Sharring the story of Husko the Hero...

Iraklis:
I understand completely, take care of yourself. I know how hard this must be. I love my dog more than anything, so I know how you feel. Blessings
Patti

Many of us have seen several vets until we found the right one. This is not unusual. Too many of them don't know enough about Cushings.

You are doing fine, darlin'. Take your time and remember to breath deeply. No need to push yourself - we are here, we are listening and we are not going anywhere. Share your journey with Husko as you need and know that many arms surround you, giving you strength and courage. I know your sweet boy is proud of you.

http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/pict...pictureid=6474http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/pict...pictureid=6473
As i said these last results came in Friday 6th September.
Husko started immediately treatment with Vetoryl Saturday 7th September.

I had already done research on medications for Cushings since the last results of the ultrasound...the LDDS was just the verification.
I must say i was scared to death after reading the side-effects but all else seemed worse or could be not-effective since we didn't know if it was the pituitary or the adrenals by now...

I opted for the Vetoryl 30mg once per day to play it safe...
Husko was still receiving
Denosyl (all through September if i remember correctly)
Ceclor (one week)
Animastrath
Milk Thistle (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Enzymatic-...item3a6d6c2cb4 THIS (price must be wrong though)

10 days later we performed the ACTH test and new blood tests

17th September results were:

SGPT/ALT 741,65 IU/L (10,00-94,00)
ALP 1025,00 IU/L (0,00-90,00)

Routine CBC
WBC H 16,43 *10^3 cells/μL
RBC L 4,90 *10^6 cells/μL
HGB L 12,1 g/dL
HCT 42,4 %
MCV H 86,5 fL
MCH H 24,6 pg
MCHC L 28,5 q/dL
CHCM L 27,9 g/dL
PLT H 428 *10^3 cells/μL

Routine WBC
Neut H 81,8% - 13,44*10^3 cells/μL
Lymph L 9,9% - 1,62*10^3 cells/μL

Morphology Flags
MACRO +++
HYPO +++
PLT CLUMPS +

ACTH
1. 9,84 μg/dL
2. 26,50 μg/dL

Husko was slowly improving...

His belly had retracted.
He started eating again (In august he had stopped so i force-fed him chicken breast) ,never again dry food though.
And slowly regained some strength.

I was FLYING...All summer I thought my baby was dead but now there is HOPE!!!

Septembers' Vetoryl was almost finished...
I ordered the 30*120mg from the UK and took it to a farmacy-lab to make it 120*30mg.

OCTOBER

I called the original vets to have the 1 month test but they said it's not necessary since he is improving...
I will always regret not demanding it as it would show if it was too much or not......

Husko started receiving Vetoryl 1*30mg morning and 1*30mg night

btw,I had found a job by now as a scooter-courier ,payed by the hour ,but funds were not improved significantly (and were reduced as months went by)

Transport being always a problem, i managed to find a friend to get Husko to the radiologist-vet mid-October ,to check if it was adrenal-cancer.

It was not!!!
It was a sign of relief as I had read most pituitary tumors are benign and don't spread.
He also had another x-ray
(the air-gun shell on his back is just outside the picture and is on the left...the x-ray showing it from September is not digital so i can't upload it).

http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/pict...pictureid=6470
Since starting Vetoryl in September up to late October ,Husko was slowly improving.

I didn't take him on long walks and thought it was better if he rested as much as possible...but i didn't spend enough time with him petting as i now think i should have...

I had just discovered Game Of Thrones and started watching 4-5 episodes per day...
Being tired from all the turmoil (war of nerves by vets/constant fights in my house/volunteering at a rescue -anyone doing it knows the stress involved-/constant sadness and crying/trying to find a job etc.) most noticeably since the start of summer this is how i escaped all this...

NOVEMBER

I should mention Husko always had a habit of doing 2-4 circles before laying down...

But...it started becoming more and more...
I didn't pay attention at first...but within a week it became 20-30 circles...
and Husko had stopped eating again so i force-fed him chicken breast again...

By the second week of November Husko had an empty look in his eyes and whenever he wasn't asleep he started pacing...
getting stuck in corners in the house...
sometimes head-pressing...

I suspected the tumor had enlarged...
Went to the vets nearby Friday 15th November...
He was given DEXTROSE to up his appetite as i was told...(i now know it was like adding fuel to a fire...)
Saturday ,giving him the 2nd bottle i noticed small head spasms...so i stopped the flow and drew the needle out...
http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/pict...pictureid=6476http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/pict...pictureid=6477

Sunday 16th November Husko got an MRI...
(thankfully i had managed to yet again find someone to take me there and my emergency funds were exactly the price of the MRI, 300 euros)
This were the results...

History
Cerebral syndrome ( cyclic movements, promoting movements, aimless wandering)
No seizures.
Temporalis atrophy.
Cushing syndrome.
Normal adrenal glands at the ultrasound examination.

Description
The study consists in multiple series of T1 and T2 weighted images of the head taken before and after IV injection of gadolinium.
On pre-contrast T2 weighted images, a large well circumscribed hyperintense mass is identified in the pituitary fossa extending dorsally
to the thalamus. The mass measures 25 mm in height, 21 mm in rostro-caudal diameter and 17 mm in width. The signal is not suppressed
on FLAIR. No change in signal intensity is seen on T1 weighted images, but distortion of adjacent structures is noted indicating a mass
effect.
On post-contrast T1 weighted images, strong and homogeneous enhancement of the pituitary/thalamic mass is identified.
Conclusion
Large enhancing mass located at the base of the brain, likely arising from the pituitary gland and extending to the thalamus. Given
previous diagnosis of hyperadrenocorticism, primary consideration should be given to a secreting pituitary macroadenoma/carcinoma.

I was devastated once again...

All summer long I was told he was gonna die...
Then found hope and thought he would be ok and have time to live again...
And now this......words can't describe...



...I decided this would be his last week and Sunday 24th November would be our last day together...
The friend who took us to the pet-hospital to get the MRI promised me he would take us there so Husko would finally see the sea (not having a car we never went there...later found out by the young woman who had found Husko that he had seen the sea...)

Days before that Sunday, I went to another vet for alternatives...he said Lysodren but chances were 1:1.000.000
I have experience in my family of the effects of chemo...and ruled it out...
Same day...I decided not to just give up but search the internet for alternatives...the search went on for months...

Found many alternative treatments to cancer...
One of them was IV vitamin C therapy
Also...giving MSM ,curcumin would help.


Went to a pharmacy store/lab (the one that converted my 30*120mg Vetoryl capsules to 120*30mg) and explained in a hurry Huskos' story...
She actually gave me for free a bottle of ALA 250mg, one of MSM 1000mg, Vitamin C 240grms powder and a bottle of Ester Vit-C 250mg
I only paid for 2 boxes of IV-vitC serum (each containing 5*750mg/5ml injections)
Saturday 23rd November I called yet another vet home to get blood sample and prepare the IV...
Husko got 3grms on Saturday and 4,5grms on Sunday of IV-vitC


***As many here can understand...not having unlimited funds is a constant struggle of balancing...guessing...having reserves for emergencies or bills...''if i buy this today will i have to buy that tommorow?'' , something you felt less important was much more important etc. etc. etc...and looking back you can see mistakes that were maybe not visible at the time...or just plain WRONG decisions...


but we did go to the beach none the less...
http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/pict...pictureid=6478http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/pict...pictureid=6479http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/pict...pictureid=6480http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/pict...pictureid=6481http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/pict...pictureid=6482http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/pict...pictureid=6483

Even though he was never interested in other dogs...
he was interested in the group of dogs playing there with their parents and didn't growl them away...
http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/pict...pictureid=6485http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/pict...pictureid=6486