We finished our 20th radiation session on Friday and met with the vet for our final consultation. She has a surprise for us: she recommended that Sophie have one more session of radiation.
Her reasoning is that they try to give the highest dose of radiation that a dog can handle without the side effects becoming unbearable. That is, the long-term gains have to be balanced against the quality of life right now. On average, that’s usually 15-20 doses of radiation.
Sophie has not suffered any significant side effects (except bad breath but that probably doesn’t count) so she can easily tolerate one more session without problem. Our last, last, last appointment is Monday.
It’s one last chance for us to read magazines and work on that puzzle in the waiting room. And one more opportunity to shrink that tumor.
November 2, 2007 at 2:24 pm
Congratulations on finishing radiation therapy! Logan has begun his battle, we have completed 8 sessions and have 11 more to go. Unlike you, the facility is located 2 hours from my house, a 200 mile drive round trip. I drive into the city every morning, leaving my house at 5 am for an 8:00 appointment. Rush hour traffic requires that I plan for the unexpected and allow considerable extra time to ensure we make it on time. You are fortunate to have a facility nearby.