The Plan

The vet that Leo goes to is quite expensive - even for NYC.  I do understand that many of these procedures are pricey, and of course real estate is costly, as is expertise. That is the part I'm most thankful for - the expertise, and the care that comes with that.  Dr. C, Leo's oncologist, has been nothing but kind and compassionate, as well as being top-notch.  I recently got to spend a little more time with Dr. S, the first doctor that Leo saw, as part of the follow-up on his throat.

Not the worst news...

That was an expensive ear cleaning! I only say that because dark humor is my way of dealing with the anxiety of what's going on with Leo. Leo is now back from surgery, and I've spoken to the surgeon. More on that later.  Leo was a trooper through it all, and probably handled everything better than I did - although he was quite drooly and unstable when I picked him up.

Maybe more than a scare

Sometimes, when you have a dog that's been through what Leo's been through, you see little things and think that it's nothing, and sometimes you see little things and KNOW that something is amiss.  This is one of those latter times.

Scare

We had a bit of a scare just recently.  There was a period of good health and generally good times, including a trip to a cook-out (courtesy of the Smiths) and some more hiking and camping, but then Leo stopped eating. 

Fahnestock, May

We went up to Fahnestock State Park in May.  It was a beautiful day for hiking, and we did the mountain trail off Route 9.  It takes you through some old woods with old stone walls and fire-road style trails, as well as the remains of an estate entrance. We stopped at the top for some food and pictures.

Happy Birthday To Leo!

The Big One-Oh!
Leo's birthday is August 5, or so says the Vet records. He's 10 now, which makes him somewhere between 60 and 65, according to this chart from webMD.  The whole 7 years thing is out the window, for the most part.
When this whole thing started, we were worried about Leo getting to 9.  Now we're at 10!  We just got a clean bill of health at his latest vet visit, as well - the best possible present that we could get.

The 4 phases of Dog.

While I certainly haven't been good about updating the blog, it's not because nothing's been happening.  To the contrary, quite a bit has been happening, mostly good stuff.  Over the spring, me and Leo spent a lot of time at Prospect Park (there are funny stories about that forthcoming), up at Fahnestock Park (lots of fun hiking up the mountain), Forest Park (a park in Queens that is, well, a big forest!) and finally a trip to North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia that included a hotel stay, 100+ degree weather, camping, lakes, rednecks, and a broken sway bar in my car.

Outdoorsy

Well, we've been spending a lot of time hiking and getting out this spring and summer.  Leo's doing well - all of this checkups and bloodwork have been clear, so that's good!
More later, but here's a shot from one of many trips to Fahnestock (our new favorite close-by hiking spot).

Time travel with Leo

Saturday night/Sunday morning was daylight savings time - Spring Forward! - which really just means "lose and hour off your weekend".  Well, like most Saturdays, Leo was at Mi Casa.  And, like many nights when he's at my house, I fell asleep on the couch.  It's sort of a thing that we do - he curls up on one end, I'm at the other, and I doze off sometime around midnight or 1.

SNOW!

So we got a big ol' snowstorm here at the beginning of February.  Leo LOVES the snow.  Here's the proof:

Happy

Leo has been quite happy the last few weeks.  While every day I check his neck for the signs that I'm dreading, he's been in quite the good mood as of late.
First, there was snow (early February), which is one of his favorite things.  He overdid it then, and was sore - and started to look a little old.  But in the last 2 weeks, he's bounced back and usually has a lot of energy, a pep in his step, and is naughty  - all good signs.

Blood test

Today is Leo's second blood test since ending chemo. We're hoping for good results, but I think both preparing for the worst. And that is the awful part of cancer - well, one of the many awful parts of cancer.  Aside from knowing that Leo (or any person or animal) is on borrowed time, there's the lingering dread around doctor appointments and the fear that any lump, cough, yawn, or sad look is the sign that 'this is it'. While a recurrence, at this point, would not be medically surprising, it would be personally surprising.  He's healthy, vital, and seems happy.  In fact, Leo's been spending a lot of time at my house, and seems quite content, whether he is chasing bally around, snacking on something from the store, making the bed, or just lying quietly on the couch, head on the pillows.

A New Year With Leo

We made it!

Me and Leo at Bushwick Pet Superette

I cannot tell you how happy it makes me to say that, but we made it to 2013 with my boy.  It hasn't been easy, and it is still scary to think about, but for right now, I'm just enjoying having Leo - well, all of them - around.  Happy New Year to Leo, Luna, and Orlando! (Oh, and Byron, and Egon and Percy and Wobble and Bobble, who all live downstairs at the pet store.)