Friday, July 10, 2009

Can you believe - another vet!

Yes, this is vet #4. Since we moved a bit farther north, it made more sense for us to go to an oncologist closer by. Luckily there was no hassle because Veterinary Medical Specialists has locations all over the Bay Area. So this past Tuesday, Rocco had a treatment of cyclophosphamide and so far he is doing great. No intestinal problems that can sometime be a side effect. He is still in complete remission (meaning there are no signs of the cancer in his body) so he is still responding very well to treatment. As of now, the protocol has him getting treatments every other week as opposed to every week so that's easier on all of us. We've got about 11 weeks to go with this protocol, and from there we will have to play a waiting game and hope that his remission is a long one. Some people have asked us if Rocco will make a full recovery, but unfortunately the lymphoma will always return - it's just a matter of when. On average, canine lymphoma patients who receive chemo have 10-12 months from the date of diagnosis. Dogs without treatment typically have only a few weeks. So for now we can be happy that Rocco is living a full life and loving every minute of it.

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