Day 849: The Story

Well, well, well...It has been a while since I have been here to share my foughts and feelins and the whatnot... It's been a busy and difficult few weeks: I have been workin hard to feel better. Me and the Mom have been busy seein people and talkin about fings. The Mom has been hoverin over me like crazy. And the Bleu has been rambuctious, rebellious and an all round 'bad boy' in a way that makes me proud and the Mom sigh.


I will begin wif the good news. I am feelin much better... like my old self. And I'm happy!

[Photo taken Day 845]


And now for the story:


Days 830 - 833. Monday-Thursday. I saw the Dr. Mark on Day 825 Wednesday and was put on aunty biotics for a sinus infection... along wif the Love Protocol adminstered by the Mom (what is more intense hoverin than even normal). We were hopeful on a counta one day I would feel better, but then the next... I would not. The Mom took notes on all of my actions and inactions, ever sound, ever breaf, ever ever fing.


Day 834. Friday. Me, the Mom and the Dr. Mark were in agreement that an exploratory procedure was in order to figure out how to help me feel better, so we planned that for Day 837.

[Photo taken Day 835]


Day 835 - 836. Saturday-Sunday. I didn't feel good, but the best and also the worst part was the Love Protocol aka the hoverin Mom. Just sayin.


Day 837. Monday. I had an exploratory procedure that turned into radical surgery to remove a growf from my froat. Sadly, the Mom's premonition was true. After a long conversation wif my the Dr. Mark, we knew that it was very likely not goin to be good, but breathin and swallerin was so much easier! I was restless and uncomfy overnight... and so was the Mom. The LP (Love Protocol) was in overdrive.


Day 838 - 839am. Tuesday-Wednesday. My froat hurt. But the LP made it just a little better. Just sayin.

[Photo taken Day 839. The cone belongs to the Bleu!]


Day 839pm. Wednesday 6pm to be exact. Dr. Mark received the results, did some local research... and called the Mom. It was the news he had prepared us for...: malignant melanoma. The Mom turned inward to the me and the LP.


Day 840 - 843. Thursday-Sunday. Oncology Appointment #1 was scheduled for Monday. And the Love Protocol mounts!


Day 844. Monday. My dear, sweet (the Mom's adjectives, not mine on a counta they are SO not dudely) Uncle Tom... came over bright and early to take us to Appointment 1. It was a little brutal... so Oncology Appointment 2 was made for Thursday, and the Love Protocol escalates, as does the research for holistic approaches to treatment...

[Photo taken Day 841]

Day 845 - 846. Tuesday-Wednesday. I am off all of the aunty biotics and pain meds, and I am startin to trot outside, chase squirrels, root for buried pecans and all in all, nap a little less. I'm even kinda enjoyin the LP a little more!

[Photo taken Day 842]


Day 847. Thursday. My dear, sweet (MY words this time on a counta he's THE UNCLE) Uncle Tom came over again to pick us up for Appointment 2. Wif the exception of the brief nap I took durin the serious part of the conversation... I had a blast! Even the way home was fun, and I enjoyed a brief stop by the Casa De Herd!


Day 848: Friday. Decisions have been made, appointments scheduled, and we are committed to a combination of conventional and holistic treatments and ferapies.

[Photo taken Day 840]
So that's the story. And now, as much as I hate to ask for help... I need it. Please keep me in your foughts and prayers. Please. I believe in that sort of fing... you know, The Power of the Paw!

[Photo taken Day 842]


And there's one other thing I need to ask... Please to not share a negative story wif me, on a counta the Mom reads this stuff. Me and the Mom are boaf fighters, but I fink the Old Gal is feelin a bit fragile these days. She real strong on the out side, but I know her like no body else... and she is hurtin. So please to share your postive energy and encouragement! We need and appreciate it more than you could ever know!

[Photo taken Day 848]

By the way, my Aunt Melanie has proclaimed my friends and family "Team Luke"  (has a nice ring to it, don't you fink?). And I would love you to join my team and the Love Protocol!

Day 827: Free Fur All Friday

Hello Friends... 

Welcome and Fank You for comin back to visit me! 

I have not been feelin well, not well at all... and so therefore also AWOB&FB [Absent WifOut Blog & FaceBook]. Doc says I have a sinus infection, and I'm on Aunty Biotics and double my usual benny drill. My the Mom loves and respects my the Doctor Mark, but she is still afeared that he is not right... so she hover and slather me wif the too much love and concern, and this house is not big enough for the two of us. Just sayin.


The very good news is that my EKG and all my blood work was perfect, and I am feelin a little better each day. Yesterday, I even ran outside... and I might have again today, but we have had the dreaded and funderous conditions. Please to note that I was not too weak to have a mini-NBD!


And ease your worries... Frew it all, I have maintained my boyish good looks, replete wif the handsomeness and maximum CQ (cute quotient)... or so my the Mom says.

And so, in an effort to bring you up to speed and also celebrate the FFA Friday, I offer you a glimpse of some stuff in my Kingdom...

Exhibit A: Toad Stool

(We've had a LOT of rain!)

Exhibit B: Unripened Pecan, Stripped By A Squirrel

(That green sweater they grow in cannot possibly taste good...
but they eat it anyway)

Exhibit C: Texas Sage

Exhibit D: Ginormous Live Oak Leaf... Still Lives!

(My fascination wif this leaf is inexplicable.
Should it ever fall from the tree, I will press it into my scrapbook!)

Yep, though I've not felt very well... I've still slowly surveyed my Kingdom...

Exhibit E: The Perrenial [I can never remember the name of]... in bud. 

Exhibit F: The Perrenial [I can never remember the name of]... in bloom. 

Exhibit G: (O no!!! I missed last night's blooms of) The Night Cereus

I hate when that happens, on a counta it tells me that I am too busy or too distracted to soak up all the pleasures of every day life... These joyous blooms are, after all, just twelve feet from my back door.

Life is chock full of the lessons. And I am teachin plenty of em to my the Mom. As for the Bleu, Big Boy is boaf auditin and also substitute teachin the course! Just sayin.

Happy Friday, Ya'all!

Day 688: Stitchless Saturday

Biggest news of the day is that the Luke is now once more stitchless... and out of his cloves! Sorry Ladies, but I will hopefully not be wearin the t-shirts again for a long, long time!


Yep, we wake up early, eat the breakfasts and me and the Mom take off on a excursion, what unfortunately land me at the Doctor Mark's place wif the Sweet Arleen pluckin on me! Good part is that it look good to her and bad part is I am cleared for a baff.

Me and my brother the Bleu, we just hang out wif the Mom today and did not  do much else.

We watch the Mom chores, a little tv and we all took a nap. It has been a bit dark wif just a few spots of the sunshine... and that has made for good squirrel chasin conditions! Shoot, I almost caught two of those bad boys today!

And now for a little confession, a little heart to heart wif my friends... You know, I have been takin a bit o grief bout hoggin compy, bout not givin more cyber time to my brother the Bleu... As you all know, he is Big Boy of few words, but gosh he does have the handsomeness and huge sense of humor! 

So... One day soon, I am gonna have to take a few days off from the compy, and leave it to his charge. Big Boy kinda prefer nap over compy time, so we gonna have to hop him up on the berry treats... and let him post bout a million pitchers of heself!

Now you are wonderin, what in the world will the Luke do in the meantime? Sit on he paws? Suck on he toys?

No... I will most likely be helpin the Bleu wif he blog. After all, there is a bag of berry treats just eight inches from the keyboard!

[Bloggin make a boy hungry!]

And speakin of bloggin... I am very excited to participate in the first "The Saturday Pet Blogger Hop"!

This is goin to be a weekly event and a ton of FUN! To find out how you can pawticipate, please click the link on my sidebar! It will take you to Life With Dogs [don your crash helmet] where Nigel's two legger will explain the details! Have fun makin new friends!

Day 683: Celebration... Wif Sides

Monday mornin is brought to the Mom by a short weekend full o the celebratin life along wif the huge sides of worry & also sweepwessness... Not endorsin. Just sayin.

My the Mom played "the tape" in her head, on "loop"... you know the mental one, in which the Doctor Mark describe the growf he took outta my mouf... at least five hunderd times. That tape went a little like this:

"pea size growf... gumline at molar... might be epulis... concern is that is pigmented... epulis typically are  not... the Luke history... I was concerned and removed it... then I rolled him over to look on other side... see similar but smaller growf on other side, same place... keep in mind that it would be more than extremely rare coincidence for dog to grow twin tumors... please don't lose sweep over it"

What worry the Mom is what she know for sure... The Luke is one of a kind!

And lose sweep she did!!!

But today, the Doctor Mark deliver the Happy News...!!! The growf is, indeed, an epulis! Nuffin to worry about! Nuffin to sweat! Nuffin to lose the sleep over! But... Ever single fing to waller in!

And scoot across the yard, chin first... in!

Yep... Celebration in order! We are very feelin super fortunate, super lucky! Yep... we havin a ball... the very best kinda ball!

I love the life! I really do! And this past few days just reinforce all reasons why I greet the most ever day activities wif the eagerness!

I am happy boy. My life is full o the goodness. And I just can't get enough o it!

Speakin of the Happy... Is it time for the foods???

I only ask on a counta one of my very most favoritest fings about life... is the food bag... you know Breakfasts... Lunches... Dinners... Snacks! Just sayin!

Now the important stuff... Many fanks to all of you for your well wishes, your prayers, your foughts... your candles lit. Your support means the world. I am full o the confidence, but my the Mom often clings to your words of encouragement and hope. And I fank you.

Wif all my heart, I fank you.

Day 679: No Breakfasts = Surgery

[What follows here is my Dear Diary entry from the Day 679 along wif some pitchers from previous week.]

330am
Wake up. Come to side of bed for bedtime story... you know, the one where I came to live here wif the Mom. Love the story and the ear and chin lovins. Hop on bed for more.

630am
Accordin to my calculations, it Fursday, we still in the big bed and that mean one fing: Mom Vacation Day!

700am
We get up and I am Happy Boy as all ways! I run outside and then run back in, excited for the servin of the breakfast foods!!!

710am
Instead of preparin the breakfast foods, the Mom gets in the shower. Some fing is up on a counta she super clean the Mom and all, but she never put the personal hygeine before the Luke's empty tummy. Just sayin.

740am
It has become obvious to me that the Mom is takin me and only me to the IHOP, as we board the trolley... and leave the Bleu behind!

 

755am
We are turnin left into NOT IHOP! And whie I do not like what I fink this means, I will hope for and make the best out of this little visit to...

800am
Doctor Mark is real swell fellow. And while I prefer my friends be a baker or fireman or florist or any fing other than the Luke doctor... I really do like him a lot. In fact, I just happen to have wif me "a mix tape", a CD actually, of the music I listen to durin funder storms... on a counta he live wif a Golden who finks funder is four letter word, too!

So yeah yeah... all that said does NOT mean that I frilled to see him... but I am not altogether upset that he hug and feel on me, while talkin nicely to my the Mom... but then we all walk toward the back, and I look back to see the Mom stop and say... i'm a sweet boy she loves me ... and amongst my panicked foughts I fink...

I wish I was home wif the itty bitty piggy, dreamin of bacon...

Or better yet... at IHOP lappin a lip over a Rooty Tooty Fresh N Fruity. Just sayin.

905am

Nappin peacefully but can hear the Doctor Mark talkin to my the Mom, explainin fings... Original lump was subaceous cyst, removed. Lipoma next to it, removed. Lump in abdomen, good concise aspirate... show lipoma, left alone. Luke docile so Doctor Mark decide to clean toofies. Find small pea size growf and remove it. It prolly epulis but it pigmented, so let's send it off and be sure, but don't loose sweep over it...

[I must be COMPLETELY out of it on a counta there is NO possible way the Doctor Mark fink he can EVER convince the Mom NOT to lose the sweep over THAT kinda news. Pray Fret Toss Turn Pray Fret Toss Turn Fret Pray. Just sayin.]

I hear him say the Luke can go home around lunch time. And then I go back to finkin of bacon.

1212pm

I ask the Katherine, who is Doctor Mark's Assistant and who I love a lot... to please call my the Mom and tell her I am ready to go home. She quickly does, and my the Mom says she is on her way though I can barely hear that over my own self barkin. Just sayin.

1255pm

I am busted outta the slammer. I won't look the Mom in the face on a counta it is good for her to consider all that has transpired. Yep. Just sayin.

115pm

The Bleu greeted me at the door wif a very gentle "where * have you been" and I reply wif an equally gentle "leave me * alone".

I quickly wanted to go outside. Peed. Pooped. Came back inside. 5 hour napped.

630pm

Please feed me. Please give me the waters. I know I am still spittin up, but I am hungry and firsty... ok, mostly hungry.

845 pm
Bedroom doors are shuttin now and I am reluctantly scurryin in. I know the Mom knows how hungry I am... but I do not understand why she will not give me the foods. This is *. Just sayin.

900 pmThe Mom is sayin heavy prayers over me. I am calm. I am relaxed... hungry, but relaxed. I will most definitely bring up the servin of foods wif the mornin light. For sure.  

Day 673: Free Fur All Friday

It has been kinda hard, kinda emotional, kinda busy week... so I bid you Happy Friday! Fridays are one o my favoritest days on a counta I love and they mean... shared lunches wif the Mom, traditional family naps and judge shows!

Friday is also good for early and often access to back yard for the businesses, shnoofin... and the ole buried and now rotten 2009 pecan harvest. Just sayin. 

And for the Bleu, Friday mean just bein silly boy... findin a stick, shakin a twig... connectin wif he ornery self! [And also lookin CUTE!]

April yield interestin fings in the side yards... and I am able to explore the West. Uh huh... uh huh... uh huh...

Important to note the smells right here...

...what are not nearly as beautiful, as this beautiful lilly growin on the East... just inside the fence.

And just opposite of her, in the corner of back yard fence... this pretty lilly grows.

Leaning over the fence from backyard, the Mom took this shot...

And this shot (not the best) was taken along the side of the house. The lillies are not nearly fluorishin as years past... and azaleas are no longer bloomin. I fink we are down bout twenty percent due to the very cold winter. Just syain. 

And while do not want to disturb our Dove family... we love em so... and try to sneak some pitchers to share wif the you... and also for our scrap book. Just sayin.

Just a little closer up view...

I fink this is the Dove Mom, and while I know they will soon exchange shifts... I fink this is the her on a counta she have "the look" of a the Mom! Just sayin.

Followin pitcher show you few fings...

From right to left, first is the St Francis. Please to put a prayer in his hands / ears / heart, you all. You see... I am scheduled for surgery next Fursday, April 29f... to remove a growf what has arisen about two inches from my the original MCT. I have had lotsa stuff removed in last 673 days... and I am grateful for the cautious Mom and the Doctor Mark who is best vet and also surgeon ever! Just sayin.

You will also see two Wysong (Food of Champions, what me and the Bleu eat) boxes full o pecans what now should just be frown away, on a counta the Mom was too busy gatherin to have them shelled!

Quick just let me say... Fank you in advance for any and all of your prayers. I sure need em.