Rusty celebrated his two year ampuversary!

[Chuck Holliman]

January 25th was Rusty’s 2nd anniversary of his amputation! Every day that we have with him is a blessing. Two years ago we had almost no hope that he would still be with us; that he is, is a testament to the fight that he has put up against this terrible disease, two outstanding Dr.’s and the love and support from dozens of his supporters. He thrives on the love of his human friends as much as seeing his doggie friends. He has maintained a great attitude throughout his ordeal; even on the days when he is sick he doesn’t complain and seems apologetic that we have to clean up after him. It has been challenging at times for us, we are both in our 70’s, but extremely rewarding seeing how he deals with his cancer, amputation and all of the related issues; we have learned a lot about life from him which we will be forever grateful.

The past two months have been relatively quiet medically for Rusty; we saw Dr. Macy on the 5th and he was pleased with the improvements in Rusty’s liver and kidney functions. Between the medications and four meals a day, all of his test results were in normal ranges, with the exception of the liver ATL which has been elevated since his chemo treatments. He also gained almost two pounds. Dr. Macy has been checking with his colleagues around the country regarding the treatment of “Fanconi Syndrome”. So far he has not found anyone who has treated this condition; he is still optimistic that with treatment this will not have a long term impact on Rusty’s liver and kidneys.

Dr. Macy had us up the dosage of the potassium citrate which immediately put Rusty into intestinal distress with vomiting and diarrhea; Dr. Macy said I guess we have pushed the limits of what his stomach can handle. After “resetting” his stomach and resuming the regular dosage of meds Rusty has been doing very well and his weight is holding steady.

We had several parties over the holidays and a lot of company the past couple of months which Rusty has enjoyed immensely. However, he tires more quickly and has to grab an occasional nap to keep going. With the winter migration of water fowl, we have had more ducks and Mudhens in our lakes and green belts than normal. Rusty enjoys chasing the Mudhens back into the water; they are so messy on resident’s patios, furniture & pools and they are also very aggressive to the “local” ducks.

Chuck & Rusty

[Julie, Izzie & Max]

So nice to read the update that Rusty is continuing to do well.  He sounds like such a precious doodle.  In addition to our two doodles, we also have a dog with three legs.  Although, her amputation was not due to cancer.  We adopted her after she had been hit by a car and her owner abandoned her at a shelter because they could not afford to pay her medical bills. She had extensive injuries, broken bones and her left back leg and tail could not be save.  She has recovered with minimal problems and the missing leg does not slow her down very much.

I hope Rusty continues to do well.  He is so lucky to be getting such great care and to have such loving parents.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

So glad to hear of Rusty's continued good health.

[Leslie and Halas]

Way to go, Rusty! Keep fighting!

[Colleen, Jake & Baxter]

Every doodle is special but Rusty is the most special one of all.  I have nursed a dog with cancer that only lived 6 months after his diagnosis.  Rusty is quite a testimony not only to you but to us and those around him.  Thank you for keeping us in the loop!

[Rose]

I'm so happy to hear Rusty is doing well! 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Thanks for updating us on Rusty, as Bonnie said, he is our hero. And thank you for your love and dedication to him.

[Bonnie and Kona]

Thank you for the post on Rusty. He is our doodle hero and you and your wife are our human heros as you navigate this journey. Hoping all of you enjoy as symptom-free 2012.

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Rusty and you are real live Troopers! Yippee!

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

Glad to hear Rusty is doing so well!

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

Rusty is indeed an example to all of us - and both of you inspire us with the loving bond that has gotten through this ordeal.  Wishing you all a healthy 2012!