Animal times

Thought I'd do a quick post to update people on my furry children, particularly Budzor. Buddie has been doing well, he's got a lot of energy back (at least on his walks). His GI system still hasn't fully recovered from the radiation last year. He's on special food from the vet and seems to be doing ok with that.

Meanwhile, it's been great taking naps with Buddie

Or generally cuddling with him!

He makes really cute faces sometimes!

Not to be outdone, Tungsten gave the tongue-shot a go:

Asha didn't give me a tongue-picture, but she did sleep with her squirrel, which made for cute kitty photographin'


I couldn't resist posting this other shot of my cousin's dog, Alfalfa, who came wine tasting with us over the holidays

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month ... got a few minutes?

I mentioned previously that May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. In honor of this month, Nordstrom is helping raise awareness about Hepatitis B.

One in ten Asian Americans is infected with hepatitis B—the leading cause of liver cancer.

For every person who completes a hepatitis B awareness quiz during the month of May, Nordstrom will donate $35 (up to $75,000) towards national Hep B Free efforts to end hepatitis B and liver cancer—including public awareness, clinician education, screening, vaccination and linkage to care. If you have a few minutes, take the quiz for a good cause.

Take Nordstrom's Hepatitis B Awareness Quiz

Budz says, "Learn about Hep B for a good cause!"


no doggles were injured in the course of this public announcement. However, there may have been some excessive drooling over my breakfast (by Buddie, not me... well ok, maybe me too. Duck eggs can do that to a girl)

Happy Friday - a dose of doggy cuteness

Sleepy Budz is quite amenable to photo posing!

Hope you have a great weekend!

Buddie is back in da hizzy!

Budz is back! We picked him up from the veterinary hospital. The oncologist was so sweet. We were all teary and hugging by the end. He was obviously well-loved there. It makes me happy to know how much he was cared for while he was so far from me.

It was a shorter drive this time around since it's too warm for snow (thank goodness!) But Budz was more restless on the way back due to the pain from the moist desquamation (side effect of radiation). I think the wound from the surgery looked visually more painful than now, but the radiation side effects seem much more painful to Budz. My poor boy! His pain may get worse this next week but, it should hopefully start getting better after that. Our poor guy could use a return to normal!

Journey through worlds

It's now been almost two weeks since we brought Budz out to WSU to begin his radiation treatment. The drive was crazy. It was supposed to take six hours, but with all the snow in the pass, the way out there took 7 hours and the way back took 8.5 hours!

The trip also felt incredibly surreal. The crazy weather patterns made the trip feel like we were passing through entirely different worlds.

The pass was snowy, and cars w/o chains were slipping and sliding out. But Budz had a great time running through the snow when we stopped at a rest stop.



When we came out of the pass, it was like we had entered some sort of warm, peaceful paradise. Or at least some sort of old western... The wind really brought out the tumbleweeds and dust storms!




Of course when we started getting closer to Pullman, WA (where WSU is), the snow was really coming down again.


Buddie was a trooper. He did well on the trip out there, and only got a bit anxious in the last half an hour. But, who knew he was so portable?! He was so good in the hotel room - he slept next to the bed in his little doggy bed!

We met with the vet who would be handling his radiation treatments, and the vet student in charge of taking care of Budz during his stay. The good news is that the CT scan showed no metastases in his chest or hind quarters. So he was cleared for radiation treatment. He's basically getting radiation treatment every weekday now.

I really REALLY miss him! I keep looking around for him, expecting to see him. And, I was getting really sad thinking about him out there, wondering where we were.

BUT, the vet student and vet have been amazing. They email me everyday with updates on Buddie. They even send me pictures! This morning, Emily (his vet student caretaker), sent me these pics. Apparently, Budz has been hanging out with all the students while not getting radiation. This picture of him sitting on a chair next to Emily cracked me up! Plus, he looks happy, so that makes me feel a little better.

sick days = writing + puppy love

I mentioned that I've been sick.

Well, the fever-sleep-all-day part of the cold has been over for a week now, but what I'm left with is this horrendous cough! Talking seems to make it worse. Tuesday and Wednesday I was pretty much in a constant state of coughing fits during my meetings. I'll end up coughing so much that I cry/gag/vomit (TMI, sorry!!). Tea, cough medicine, and cough drops don't seem to help. And I keep waking myself up coughing!

Does this happen to anyone else? What do you do to try to keep from coughing?

I've decided to battle the cough by staying home and not talking. On the plus side, I have a lot of good solid time to write a paper revision and my dissertation. It also means more puppy LOVE! Poor Budz was trying to sleep and I attacked him with kisses (to which he responded by stretching and yawning in my face! LOL).

Hubby is on extra conversation duty because I'm just being a good listener right now. My friends have been told to text, not call. I'm supposed to lead a campus tour for a bunch of prospective new graduate students tomorrow. I'm going to practice my mime skills. Just kidding! I'm gonna talk and be friendly and probably hack up a lung. :D

I also bought this humidifier. Have any of you used one before? I have no idea if it's gonna help or if it will break (it was the only one available with my grocery delivery). I like that it has a spot for using essential oils. My room currently smells like the eucalyptus oil blend I got from Pharmaca (which I read is supposed to help my cough?). I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm just trying anything and everything to make this cough go away (I used to get them for months at a time in college, and I just don't have time for that now)!

We're back! Budz is doing better!

We're baaaaaaaaacccccck!!!

Budz went in for a check-up on Monday and the surgeon said, his surgical sites are healing nicely! He was finally able to take off his cone!! Even better news? We did a follow-up ultrasound of his lymph nodes and it appears their swelling has reduced - suggesting the cancer really didn't spread there! I was soooo happy!!!! And although there's some residual healing issues going on with Buddie, it's almost like we have our old pup back!

He will be undergoing follow-up radiation treatment. This will ensure that any cancerous cells left behind in the region (the cancer cells were fairly close to the margins of the excised tumors so they likely spread beyond the removed material). The unfortunate thing is that there are only two animal radiation treatment centers in Washington state!

What does this mean? Well, in about three weeks, we will be bringing him out to Washington State University (a six hour trek). We will have to leave him there for a MONTH while he gets around 20 small radiation treatment doses! It seems absolutely crazy to leave him out there, and we'll miss him terribly, but they have the best equipment to treat him, and tons of veterinary students to dote on him (or so my oncologist assures me).

So in the meantime, I'm enjoying having my doggy back. And he's enjoying life without a cone (he seems to sleep sooooo much better without it!).

Here he is trying on his new shirt my dad got him for Christmas (he couldn't try it on before with the cone). Qliance is the primary care medical group my dad and uncle founded


Rolling with Buddie OOTD
TBJ Jeans cream hoodie (thrifted $6)
Ann Taylor Loft Sketch striped boatneck top ($4 thrifted)
Target Xhilaration Salema Zipper Trim Flat Shoes - navy (nwt thrifted $5)
Forever21 Soar The Air Necklace ($5.80)
Forever21 Polka Dot Rosette Hairclip worn as a pin ($1.50)
Bright red Judy Blue Couture Jeans sz 3 (thrifted $8)

By the way, this is the first time I tried putting animated gif in a post. I used http://gickr.com but I'm not liking how low quality the images come out with it. Those of you who use animated gifs in your posts, what do you use?

And miles to go before I sleep

Sorry for the silence! To keep everyone updated, Budz is doing well. He's now had two surgeries to get the cancerous tumors removed, and the 2nd surgery was less invasive than the first. He's up to regular energy level which is positive, but tough because he's still not allowed to go on full walks :(

We have had some bad news, in that the biopsy of the first tumor showed vascular invasion of the cancer (i.e., the cancer was in the blood vessels of the gland, so it's possible the cancer could spread anywhere in his body). At this point, it is unclear whether he'll need another surgery to remove his lymph nodes (with this disease there's a 50-75% chance that it spread to the lymph nodes, but his biopsy showed no lymphatic invasion of the cancer cells). We also need to decide whether to give him radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or both.

As a student of science, with the good fortune to have access to lots of journal databases, I've been doing literature searches on and reading about studies of dogs with this disease (officially called apocrine gland carcinoma). I wanted to weigh the scientific evidence before making decisions on his treatment. Unfortunately, I've been disappointed. There are fairly few studies (makes sense given that this disease comprises only 2% of doggy skin diseases and it is probably deemed of less import than human study), and many studies have horribly small sample sizes (like 5 or 14 dogs). And results do not take into account doggy breed (which already creates a highly variable life-span)! So it's frustratingly difficult to take seriously the projected outcomes of radiation vs chemo vs surgery alone.

While my research on this topic has mostly been disappointing, a positive outcome has emerged. I contacted the lead researcher on a paper about this disease to get a copy of the paper. It turns out her oncology department can do a free consult for Buddie if my vet provides my pup's records. It would be really great to get advice from people really on top of the current literature and research on this topic!

In case anyone ever has the misfortune to have to a furry child with cancer, the The Oncology Service at North Carolina State University can provide consultation at no charge (either a written or phone consult can be done). Their consult request form can be found here (fax the completed form with your pet's records).

Budz and a rollercoaster emotion week

After what a crazy crazy week, look who's back home?! BUDDIE! Thanks for all the good luck and healing thoughts y'all have been sending him. Poor guy could really use them!

This week has been filled with emotional ups and downs. Wednesday night I got a call from the surgeon with the results of Buddie's tumor biopsies. The tumors are in fact cancerous. Needless to say, I've been crazy anxious and crying a bunch this week (once even in front of my next door neighbor. Turns out now we're on hugging terms).

I didn't sleep much Wednesday nite since Budz' surgery was Thursday. This also meant I was extra emotionally volatile when I drove Buddie to the surgeon's office Thursday morning. I had a mini-breakdown when traffic made me an hour late to get there (it took three hours to get him to the surgeon's office and then drive back home!!!). I was also anxious because I knew the surgeons were going to do chest xrays and ultrasounds of Buddie's lymph nodes before the surgery to see whether the cancer spread. Thankfully, the cancer hasn't spread!!!

So the surgeon went through with the operation as planned yesterday evening. However, he was only able to remove one tumor due to worries about excessive nerve damage. Buddie will be going back for a check-up next Tuesday, and if he seems to be healing well, he'll get the second tumor removed next week. I'll also be meeting with an oncologist next week to discuss treatment after Budz has healed from all the surgery. (2-3 weeks?)

I really am elated to have him home with me, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't extremely hard for me to see him like this. His backside looks like frankenstein's monster, and I can tell how painful it is for him. He'll also be confined to the kitchen for the rest of his healing period, and he's not allowed to go out for walks. We aren't even allowed to take him around the block! We can take him to the backyard to do his biz, but that's it. Poor fella.

Plus, being in a cone is so sad! Besides getting caught on the stairs when he goes outside, it's epically sad when he wants to scratch his ear. I can totally relate to not being able to scratch an itch. I try to do my best to scratch his itch, but I'm apparently not as successful as his foot would be.


*edited to add an actual outfit shot. My head has been all out of sorts lately!*

Picking up Buddie OOTD
West & Vine sweater sz XS (thrifted NWT $5)
American Apparel red long sleeve sz XS (thrifted $4)
Gap wool camel skirt sz 4 (thrifted $6)
Grey herringbone tights
Three Beacons Belt sz S- Anthropologie ($34)
Colorful Brazilian wood beaded necklace (gifted)

Budz update and returns OOTD

I'm currently sitting with a very zombie-like Buddie on my kitchen floor. Today, I brought Budz in to meet the surgeon and have a surgical consult. I left him at the surgical center for a biopsy (full surgery is scheduled for Thursday), and I just picked him up. Poor guy is still very drugged out. They had to put him under general anesthesia to take the biopsy. He had trouble walking straight on the short walk across the sidewalk from the car to my house!

He also sorta reminds me of students in class that are trying really hard to stay awake. His head keeps dropping down, down, down, and then he'll yank it up, because he wants to be awake and alert. Poor pup! Evan keeps sneaking him little pieces of bacon because he feels so sorry for him.

iphone pic of me 'n Budz recovering on the kitchen floor

I actually have OOTD pics from today, but they're on my camera, which is across the room. And Budz kinda wigs out whenever I get up, so I'll post them another time.

I do have some belated pics from last week. I wore this when I went to go return a gift that didn't fit my mother-in-law at Chico's (a favorite store of my mother and mother-in-law).

Apparently, I don't look like the typical Chico's demographic. The first time I went in there to buy a birthday gift for my mom, none of the SAs came by to assist me. At that point it would have been nice, because I was waaaay confused about their sizing (they use 0, 1, 2, 3 instead of small, med, large, XL. This led to much confusion when I held up a size 2 and thought I would swim in it!)

This time, when I went in to make the return the SA actually told me I didn't look like the Chico's demographic. She said she assumed I was making a return because the clothes at Chico's don't look like my style. I admit I'm somewhat ambivalent about this. I don't see myself as a Chico's shopper, but at the same time, when I go into a store (even if it's not for myself), I don't like people to assume that I don't belong there. Like going into a high-end boutique and not getting service might make one feel a bit stigmatized. Chico's is not a high-end boutique, but I still don't appreciate feeling like such an outsider (I feel this way even about a group I'm not that interested in belonging to... I think I'm just weird).

Chico's Return OOTD
grey plaid puffed-sleeve blazer sz (thrifted $6)
H&M mustard yellow cardigan sz 6 ($20)
Anthropologie Deletta tank (name? 2009 sale, can't remember price)
H&M black 3/4 sleeve shirt sz 8 ($8)
Lisa Skinny Jeans by Fire Jeans sz 5 (thrifted $7)
Nicole Winchester Leather Riding Boots ($100 at DSW)
Orangey-purple scarf (gifted)

Hot Diggity Dog & OOTD

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Don't forget to enter the Betsey Johnson Swag Bag & Anthropologie Gift Card giveaway here

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Continuing with reader questions (and in an effort to get my eye pics further down my blog, lol, they kind of wig me out...), Tara from Mix And Match Fashion asked what kind of dog I have, and what his name is. btw, if you don't wanna see pup pics, OOTD pics are at the bottom of the post!

This is Buddie!


This is Buddie 12 years ago!

His first night home. For some reason, we thought he needed a blanket when he slept, lol.


I can still hold him like this, see below!!

We got Buddie when I was a senior in high school. We don't actually know what kind of dog he is, so we just say he's a mix. Buddie and his sister were found as puppies in a creek. Someone took them in, cleaned them up, and brought them to the neighborhood pet store to see if someone could give them a good home. Then my family came along for brunch at the restaurant next door, and we ended up leaving with a puppy!


Buddie and his sister

My mom says she got him for me, because she wanted me to have a dog before I left home. But, I didn't even get to name him! My brother (8 yrs my junior) wanted to call him Buddie, and my mom went along with it. I thought it was too boring and generic!



Anyway, since Buddie came to live with me and ev almost three years ago, I've come up with my own nicknames for him. He now also goes by Buddaroonie, Budz, Budz0r (pronouced budzoare), and butt-sore (because someone thought that I was saying that when I called him Budz0r).


See told you I could still hold him like that!


This was me this morning trying to get a pic of my OOTD while taking Buddie on a walk through our neighborhood. We walk Budz with a Gentle Leader or Halti head collar to help keep him from pulling without causing too much strain on his neck.



Today was supposed to start raining, although the big storm will hit tomorrow. Still, I wore my Hunters in celebration of the rain.



And when it starts getting cold and wet, Buddie starts wearing more of his clothes. Since his first 10 years were spent in California, he found Seattle winters a bit cold for him (he'll actually start shivering!). Plus, his clothes help keep him cleaner since he likes lying under our backyard deck when we are gone during the day.

OOTD Specs
J Crew grey v-neck sweater sz XS (thrifted $6)
H&M big pocketed skirt sz XS ($15)
Navy men's vest (thrifted $5)
Three Beacons Belt sz S - Anthropologie ($34)
Navy Hunter Wellington boots ($40 at Costco)
grey ribbed tights ($6)
Forever 21 eyeglasses necklace ($3.50)
Turquoise scarf ($10)

Buddie's OOTD
Old Navy yellow polo shirt sz M ($10)
(in first pic) Old Navy red/white striped sweater sz M ($10)

I leave you with a video of Buddie's one good trick:

OOTD - Red, White, & Blue Casual Monday

That's my dog Buddie using my photo taking as a chance to kiss my face -- or clean my face. I guess I coulda looked dirty :)

My lab meetings were canceled today, so today seemed like a total comfort style day! In my world, that calls for a comfy tee, jeans and some flats (+ a cozy outer layer in case I get cold - which is like always cuz I'm a wimp).

I love how this tee feels jaunty, nautical and a bit French (oohlala). Going with the sailing theme, I thought this woven belt would look like a sailor's knot once I wound it up on itself. I think the silver color adds just a punchy bit of surprise to the outfit.







Pose now says, "Buddie, have you seen my earring? It must be somewhere on the floor"



OOTD:

Madknits red & white striped tee sz S (thrifted $5)
Silver braided belt (thrifted 99 cents)
Express X2 jeans sz 4 (thrifted $6)
Keds red/white polka dot flats ($5 at shoe store going out of biz sale)
Mossimo Blue Corduroy jacket ($10 thrifted)