February 21st 2010 - And then there were whiskers

We had a hint last week that there might have been some progress on the whisker front. Mum didn't want to jinx it so we've been waiting patiently all week to take some photos.

The good news - I am regrowing my hair. The other news - it's white, ginger and blond. There's not much in the way of black ones. And there is definitely one white whisker way out in front of all the rest. The white patch in the centre of my nose is gradually going black - this is where I rubbed my nose when it was itchy.

To celebrate, Mum and Dad took Misty and me to the new bike path near home. It meanders along a creek and during last week's torrential rain (100mm one day) it flooded. Plenty of spots with washed up piles of grass and leaves and mud for an active dog to explore. You'll see we were pretty tired when we got home.

So, all in all, a good weekend. Only one more week before I go and show Dr Rod my new nose. Hopefully I'll have a bit more coverage by then.

Farewell the Lone Whisker

It had to happen. 

Mum and Dad did warn me that no matter how firmly attached The Lone Whisker seemed to be, its days were numbered. And on Saturday the unthinkable happened. No more whiskers! I do have a few lumps and bumps that might be new whiskers growing, but right now I am naked. 

We went to the farm on the weekend. Finally, after three long months, my chance to lie around in the sunshine and relax. But it wasn't to be. A big storm rolled in around lunchtime Saturday and it didn't stop raining all afternoon and all night. I was housebound. Forced to lie on my bed and sleep! Its a tough life but someone's gotta do it. Misty, as you can see, was determined to play in every puddle and spent a lot of time getting wet, and then getting dried off.

And you'll see from the photos, I've lost my bucket head. There's no more skin to lose, so I can't really do any more damage. I can't tell what's made me happiest -  losing the bucket, stopping the drugs, or getting some treats back.  Doesn't really matter.  My tail is wagging, and I intend to keep it that way.

Second Check Up - 1st February 2010

Its four weeks since I finished my radiotherapy and I had my second check up today. Dr Rod is very happy with me - my nose is healing well, I am eating well and I am happy. So today he stopped all my pain medicines and tomorrow I stop my antibiotics. Happy Days.

Now, about the bucket head. Dr Rod said if I promised not to scratch, I could take it off. So we tried it for a few minutes. But then it itched. I couldn't help myself, I rubbed it on my mattress and off came some fur. On went the bucket. Mum and Dad have made a plan - if they are both home and one of them is shadowing me, I can take the horrible thing off.

Mum is calling me "The Lone Whisker", kind of like the Lone Ranger but different. Over the last two weeks every one of my whiskers on my nose bar one has fallen out. Dr Rod says they should grow back, but they might be curly whiskers instead of straight. Mum says so long as the hair grows back and the cancer is gone, she doesn't care what it looks like.

Dr Rod is so happy with me, I don't have to go back for a full month. Hopefully by then my nose will be fully healed.