HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post

Cannon · 01-23-2009, 08:42 PM

Thanks so much everyone for your kind words and sympathy and empathy and warmth and understanding that even though this is not cancer, it sucks.

My sister "puppy-raised" him for Guide Dogs for the Blind in California. He failed because he was "not confident enough." :-) He just thinks he's a person, and finds all other animals frightening, especially -- truly -- cats. I did not know he was here for me, I thought he was here for my sons - one with autism, one has trouble with depression. I guess he's been here for all of us.

Cannon is still in the hospital, we went to visit him today. Me, my teenage sons and my mother. They are giving him diurectics to try to get the fluid out of the lungs (it's IN the lungs, not around them like pleurisy, so there's no way to drain) and something else to try to slow his rapid heart beat (was over 200, now running 160-180, want him at a solid 160 or even better 140). He was excited to see us, maybe too much, as he was panting heavily (although dr. said he was fine). He had one of those stupid cones on to keep him from chewing on his IV line.

They say he will come home from the hospital, but there's no way of knowing how much longer we'll have him with us. I worried that since this came on so suddenly, it was a bad sign, but they said no, it's just very unpredictable.

I had actually been planning to get an additional dog soon, since Cannon was 8, I wanted to have another dog in place before he hit 10, so that we wouldn't have to go through the "no-dog" phase. Now the vet says with Cannon's anxiety, we should not bring another dog in, at least now. And of course now it's all about him, but I think I will want another dog - or two - soon.

On a funny note, we also have an aquatic frog named Freddy. We grew him from a tadpole, and he will be 9 yo in March - my son Daniel said, "Freddy is like the tuck everlasting of frogs!"

Hoping Cannon will be home tomorrow night.

Thanks for all the love you gave me on this, I can literally feel it.

Rebecca

01-23-2009, 08:42 PM	#16
Cannon Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 203	Thanks so much everyone for your kind words and sympathy and empathy and warmth and understanding that even though this is not cancer, it sucks. My sister "puppy-raised" him for Guide Dogs for the Blind in California. He failed because he was "not confident enough." :-) He just thinks he's a person, and finds all other animals frightening, especially -- truly -- cats. I did not know he was here for me, I thought he was here for my sons - one with autism, one has trouble with depression. I guess he's been here for all of us. Cannon is still in the hospital, we went to visit him today. Me, my teenage sons and my mother. They are giving him diurectics to try to get the fluid out of the lungs (it's IN the lungs, not around them like pleurisy, so there's no way to drain) and something else to try to slow his rapid heart beat (was over 200, now running 160-180, want him at a solid 160 or even better 140). He was excited to see us, maybe too much, as he was panting heavily (although dr. said he was fine). He had one of those stupid cones on to keep him from chewing on his IV line. They say he will come home from the hospital, but there's no way of knowing how much longer we'll have him with us. I worried that since this came on so suddenly, it was a bad sign, but they said no, it's just very unpredictable. I had actually been planning to get an additional dog soon, since Cannon was 8, I wanted to have another dog in place before he hit 10, so that we wouldn't have to go through the "no-dog" phase. Now the vet says with Cannon's anxiety, we should not bring another dog in, at least now. And of course now it's all about him, but I think I will want another dog - or two - soon. On a funny note, we also have an aquatic frog named Freddy. We grew him from a tadpole, and he will be 9 yo in March - my son Daniel said, "Freddy is like the tuck everlasting of frogs!" Hoping Cannon will be home tomorrow night. Thanks for all the love you gave me on this, I can literally feel it. Rebecca __________________ Dx 8/06 Age 43 Stage IIIA multifocal throughout breast, largest tumor 5 cm, grade 3, comedo, ER+PR+HER+++ Neoadjuvant A/C 4X Dose Dense 11/06 Bilateral Mastectomy (no choice on the right, my choice on the left) Taxol+Herceptin weekly x12, continuing with Herceptin, finished one year in 12/07 33 Rads Femara for 5+ years, staying on (started with Arimidex, switched after about a month, much happier) Abnormal brain MRI shows no cancer, but "extensive white matter diease" - unknown cause BRCA negative - lots of cancer in my family survivor of thyroid cancer also have Crohn's disease CT and bone scan say NED as of 5/13 dx with severe cardiomyopathy 5/12 (likely due to chemo and Herceptin), ejection fraction in low 20's, now up to 40, went to 50, latest read 12/13 is back down to 35 1/13 Acute pancreatitis - are you kidding me? 9/13 started Humira for Crohn's. starting to have some energy again B12 and Vit D both needed supplementation Cataracts in both eyes noted 6/12 - surgery in the next 2-4 years? 4/14 Kidney stones/blockage/infection - related to Crohn's Disease 5/14 My aunt passed away - she was diagnosed after I was with Stage I - not Her2+, then Stage 4 for about one year 6/14 Scans - still NED, thank God. However, broken rib (I didn't notice) lots of bone degeneration osteopenia/osteoporosis. I also still have cardiomyopathy secondary to chemo.