more times than ever during the night to let her out. That’s ok… at least she is drinking and eating, unlike Beau’s bout with it last week. So once again, I am learning to deal with a bit of stress. So needless to say, until this passes, I’ll be thinking of the bottle of wine that I plan to open Sunday night once Caren and Ken return home… and at this point, I am not too sure I’ll be sharing it.

Well, it looks like our hound sitter is not just becoming a "dog person," but we're going to have to pry our hounds away from her when we get home from Kaua'i. You judge for yourself...

Relaxation

It’s a wonderful feeling. Hard to believe that it’s been a week since Beau got so sick. Right now he is barking at me to come and cuddle with him on the couch. Before I join him, here’s a quick update on what he’s been up to the past couple of days:

Beau is completely back to his normal behavior. He continues to eat well, and has those beautiful eyes of his working overtime trying to convince me to give him extra treats. (I am on to you Beau!) Of course he drinks more, and I have to let him out a lot more, but that’s due to the prednisone. Now that Beau is back to normal, I have started to relax.

Friday afternoon was an absolutely beautiful spring day, the warmest yet this year. After work, I took Beau and Maggie out for a walk. Beau just loved being out there, and initially, took off at a pretty good pace. He did get tired a bit at the end, so I cut the walk a little short, and we all headed back to the house.

That night we all stayed up a little late, and then slept through the night. (Well I did wake up at 5 a.m.) When Beau heard me stir, instead of getting up to go out back, he walked closer to me, and lay back down resting his head on my arm. At that moment, I am convinced there was no human or hound more relaxed than us.

Earlier today, I packed up Beau and Maggie and off we went on a field trip to my house. I had a couple errands to run in my neighborhood, and wanted to do a few things around my house. They had a nice relaxing afternoon there until we all piled back into my car and headed back home.



I am heading off to the couch to join Beau and Maggie for the rest of the evening. In closing, I believe I captured the picture that should be used to define the word “relaxation” in a dictionary. Wouldn’t you agree?

Things look to be going much better back in Virginia, which is a welcomed relief for us all. Plus, it would appear that Lisa is now "one of us". See what I mean in today's update from our guest blogger...




Changes

Well it's been a few days since my last update. I figured I better get one out since I was starting to get phone calls and emails from friends and family very concerned with how things were progressing.

The past few days have been filled with changes. Since the last update, most of the changes have been for the better. Beau is eating, drinking, and once again interested in whatever is going on around him. At meal preparation, he has resumed barking at me, telling me to hurry up. The clink of a spoon or a dish going into the dishwasher brings him to the kitchen where he tilts his head to one side as if to say "Hey, got food?" When I go downstairs and call for him to join me, he runs down continuing that pace until he jumps up on the couch—all the while wagging his tail. As for the quieter times, I see a change there too. Beau's body language when relaxing or sleeping has changed from when he was really sick. He no longer sleeps in what appeared to be the "fetal position" like many of us do when feeling really sick. This is the Beau I know.

Other changes--

I haven't had to send Ken and Caren a text message telling them I was off to South Paws for another unscheduled visit.
I haven't cried since Tuesday morning.
Maggie is "bugging" Beau again like any sister torments a brother (my brothers can relate). While he was sick, Maggie was very respectful around him as it was obvious she was concerned.

With all these wonderful changes you must be wondering why I said "most" of them have been for the better. Let me explain.

For me, taking care of two hounds 24x7 is a big enough change when I am normally only responsible for myself. I am used to it because I have taken care of Beau and Maggie countless times before, whether here at their house or at "Hound Central" (a nickname for my home). But over the years I have held fast to one thing:
I don't sleep with dogs in my bed.

Now don't get me wrong, I am not critical of anyone that chooses to sleep with their pets. I know I have "confused" Maggie and Beau in the past whenever I have gone to bed without them. It is a matter of personal preference, and I choose not to.

Until now.

Yes, it's true. I have made a monumental change. The last two nights Beau and Maggie have joined me in bed. Since Beau is on prednisone, he drinks more which makes him piddle more. Even though a light sleeper, as exhausted as I've been, I was concerned I wouldn't hear Beau bark, or ring the basement "bells" during the night indicating he needs to go out. The only way to ensure I would know Beau needed to go out was to give in and bring him to bed with me. And that meant Maggie was coming too.

With this decision, I “made my own bed” so-to-speak and as a result, now have to “lie in it” for the duration of my stay. For instance, I must now help a 73 pound hound and his slightly lighter sister climb up and down from an incredibly high bed. If you’ve never met me, let me just add that I am just over 5 feet tall. (Does anyone out there know how to teach Bassets to give me a "leg-up" into that bed?) Seriously, I can only imagine what Beau and Maggie think as they watch me struggle to crawl up into bed each time. (Sliding off the edge to get down is so much easier.) But wait, there’s more. Once in bed, I have to lay down perpendicular to the normal way because the two of them have taken over the foot of the bed!

That first night was tough. I heard every snort, fidget, rollover, yawn, and snore - yes, Maggie snores! But more importantly, I heard Beau whine during the night, telling me he needed to go out. Last night was better, until I woke to find I was precariously perched on the very edge of the bed with Beau at my feet and Maggie stretched along my side. One wrong move would put me on the floor—and it was a long way down! It was a rude awakening indeed to think I could be the concept for the next medical alert product’s TV commercial. You know – like the one from the late 80’s where the old lady falls, pushes the button on her alert necklace and cries out in a crabby voice “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” In my version, there’d be a special necklace for pets, and Beau and Maggie would be peering helplessly over the edge of the bed pushing their own alert buttons with their paws while howling “We’re stranded and we can’t get down!”

Changes. The changes in Beau are definitely for the better, and I have embraced each and every one. I am still adjusting to my change in sleeping arrangements, but honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Well--- let me clarify by saying I wouldn’t have it any other way during this particular stay. The next time will be another story.

Well, there certainly haven't been many dull moments this week. Here's another Beau Beau Blog entry from guest blogger (and hound sitter) Lisa.

How do you define stress?

Had you asked me that question earlier today, my answer would have been as follows: a combination of feeling helpless, unsure, worried, and in the next instant joyful, relieved, and hopeful. The problem is this constant “roller coaster” of emotions slowly chips away the strength you try to maintain while dealing with the situation at hand.

As those of you following Beau’s Blog have already read, my first few days taking care of him have not been easy. This morning was no different. After going to bed late Monday night, I was up again before 5 to let the hounds out. Beau was on the couch in the basement, and at some point during the night had an accident – diarrhea. My first thought was “How could this be? He hasn’t been eating enough to produce anything!” The positive signs of improvement from the day before were quickly replaced with signs of regression. He was very lethargic, and had to be coaxed to go out back. He wasn’t interested in any water and food. Here we go again. I was back on the phone with South Paws. This time a doctor talked to me. Her words chilled me to the bone when she indicated his symptoms are probably not related to his last chemo treatment, and was concerned it could be a “progression of the disease.” I had to send Ken another text message telling him I was taking Beau back to South Paws.

Once there, I updated the nurse before they took Beau from me. I was dropping him off so they could run more tests and have the oncologist check him out. As I drove off to work, I remember thinking how I’d prefer to leave the South Paws parking lot NOT crying my eyes out.

A couple hours later Bitsy his nurse called me. Beau did NOT have a relapse. Yea!!! His CBC showed a mildly decreased platelet count. He was also dehydrated so they repeated Sunday’s treatment but were also putting him on Metronidazole (an antibiotic) and Prednisone. He was doing fine, and I could pick him up at my leisure. I penned another update to Ken and Caren.

Around 2 p.m. I was back at South Paws to pick up Beau. I was checking out at the desk when he was brought out to me. Oh my goodness!! What a commotion he made. The part whine and part howl of what I am positive could only be translated as “HOME! HOME! HOME! HOME!” could probably be heard by Ken and Caren in Kauai! We left with lots of chuckles and smiles coming from all the folks and staff in the waiting area. He had a spring in his step, a returned brightness in his eyes, and was wagging his tail all the way to my car. I drove out of the parking lot with dry eyes and a smile on my lips.

An amazing thing happened back at home. I warmed up some food to finally eat lunch. W-w-what? Who was that watching my every move? Of course Maggie, but Beau was right behind her. Wow! Who sat there while I ate it, in anticipation of a crumb to fall? Beau! Who ate a treat when offered one? Yes, Beau! This was NOT the same hound I left at South Paws that morning.

At dinner time, Beau actually showed interest in the meal preparation. I had received lots of advice on how to entice him back into eating. I appreciate all the suggestions sent my way. My plan was to try a little of the bland canned food South Paws gave me on Sunday mixed with a little dry food and a splash of warm water. Next step was to put the snoods on… and oh yes, success- he let me put his on! Now for the big question, will he eat? Wahooooooooo! Beau ate every bit of his food. He drank water. I gave him all his meds, and then waited to see what would happen. All three of us ended up taking naps in the living room. Three hours later, his food has stayed down. As for me, I was back on the happy “roller coaster.”

How do I define stress? Right now, at this moment with Beau peacefully resting on the couch with a full tummy, it is a feeling of anticipation. Anticipation of continued progress for Beau, and that I might actually be able to get off this damn roller coaster once and for all.

Ok, so this is supposed to be Beau's second "rest" week. We're here in gorgeous Kaua'i for a vacation with my mom, my sister Ingrid, her husband Henry, and their 4-year old daughter, Paula. During our trip, our dear friends Lisa and Pat are keeping watch over Beau and Maggie. So, today's Beau Beau Blog entry is by "guest blogger" Lisa. Let's see how things went for her...

"Don't Worry!" I said....

Two words I have often used when entrusted with the care of a precious loved one -- whether human, feline, or canine. While Ken and Caren are on vacation in Hawaii, I have moved in to care for Beau and Maggie. Naturally, I reassured them both everything would be fine as we hugged goodbye on Saturday and I watched them drive off to the airport. Words that easily flowed from my lips... after all, I have done this many times before.

Sure, with Beau's chemo and resulting bladder problems, I knew this wasn't like old times, but he was doing much better. I even did a "dry run" going with Ken back on President's Day for one of Beau's earlier treatments in preparation for this responsibility. I studied Ken's instructions and the report from Beau's last chemo trip the night before they left. Heck, if anything I was more concerned about taking him to his vet for his blood test since this week was a rest week. (The fact they take it from the "jugular" in his neck just makes me really squeamish!) So less than an hour later, off we went. Beau was great as usual even though the doctor had to draw from both veins in his neck. After coming home, we all cuddled together on the couch the rest of the afternoon, and dinner was served as normal. I did notice he didn't drink water after eating...hmmm odd. Then everything changed.

An hour after dinner, Beau's stomach had enough and sent it all back up. Uh oh. One of the symptoms listed on last week's chemo report to look out for. I called Ken - just as they were boarding the plane on the last leg of their trip. He told me "that happens...it could be due to the cupcake (from Maggie's birthday the night before)...monitor and if you need to, call South Paws." Ok. As the evening progressed I got more worried as he seemed lethargic and wasn't interested in water, or even a treat. All symptoms noted to watch for after his last treatment.

Early Sunday morning Beau was not right. He was still lethargic, and was totally not interested in breakfast (major red flag) and not drinking water. Decision made, I called the South Paws emergency number. They recommended bringing him in since he wasn't eating -- especially since (to quote the doctor) "Bassets live to eat." Sending Ken a brief text message indicating I was taking Beau to South Paws was one of the hardest things to do. "Don't worry" I had said not 24 hours before. Right.

A little later there I was at South Paws. I just didn't expect to be there for another 8 days to start his first week of cycle 3. The staff there was wonderful, from the receptionist who answered my phone call , to the nurse, and finally the doctor. They were trying to get the results from Beau's blood test the day before. The doctor examined Beau, and after finally getting the test results, declared the white blood cells were "well within the normal range." Whew. She wanted to give him fluids, an anti-nausea shot, and send us home to monitor. That was much better news than the alternative of hospitalizing him, giving him antibiotics, and monitoring. They took Beau to the back to proceed, and I waited in the main waiting room. When the nurse brought him back out, I was shocked! He had a bubble back! Seriously, on his back there was what looked like a huge bubble (8-10 inches in diameter)! I must have had a horrific look on my face, because the nurse blurted out "it's all right-- it will go away soon!" I assumed the fluids would be given intravenously, but in this case was given under the skin. We headed home, and I am sure if anyone had seen us both at that moment they would have seriously scratched their heads to see a bubble back basset and a blubbering baby at the wheel.

"Don't worry" I had said..... and it was too late to take those words back.

Since then, he's not eaten a regular meal. This morning I was uplifted when he actually drank some water and I coaxed him into eating a few bits of his dry food. Tonight no supper, but he is drinking and ate only a couple of bits of dry food. I will keep monitoring, and I pray he gets his appetite back soon. As for me, I will never use the words "don't worry" again without thinking first of this experience. Only now do I understand the depth of meaning these two words have. It had become easy to offer them because more often than not, nothing ever happens. This time something did.

In closing, I will periodically send an update for Ken to post. I would appreciate your thoughts and prayers for Beau. Just now he came downstairs wagging his tail and drank some more water. I will take those and an exposed belly waiting for a belly rub as good signs, even if he isn't eating yet. So as I sign off and head off to try and get some sleep, I will try to turn these positive little signs into another phrase.....
"Don't worry.... Be happy!"

Lisa

While I'm sitting here in Kyoto, Japan for a few days of business (photos available), Beau has accomplished something far more important. He is now half way through his CHOP chemotherapy regimen.

Caren tells me he's in great spirits today and, as usual, was exceedingly vocal at the clinic. Apparently, he's eager to tell us--and everyone within about a 1/2 mile audio "blast zone"--about his day when we go pick him up. Some of the nurses at South Paws have taken to telling us how he did before bringing him out, even. This is because trying to talk once he's brought out is much like trying to talk on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier during flight operations--impossible.

But, we're happy to report that his urinary irritation issues are finally showing huge improvements. He can actually go out and back in with just one pee now. That might not sound like a big achievement to us one-pee'ers, but considering just a couple weeks ago, he was peeing a dozen or more times over 10-15 minutes before coming in, this is a welcomed relief for all, especially Beau (I'm sure).

So, Beau gets another rest week next week. And so do we. We're heading to Kaua'i for our 2 week, every-two-years, vacation. I sure wish Beau and Maggie were joining us there, but it's impossible. We will, of course, be throwing Maggie a cupcake-laden 7th birthday party on Friday (11 April) before we leave.

That's all for now. AROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO's to Beau for the continued success of the CHOP treatment! And thanks again to all for your well wishes and prayers on Beau's behalf.

Cheers,

Ken

Today was another vincristine treatment for Beau's third week of his second chemo cycle. It's almost starting to sound mundane, as if going in for a chemotherapy treatment every Monday is somehow normal.

This is, of course, exactly the wrong way to think of it. Still, his South Paws veterinary oncologist notes that he's looking well. He's still in some distress whenever he urinates, but it seems as though we've turned the corner on that issue as well. It's clearly getting better, anyway. Less frequent and shorter duration outings seem like a welcome relief for all of us. (We actually slept all night straight through last night!)

Indeed, the biggest issue we seem to be facing right now is the slow hair growth to cover up Beau's "Brazilian" hair cut around his nether regions.

But "seem" is an intoxicating word. I have to keep pinching myself to remember that even this rigorous chemo regimen is in fact not a cure.

We just continue to hope and pray that Beau remains happy and that his lymphoma remains in remission for many years. In the meantime, it's onward to next week's doxorubicin treatment, which will mark his half way point in the CHOP program. Seems an appropriate milestone for a cupcake, don't you think?

Cheers,

Ken

So we're up to week 2 of Beau's 2nd (of 4) chemo cycles. This week seems to be going smoothly so far.

He's still been having issues with urinating, so the folks at South Paws suggested doing an ultrasound test on his bladder to ensure there are no obstructions, growths, etc., in there. It went well, and they weren't able to identify any problems. Patience is apparently what's needed, but it's been 6 weeks since the cytoxan treatment that caused this problem, so we're all having a tough time with "patience".

In order to do the ultrasound test, they had to shave the area around Beau's bladder--Beau's first "Brazilian"! Caren told me about it via a text message, and I broke out laughing in front of my class here in New York. Of course, I asked Caren what Maggie thought about Beau's "Brazilian," but apparently Maggie was blissfully unaware of it.

So we press on, and hope with every day that Beau's bladder irritation clears up. Keep him in your thoughts and prayers, please!

Cheers,

Ken

Well, we're home from a couple wonderful days at the beach, and Beau has started his second (of four) chemo cycles. So, he's back on the vincristine this week. So far so good, he seems to be responding well and in great spirits. Oh, and he did actually gain a pound or so over the week. I suppose a couple days at the beach (and some of Ouma's pancakes) will do that. But that's a good "problem" to have right now.

He still has some residual bladder sensitivity from the horrible cytoxan stuff, and his oncologist says they might do an ultrasound scan of his bladder next week if the sensitivity continues. Not sure where that will take us, but he's clearly still in some distress. After he's back in the house, though, he's all happy and it's as though everything is normal.

I've noticed from the web logs that Beau has several regular readers of this blog. Thank you all for caring enough to check in and see how our little guy is doing. It means a lot to all of us, and I'll do my best to keep his status updated here.

Cheers,

Ken

What better way to get some rest than to head to the beach for a couple days? And, with the first signs of Spring beginning to pop up, a couple days down in the North Carolina Outer Banks (aka "OBX") makes perfect sense.

Beau enjoying some sea air in the Outer Banks

It was wonderful to see Beau happy out on the beach. We took him for a couple nice strolls down the beach and he enjoyed every moment. Definitely the type of rest that he needed most.

Cheers,

Ken

I'm home after a week in Belgium, and this is Beau's first scheduled rest week in the 19 week "CHOP" program. No chemo for the week, but he did have to get a blood test this morning. All went well, including taking the blood sample from his jugular, since his oncologist asked for "first dibs" on the veins in his legs. But, he was very brave and didn't even flinch.

Tomorrow is one of Beau's favorite days as well. I'll be cooking them another batch of their organic diet. Once the crockpot has warmed up, the whole house smells like chicken. He'll be spending a good amount of the afternoon hanging around the "altar of the crockpot" and taking in the smells.

Then he'll get to spend a couple days at the beach, so it will indeed be a fun rest week for him.

Cheers,

Ken

Well, Beau has made it through his first full cycle of the CHOP chemo treatment. He seems to be holding up quite well. We remain enormously relieved that he so quickly responded to the treatment and that his lymphoma is in remission, of course. He' still having some residual bladder irritation from the cytoxan, but that's slowly improving.

Next week is his first scheduled "rest" week--no chemo. We'll be taking him and Maggie down to the North Carolina Outer Banks (here's a photo of us the last time we were there) for a bit of R&R, and to help celebrate Ken's parents' 50th wedding anniversary. It'll be nice to get away for a couple days. We're really hoping for clear skies so we can go for walks/jogs along the beach.

Lymphoma is a horrible disease, of course. It has certainly highlighted the importance, however, of enjoying and appreciating every day we get. From the moment we first met Beau, he has been nothing but pure affection incarnate. A pure joy to spend time with. And now, every time he wags his tail, every time he climbs up on my lap/belly and looks me in the eye, every time he curls up with us on the bed, every time he tells me that YES he wants his dinner, and so forth--every time we savor and appreciate.

I hope that everyone reading this blog will be fortunate enough to share the type of bond that we share with our Beau Beau and Maggie.

Cheers,

Ken

At the beginning of this lymphoma nightmare, I spent a lot of time reading and talking with folks about how we should respond to the disease. Pretty much everyone agreed that the chemotherapy was worth trying. Another strong supporting response, in conjunction with the chemo, is to get him on a really healthy diet to help his body fight this disease.

I consulted with his breeder over at Red Bay Bassets, as well as did a lot of scouring of reputable Internet sites. I found one site, in particular, with some excellent (IMHO) info. The site is run by a veterinarian, Dr. Charles E. Loop, DVM. He suggested a specific diet for dogs with chronic illnesses, such as lymphoma.

Between Loop's diet and the recommendations from our friends at Red Bay (thanks Pat and Sandi!), based on their substantial experience with bassets, I came up with a diet for Beau (and Maggie -- try giving them different food...).

I try to get as much organic ingredients as I can reasonably find. When organic isn't available, I get the best I can. The chicken thighs, for example, are no-preservative, no-hormone, grass fed, but they're not organic per se.

Here's the essence of the diet, all cooked in a big crock pot:

1 pack of 4 chicken thighs (skin on, with bones)
1 carton (32 oz) organic chicken broth
1 cup organic whole grain basmati rice
1/2 cup organic lentils
1/2 cup organic rolled oats or pearl barley
4 whole organic carrots, chopped
1 bunch organic baby spinach, chopped

1) Cook the thighs in the broth for several hours, until it is "fall off the bone" soft.

2) Remove the bones, and break the chicken into small bits.

3) Add the rice, and cook another hour.

4) Add the lentils and oats/barley and cook another 30 minutes.

5) Add the carrots and spinach and cook another 30 minutes.

6) Cool and pack into 1-week sized storage container.

At feeding time, I add several supplements including a multi-vitamin, vitamin E, olive oil (a few drops), and a big scoop of plain yogurt.

It comes as no surprise that Beau and Maggie both absolutely devour this food. We hope it's helping, of course, but it is without a doubt making them both exceptionally happy. That, in and of itself, can't be too bad.

Cheers,

Ken

Well, Beau's treatment is back on schedule as of today. His white blood cell count had rebounded nicely after the evil cytoxan and today he got a treatment of vincristine.

He seems to be happy thus far. Week 1 was also vincristine , and he really didn't experience any adverse reaction then, so we're all hoping for a repeat this week as his body works to drive away the nasty lymphoma cells.

By all outward appearances, he's a completely healthy and happy little 8-year old basset hound. I have to continuously remind myself that the chemo isn't a cure for lymphoma, and we're ever so thankful for every day we get.

Just yesterday, Beau, Maggie, and I spent much of the afternoon/evening in front of the fireplace. It's wonderful to see him happy and clearly content. Our family room, with its comfy sofa and its fireplace, is about his favorite spot on the planet.

And, in 2 weeks (coinciding with his 1st scheduled "rest week"), we're taking him and Maggie to the Outer Banks for a couple days to help celebrate my parents' 50th wedding anniversary. Can't wait to get both of them out on the beach for some nice walks.

Cheers,

Ken

So yesterday was Beau's 8th birthday. Thanks to everyone who sent him email and wished him well. He (and Maggie) had a great day. Caren got him a cupcake to devour. Once bowled, cupcakes have a life expectancy of about 1 nanosecond in our house.

He even got an email from his brother Hoagie, who delivered the news that Beau is now an uncle! What a great birthday surprise. We'd learned a few months ago that Hoagie is now a Champion, and this latest news was definitely the icing on the cupcake. Congratulations to Hoagie and the entire Red Bay gang!

Meanwhile, Beau's urinary irritation seems to finally be showing signs of improving.

Cheers,

Ken

Well, it's been a few days since we got the good news about Beau's lymphoma being in remission. We're still euphoric about that, of course. He's still struggling through the residual side effects of the evil cytoxan, but I think the past 24 hours have seen a bit of improvement.

In the meantime, he's still peeing every couple hours, and it sure looks painful. Those of you who have had urinary tract infections can probably sympathize with him. But imagine a UTI that lasts for (so far) a week and has you peeing blood every 2 hours. Oh, and it's impervious to antibiotics, and the doctor says to you to be patient and it will pass. How can you be patient when you're peeing razor blades dipped in tobasco?!

His schedule was pushed back by a week on Monday, because his white blood cell count was too low to take a dose of vincristine. The doctor says that's no cause for alarm and happens often after patients take the evil cytoxan. He's expected to be fine to continue with the vincristine by this coming Monday. I'm doing my best to help him build up his strength via the home made organic diet I have him on.

But, we are still incredibly thankful for the remission. We'll all rest better when the bladder irritation subsides, though.

Thanks to all of you who have been sending Beau your well wishes and prayers. We all really appreciate the outpouring of love.

Tomorrow is Beau's 8th birthday, as I said. He loves his birthday cupcakes every year!

Cheers,

Ken

I just got off the phone with Beau's oncologist. She is ecstatic about his response to the chemo--well, not the bladder irritation part, but I'll get to that--and said that his lymphoma is, "in complete remission already". This is outstanding news. He'll still press on with the remainder of the 19 week program, but the fact that he responded so quickly to the chemo is an excellent sign.

Now, his bladder is highly irritated from the evil cytoxan. But there's no bladder infection, which is good. We're working to reduce the symptoms of that and holding patiently for the irritation to pass, which should take a few days.

So naturally, we're all ecstatic about Beau's reaction. It'll make his 8th birthday celebration this Thursday a special one indeed. (Yes, he'll get his birthday ritual cupcake to devour sans snood, as normal.)

Enough for now. I'm off to go pick him up from the vet...

Cheers,

Ken

Since we've been spending most of the weekend--day and night--helping Beau through the side effects of the Cytoxan he had last week, I thought I'd do a bit of reading up on the other medications in the "CHOP" program he's going through. I wanted to be as informed as possible on all of these and to have an idea of what sorts of other "surprises" we should prepare ourselves for.

CHOP basically consists of 4 cycles of 4 weeks each, with a rest week in between. Each of the 4 cycles go like this:

Week 1: Vincristine
Week 2: Cytoxan
Week 3: Vincristine
Week 4: Doxorubicin

There's also Chlorambucil listed on some of the Cytoxan weeks.

None of these sound like a walk in the park. At least two of them are themselves believed to be carcinogens. Great. Well, I suppose if they continue killing off the cancer cells, then they're better than the alternative.

We'll just keep taking one day at a time. Beau is still having frequent, urgent, and strained urination today, although I haven't seen any blood in his urine for a few hours now. Fingers crossed. Tomorrow is his week 3 vincristine dose.

Cheers,

Ken

Spoke too soon... For the past day or so, Beau has been battling one of the common side effects of the cytoxan--a bladder infection. It started Thursday night when we noticed a drop of blood in his urine and that he was peeing "urgently" and often. His behavior was identical to when Maggie has had her urinary track infections in the past.

After speaking with the doctors at SouthPaws, they decided to run a culture to find out just what it is. So it was off to SP again yesterday afternoon. In order to get a clean sample, they had to stick a needle into his bladder. You can imagine how much fun that was. Now we have to wait 72 hours for the culture to do its thing in some petri dish in a lab somewhere. In the meantime, he's on a pretty strong antibiotic, "Simplecef".

Needless to say, he's not a happy guy today. He and I were up about every 1.5 hours last night, and then he'd pee until there was nothing to pee. It must be something akin to peeing razor blades. This ain't no "sport piddling" to cover up after the Yorkies, that's for sure.

We're hoping that the antibiotic is going to start really doing its voodoo later today. The vet says it will take 24-48 hours to really have an impact.

So, we're not straying far from the back door today. But, I have the fireplace going and when he's not peeing, he's quite comfortable cuddled up on the couch.

He's also lost a couple pounds in two weeks, so we're not holding back on giving him treats and full portions of meals when he wants them. Oh, and the crockpot is cranking again today with his next batch of the organic food I've been making them. He and Maggie both absolutely love their new diet, which is nice to see.

Keep those emails and well wishes coming, please. If any of you got a bounced message when you tried sending Beau an email (beau@vanwyk.org), I've fixed the problem. Please try again.

Cheers,

Ken

Quick Beau update today. He's had no bad side effects from the cytoxan thus far. Since many humans react badly to cytoxan, we were worried that Beau would experience some of its documented side effects (e.g., "Side-effects include chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV), bone marrow suppression, stomach ache, diarrhea, darkening of the skin/nails, alopecia (hair loss) and lethargy. Hemorrhagic cystitis is a frequent complication, but this is prevented by adequate fluid intake and Mesna (sodium 2-mercaptoethane sulfonate).")

So, fingers and paws crossed, we continue on.

Thanks, too, for those of you, and your pooches, who have sent Beau emails (beau@vanwyk.org). While he's not much for reading these days, we greatly appreciate all the well wishes, and we always "deliver" your emails in the form of hugs to Beau. Keep those emails coming, please!

Cheers,

Ken

I dropped Beau off this morning for his second week of chemo treatments. Week 1 was a chemical called "vincristine". This week's dose is "cytoxan". Week 3 is vincristine again, and week 4 is "doxorubicin"; then he gets a rest week and the 4 week process starts over.

The technician at SouthPaws asked how he did in his first week. No nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, which she said is a good sign. Also, as I reported here already, his lymph nodes had drastically reduced in their swelling, which she said is "an excellent sign".

So, paws crossed, we continue fighting.

Beau was in great spirits. He's been perky and happy all week. This morning, he was confused because he wasn't allowed any food after midnight. While we were waiting at SouthPaws, he smelled the bag of food I'd packed in a ziplock bag and had in my jacket pocket. (SouthPaws gives them food when they're finished their treatments, and they encourage you to bring the dog's own food.) Once he'd latched onto that familiar smell, he was like a heat seeking cruise basselope. The whole clinic knew he had successfully tracked his prey.

And, of course, the lab techs at SouthPaws have all been fawning over him. He doesn't seem to mind the attention too much, although he did mind me not giving in and feeding him. (They say, too, that a healthy appetite is another good sign.)

Cheers,

Ken

Greetings. These sure aren't the circumstances that I was hoping for in launching "The Beau Beau Blog". You see, in January 2008, Beau was diagnosed with lymphoma. As you might imagine, this was a horrible blow to us, and to all who know Beau. It's tough enough just writing about it here, but I thought I'd take a few moments to post occasional updates here, so that all those whose lives Beau has touched can hear how he's doing.

First off, we were referred to a specialty veterinary clinic by Beau's primary care vet. The clinic, SouthPaws, is here in northern Virginia, and seems to us to be as good as any around. No one should experience what Beau and his food slaves are going through, but if you must, then it's good to have a team like SouthPaws on your side. Their exam rooms are set up like living rooms, with comfy chairs, a rug, etc. It was clear that Beau was comforted there from the moment we walked in the door.

Among other things, SouthPaws has some excellent documentation on their web site, where you can learn about your pet's ailment and its treatment. I did a lot of reading before we took Beau there last Monday.

After an examination and consultation with Beau's veterinary oncologist--something I'd so dearly hoped he'd never need--we opted to go with a 19 week chemo therapy treatment program. The program, called "CHOP" for the chemicals they use, kills off the cancer cells. Some 85% of the dogs that go through CHOP respond positively and their cancers go into remission. (More details on CHOP are available on the SouthPaws web site.)

It's now been 5+ days since Beau's first chemo dose. He seems (to us, who have absolutely no veterinary training at all) to be responding well, I'm cautiously happy to report. The swelling of his lymph nodes under his chin has gone down significantly. He also seems quite perky and happy--a critical component of the treatment program.

Next, after doing a ton of reading, searching, and comparing notes with Beau's breeders at Red Bay Bassets, I'm starting him (and Maggie) on a nearly 100% organic diet. This is to help his immune system fight this systemic cancer as best as it can. After the results we got with Elvis years ago, I'm convinced that preparing all-natural food for them will help significantly. And even if it doesn't help against his cancer, I'm positive he'll love the food and it will make him very happy. Again, that's as important to all of us right now as anything else.

We don't know just what the future will hold. Lymphoma is a horrible systemic cancer for which there is no known cure. Our goals are to fight it aggressively, and do everything in our power to make Beau comfortable, happy, and loved. Every day with Beau (and Maggie, for that matter) will be--and has always been--a treasure.

So, please keep Beau in your thoughts, your prayers, or whatever positive energy you can send in his direction. I'll do my best to keep posting updates here as often as I'm able to.

Cheers,

Ken van Wyk