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Auction Information Page - April/May 2000 Cookie's Story! Hi, this is 10 yr old Eskie Cookie again. Remember me? Jan Smith hosted a raffle for me in Dec and you helped raise $610 for me. My cancer surgery was $1,838.90 and you helped my Mom pay the last two payments and…enabled her to pay some past due bills and even buy a Christmas gift for me. If you want to read my "old" story, click here! We did move back to Columbus OH and Mom is now working from home (lucky for us since this latest ordeal). This is great cuz I see her ALL day and all night now. I think the angels were looking out for me cuz I REALLY needed her with me the last 2 months. The beginning of March, I was not feeling the best. Mom took me to OSU for a check up. They did the ultrasound and everything looked good. Doc said to just keep checking on me and use chemotherapy to make sure the TCC stays at bay. Then I got worse. Mom called the OSU vets. They thought my stomach was a little upset. Vet said to watch me. Then something REALLY scary happened!! I struck my nose with my paw…WOW NOSEBLEED! What a mess! Blood on my pretty white fur! We got it under control. My chemo made my blood thinner, taking it longer to stop bleeding. I seemed to get better then worse again. Mom was rubbing my stomach and there was a huge swelling! That was all it took! Mom had been talking to OSU daily but now we were GOING to the vets.

They kept me overnight. The next morning they discovered (this is rare, the vet has only seen it ONE other time in all his years there) that I had an infection in my mammary glands which was LIFE THREATENING! Needless to say they shaved me AGAIN and into emergency surgery I went! The surgeon said he removed the "pockets" back to the healthy tissue and everything looked really good. The cause? Don't know. To top that off the radiology slides showed I also had developed pneumonia, which they also treated. Now, enough is enough!! I got better faster than they expected cuz you all know I am a little fighter! They were planning to keep me over the weekend since I had a drainage tube in and OSU was being cautiously optimistic. What makes me so lucky (that should be unlucky) that I had something so rare? No one was looking for this! But after all, I am one unique Eskie!

Oh almost forgot, my nurse said I am the sweetest doggie, especially being an Eskie! I let them do whatever, no problem, total cooperation. Actually I'm getting use to this stuff!

On Thursday, March 17, they changed my dressing and this tough little furball was doing so well that they were able to take out the drain out, and I WENT HOME! Mom was so ecstatic and she had the chicken and rice ready!

I went back for a physical and to have my stitches out. Too soon to take the stitches out. I had 6 different kinds of medicine to take. On March 22, I enjoyed the grass and sunshine again. I'm thinking I will never touch dog food again with the varied people diet I've been getting. They all said give her whatever she will eat! The diet was beef or turkey stew, sliced turkey from the deli, baby cereal and peanut butter for taking the pills. My smile returned to my face and boy was Mom happy! Then went back for ANOTHER checkup.

I am SO smart. I figured out peanut butter means pills! So I ain't eatin nooooo more PB! Mom fooled me and switched to turkey, of course with pills! Everyone was getting a little weird from all of this. Mom would get VERY excited over the smallest things! Everyone was praising me for begging for Wendy's french fries or chicken, go figure! Everyone was literally celebrating. Sometimes it doesn't take much to make the humans happy! What can I say? I finally got hungry!! Mom told me it would soon be back to dog food. We'll see about that?

March 29th was a big day! Dr Westropp was VERY pleased with me. Blood counts were back to normal, the radiograph showed no signs of the pneumonia, the incision looks really good and FINALLY the stitches came out. I even got pizza (crust and cheese). According to Dr. Westropp, I had THE "look" again. The new ultrasound showed no change in the previous November TCC removed tumor area. The next Friday I got another low dosage of the chemo to keep all things in check, now that we know this latest strange string of events was UNrelated to my cancer.

Since the staff all know how sick I was, they just cuddle me and laugh at me seeing me so lively now. The vet student Lauren who took such great care of me graduated! She is going to make one great vet. Anyone in the Cleveland OH area watch for Lauren Wade. She is a very caring, supportive, gentle NEW vet and she spoiled me big time! Tell her Cookie sent you. She told Mom I was her LAST patient at OSU before graduation and I was her BEST one. No wonder! The best is always saved for last! I AM THE BEST!! Everyone is TRULY amazed at me! I must have some cat blood in me since I'm on my 3rd life?!

Dr. Westropp received the pathology back and this is REALLY weird…but it was a "GOOD" thing I developed the infection. Hidden in the tissue was a level 1 mast cell tumor. It's all removed now with additional tissue and should be no further problem. Had I NOT gotten the infection we may not have noticed it and it could have developed into a more serious problem. The head vet and the surgeon Dr. Roberts were telling us most times these tumors do not "hiss", causing the infection. In his entire career he has only seen TWO do this. Both were brought to OSU on the SAME day. WOW! Dr Westropp said there must have been some weird carma going on in dogs that day. So in a strange way, something that was very bad was sort of good.

I asked this last time and I'm asking again…when will my hair grow back?? I don't like all this nakedness! Next time I see the clippers coming, I am running! Can't you do surgery with the hair on????? I get so embarrassed!

Mom says whatever you can do would be greatly appreciated by both of us. Right now the bill total is $1500. Mom has paid some, the bills slide a little, and priorities are priorities. I am the #1 priority right now. You and everyone have done so much already, help with even half of this would be more than I could ask for.

Everyone's thoughts have meant a lot to Mom. She received some emails from you Eskiers when Pat posted my updates. These messages were very encouraging to her and helped her hang in there. Mom says it's nothing short of amazing to see me go from being SO sick to where I am today, and this happened twice now! Yes I love my Mom. I think I will keep her! (puppy dog laugh tee hee hee)

Mom says God watches out for the angels he sends! That's all of you! She thinks Buddy is watching over me too. If you remember from my previous story, my 17 yr old brother Eskie, Buddy, died in March 99 (1 yr ago). I KNOW he is watching over me and my Mom. Mom would be COMPLETELY LOST if something happened to me, her precious little Earthly angel!

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Information pages for Buddy, Cookie, and Sandy:

Buddy	Cookie	Sandy

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Address comments, questions, etc. on items to Pat Cassel at pcassel@pa.net ! This Auction will end at 10:00 PM(eastern time), Wed. May 10th, 2000! Pat will post auction updates(usually daily) on the Eskie Owners List....if you are NOT subscribed to this list and want updates, drop Pat an email and let her know; she'll add you to the distribution list!