Oliver completed radiation!!

[Catty1]

What a clever boy! You'll have to add Houdini as a middle name!

I am glad the side effects have been few, and that any that do show up in the next 6 treatments are not too bad.

I take it his appetite has not been affected?

What happens after the radiation is done? Is there a waiting period and then a test of some kind to give Oliver the all-clear?

[emily_the_spoiled]

After he finishes his radiation he is put on piroxicam in an attempt to prevent the cancer from coming back (similar to tamoxifen for breast cancer). Unfortunately there is no test he can be given to determine whether he is cancer free. I just have to cross my fingers and hope that is doesn't come back (along with the tamoxifen). There is a high probability that it will come back with a low 1-year survival rate. But if he makes it to one year he is likely to survive.

I am trying to keep positive thoughts about this because he had clean edges when they remove the cancer and it had not spread to the lymph nodes or lungs. When they tested the biopsy, they found that this particular type of cancer had a high mitotic rate (which means that is grows very quickly). So that is the down side, but this also means that it may be more responsive to the radiation.

[phesina]

More prayers and good wishes and healing energies for you from us, Oscar Houdini! (What a clever boy you are!)