Buttercup (Calcinosis cutis) - Buttercup is now in heaven

Day 7 still doing well. She's dealing well with the CC, but I know she is sore and itchy, my poor baby. Eating and drinking well, not guzzeling water by the gallons actually leaving water n the bowl, pottie breaks every 3 to 4 hours and sometimes longer, much better then the 1 to 2 we were experiencing. Noticed today when I took her out back to go pottie , that she was more alert then she had been, she would hear something and her head would come up and look toward were she heard the sound , then when she smelled something in the air, once again head went up and she would sniff at the air. Those are things she hadn't done in some time, that made my heart sing inside.
Every day I place my hand on her heads and send healing energy to her with prayer and meditation, then I shot my own death ray of energy to that nasty ol tumor.DIE TUMOR DIE!!!
In the begining I was afraid to touch her because of the CC and did not know if I was hurting her with my touch, but now I pet her and wrap my arms around her gentle and tell her how proud I am of her and she will lean into me like she used to do. Ok I'm crying now, but its nice to have tears of hope and happiness instead of ones of sorrow and fear.
Well it time to change her compress and give her a kiss.

Dawn & Miss Butters

Things sound like they're improving Dawn. That's great news!

Dawn:
The stuff you said so reminded me of myself. I got Tipper some holy water from Lourdes. Every day I take some and bless her with he sign of the cross and tell her tumor to go out of her body. I am so happy she is doing things she has not done in a while. She is continuing to improve and that makes my heart sing for you both. Blessings
Patti

You are doing an amazing job, just love the heck out of Butters, they take their cues from us so much, and you have been so brave for her.

:):)

Dawn, what a wonderful post on sweet Butters. I can see her wrapped in her mom's loving arms, leaning into that safe place with happiness. It is GREAT to hear you are seeing some of your old girl again! Feels good, huh? :)

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

Dawn:
Hope this is the start of another good day for you and Butters. She is really going thru all this well and she continues to improve so that is all a mom can ask for. Blessings
patti

Day 9, it was daddys turn to watch her while I went to work. Got home and all was well. I took her out about 7:30 am then left for work, daddy got up at 10 , no accidents found:D, she lounged on the couch all day, she finally went out to pee around 3 then came back in drank some water and laid back down till I got home at 5:30, took her out for a quick pee break. Shared some KFC with her, then she drank a little water and is now resting on the couch next to me.
WOW 7 hours , that was awesome, a very positive sign that things are changing for the good. I'm sure there will be some off days and that's to be expected.
Today was a good day for all of us:D

Much happiness
Dawn &Butters

What a terrific update. You should be so happy and pleased. I am happy for you! Know that many of us are following you on the journey and with you all the way. Have a great evening. Kim

I love terrific days. They make it all seem worthwhile. Hopefully you will have more good days than bad ones going forward as the tumor continues to shrink.
And hey, a shout out of kudos to Daddy! Good job!

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

More great news Dawn!

The having to go out less frequently was one of the first signs that our Daisy was improving too.

How is the CC?

Dawn:
I cannot tell you how good it makes me feel to read your posts about Butters. She is continuing to improve, and get stronger. Yeah for her Daddy doing a good job watching the baby girl! Blessings
Patti

Day 13, neurological issues slowly improving, has not been staring off in to space like she was. More alert and focused which is awesome:D, seams as if she is getting some sight back in her left eye, when I put my hand close to her eye she will blink, I have to get real close and do it real slowly so not to create any air pressure while distracting her vision on the right side, she will blink, daddy noticed it last night. Her CC is what it is, had to bath her today, due to being smelly, had been just wiping her down with the Hibistat wipes and wet clothes and tea. Went to her store it had just what I needed (they never fail me there) I picked.up a shampoo called Dr Goodpet, all natural hypo-allergenic, no oatmeal in it, de-ionized water, coconut oil, vitamin e, aloe vera, jojoba oil . They also had a product called Sybiont wound wash, got that to help protect her skin from a multitude of things like E.Coli, Staph(MSRA), fungus and so on. Glad that I have a big shower in the master bath, would have been almost impossible to pt her in the tube in the guest bathroom, it has sliding glass doors so there isn't alot of room for the both of us in there.
She's doing well and I'm holding up as best as possible. Hoping that she's apart of the group that only needed the radiation treatment to reverse the cushing's
(1/3 of dogs treated with radiation do not need meds for cushing's).
Well its time to feed my baby girl and keep doing laundry, lots of laundry:D

Hope all is well for everyone in K9 land

Dawn & Miss Butters

Dawn, this gives me such hope! I'm going to ask Daisy's IMS about radiation.

Dawn:
You are giving hope to a lot of others on here whose dogs suffer from PDH. I am so happy when I log on and see Butters is improving more each day. That would be wonderful for her to see again. Blessings
Patti

Great news Dawn. Hopefully she'll get her eyesight back to some extent even more as the tumor goes down in size. Yay for you and Butter.

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Dawn:
I hope this is another day of improvement for Butters. I pray for you both every nite. Blessings
Patti

Her appointment went well yesterday. Her Dr.'s are pleased with her neurological progress. She's off antibiotics for now, they do not want her to build up a resistance to it, just in case she needs them in the future. She is staying on the pain meds. she really does need those, I can tell when they start to wear off. I have gotten really good at reading her body language.
Yesterday was a very long day for both of us, was on the road at 8:30 am and we finally got home around 8 pm she did really well with all the driving around.

These reports sound so good for our sweet Butters! :cool::):cool: I am so happy she is doing well and hope she is among those who sail through with all the best results.

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

Dawn:
Sounds wonderful that Butters is doing excellent. I could not be happier for you both. Blessings
Patti

Just got home from work and checked on our girl. Noticed that the large calcium deposit that was on the back of her neck is gone, it was the size of a marble and now its flat!!:):);) it did not rupture through either, looks as if its gone!! Also good menece response from the left eye today!:D
Butters is progressing nicely.

Dawn & Buttercup

OMG, she just did something I haven't seen in so long. After taking her out back to go pottie she actually made a dash for the steps and practically leaped over them. My god its good to see such a mass improvement in such a short time.:D

Happy Dancing for Buttercup:D:D:D:D:D

What a wonderful thing to read this morning! :cool::):cool: I can imagine how happy that made you feel! When Squirt first started the Lyso, she grabbed a toy and played for the first time in years - I don't think I'll ever forget that nor how it made me feel to see it so I can understand a little bit just how special this is for you.

YAY, Buttercup! We are all so proud of you!

Dawn:
I know that made your heart so happy to see Butters do that, and it made mine happy to hear about how she is improving. Keep up the good work Butters! Blessings
Patti

Day 21, some days are good others not so good. I know the pain meds are making her sleepy and weak . She holds her water pretty good during the day and nights are hit and miss, some times a few hours other times only 2 hours. Still working from home most of the time so that I can monitor her. Its getting harder to hide her pain pill , now I hide it in peanut butter on a small piece of tortilla, then I nibble on it while she watches me and then I offer it to her and she takes it , not sure how long that trick will last.
Her skin is so bad haven't seen any more new lesions popping up in the last week or so. Old stuff is slowly shluffing off in small chunks with tufts of hair. Really feel bad that she has it on the inner part of her rear legs also, just watching her try to find a comfortable position to lay in almost makes me cry.
Still getting a good response from the left eye which is good.
I'm dealing as best a possible but it starts to be more then I think I can handle emotionally , trying to hold it in and not cry, but its so hard to at times, I love her with all my being and do not want to fail her. I really hate this ! Why her why my sweet baby why god why, this is slowly killing me inside. I hate this Cushings , someone needs to find the gene or protien or what ever it is that causes these tumors so we can test for it and then be better equipped to treat/remove them and or reverse them . So that these blessed creatures won't suffer so much nor will their families.
I've told daddy we are not doing christmas this year at our house, no lights , no tree no nothing, its just to depressing ,all gifts for the family are being scaled way back to the minimum. This whole Cushing's situation has cost me over 11k, still waiting to see what her insurance will and will not cover.
I told him that she is my gift and that I do not want anything else. I wish on the shooting stars that I have seen in the wee hours of the morning that the tumor dies. Feeling so sad and tired :(

So sorry to read you are feeling low, it's so hard to watch them have issues and I know first hand how difficult it is to see their skin the way it gets with the cc

You have both been through so much recently it's no wonder you feel emotional, it's been a roller coaster, you have in no way failed her, you have done all you can to help her with this disease.

I hope she has a better day tomorrow

Big hug
Mel
Xxxxx

Awwww Dawn. Mel is right, you have been through so much recently, that you must be on a roller coaster emotionally. The cc, does get worse before it gets better, especially to look at. However, the old scuffing off is a good thing, and should leave some pinkish skin underneath. This is all a part of the healing process with cc and a good sign really, as it means the cortisol is reducing to more normalized levels. The eye continuing to improve is a good sign that the tumor is shrinking. Does it appear to be improving or maintaining in that eye?

I think that you have done excellent in regards to Butter. She is lucky to have a mum like you to take care of her.

We all wish they would find a cure or better test (there are some possibilities with a hair test from the University of Vienna). The radiation treatment that Butter had wasn't even available a few years ago. It is those kind of advances that give me hope that people are still trying to figure this out, that cushings dogs are Not being given up on and that hopefully one day, this disease will not be what it is today.

Christmas is a wonderful opportunity for celebrating that Butter is still here and doing better than she was even a couple months ago. I know it is hard when it's eating one up financially, but the spirit is what is important in the long run and we are here to help get you over the rough patches. Today is a rough patch. Tomorrow hopefully will be better. Baby steps sweetie. Butters is going to get better, we'll just hold on that that thought and hold it tight to our hearts.

Hugs! You're doing really awesome! This isn't an easy journey, nor a short one, but you can do it!
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Aw, sweetheart. You have been through just as much as sweet Butters has - yours is just all emotional and mental instead of physical but that makes it no less difficult. In fact, that is often harder to deal with. You have every right to feel tired and sad and to cry, begging the Stars that Buttercup be healed.

I once went through a very trying time with my daughter and a friend told me things were going to get much worse before they got better, and even then things would never be the same. He was right. Things did get worse, then better, and nothing was the same after - except the love between my child and I. That never faded, never lessened, but only grew stronger through that struggle. And it was that bond that matter, only that bond, not the struggle. The same is true for you and Buttercup - the bond between you is growing stronger by the day through this struggle you now face.

Don't forget to take care of you during this. Do something you enjoy, that allows you to lay this burden down for just a short while and re-energize your Soul. And know you are never alone, Dawn. We are here anytime you need to talk.

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

Dawn:
You said a lot of what I have been feeling. Everything you said came from your heart. Someone somewhere needs to do some hard core research on this disease and find a cure. After talking to so many people and reading so many stories this is like an epidemic in the dog world. I am not so sure all these vaccinations don't come into the picture somewhere, but I know steroids do. The things this disease dies to our babies is criminal. These dogs are so loyal and should not have to go thru this ordeal. It is equally as hard on the families that don't want to let go, but see their precious dog deteriorating before their eyes. I hate the day that Cushings came into our lives as it has impacted my in most horrible of ways. God Bless you and Butters Dawn, I know you have struggled and worked really hard to help your baby. I am like you, there will be no Christmas stuff here, all I care about is being with Tipper. This has just about bankrupted me too and I have about another 1000.00 I need to come up with by January. This has been the hardest struggle of my life. Blessings
Patti

I felt that was a few years ago when Zoe was so sick. So we pushed overselves to do something different. we bouhgt an artifical tree with different colored lights, something we never had. Hubby would go every day shopping the sales and bring home beautiful birds to decorate the tree which we named Zoe's tree. Over the years we added birds and the birds represented Zoe and all the beautiful pups we lost here on the forum. It took on its own meaning.

My point is, find a different way to celebrate these holidays, find a way to help you honor your pup and celebrate. It may just give you that emotional boost you need.

You have worked so hard. You are emotionally exhuasted.

Please remember, Butters is here today. So just think about what you need to to do today.

love and hugs and special prayers

Thanks for all your kind words. Last night was rough up and down with her having to pee. At least its a sunny day so I have left the sliding door open for her so she could go out and enjoy the sun for as long as she wanted( I'm sure PG&E just loves me heating the great outdoors) which I know makes her happy to have a little bit of freedom to come and go when SHE WANTS to.
Just finished processing a bunch of claims for work, so I think I will pull myself together and go out into the world and find a little tree and pick up a few gifts and cards for my loved one. I really like the idea of having a tree for my Butters I started collecting birds for my big tree when I got Butters so I will see if I can find a new 1 this year and maybe some little angels.
Well if I'm gonna do it I should do it now while I have the energy.

Blessings to all
Dawn &Butters

P.S. could you all send a prayer out for John my father in law, he is having open heart surgery today. Many thanks

Dawn:
I love the new avatar. Butters certainly is beautiful. I will pray tonite for your father in law. Blessings
Patti

Best wishes for your father in law.

I think that is a wonderful idea. Butters needs a bird. :)

hugs,
Sharlene and molly muffin

Surgery went well, no complications. I was able.to find pajamas for everyone for christmas except daddy he just so dang tall and with almost everything being made overseas its hard to find bottoms that are long enough, I'm sure I will figure something out for him.
No luck finding a little artifical tree that has lights on it or any birds, maybe I'll just get a real little real tree the kind that looks like a tree top:) and try to find something special to put on it just for Buttercup.
Time to give Butters her compress treatment and then feed her, and of course MORE :eek: laundry;)

My avatar pic was from a very special day with her back in may 2011, it was an out take from a professional photo shoot that I had for her in San Francisco at Chrissy field , love that the Golden Gate bridge is in the back ground. Nothing but the best for my girl.:D

Hey Dawn

Just checking in to see how you are both doing? Nice to read she has been roaming and doing doggy things.

Did you get the bird and tree that you mentioned.?

Hoping you are having a good day today

Big hug

Mel
Xxxx

Thinking of you. Hoping you are feeling a bit better.

You'll find a tree for Butters

Dawn:
So glad to hear your father in laws surgery went well. I hope you were able to find Butters something for on her tree. Hope you both have a good weekend. I just love that avatar? Beautiful majestic looking dog. Blessings
Patti

Wishing everyone a blessed Christmas. Hoping that your day is filled with peace and love and the comfort of friends and family.

Dawn and Buttercup:p

Merry Christmas!

Valerie:
Very cute picture of Daisy Mae. Hope everything is wonderful for your Christmas. Blessings to you and Daisy and your dad and Chris.
Patti