Part 5 of 5 (So Far): Max's Cancer Journey

It is two in the morning. I wake up when I hear Max jump off the bed.

That is my cue.

When you have to go, you have to go. I throw on my shoes and sweatshirt and get him outside as fast as I can. No lights. I learned that early on. Turn on a light at two in the morning and you are done. Your eyes wake up. Your brain wakes up. Getting back to sleep becomes a whole project. So we go out in the dark. We stand out there together for about fifteen minutes while he does what he needs to do. Then I bring him back in, get him settled, and go back to bed.

This is night twelve of twelve. Maybe fifteen of fifteen. I stopped counting a while ago. Sleep deprivation has a way of making the days blur together.

This is what life looks like right now. And I would not trade it.

I did not want to start writing this series until I had real answers. Until I knew where we were and where we were going. We have those answers now. Not all of them. But enough.

This is where we are.

Bill Gets Up First

Max and Leo sleep on the bed with me.

Since this all started, Bill and I have been sleeping in separate rooms. Not because of anything between us. Because one of us needs to get a real night of sleep so that at least one of us can function. Bill draws the short straw in a good way. He sleeps. I stay with Max.

Bill is up around six every morning. He comes and gets Max, takes him outside, and they sit out there together while Bill has his coffee. He does his Wordle. Checks social media. Browses the news. Max hangs out with him.

Bill feeds Max in the morning. That has become their time together. I get up around nine and that is when Max's first round of medications starts.

My other dog Leo watches all of this from the sidelines.

I want to be clear. Leo and Max are dog food dogs. I have never been someone who gives dogs human food. That is a cheat code for weight problems, and overweight dogs have shorter lives and more health issues. Leo has eaten his kibble his whole life and he is fine with that.

Until Max got sick.

The day I started giving Max big chunks of boiled chicken and hand feeding it to him, I thought Leo's head was going to explode. Everything going into Max's bowl is a thousand times more interesting than what Leo gets. Leo stared at me like I had broken every rule we had ever agreed on.

But I also think that somewhere, in whatever way dogs understand things, Leo would not actually want to trade places. Not if he knew what Max is going through to earn that chicken.

I Get Up Around Nine

If my schedule allows, I sleep until nine.

I want to be clear about that. Not because I am lazy. Because Max has been waking me up three to four times a night, every night. Generally between two in the morning and six AM. Each time he needs to go outside, and he is out there for about fifteen minutes before he comes back in.

Four hours of uninterrupted sleep before I start my day is what I am working with some mornings.

When I finally got a full night of sleep after giving Max his Gabapentin at bedtime, it changed everything. I woke up feeling like a different person. I did not realize how depleted I had gotten until I was not depleted anymore.

Taking care of yourself is part of taking care of your dog. I have learned that the hard way.

The Ice Cube Trick

This one I am particularly proud of.

Max is on MiraLAX to help keep things moving. The dose is two teaspoons per serving. I mix it into ice cubes.

Max loves ice cubes. He always has. He eats them without thinking twice, which means he gets his MiraLAX without any drama.

I took it a step further. I started making ice cubes with freeze-dried dog food, boiled chicken, and rice blended in. Those are for the days when he is not eating well. He almost never turns down an ice cube. It gets calories into him without a fight.

Bill gives them to him throughout the day.

The Laser

Video: Complete 23-Minute Treatment Protocol for Arthritis & Mobility

I do Max's laser therapy before dinner or shortly after, depending on the day.

Even when it has been a long hard day, I look forward to it. That probably sounds strange. But the laser session is one of the few parts of this whole experience where I feel like I am actively doing something. Not just driving to appointments. Not just handing over a credit card. Not just watching and waiting. I am doing something with my own hands that I believe is helping him.

It makes me feel empowered. It gives me purpose in a situation where so much is out of my control.

I have been running the Domer 3B cold laser since early June. It covers his spine, hips, knees, and hocks. After our appointment with Dr. Merrick I adjusted the protocol to stay conservative around the lower pelvic area near the tumor.

When Max hears the laser beep he gets excited. I think he knows what is coming. He settles right in. It is calm. Quiet. No TV, no phone, no news from the outside world. Just Max and me.

Over the past several weeks I feel like the laser has brought us closer. He knows I am helping him. I believe he feels it. And honestly, that time together is as good for me as I think it is for him.

I have written about the full laser protocol in more detail at The Complete Guide to Domer 3B Cold Laser Therapy for Dogs.

If you are considering a home laser for your dog, you can use my referral link for a discount: healthcaremarts.com/?ref=203pet. I do receive a small commission. At this point every dollar I make goes toward Max's care.

Where We Are Right Now

It has been four days since Max's first vinblastine treatment.

Dr. Merrick's office called to check in. We had good news to give them.

Max is doing well. He is happy. He is comfortable. He is spending time outside with Bill in the mornings. He is enjoying his chicken.

Sunday he skipped breakfast. I gave him the Entyce at three in the afternoon and he ate a good dinner. Monday morning he ate ravenously. That made me feel good.

I cannot tell you yet that he is peeing or pooping more easily. It may take a few weeks for the chemo to shrink the mass enough to make a real difference there. We are watching. We are paying attention. We are letting Dr. Merrick know what we see.

For now, he seems happy. He seems to know we are all in for him.

"This Is Not the End"

I did not start writing this series until we had a treatment plan and a real understanding of where things stood.

Now we do.

And I am not going to stop writing until this journey is over, wherever it ends. Max deserves for people to know his story. All of it. The hard parts and the hopeful parts and everything in between.

Future posts will follow Max's progress through his treatment. His chemo appointments are booked through October 7. I will write about what we learn, what we see, what changes, and what stays the same.

I hope there are a lot more posts to come.

I hope we get a lot more time.

If you are going through something similar with your dog, I hope this series has been useful. I hope it has been honest. I hope it has helped you feel a little less alone in it.

That is why I wrote it.

New updates post every Saturday on the 203 Pet Service blog. Follow along as Max's treatment continues.

That is enough for today.

If you are just finding this series, start at the beginning:

Part 1: The Day He Went Down | Part 2: The Word Nobody Wants to Hear | Part 3: I Never Thought I'd Say Yes to Chemo | Part 4: July 23rd. His First Treatment.

People in this industry say they treat pets like their own. I hope this series says more about what that means than any tagline ever could.