Angel came to The Dog and Cat Cancer Fund as a survivor of Canine Lymphoma following successful chemotherapy treatment. She is a 5 year old American Dingo and her owners Kristie and Johnny have decided that they want to give Angel the chance at a full life and were referred to North Carolina State Veterinary Teaching Hospital. At NCSU they are performing Canine Bone Marrow Transplants – if successful, the treatment could “cure” Angel. The downside? The procedure can cost up to $16,000!
The Dog and Cat Cancer Fund has pledged $750.00 towards Angel’s treatment and Zuke’s – Dog and Cat Treats will match our $750.00 donation.
You can help too!
Please make a donation in Angel’s name by entering an amount in donation box to the right. On the final page make sure you click the link allowing you to add special instructions. Please indicate your donation is to “Save an Angel” and we will bundle your donation with our pledges.
Kristie will be posting updates here and on her website tracking Angel’s treatment. Angel’s story is below.
My name is Kristie Sullens. My husband Johnny and I live in Metairie, la with 2 dogs that we love like children.
Angel is a 5 year old Carolina Yellow Dog aka American Dingo that wandered out of the woods and into our hearts when she was just a pup. Angel has another ½ named Romeo. They are everything to each other. They’re more than friends, lovers, or even family. They’re best mates. They’re a pack.
Johnny and I were married in New Orleans in 7/2009. Romeo was the ring bearer and Angel was the flower girl. 2 weeks after tying the knot Johnny found a lump on Angel’s belly during their daily Poochie Pilates session.
We immediately contacted our trusted family vet. She scheduled Angel to come in the next day to run blood work and diagnose the lump.
She started Angel on 2 medications; Antibiotics to take the swelling down & a drug to stop cell regeneration in case it was a mast cell tumor. The following week we received a call from the vet’s office; the tests came back negative for cancer. We continued the antibiotics & were told to contact the doctor if the tumor persisted. 2 weeks later the lump had been reduced, but it was still very noticeable. The alarming part was Romeo’s constant fussing over Angel’s tummy. This behavior was highly unusual so we took him seriously and called vet right away.
Angel returned to the clinic and the doctor took a deep tissue sample of the lump. 4 days later the tests came back and the Doctor called to give us the gut wrenching news.
Angel’s tests came back and the lump was malignant. Our baby girl tested positive for cancer and she would need to begin treatment ASAP!
We were referred to an internal medicine vet that specializes in Lymphoma. I composed myself, held back a tidal wave of tears & read the number I’d just written through blurry eyes. I dialed the number & scheduled Angel for “staging” the following week. Johnny, Romeo & I accompanied Angel to her appointment as a family.
Angel was diagnosed with Stage II Lymphoma. The doc strongly suggested chemotherapy, but radiation was not an option due to the location of the tumor. Angel’s prognosis w/chemotherapy alone is 6 months–1 year after the chemotherapy protocol has ended.
Fact: 98% of dogs that receive chemotherapy alone will relapse within 6 months to 1 year. The survival rate is only 0-2%. These statistics are unthinkable! Especially when you consider that dogs are affected by cancer 3 times more often than humans.
The first thing out of Johnny’s mouth was, “Is there a cure?” With so many advancements in science he just knew that there had to be something out there to save Angel’s life.
The doctor returned 2 hours later with excellent news! She said, “You wanted a cure, you got it!” While we were waiting for Angel, the doctor was calling her colleagues from across the country to find an answer. All of the doctors came to the same conclusion. The only way to begin CURING canine lymphoma is with, CANINE BONE MARROW TRANSPLANTATION.
The procedure is being offered to the public at North Carolina State University’s Veterinary Teaching. NCSU started offering this procedure in 2008.
Did you know that 95% of transplants performed on humans were tested on dogs first?
Our hopes soared when heard about this once in a lifetime opportunity to save Angel! The Dr. informed us that the average cost for a canine bone marrow transplant procedure is $16,000. My husband didn’t blink before saying, “How long do we have to raise the money?”
The bone marrow transplant is available to dogs in remission for the first time, of a certain age, over 50lbs and with no damage to any organs. If all of the requirements are met she’ll qualify to receive the cure at end of her 25 week chemotherapy protocol.
Angel began chemotherapy on 9/24/09. By week 2 Angel’s CBC showed that Angel was in complete remission after only 1 treatment. The following preliminary tests were administered to qualify Angel for the BMT; bone marrow aspirate – to determine cell type, echo’s – to check her heart & organs, ultra sounds – to check her organs and various blood tests. Angel’s qualifying tests confirmed that Angel is a perfect candidate for the BMT. She’s scheduled to receive the procedure on May 3, 2010 at North Carolina State University. This is the same procedure used on humans, performed on machines that were donated by the Mayo Clinic. They’re called leukopheresis machines and they harvest the patients own stem cells. No donor is necessary!
On April 19, 2010, Angel will begin taking a drug called Neupogen for six days to encourage stem cells to leave the marrow and enter the blood. Once these cells are harvested, Angel’s entire body will be subjected to radiation (called total body radiation or TBI) to kill any remaining cancer cells left. Following the total body irradiation, the marrow is transfused into the patient.
As of 3/22/10, NCSU’s BMT Unit has performed the procedure on 14 dogs with B-cell Lymphoma. Angel will be number 17.
Number of dogs with B cell lymphoma that have received the bone marrow transplant = 14
• 9 are in remission living cancer free lives!
• 2 died from causes un-related to lymphoma.
• 3 have relapsed; 2 are deceased, and 1 is back on chemotherapy and doing well. Dogs who relapse seem to do so within 4 months post transplant.
The longest survivor post-transplant is 15 months and the second longest is at 13 months! Other recipients are 1 to 10 months out from the date they received the BMT. Angel is completely finished with her 25 week protocol and once chemo is stopped there are no guarantees. We’re thrilled that the BMT (Bone Marrow Transplant) and chemo being back to back, because then there is zero room for relapse.
So far we’ve raised $11,000 of the $16,000 needed to save Angel’s life. We purchased pet insurance for the 1st time just before Angel was diagnosed with cancer. Unfortunately, we didn’t purchase a “Cancer Rider” when we enrolled, so what they covered was minimal. Johnny and I you’re your help to pay for Angel’s life-saving procedure. We are still raising donations through events, garage sales & eBay. Chemotherapy: $7,500
Qualifying Exams: $3,000
Pre-BMT Medications: $3,000
Helping a dog win its fight against cancer: PRICELESS!
Angel has the rare opportunity to fight cancer and win! But she can’t do it without your help. We are grateful for anything that you can offer to help us Save Angel’s life, no amount is too small. We have until May 3, 2010 to save Angel’s life and I’m confident that with your help we will reach our goal in time! We encourage you to share this story with your friends, prayer groups, families and message boards! Thank you! Kristie Sullens – Angel’s Mama
Great news Kristie!
Thanks for the update and we hope you and your family have a wonderful Holiday.
Break out the champagne and let the celebration begin! Angel had her 6 month check-up, post BMT and she is still 100% CANCER FREE!! She is fit as a fiddle and her energy is through the roof
Angel’s been living life to the fullest and loving every single minute! We are so thankful for this time Angel’s been given. THANK YOU Dog and Cat Cancer Fund for saving Angel’s life!! 
Kristie Sullens — Angel’s Mama xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
Hello everyone, Angel is still 100% cancer free and she is feeling fantastic! Her platelets are back to normal and her next visit to the vet is on 9/10/10. This visit will mark 4 months since she received the Canine Bone Marrow Transplant and we are so excited! NCSU told us that the dogs that relapsed did so within 3 1/2 months.
Now that Angel is approaching 4 months she is considered a true survivor!! While there is no exact way to know when a dog can be considered ‘out of the woods’, according to Dr. Suter at North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, “with all 4 dogs where the procedure did NOT work, they relapsed within about 3 1/2 months. So, my feeling is that if a patient makes it past this post-BMT timeframe, they will most likely be “cured” or very long-term survivors, remaining cancer free for 2 years or more.”
HOORAY! And this is all possible because of the financial and emotional support that we received from the Dog and Cat Cancer Fund. THANK YOU FOR HELPING US SAVE ANGEL’S LIFE!! We cherish every single moment that you’ve given us with our girl
Update June 22, 2010: I can hear Angel pacing around the house as I type this. She’s sniffing furiously for something that will entertain her. She’s going bonkers from being told, “No, no Angel…Put that down. Go lie down. Don’t mess with Doo Doo. ANGEL DON’T RUN!” Angel is feeling MUCH better and she’s got the energy to prove it!
Doo Doo doesn’t even think about starting something up with Angel because every time he does, Angel ends up taking her irritation out on him; she embodies the phrase “wound up”. Doo Doo is taking it like a man, but we are all SO ready for the waiting to be over! Angel’s next appointment is this Thursday at 1:00pm. She wasn’t supposed to go for another month, but Nurse Amy wanted to be certain that Angel’s platelets are where they should be.
Angel’s weight is holding steady at 80lbs and she is eating like a horse! Her hair is still very thin, but it doesn’t seem to be balding or coming out faster than usual, thank goodness! I’d hate to have to put sunscreen on her when I take her running in 2 weeks
She’s still weak in her hind quarters, but she’s starting to do more things on her own. She can climb on the couch all by herself and she’s even starting to balance on her back legs for treats which is a huge relief.
We’ve always given Angel daily massages, because she’s rotten, but now they serve a purpose
She gets massaged twice a day and it appears to relieve some of the discomfort she’s been experiencing. Her skin is a little sensitive in some areas, but for the most part she’s very open to being rubbed just about anywhere.
Hopefully, Angels muscles will continue responding to the massage and pending exercise.I’m considering getting Angel certified as a therapy dog once she’s cleared. I think that a lot of people could benefit from watching her light shine! Plus she’d love the attention.)There is also the need for her to earn back some karma points so we hope this is a good first step
Angel is still her super sweet, lovable, adorable, happy, attentive, perfect self!! It’s been a pleasure taking care of Angel during her recovery. She’s amazing dog and every morning when I wake up and stare at her from across the pillow I think of all of you -the people that have made Angel’s life possible. I’m eternally grateful for this gift we’ve been given. THANK YOU!!!! I’ll update again on Thursday
Most Sincerely,
Kristie Sullens
Update June 15, 2010:
Usually Angel would just be getting out of the vet about this time, but today she’s free to relax and nap through it. As you know, Angel’s energy level has doubled over the last week and she is gaining speed! That’s why Johnny & I decided that she would benefit from a short walk. Around 5:30am this morning, Johnny and I loaded the dogs in the car and drove 3 minutes to the levee right off of the Mississippi River. You can’t see the river, but it’s got a huge track w/grass on both sides that’s perfect for sniffing. It was still dark outside which made it cool enough to enjoy a leisurely stroll.
It was the 1st walk Angel’s had outside of the house in over a week and she’s showing wonderful improvement! She walked about 1 block up, sniffed, went potty & walked 1 block back. A few weeks ago this journey would have left her panting and struggling to put one foot in front of the other. But today she walked with her head held high and when she finished she didn’t show the slightest hint of stress or exhaustion
Angel & Doo Doo REALLY their 15 minutes of freedom and we did too! I can’t wait until we can reincorporate this into our morning routine. Just a few more weeks!! I’ll update again soon 
Thank you for following Angel’s progress.
Most Sincerely,
Kristie Sullens — Angel’s Mama
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
Update June 3, 2010: Hello everyone! The reason that I’ve taken so long to update is because there hasn’t been much to tell; this is a good thing
Angel is on bed rest until July 2, 2010 and she’s loving every minute of it! We’ve been given strict orders to make sure she sleeps a lot, walks very little and doesn’t play with Romeo at all. This is mainly to ensure that she uses all of her energy for making platelets. This is critical because she received a transfusion at NCSU and duplicating that would be next to impossible.
We moved to a new home over Memorial Day weekend and Angel loves her new yard & front porch! We wanted to wait a few weeks, but we rent so the timing was out of our control. This was the only time that Angel was forced to move about more than she should have. She handled it like a trooper and was back on bed rest the instant that we moved our mattress into our new bedroom and placed it on the floor. She is weak in her legs so crawling into the bed is difficult for her. So for the next 4 weeks the mattress will stay on the floor and I’ll continue to share my side of the bed with Princess Angel
She’s slept between us every single night since she’s been home and Romeo’s been right behind her at our feet.
We took her to the doctor on Tuesday to get her platelets checked. This was her 2nd appointment since she’s been home. She’ll get her blood checked weekly until her platelets are up to 100,000. Healthy “normal” numbers are 200,000. Angel is currently up to 60,000 from 40,000 last week
This is excellent news, but it should be a bit higher and we hope that keeping her 100% stress free over these next few weeks will do the trick.
They said that Angel would lose her hair, from the irradiation she received, and she has lost a lot but it isn’t coming out any faster than usual. They said that when the dogs lose their hair it usually grows back white. Her weight is holding steady at 81 lbs and she’s still just as much of a piggy as she was before
She just eats smaller amounts throughout the day vs 2 meals; we feed her 2 cups total each day.
Angel is still very loving, happy and affectionate! She and Romeo are best buddy’s and it’s a joy to see them with each other. Absence truly does make the heart grow fonder…Angel has another appointment on Tuesday to get her platelets checked. I’ll update you then, unless something exciting happens
As always, thank you for Angel’s progress!
Most Sincerely,
Kristie Sullens — Angel’s Mama
xoxoxoxoxoxoxox
Free at last! Free at last! Thanks to you and the wonderful people at NCSU Angel is cancer free at last!!! We picked Angel up on Friday, 5/21/10 and she was thrilled to see Romeo! There was a very emotional goodbye with Angel’s new best friend, Nurse Amy. There were at least 15 people that showed up to see Angel off and to tell us how much they loved having her as a patient. It was an amazing feeling. She’s quite the celebrity!
Angel lost 6 lbs and they’ve predicted that she’ll lose most of her hair from the irradiation. The good news is that she was returned to us even more spoiled than she was when we left her! We couldn’t ask for more
We are home now and Angel is acting like a very sleepy version of herself, but that’s OK because she and Romeo have TONS of cuddling to catch up on
They’ve been stuck together like glue since they hopped into the car to head back home. We are so grateful for everything that The Dog and Cat Cancer Fund has done to help us save Angel’s life…THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts!! We will continue to update you on Angel’s progress as long as you’ll have us 
Kristie Sullens — Angel’s Mama
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
This morning Johnny, Angel and I (Kristie) are packing up the car and heading to North Carolina to pick up Angel from NC State! We are SO excited to see her
THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU’VE DONE TO GIVE ANGEL THIS SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE!! We are forever grateful to you and we promise to pay it forward!
We will update the website as soon as we get home
Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support. Angel is the 1st of many dogs that we plan to save. ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE with Saints like you at our side 
HUGS & KISSES TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU!!
Kristie Sullens — Angel’s Mama
xoxoxoxoxoxoxox
Update Wednesday May 19, 2010: The Dr. called this morning and said, “Come get your girl! She’s ready to go!” WOOT WOOT!! Her numbers are through the roof, her platelets are 46,000! Hooray!! Angel’s tummy is settled today and she’s back to acting like her sassy self! Yay!
Nurse Amy pulled Angel’s catheter today and she’s bandage free!! She loves not having any bandages and she really loves getting the back of her neck scratched.
We will head to North Carolina tomorrow to pick up our SURVIVOR
THIS IS IT! Thank you – ALL OF YOU – for giving Angel the opportunity to fight cancer & WIN!! She owes her life to you and we can’t wait to pay it forward 
THANK YOU for following Angel’s progress!
Kristie Sullens — Angel’s Mama — xoxoxoxoxoxoxox
Update Monday May 17, 2010:Angel is doing really well today! She is perky, wagging her tail, giving kisses & eating great! She definitely feels much better after her transfusion
Her bloodwork looks awesome! Her White blood cells=3160 & the Neutrophils=2307. Her platelets are still at 7,000.
They say that its normal for the numbers to lower a bit after a transfusion. It gave Angel the “band aid” she needed while her own platelets are being made. They will check that number again tomorrow morning and it should be higher. They think that she is probably making her own platelets now and she shouldn’t need another transfusion. She feels great! They discontinued most of her medications today and will wean her off of her fluids over the next couple of days. If tomorrow’s numbers bring good news then she could be coming home as early as Friday!! I’ll update you as more information comes in…
Update Tuesday May 18, 2010
Nurse Amy said that Angel is doing awesome today! When she arrived to work this morning Angel was barking & pawing at the cage door – just full of herself! She said Angel almost ran outside!! Once outside Angel trotted around having a good ol time. Amy had to tell her to settle down!
Angel has 34,000 platelets today!! Woot! Her neutrophils are 4,223 & her total white count is 5,150, which is Awesome!!
Her antibiotics have been given through her IV (in her catheter) and today they started her on the oral antibiotics. This is the only antibiotic she’ll take and it’s just because they are being extra careful
Nurse Amy thinks that they made her a bit nauseous – she threw up her breakfast. So, Nurse Amy gave Angel some anti-nausea meds first, then food, then a couple hours later the antibiotic. Hopefully that works better for her tomorrow. Even with that tiny adjustment she is still feeling great!!
Dr. Suter will call sometime this evening. It’s looking like Angel will get to come home on Friday!! I’ll update again when I hear back. Thank you for following Angel’s progress!
Most Sincerely,
Kristie Sullens — Angel’s Mama
xoxoxoxoxoxoxox
I just got off of the phone with Dr. Suter. He said that the transfusion went smoothly & Angel is feeling awesome today! Her white blood cells are up to 3,000 today and climbing! Dr. Suter says her platelets were at 0 yesterday but that the transfusion was the perfect band-aid and now they are up to a safe level
As Angel’s number’s rise her platelets will too. When this happens they’ll start to wean Angel off of the antibiotics!! This means that her healthy immune system has kicked in & her body will be taking care of itself! Her earliest release date is Friday, 5/21/10, and the latest is Monday, 5/24/10!!
As always, I’ll keep you updated as more information comes in.
Thank you for following Angel’s progress!
Most Sincerely,
Kristie Sullens — Angel’s Mama
xoxoxoxoxoxoxox
I just heard from Dr. Suter & he said that Angel is doing well. Her neutrophils are up to 1,000 from 34 yesterday and rising! Her energy level has increased & she’s eating and drinking like a little piggy
Angel sneezed blood this morning at 4am, so she’s scheduled to receive a transfusion this afternoon. Her platelets are at 15,000 which is low; healthy numbers are around 200,000. This is totally expected and Dr. Suter told us to look at it as a routine band-aid that will get Angel through until her body adjusts.
Out of the 25 dogs that have received the bone marrow transplant there is only one dog that’s needed 2 transfusions and 1 that needed 8. All of the others needed 1 or none
Angel’s numbers will continue to rise, and as they do they’ll send out signals to her body to create more platelets.
The donor dog belongs to a member of the NC State staff and he is giving blood as I type. They’ll irradiate the donor dogs blood to kill all of the white blood cells. The irradiation takes 15 minutes & they’ll use the same machine that was used for Angel’s treatment on Friday 5/7/10.
Once they’ve “cleaned” the blood they’ll administer the transfusion; this process takes 4-6 hours. They hope that Angel will be out of ICU in the next 2 days! For now she’s being carted outside twice each day to go potty on her own private patch of grass.
Dr. Suter said that this is Angel’s final hurdle and that once she gets past this she’ll be home free
As always, thank you for following Angel’s progress and for your continued love and support!
I’ll update again tonight after I hear from Dr. Suter.
THE TRANSPLANT WORKED!! Angel’s neutrophils are up to 34 from 0 yesterday & her White Blood cells are on the rise
Angel’s platelets dropped from 54,000 yesterday to 4,000 today, so she’s been transferred to ICU where she’ll be checked hourly for bleeding. She’s been matched with a doggy donor that is on-site all weekend, so she’ll be safe if a transfusion is needed. Dr. Suter says that Angel’s progress is 8/10!
Now we just wait and watch as her platelets level out and her neutrophils continue to rise; from here on out it’s all about recovery.
Angel’s going to live a VERY long, healthy and happy life!! Thank you for following her progress and cheering her on along the way. We are grateful to all of you that have donated and continue to donate to help pay for Angel’s life-saving transplant
Kristie Sullens — Angel’s Mama
xoxoxoxoxoxoxox
Update for Monday May 10, 2010: A.M. Update: Angel is still feeling great! She’s eating all of her food and she’s not showing any sings of an upset stomach from the irradiation. Wed her white blood cells go to zero-this is the most critical point-considering her progress I’m confident she’ll sail through it
Dr. Suter says she’s SOOO SWEET! It warms my heart that this experience hasn’t changed her 
Update for Monday May 10, 2010: P.M. Update: Angel’s in good spirits, but a little queasy. Tomorrow her white blood cells will go down to zero and she’ll be checked into ICU aka Isolation. Isolation is necessary because she’ll have no immune system. They expect this and she’s moving right on schedule! We’ll know by this weekend if the transplant worked. They can tell this by watching her neutrophils go from 0-3 to 1,000 & Up! This is Angel’s hardest week yet, but after this she’s home free!
Update for Tuesday May 11: Angel’s was moved into ICU today = Total Isolation. Her immune system is near zero, and they expect her numbers to rise by Thursday or Friday! Doc says she’s feeling great, eating & doing her biz as usual. No upset tummy or depression to speak of, just good ol’ fashion boredom
Dr. Suter always makes sure to tell me how dripping sweet Angel is and how much everyone loves her.
Update for Wednesday May 12, 2010 A.M.: Angel is such a good girl that she refused to go potty inside of her isolation room! So, Nurse Amy had Angel carted to a “safe” spot of grass to do her biz this am
She said that Angel was very relieved and she had fun riding on the cart!
Update for Wednesday May 12, 2010 P.M: Angel’s white blood cells are currently sitting around 100
Once her cells start to rise above that number then we’ll know that the transplant worked! Hopefully tomorrow’s blood tests will reveal the answer that we’ve all been waiting for! If it doesn’t happen tomorrow then we will know by Friday at the latest 
Angel can leave isolation once her White Blood Cells cells skyrocket to a safe number, which should be very soon! She gets carted outside to go potty once each day
The doctor said that her spirits are high & she’s getting tons of love & attention! Nurse Amy says she’s very popular and making lots of new friends 
Update for Thursday May 13, 2010: Angel’s neutrophils are at zero today. Dr. Suter says that the dogs are always depressed when their neutrophils get that low. Let the waiting game begin! Tomorrow Angel’s numbers should be on the rise which will prove that the transplant worked! She went potty in her room RIGHT before they were going to break down & take her outside. That’s a really good thing for Angel because isolation is her friend, today more than ever. I’ll update you again tomorrow! THANK YOU for following Angel’s progress!
Kristie Sullens — Angel’s Mama — xoxoxoxoxoxoxox
Dear Elaine, I’m so sorry that I missed your post! Thank you for writing with your story. I’m so sorry for your loss, but am happy that you got to live so much life with your kitties. Lymphoma is a very sad diagnosis and unfortunately it is much too common. My heart goes out to the family that lost their beloved lab. Hopefully one day soon we can swing the statistics in their favor!
Hi Kristie,
Thanks for the update and the news that Angel is doing well.
We’re all hoping for a great report on how she’s handling the radiation.
Chris
ANGEL RECEIVED THE BONE MARROW TRANSPLANT ON FRIDAY 5/7/10! Everything went perfectly and Dr. Suter said that Angel is doing fantastic! She will be medically normal Sat & Sun; if the irradiation makes her sick then she will show signs by Monday.
Angel was still in great shape on Saturday and the doctor said she was eating with vigor
She’s being super sweet to everyone she meets and is thoroughly enjoying her long morning walks around the large animal hospital. Monday will reveal how well Angel’s body is handling the irradiation. I’ll update everyone tomorrow after I hear from Dr. Suter.
Thank you for Angel’s progress!
Most Sincerely,
Kristie Sullens — Angel’s Mama
xoxoxoxoxoxoxox
I just found you through Zuke’s Natural Treats website. I’m so glad I did. I’ve lost several cats to cancer; the only good thing I can say is that they were quite old and lived a good life. Last week I was at the vet with my corgi/jack russell mix and an older couple was there with their 4 year-old brown lab. He had cancer and they were there to have him euthanized. He was a gorgeous boy and his owners were so distraught. Everyone at the clinic was in tears. Let’s all work together to find a cure for this terrible disease..whether in humans or or 4-legged animal companions.
Dr. Suter called last night to let us know that Angel is still 100% cancer free! They moved forward and performed the Leukopheresis Procedure today. This is procedure will harvest Angel’s stem cells for implantation tomorrow, it’s sort of like dialysis. Angel was placed under light sedation, Dr. Suter had to speak quietly so he didn’t wake her.
The procedure is painless in humans, but they often complain of being cold. They assume that it’s the same for dogs, so they put a blanket over them to keep them warm.
The machine was running for 4-5 hours and then Dr. Suter called with wonderful news! Angel produced 1.7 million more cells than needed for the transplant! Humans sometimes save these cells, but Dr. Suter gives them all back
The more cells there are to pump in, the higher Angel’s chances of living cancer free for the rest of her long and happy life!
Tomorrow morning at 7am EST Angel will be prepped for full body irradiation. She will receive 2 doses of radiation in 1 hour intervals and Angel will be heavily sedated for the duration of the procedures.
They will take a 3 hour break between each hour on. After the radiation is complete Angel will receive her life-saving Canine Bone Marrow Transplant! This procedure has “taken” every time and they expect Angel to sail through with ease
She will wake up in ICU in a sterile room, safe from any outside germs or bacteria. The irradiation will wipe out her immune system, so the clean environment is critical to her recovery. I’ll keep you all updated as information comes in.
Thank you for following Angel’s progress!
Most Sincerely,
Kristie Sullens — Angel’s Mama
xoxoxoxoxoxoxox
Angel had the best time on her road trip to the cure! We arrived in North Carolina early this morning (5/3/10) and after some much needed rest, Angel went exploring with Romeo
We spoke to NCSU this morning to get all of the details. They informed us that Angel will receive another bone marrow aspirate tomorrow,which requires a heavy sedative, so she’s not allowed to eat anything in the morning.
We will meet with Dr. Suter and her “new Mama”, Nurse Amy, to discuss Angel’s recovery and what we can expect over the next 3 weeks. Tomorrow we will kiss Angel goodbye and head back to New Orleans where we will monitor her progress online. NCSU has provided a live web cam in Angel’s room that will allow us to monitor her progress 24/7.
We plan to share this video if the school permits it. I’ll update you tomorrow when we know more
THANK YOU for following Angel’s progress!
Kristie Sullens — Angel’s Mama — xoxoxoxoxoxoxox
Tomorrow morning Angel will make her way to the cure! (5/2/10) We will load the car tonight and head out 1st thing in the morning. Romeo, Angel, Johnny and I (Kristie) will drive 12 hours from New Orleans to North Carolina.
We will get some rest and head to North Carolina State University on Monday. We arrived a day early so that Angel has the opportunity to meet her new friends and get used to her new surroundings. Monday evening we will buy Angel a steak dinner- or something like it – and then we’ll shower her with love and pray for her speedy recovery.
Tuesday, 5/4/10, we will check Angel into NCSU, This is when we will say goodbye to Angel and head back to Louisiana. NCSU will be Angel’s home for the next 2.5-3 weeks.
Angel’s Schedule:
May 1st: Neupogen injections (There are 10 bottles)
May 4th: Angel checks in at North Carolina State University
May 6th: Angel’s Leukaphresis Procedure
May 7th: Angel’s total body irradiation & transplant
We hope that watching Angel’s progress while she undergoes this life-saving procedure will inspire you to give and to help spread the word
I’ll send another update soon. Thank you for reading this!
Kristie Sullens — Angel’s Mama
xoxoxoxoxoxoxox
Thank you Dog and Cat Cancer Fund for all that you’re doing save Angel’s life! Angel has a surprising amount of energy this evening and an appetite to match
She begins taking Neupogen shots tomorrow morning in preparation for the bone marrow transplant.
There is a possibility that the medication could make her sick. She hasn’t had any trouble with nauseousness thus far, so I’m expecting her to get through it with ease. The Neupogen shots cost $3,000 for 6 doses. Angel has an appointment with Dr. Garon tomorrow morning, where she’ll show Johnny and I how to administer the shots from home. The shots will be administered twice per day for 3 days. The vials will be transported by car to North Carolina where they are to remain in cooler or refrigerator.
I’ll update again tomorrow to let you know how the appointment goes! Thanks again Dog and Cat Cancer Fund for helping us save Angel’s life
And thanks to all of you for reading this!
Kristie Sullens — Angel’s Mama
xoxoxoxoxoxoxox
[...] Save an “Angel” | The Dog and Cat Cancer Fund [...]