PATHOLOGY REPORTS

Dakota got two tension stitches removed this morning. She'll get the rest of her stitches out next Thursday--hopefully. This assumes we can keep her in a T shirt and keep her from licking the stitches. She's actually been very good about wearing her T shirt and she even keeps them remarkably clean.

Her pathology reports came in from the University of MO. I had hoped for a Grade 1, she got a Grade 2. Grade 2 is much better than the Grade 3 she got the last time she had cancer. Even better news is that the pathology reports said that Terri was able to get all the cancer cells. They remove a full two inches of tissue around the tumor in the hopes that the edges of the removed tissue will be free of cancer. The edges of the removed tissue was free of cancer. Last time, Terri was not able to get it all because the cancer had spread beyond the two inch margin and she had been forced to remove a substantial amount of muscle. Dakota still has a "dent" from her surgery in 2006. We had hoped the chemo she had in 2006/2007 would kill everything that Terri could not surgically remove.

I don't know if this current cancer represents cells that survived the prior chemo or if it is a genetic vulnerablility that Dakota has, but she'll start her second round of chemo later in the month after the stiches are completely removed.

I am just so thankful that Eric found the tumor during one of his nightly massage sessions with Dakota because it was too small to see with the naked eye. I'm sure that it's early discovery is a major reasons that it didn't get a chance to make it to Grade 3.

VET VISIT

Dakota had to have her stitches checked today. They aren't ready to come out and she has a tiny bit of serum buildup. Terri said to keep her on the Benedryl and the antibiotic, but that the stitches looked really good. There are two tension stitches that may be able to come out Thursday. The remaining 45 will come out in about two weeks.

The pathology reports have not come in yet. I wanted Terri to do Dakota's blood work today and start her on chemo Thursday. But, she refused explaining that we had to wait for the pathology report because all cancers are different and require a specific chemo recipe. She doesn't want to be giving Dakota chemo that is not going to do her any good.

I'm eager to get it started as soon as possible because this is her second cancer episode and I want to do everything possible to kill the cancer as quickly as possible. But, we're going to have to wait.

This was the kind of VET visit Dakota likes. They looked at her stitches, but didn't do anything to her. She got lots of love from all the staff, got lots of pets, had a nice car ride and got treats, but they didn't do anything to her. She likes to go visit, but doesn't enjoy having stuff done to her.

DYLAN'S PONY TAIL

Tomorrow, Eric and I are scheduled to meet Barry at a prison up Northeast of here and transfer six gigantic boxes of data and evidence from Eric's vehicle to Barry's SUV. He'll take the boxes back to Chicago where it will be safely sorted, cataloged and stored forever. Normally, I just load the car I drive up with the boxes and do the transfer myself, but this time there is too much data and too much evidence to go in the car I drive. This time we actually needed a truck!

We're not just transferring the boxes. I have a case to evaluate and Barry has records to review. Neither of us are driving that far just to transfer boxes. I appreciate Eric doing this for me and I'll fill his truck with gasoline because it's a 2 hour drive one way. Gasoline is a very real expense in my work even though I'm reimbursed for a part of it.

The boxes represent the leftovers of the work I've completed in the last six months which must be carefully stored forever because we never know when the tables may turn and we may end up back in court with one of these guys. We work very hard to prevent "lost evidence" and a damaged "chain of custody". I have quite enough frustration with the issue of "lost evidence" during my investigatory process. I don't want anyone else to have those difficulties because I was careless.

Personally, transfer day is always a day of celebration for me--this time especially so! Right now, there are so many huge boxes and they are taking up so much floor space that it's difficult to move around in my office. Plus, the dogs can't find a comfortable spot to plop down. I put a pillow under my writing table for them, but they don't like the pillow or that it's under the table. I think they prefer their backs in a corner so no one can sneak up on them. Or, maybe that's just me. I always prefer my back in a corner or against the wall so I can see the entry and the windows in restaurants.

Additionally, two of the cases were such heinous crimes that I almost experience the data, the records, and the evidence as somehow tainting my office. There will be the unfinished cases still in the credenza awaiting trial, but much of it will be out of my office. Unfortunately, I still have Dylan's pony tail. Dylan is a victim who was 5 years old at the time and his pony tail was taken as a trophy. I have it in a sealed plastic evidence bag, stored in a locked safe, so I can use it at trial. You would think any criminal would realize that Dylan's parents would notice their child's pony tail was missing and realize that "something" was amiss. But, criminals don't think exactly like non-criminals.

CHICKEN PICCATA

I love Chicken Piccata. It's an unbelievably wonderful, very light chicken dish made with flattened chicken breasts in a light lemon, butter and white wine sauce.

There's a wonderful section of town called "The Hill" that still has aged Italian people who own and run some of the best Italian restaurants you'll find in the United States--probably some of the best you'll find outside of Italy. And, the streets are still peopled with aged women wearing the traditional widows garb of elderly Italian women. The streets are crowded with old shops overflowing with fresh herbs, fresh vegetables, and specialty Italian meats. There are also shabby little shops selling antique furniture. The outside of the churches are usually shabby old South St. Louis brick--keeping secret the inside of the churches--so beautiful they take your breath away.

The first place I ever had Chicken Piccata was in one of those small restaurants on "The Hill". It literally melts in your mouth. So today, I am headed out to the grocery to buy the ingredients and tonight I shall try my hand at making Chicken Piccata. I'm going to serve it with Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes and Oven Roasted Red and Yellow Onion Wedges that have been marinated in oil, vinegar, and herbs prior to cooking. I could also make the Pear and Apple Crisp that usually goes with it, but I probably won't. The Chicken Piccata and veggies should be more than enough for tonight.

We shall see if it lives up to my expectations and my memory.

BLOGGING

I've been trying my best to encourage Eric to set up his own blog. I've had no luck so far. It's a shame because he is such a wonderfully talented writer.

It would also give him a place to vent his anger at the news media. As all of you know by now, I value the fourth estate above all else in this country and believe strongly that if we did not have a free press that our form of government would be in very serious trouble (if it continued as we know it at all).

Eric knows that when I left for college at 18, I went to Indiana University on a full journalism honors scholarship. While I took another road later in life, my heart and soul have always been with investigative journalism. I think his long held rage at the news media interferes with any ability he may have to recognize how disrespectful he is of my most deeply held beliefs.

I don't know if this anger he has at journalism has been with him throughout his entire life or if it started during Viet Nam. I know he's very angry about what he believes was the news coverage during the Viet Nam war. He was in Viet Nam and I was here watching the news with even more interest than I have today. I can assure you the media was NOT disrespectful to the men and women who fought and died in that war. They did report accurately on the mishandling of the war by our leaders, but reporting accurately on the misdeeds of politicians is not the same as disrespecting the men and women who fought and died in that war.

Right now, even if they are covering the weather in the southestern United States, he's angry because they aren't covering the local weather. He seems to forget that when we are having severe weather locally that it is covered.

He gets angry every time something comes on about Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. He considers it "publicity" for the democrats and always manages to miss the extended coverage of John McCain's speeches and campaign stops. I suspect that Obama and Clinton would love for the media to just stop covering them quite as closely and as in depth as they have been. The kind and intensity of coverage they have been getting no one in their right mind wants.

What Eric fails to understand is that our citizens (right now) are very taken with (possibly lost in) anything that has to do with celebrity. It's the reason we are so inundated with information about the Spears woman and Angelina and Brad.

Right now, this issue of an African American man and a female at odds with each other is what people are interested in watching. It's our peoples way of feeling "involved" right now. This fascination with Spears and Brad and Angelina is a way for our people to feel involved with famous rich people who live lives the rest of us could never even imagine. It speaks to the need for our people to "get a life" of their own. None of this helps the Democrats. All of this coverage of this unfortunate situation certainly helps the Republicans.

Anyway, I have been hoping he'd start a blog and spew some of his venom through the blog. For now, I've more or less taken up residence in my office where I can watch the news if and when I want to. I'm one of those incredibly blessed people who can simply tune out nonsense and chatter on the news and pick up the important tidbits that I want or need to retain. The election will eventually be over and then maybe it will be safe to venture into the main part of the house again.

Dakota's in surgery

Dakota, our Kentucky rescue dog, is in surgery. I should be able to go pick her up at 3:30 if everything goes well. Then, her tumor gets sent to the University of MO and in a few days we will be informed of the "grade" and the efficacy of trying chemo again. This will be her second time around.

Everybody pray it is Grade One. She's only 8 years old. Of course, to us it would make no difference if she was 25 years old.

Since she's under anesthesia anyway--I don't like putting the animals under anesthesia if I can avoid it--we're having her teeth cleaned. The last time she was in for a check up the VET said she had some tartar beginning to form. Tartar can be very bad for their health.

ANNIE PHONED

Actually, Lori phoned because Annie is not well enough to make her hands work yet. But, last night Annie talked on the phone. She only talked about 1 minute and you can tell it is a major effort. She's talking with her trach which means she has to put her finger over it and get what few words out that she can before she needs to take a breath. She sounds a lot like Darth Vader, but none of that matters. She's feeling enough better that she wants to make contact and struggled to make the effort. That's what matters.

The muscles in her chest are very sore from all this breathing stuff. I doubt that most people in the world understand how much energy and effort it takes to breathe.

She's better and for that I am deeply grateful to God and her excellent medicaal providers.