Good News

Well, finally some good news. Sumis had an MRI and a spinal tap, neither of which showed signs of cancer. The neurologist said that sometimes with systemic disease the brain "gets mad." Or it could be a metabolic disturbance. Or, as Dr. P suggested, liver wind. At any rate, we will start anti-convulsant medication and continue chemo as planned. Unfortunately, because contrast was used during her MRI, Sumis could not receive her Qi Gong treatment last night. We are still hoping to start that in the next couple of days. Sumis was a little groggy last night from the anesthesia and is swollen and bruised on her neck from her spinal tap. But she seems happy to be home in a cozy lap or in front of a mound of food.

In the meantime, Sumis, queen bee, has re-emerged. She patrols the house like usual, and this morning even tried to horn in on the dogs' breakfast. She does seem a bit restless and still cannot jump up on things. But, I am happy just to see her sassy and hungry for now. She does need to gain some serious weight, so there are several daily feasts to be had. She has picked up a new behavior that is comical. Now, she will follow a particular dog to their bed, climb right up on the bed with them, and curl up staring at them. Bose, in particular, had no idea what to make of it. At first, he thought she wanted to play, so he charged her with a wagging stump. But that wasn't it. So, then he eyed her sideways with suspicion, trying to discern her intent. When that didn't work, he finally gave up and went to sleep with Sumis on guard.

Our visit to the oncologist this morning went well. The doctor is cautiously optimistic, saying that Sumis' bowel loops subjectively feel a little better. So, she received her next dose of chemo. Happily, this drug was given orally, so no more pokes for a few days! This particular drug has the greatest chance of all the chemo drugs for causing nausea, so we will have to watch Sumis closely to make sure she feels good. More chemo next week, but hopefully no more man-handling for the next few days.