Molly is so blessed...

Well, the biopsy results are back, but before we get to that...first things first.

I want to give a giant THANKS out there to everyone who has been so helpful during this time. Molly is so blessed to have so many family and friends out there, as well as I am.

Molly, I just wanted to thank everyone for all of their cares and concerns, the messages, the phone calls, the check-ups, the surprises, and the love. Thank you all so much!

Speaking of love and surprises. The postman (who I think is afraid of Molly because every time he delivers something he drops it at the door, rings the doorbell, and literally runs back to his truck...probably because Molly starts barking when she sees his truck)....brought Molly another surprise...ALL THE WAY FROM TENNESSEE!!!!!!

Friends Kasey, Adam, Zach, and Rachel (and of course along with Molly's friends - Joss, Jeter, Janie, and Marshall)....sent Molly a Get Well Soon card and her personal favorite Beggin' Strips! Molly was so excited and she tried to get into the bad with me opening it. But now that she's had some (12) she is back to resting comfortably - aka dying to lick, me yelling at her no, her trying to sleep, and both of us praying to get the stitches out soon!

Now on to the biopsy results:
- Tumor was a Stage 2 (We are happy with these results - anything not a Stage 3 is good in our books!)
- Margins were CLEAN! (This means they don't have to go in and take out anymore of Molly's leg - it means the end of the sample was cancer cell free)
- Good Vascular reading (This means that the cancer isn't in the veins! GREAT news!)

The liver pills:
-Molly has been on the liver pills for a week now. She gets 2 every morning - I have no idea if they are helping or not, and won't know until another blood test is done in August.

Thanks again everyone - I know words don't really do or say enough, but know that all of you are very much appreciated by Molly and I.

Surprises on Saturday...

Well Saturday was another day devoted to watching the patient - Molly.
However, what we thought was going to be a dull day of work for Matt....study for Kelly....a few Wii breaks...and recouping for Molly, turned out to be pretty exciting when the mailman rang our doorbell!

The mailman brought a box and card for Molly! Molly opened her box in the kitchen. It was a Get Well Soon giftbag from Kelly's parents (Molly's Gramercy and Papa Doc)! Molly sniffed out the presents and ended up opening a toy and bag of treats! She of course automatically had to taste the treats and loved them. However, what shocked Matt and I the most was that she wanted to play with the toy.

Molly hasn't gone near her toy box with any real motivation to play since before the surgery. However, this new toy just had her wanting to play play play....After about an hour of playing...she was worn out and had to take a little nap!

Then after her nap is was time for another stroll around the neighborhood. We walk around about 10+ times a day because the vet has confined her to 10 days of only on-leash activity. So this time we stopped to pick up the mail. That is when she found out she got another card!

We went home after the walk and opened it in the dining room. It was from Aunt Robyn and Marley. The outside of the card totally makes me think of Molly because it is a dog hanging outside the window of a vehicle, and if you've ever rode with Molly you know this is the only way to do it!!! Ha! Ha!

Thanks again everyone for the caring gift, card, texts, emails, and facebook messages. The patient is definitely on the road to recovery.

Other news: Hopefully we will find out on Tuesday what stage the tumor is (again, hoping for stage 2 or below)....and it is 10 days from the date of surgery before Molly gets her stitches out. As for the liver enzymes, all is going well. I give Molly the 2 pills every morning (after fasting at night and 1 hour before breakfast). So far so good with them.

Update on Molly

So, first things first...Molly is doing much better!!!!!

Last night was a really long night....most of the night was spent with her whining. But don't fear, that was just the medicine still taking time to wear off. I put the E-collar on her around 10 pm (so that she couldn't lick stitches while we were sleeping). She didn't so much love the e-collar, so she and I basically just spent the night hanging out on the futon mattress. I took off the collar at 5:30 and Matt watched her while I finally got some sleep.

Matt was able to watch Molly this morning while I did my Barbri class and since he left for work she is still doing A-ok!

However, I have been in touch with Molly's vet in Destin, Florida. I wanted to ask the doctor there about the elevated liver count. She told me that Molly has always had an elevated ALP count for her liver. She said only worry if it was much higher than the last time it was checked. Well, Molly was checked in Florida over the past few months and her ALP count was 329. I then found out that yesterday her count was 811. So that was enough of a jump to decide to start Molly on a liver enzyme, and then have her re-checked in August. Apparently the pill is like Centrum for adults except specifically targeted to keep the liver healthy!

So now Molly is back from picking up her new liver pills and is resting underneath the kitchen table (one of her favorite spots). Wait, scratch that - she is up, barking at the door...apparently someone just pulled up and were getting out of their car. Man, it sure is good to have Molly back being Molly.





329 811

Molly is home...and beginning recovery!

Matt and I dropped off Molly at the vets office this morning at 7:30 am. We followed all the vets pre-operation orders. She wasn't allowed to eat after 8 pm, and wasn't allowed to drink water after midnight. We also have been giving her Benadryl for the past two days.

This morning before surgery she had pre-operation blood work done. It all looked ok except for her one of her liver counts. One count was elevated while the other was normal. However, the vet doesn't seem to be too worried about the elevated level right now. She said it can be a sign of Cushings' Disease in dogs, but Molly would be showing signs like drinking enormous amounts of water and not being able to hold her bladder for the whole night. So after asking me a few questions, the vet once again assured me that Molly doesn't fit those characteristics.

Then surgery began. After shaving the area, another lump was found. However, the vet aspirated it and after doing four cytology's (4 glass slides), she said that there were not mast cells in the lump, and it is not another tumor. After surgery she applied a steroid cream to the area and we are going to monitor it, but she thinks it is just an irritated spot on Molly's skin that may have been before shaving or might have been caused by shaving.

According to the vet, the surgery went well. She feels confident that she got clear margins. The tumor will be sent out today for biopsy and the results should be in by next Tuesday. The vet said that she will call me when she gets the results.

So Matt and I were able to pick up Molly early - according to the vet because she didn't so much love the cage and was "singing." So we were able to pick up Molly at 1:00 pm instead of 4:00 pm. After arriving at home, Matt and I tried to calm Molly down - she was whining/crying and panting. We went on a walk to the mailbox and back. Matt left about 30 minutes later going back to work for the afternoon and I've been watching Molly still recover from being knocked out in the surgery. She spends most of the time trying to lay down on her operated side - poor kid - while whining. But she has also taken two naps, one that last 20 minutes and she's been in the second one for about 10 minutes now - after I took her out to walk a little bit and gave her about 1/4 a cup of dog food.

Matt and I will keep you updated...but as for right now...we are both glad that Molly's surgery went well and will be spending the next 10 days watching our little one.

Thanks for everyone's concern and care. It was touching.

Molly's having surgery...

Well you might not have known this, but a few years ago, the Bestest and I took Molly to her vet in Florida. It was then that I found out that Molly had a tumor. Specifically, she had a mast cell tumor located on one of her toes. She had surgery the next day to remove the tumor (and later on to remove the whole toe) so it could be sent off for a biopsy. The results came back that Molly had Stage 2 cancer. Stage 1 cancer means removal cures - Stage 2 means removal is necessary to stop spreading, but the cancer can return - and Stage 3 is an exceptionally aggressive form and leads to death. Molly has, since then been tumor and cancer free.

While my mom was in town the other week, she spotted a growth on Molly's belly. We made a vet appointment for the following day to get it checked out. My mom, Matt, and I were relieved to find out that growth was not a tumor and antibiotics cleared it up in a week.

However, this past Saturday, I discovered another growth/lump on Molly's outer left thigh. The vet wasn't open on Sunday so when I called at 7:30 Monday morning, their first appointment for Molly was 2:00 pm Tuesday. Matt and I took Molly to the vet yesterday at 2. After aspirating the lump (sticking a needle into it and then putting what was in the needle on a slide and looking at it under a microscope), the vet, Dr. Nancy Handley returned with the news that the lump was a mast cell tumor.

Unfortunately, the vet did not have any availability to do the surgery today, so Molly is scheduled to undergo surgery tomorrow (Thursday). The incision will have to be exceptionally wide and deep in hopes of clearing the margins. Meaning that when they send it off for biopsy, hopefully they will return saying that is was Stage 2 (or below) and that the ends of the sample were clear of tumor cells.

I don't know when they will send it out or when results are due back in, I will find that out tomorrow. The news was devastating and heart-breaking, but we are hoping for a very productive surgery with good news following.

Molly enjoyed a dinner of Arby's roast beef sandwiches last night and probably some burgers tonight. This morning I set up the downstairs of the townhouse for Molly to get used to new arrangements (adding the futon mattress to the floor and rearranging) since it is where she will be recovering (she isn't allowed to jump and the beds are too high - so she won't be allowed upstairs...we don't want her ripping out her stitches).

She is not allowed to eat after 8:00 pm tonight, and not allowed to drink water after midnight. Tomorrow morning Matt and I will drop her off at the vet at 7:30 am, and after pre-op blood work and surgery, we will pick her up at 3:00 pm. I will be staying home with Molly on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and Matt and I will be discussing a schedule for staying with her for next week. We will let everyone know how she is doing.

So sad to say Goodbye....Will be so glad to say Hi at the end of July!

Well, it has been a whirlwind few weeks with my parents visiting! After the weekend of seeding and planting (sidenote: we have new grass growing already!) - this past week was filled with surprises and fun! Although Matt had to work and I had Barbri class....that didn't stop us! My mom and I went into Arlington one afternoon for a quick stop (spent more time in traffic than we did in Arlington! Ha! Ha!) Then my Dad surprised us all with an early return from Bermuda. My mom and I then left the boys to watch Molly, play Wii Tiger Woods golf, and grill out while we shopped until we dropped at the outlets in Leesburg, Virginia.

It was a great time hanging out with my parents. It's only been a few hours since they drove away, but I already miss them. Matt and I can't thank them enough for everything they did for us while they were here - especially helping to make Charlottesville feel like home.

So although it was sad to wave goodbye to them this morning as they began the drive back to Florida, Matt and I will be glad to say Hi at the end of July...beginning of August.

Here's hoping the next 53 days fly by (yes, I counted the days)!

A year ago today...

What were you doing a year ago today at exactly 6:02 pm (EST)?

Well, I'm guessing that you probably have no idea! Sucks to be you! Ha! Ha! I'm just kidding. Let's face it - any other day Matt and I would probably be in the same boat as you....I mean that was 365 days ago....we'd probably be in the same boat as you if we tried to just remember 30 days ago....but not today!

It was a year ago today that Matt took me to the Lawn on UVA's grounds and proposed at 6:02 pm EST...I'm talking down on one knee with an open black ring box with a beautiful diamonds inside....ending his speech with "Kelly Wallace will you marry me?" and me responding "YES!!"

Well, that makes today our Engagement Anniversary! Awesome right?!?!?! We think so!

Although Matt had to work and I had Barbri class, we "kind of" celebrated tonight. We are actually postponing the actual celebratory dinner until July 2nd, but Matt got me a ice cream scoop and lovely card...and I got him his favorite Arch's frozen yogurt pie with a special message on top!

You know what they say - great minds think alike...and apparently great minds love ice cream! Ha! Ha!

Here's hoping everyone else enjoyed our Engagement Anniversary!

I know you've been wondering what's been going on....

Well, graduation has come and gone...and now I'm getting settled in Charlottesville. Ok, so I was already settled in Charlottesville (kind of) before I drove for graduation...but it's be super busy since getting back here.

I thought my Barbri class started the Monday after graduation, so I left Sunday morning at the crack of dawn to get from B'ham to C'ville. Well, I was wrong. So I had that whole week to get things more together and work-out and prepare (aka went to the gym, took a nap or two, cleaned, laundry). That weekend Matt and I went on a date day Saturday - dinner at Outback and Angels and Demons. Then it was Sunday and my parents arrived!!!! I was so excited to see them. My father is sailing from Norfolk to Bermuda and then back again to gain all his requirements for his captain's license - exciting adventure! So, my mom is hanging out with me in C'ville for the time.

On Memorial Day Matt was off work (yes, you read that right, he got a day off...and it ROCKED)! Matt and I took my parents on a walking tour of UVA's grounds...it was awesome b/c well, although all I really did was walk with them, Matt gave them a tour including history and other awesome facts (streaking on the lawn anyone?)....then we headed to Arch's to make sure they got to taste the best C'ville has to offer (BEST FROZEN YOGURT ANYWHERE)...that night Matt and I treated my parents to dinner to thank them for all they have done for us. Nothing says thanks more than a night at the MELTING POT! We had a very tasty dinner and then it was time for Tuesday. My dad left Tuesday morning at 2:30 am to drive to Norfolk, Matt had to work, and well my mom and I, we played! Wednesday I started my Barbri classes...basically, I am sitting in a classroom from 9-1pm (or earlier/later depending on day/subject)...learning what I was supposed to learn in 3 years at law school! Ha! Ha! It is actually my Virginia Bar Examination preparation course....then I spend the afternoons at the gym/studying/hanging out with my mom.

This past Saturday, while Matt mowed the front and back yards at the townhouse my mom and I set off for Lowes. This is the first time I've had a back yard (with grass) and plants...and my mom and I both decided, it would be nice to have plants that are alive. So we came home from Lowe's with 4 lily plants, 1 rose bush, and 2 "other" plants...and while my mom worked inside the townhouse (putting up window darkening stuff and a new shower head so Molly can get a bath) Matt and I made the backyard look AMAZING! Matt even seeded, and we are hoping that in a week or two we will see some more grass!

Now it is another week of school/gym/studying/hanging with my mom for me....and work for matt!!!