Update on Stoli (with new notes)

Stoli enjoying laying in the backyard!

Many of you have e-mailed or called requesting an update on Stoli. Here is the latest:

We put him on prednisone yesterday which significantly reduced the size of his lymph nodes. He was able to drink and eat without any pain. I took Stoli for a walk last night and he seemed to enjoy it for the first time in about a week. In fact, he picked up on another dog's scent and it was hard for me to keep him from "walking" me. :) It really made me happy to see him acting like his old self again, regardless of how temporary it is.

I know our time is short with him so I am going to utilize all my free time with him. It is so tough to lose your dog when they give you so much unconditional love. Stoli has a way of making all of our family feel better, just by being....well Stoli.... and even though Kevin tried his best, Stoli definitely became a Mommy's boy! :) I will say that there are ways in which Stoli in his innocence is our "best friend," touchingly responsive to our moods and emotions. Isn't it funny how our pets (Stoli included) can teach us how to live fully in the present moment and enjoy the beautiful world that God has made.

Stoli drinking from Grand Lake.. He doesn't like the water AT ALL! :)

As for the chemo options, they are EXTREMELY expensive and we are looking into other options at this point and waiting on the pathologist's report before we make any further decisions. As stated in my last post, bottom line will be to keep him as comfortable and pain free as possible until his final days.

I have attached some pictures of our "fur baby" just so YOU know how beautiful he is.... :) Speaking of beautiful, I have a difficult time getting him to look directly at me when I have the camera in front of my face UNLESS I call him beautiful and then he just stares at me and lets me click away! :)

~ Elizabeth

NOTE: 07/25/08 update: We had a terrible night with Stoli. About 11:30 he woke me up and I thought he was going to be sick. He had been passing gas all night so I took him out and he did his business but then he kept burping like he was going to get sick. He was restless all night and had thick gooey saliva coming out of his mouth all night... He didn't want to lie on his bed but wanted to be in our bed all night so we let him. We had to put a big beach towel on the bed because of his drooling but hey we did what we had to do... needless to say we got very little sleep and our baby is resting peacefully this morning. I'm not sure if it was the combination of the new supplements we gave him or if the prednisone just isn't going to work for him... It is anyone's guess at this point..... continue to pray for us. This rollercoaster ride is difficult to ride.

07/26/08 update: Aaaaah, we ALL had a better night last night. A full night's sleep for everyone. Stoli was back to his "normal" self and was comfortable and snoring away! :) After a long day of crying myself silly yesterday, I got home and relaxed with Stoli.... Today we are preparing all of his natural foods for the upcoming week and making sure he has what he needs to keep him as healthy as possible. This really isn't a burden to us since we do this for ourselves. Let's just say it is an extra step for our fur baby! AND well worth it! :) I am not so naive to think that all days are going to be like last night and today but I am going to enjoy them, and take one day at a time. I truly am grateful for all the time I have had with Stoli. He is one amazing dog! :)

Thanks to all of you who have commented, called and kept us in your prayers. We definitely need the emotional strength! :) LOVE YOU!