Molly, 13 yr, shih tzu - lhasa aspo - Molly has passed

[molly muffin]

Ha, I solved the veggie problem, but saying that others are bringing the veggies and is it really fair to require them to be pink? So potential son in law candidate is making his Portuguese potatoes, at hubbies request and the other veggies will be a surprise from someone else, I said, bring whatever you want. Then another couple is bringing dessert. (I have a chocolate cake back up if needed).

So I put hubby in charge of the meat and he is doing a full salmon with a ginger cream sauce that he made up one time and it is yummy and then sliced oranges on top of that for presentation. The ham will be cooked with a maple syrup/clove glaze, and then served with a maple syrup, blueberry reduction, he's making that up as he goes I think. He came home with like 4 containers of blueberries today, quite proud of himself. My hubby is a fabulous cook. That he can make a Baked Alaska and a Beef Wellington from scratch was a selling point when I met him. hahahahahaha

I'll be doing some baked bread and a spinach salad with strawberries and cranberries and walnuts, with a berry balsamic dressing. hmm, the stuffed mushrooms sound pretty tasty too. I should have read this before I went grocery shopping.

Molly is having a doggie Easter treat tomorrow. A bit of steak we brought home wrapped in bacon (this was an appetizer) from dinner out tonight.

We did manage to get the deck stained for the year today. I was surprised when the guys showed up to do it, but I am glad it's over with for this year. That means that I can start getting ready to open the pool and get the patio stuff set up now. Molly will have her playground in the back yard again.

Vicki, I have sworn myself to only peeks in the drawer now and then till I get all the reports back. I'm a data kind of girl and need to see the numbers, evaluate how she is doing physically, find out my options and then decide what to do. If ours is just a nodule that isn't growing on the adrenal gland, and not a potential pheo, I won't have to go down that road, but we'll see, and if the sex hormones come back raised, well I'll be discussing the option that Marianne brought up of a maintenance dose of lyso and see what the IMS thinks of that. I know already that she won't do a full load of lyso with Molly because of the lack of symptoms. I think the cortisol causing the adrenal glands to grown, might be what brought that nodule on, but we'll just have to wait and see. Of course the protein comes into play too, so that has to be evaluated. Too much with not enough factual information to make a decision yet. See that pesky drawer slid open again!! I will say that when a pheo was mentioned, my mind went right to Snuggles and Flynn and Annie and I had a ready wealth of information in my head as to possible symptoms and how each have reacted with a pheo. I am not seeing those symptoms either, so again, we'll see how it all goes.

Molly acts just fine, as she always has, and the affects of the ACTH seems to be gone now and her water intake is back to normal. Her energy level is still Very good. She has stopped bouncing off the walls though, so that is kind of good actually. She did sleep through the nights though with no problem, so that was good. She is like me likes sleep time.

okay, back to easter fun and games.

hugs,
Sharlene and molly muffin

[Budsters Mom]

Molly acts just fine, as she always has

This is what matters above all else and be thankful!

Happy Easter Sharlene! xxxxx

[Harley PoMMom]

A hubby that can cook!! And can cook gourmet meals, WOW!!! Your dinner sounds so very yummy, hope you and yours have a wonderful Easter.

Hugs, Lori

[Tina]

Hi Sharlene,

**Edited to say that I just realized the drawer was shut, so don't read my post until you feel like opening it a crack. Sorry Sharlene, this is the first opportunity I have had to post!**


I have read and re-read all of the information from Molly's tests, and for the life of me, I don't understand how it can be determined that she has Cushings with no symptoms or definitive test results. You mentioned in one of your posts that Molly has high cortisol which was confirmed in 2012. Was it confirmed by baseline resting cortisol, or stim test? How elevated was it? And has it been checked since then? Just wondering since that was 2 years ago. I apologize if I missed this information in previous posts.

There is a lot of good news in those results, but I am concerned about the adrenal nodule also. I am hoping that when you get the detailed report we will have more information on that and other things too.

I think everyone has had great feedback so far, I wish I had something more I could offer. I am curious to see what the UTK panel will show.

As far as the 2+ protein in her urine, you mentioned that she had been up and down with protein before. I know with Jasper, he had been positive for protein a random time or two before it started showing up pretty consistently. And then I don't think the UPC showed a problem until he had 3+ protein. Hopefully Molly's UPC will be ok. Unfortunately I have some experience in this area so may be able to help out some here if need be.

I admire you so much for being able to take a step back, relax some, and wait for the report. I know how hard that is, and I fail miserably when I try it.

Happy Easter to you, Hubs, Molly and the rest of your family. Best of luck with the idea of an all pink Easter meal, your hubby cracks me up.

Big hugs,
Tina and Jasper xo

[molly muffin]

Hi Tina,
Her ACTH 2 years ago was pre 6.23 and post 36.75ug. At that time because the adrenal and liver were only marginally enlarged, and her lymph node was enlarged, then the LDDS came back negative, the thought was that maybe the cortisol was from something else, like the liver. We retested the LDDS and again it came back negative so we monitored the liver enzymes to see how those were doing. They went down for a bit and then lately just went back up. The reason for the latest IMS consult.
I want to see what the actual numbers on the enlargement are currently. The UT panel will show us what the cortisol is now. I expect it frankly to be high since the adrenals are now larger, but still bilaterally enlarged, even with the nodule being seen this time. It wasn't the there on the last ultrasound. So, I want full measurements on that.
okay you have got me motivated to pull out the paperwork to take a look at the protein in her urine.

Oh she just did a funny new thing!! She has her recliner with her doggie blanket on it, that hubs had his briefcase sitting on and she wanted up. So I was talking to her and telling to go lay on the couch by daddy (a word she knows) and she stood up on her back two legs straight and tall and looked over the arm of the chair to see me talking to her. She's never done that before and both me and hubs were just laughing and talking to her and she just kept standing up looking at us. It was too adorable.

okay, I'll be back when I have the protein info. Dang that drawer.
hugs
Sharlene and molly muffin

[doxiesrock912]

Sharlene,
Dinner sounds fabulous! Happy Easter!

[Tina]

Molly has such cute ways Sharlene, I bet that was so cute the way she was looking over the arm of the chair.

Oh Sharlene, don't look into the protein info tonight!! That dang drawer, it is possessed and keeps flying open!!

[molly muffin]

hehehe, I know, pesky drawer, bad bad drawer. LOL

Okay, intresting, the first LDDS was actually in May 2010. negative Man time flies, I was thinking it had only been going on since May 2011, but I guess it's been 4 years now, we've been dealing with this mystery. I typo'd the first one.

Anyway, protein in urine and I think I don't have all of them, since she has urine cultures etc, all the time due to those dratted crystals.

So, here is the history and we've never been at +2 before:

april 2014 protein +2 read over phone to me by IMS

dec 2013 no protein fat droplets +2 Bacteria +2

may 2013 protein .3 +1 fat droplet +1 WEB +1 bacterai +1 leukocytes +1

Dec 2012 protein trace bacteria +1

Aug 2012 protein trace (chem strip)

June 2011 no protein (chem strip)

Doesn't seem to tell us much, other than no protein was in urine in December at all. I remember my vet telling me that and that we didn't have to worry about protein, so was a bit surprised to find that I might need to be worrying about protein. However, they throw protein if anything is going on as Addy reminded me. So, is something Else going on. Gads, something else to talk over with the IMS.

*sigh*

hugs
Sharlene and molly muffin

[Trish]

Ohhh is there a party going on that I am missing?!?! Going to catch up, but I am suspecting that dang drawer is open!!!!

[Trish]

All caught up..
1. I don't think Molly has a pheo, no symptoms of it anyway!
2. Good no protein just in December and like you said they can throw it from somewhere and Molly was under the weather for a bit not that long ago, Flynn's is usually a 3+ and positivie UPCR.
3. OH YUM, godiva eggs, lucky hubby!
4. OMG your dinner sounds divine, good thinking to share out the vegies too!

x