Before we tackle the little dog issue, know that this gently recycled post is fairly recent. I’ve been taking inventory, lately, of things for which I’m thankful. Most of us do that this time of year, yes? It may seem obvious, but it hit me like a two-by-four between the eyes – I’m thankful to be alive this year. Had I waited any longer to talk to my doctor about what we thought was probably a hemorrhoid, I’d probably be dead right now. People, if you see blood in either your own stool or your dog’s, seek medical attention ASAP. Oh, and I’m so thankful for all of YOU! You helped make a brutally difficult year bearable, even pleasant most days. Thank you!
Little Dog Update
First, thank you all for your suggestions on how to solve the food problem with the little dog, particularly Gadget. A recurring suggestion (both here and on Facebook), was Merrick’s canned food. I’ll be shopping today, so I’ll try that. Another suggestion was a high fiber treat just for Gadget, so all of the dogs can eat the same without issue. That’s brilliant, but the none of the dogs will touch treats which aren’t meat. Specifically, that aren’t Jones Natural Chews. They’re snobs. In a good way. And technically, Gadget is supposed to be on a soft food diet. I wet his kibble, rendering it soft. Doesn’t matter what I do to kibble, he wants what’s not his. And I can’t starve all the dogs for that sausage of a little dog. We’ll make this work, but I’ve gotta get it under control before May 18th.
Surgery
Speaking of May 18th, that’s when I undergo surgery. Have I explained this yet? My most glamorous rectal cancer (come on – it is too glamorous) may cause me to be butt-less for life. The tumor is very close to the end of the line, so to speak, and the surgeon may not be able to save the rectum. He gave me a 20% chance of ever being able to poop again. That’s not a lot. I’m hoping and praying that his 20% is a CYA move, and that the tumor is non-existent by the time he goes in with his lasers and removes it. He has to remove the tumor and surrounding lymph nodes, with some kind of margin around it to make sure there are no cancer cells left at all.
This all means that, because of the tumor’s location, there may be nothing left to resect once he’s got his margin. I’d really rather not wear a bag for life. Maybe that’s just me, but that is NOT glamorous.
I know this probably isn’t what you expected to read today. And maybe I need to find high fiber treats for Flea to avoid this happening again in the future. Seriously, though, even though they plan on eliminating any and every cancer cell in my body (I still have another six months of chemo to look forward to after surgery – woohoo!), because my wonky thyroid seems to be the culprit, and because that issue isn’t disappearing, the cancer could return. Thanks, thyroid. I love you, too. So there’s your Flea update. Little dog has it so much easier than I do at the moment.
Diet
Little dog isn’t the only one whose diet is being evaluated. I’ve been looking at my diet. I’ve bounced through several programs over the years, not to lose weight (which I need to do), but because of my thyroid and what it does to me. The Hashimoto’s drastically lowers my immune system, so I get sick frequently, and my energy levels are low. The last two or three years I’ve been seeing a naturopath, and she has me on great supplements, including a desiccated thyroid supp, so I’ve stayed well, for the most part. But I still got cancer. So I can’t rely on just the supplements.
Diet and exercise play a role. Everything I read says that stress is also a major factor. I can’t really control most of the stress factors in my life. And my energy levels for exercise leave a lot to be desired. Here’s the deal about the diet – it looks like I’ll have to do an elimination diet, paring back to bare minimums, then adding things back gradually. Hashimoto’s works differently for each person, meaning there’s no set diet. And I can’t do that right now, because surgery is coming up soon. And at least a temporary bag. I’m so frustrated.
I’ll stop whining now. Promise. I hope I’m allowed to whine occassionally. Otherwise I think I’d go crazy. Thanks for letting me vent today.
Giveaway
If you’ve stuck it out this far, please click to the giveaway page, scroll down to Rafflecopter, and follow the instructions to enter! It ends this weekend, so don’t delay! And do tweet, to increase your chances of winning! Jones Natural Chews makes an amazing product, and the Stuffed Windees are amazing meat treats which your dog will love. I promise.
Spreading the good chews …
Flea
