Need Help/Information on Brain Tumors and Strokes

[lindakiara]

I'm so sorry to hear, I know this is a very hard time. Just enjoy every moment you have with him. Sending you lots of boxer hugs & kisses from Kiara & me..

Liinda

[VTbxrFan]

Aimee,
I'm so sorry for you and Jason. I can't imagine how difficult it is to deal with the news you have gotten. I hope that you will find peace and comfort in knowing that you have truly done your best for Baxter. He is a special boy who was lucky to find a special and loving family to care for him in his last years. I know it's hard to be in a position where you feel like you can't do anything to help him, but you can still love him for all the time he has left. In the end, that's the only thing that matters. Continue to love and cherish him and know that you and Jason and Baxter are in my heart and thoughts.

[oz4lines]

Baxter has been on my mind all weekend.
How is he doing?
How are YOU doing?

hugs,
Jill

[Aimee]

Jill,

Thank you for thinking of us. Baxter is doing well, he had his best day yet yesterday. He actually trotted on his walk last night, which is a big change! Recently he has been very slow and sluggish on his walks. He was very alert and active all night. I cooked a chicken last night and Jason deboned it saving a pile of chicken for the kids. When he called them all into the kitchen Baxter came running and plowed over everything (including Dusty) in his path These are very welcomed improvements! Days like these it's very easy to slip into a state of denial that nothing is wrong with him and that his time infact is not limited. Jason and I are hanging in there praying everyday for a miracle.

On Saturday we started Bax on some medication to help with his leaking of urine. The leaking causes him to lick himself and we were concerned about infection and urine burns. His leaking has decreased but we are still messing with dosages to get it cured. We bought a pad to put on the bed at night and we line it with towels so that he can still sleep in our bed at night, this has worked very well. We get up once a night to potty and exchange out the towel after which he sleeps extremely well. We have a petsitter now who comes everyday to let them all out and feed them a green bean snack. The prednisone makes Bax hungrier than usual so his mid morning snack is helpful. He isn't able to hold his pee for great lengths of time anymore so the potty break is helpful as well.

We pray Mr. B has many more good days ahead of him. We have started marking on our calendar whether he has a bad day, good day, great day or excellent day. Since learning his prognosis on Friday, he had 3 great days and one excellent day so far. We are thankful for each one he gets.

All your thoughts and prayers have been so very helpful, again thank you!

Aimee

[Poetic_thing]

Aimee my heart goes out to you, Baxter and the rest of your family. Cherish each and every moment with Baxter, love him and hug him and just live for the moment with him. Keeping track of his good/bad days on the calendar is an excellent tool for all of you to use, we did the same thing with our Dakota. Bless your heart for all that you are doing for Baxter - you truly are his angel!! God Bless and take care.

[debbie knowles]

I am glad to hear that Mr. B is having good days...everyone of them is a true blessing for our special "hero", as we have always called him. Baxter, save up a good day or two for me this weekend...I'll be hugging you tight this Friday night and I'm bringing cake!! You guys all hang in there and we'll be there soon! Deb, Jack and Jaims

[Austin's Mom]

Glad to hear Bax is doing so well, and we hope he has lots more great and excellent days!

[Aimee]

Aunt Debbie, Jack and Jaimee came for a visit this weekend and as promised, Deb brought Bax his very own cake! We got some great pictures that I will post tonight.

Baxter continues to do well mentally, eating still tops his list of things to do. Unfortunantly though Bax is experiencing some "wasting". I've read this is common in people and animals with terminal illnesses and there doesn't seem to be much information about how to slow it down. I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions or has had success at keeping weight on their terminally ill baby? From what I have read the wasting sets in when they stop eating however, Baxter still eats extremely well. Regardless though, his bones in his face and behind are becoming prominent and we are at a loss as to what to do. Jason bought him some baby food this weekend that we are going to have the petsitter add into his green bean snack during the day while we are at work to help up his caloric intake blandly. Also, we have started Mr. B on a digestive enzyme hoping that would help him with absorption of nutrients. We also have started supplementing him with Vitamin E, Essiac tonic, Vitamin B, and Milk Thistle. Any other supplements and/or diet suggestions would be welcomed!

Aimee

[Austin's Mom]

I don't have any advice on the weight issue, but I'm glad Bax got to see Aunt Deb and have some cake! And that he got to play with Jack and Jaimee!

[Holden's Mom]

Aimee,

Glad to hear Baxter is still feeling well and eating. For the higher calorie intake, have you considered Hills SD A/D? It's a liver pate for ailing dogs and cats and is available at the vets. I used a lot with my Lewis when I wanted to entice him to eat. It always worked. I know Baxter is still interested in food, so this might do the trick as a supplement. It is sold in tuna size cans and is about $1.25 per can.

I have a friend who worked in cancer research at both Riley Children's Hospital and the IU Med Center in Indy. I will call and run this by Pam. The one thing I remember Pam saying is all terminal cancer patients have a really good period before the final days. This is when they do the Make a Wish for the cancer stricken children. Pam saw this with her own mother who suffered from pancreatic cancer. Her mom was diagnosised and lived less than 4 months, but had a good three week period. Pam says you absolutely must run with the good period. If I get the info on wasting I will pm you with the details.

Hang in there and spoil your special boy.

Pam and Pete

[boxer4]

I just caught this thread last night and just couldn't reply. I sent you an email to explain I hope you got it. I am SO sorry your family and Bax have to go through this. I also went through this with Duke and can really feel your pain.
The wasting in the head you are talking about is from the prednisone, at least that was what the vet told me. Duke was the same and was eating well too so I have no reason to doubt you are seeing the same. He told me that it is the way the Pred shrinks the membranes around the tumor that cause this.
Please write if I can help you with any questions,
Give Bax lots of extra kisses from me and the gang.

[Aimee]

Again, thank you all for your suggestions, thoughts and prayers. Baxter continues to do very well. We had our two week follow up with the oncologist today. Peg, you are absolutely correct. The oncologist feels that the wasting that Baxter is experiencing is from the prednisone. Since he continues to do well, we have gotten permission to decrease his pred down to 20mg/day. Currently, he is on 30mg/day. This decrease should also help him with his thirst, hunger, peeing and restlessness.

Now that we have had time to absorb and accept Baxter's diagnosis, I've been researching his conditions. Although there are no conventional treatments for him, I simply cannot lay down and watch him die. I feel I have to do something, I feel we have to atleast try to battle this demon. Please keep those paws crossed for us. We have a consulation on Monday afternoon for Baxter with a vet in Vermont. His name is Dr. Kreusi. He is a holistic vet that has a lot of experience managing cancer patients naturally. Dr. Kruesi is going to put together a biomedical profile for Baxter. "The BioMedical Profile is a system of nutritional analysis that identifies metabolic imbalances and develops an appropriate course of nutritional therapy to correct those imbalances. Organs that are under stress or diseased are identified, and a therapeutic plan is developed to address all the imbalances, excesses or deficiencies, simultaneously." Dr. Kruesi will prescribe an appropriate diet (nutritional therapy) for Baxter and give him supplements, herbs, and/or glandulars to help support his individual disease. The individual who referred us to Dr. Kreusi had wonderful results, we hope for the same. We are very excited about our consulation, I'll be sure to update you!

Again, thank you. You guys are wonderful support

Aimee