Miss Lily, Miss Lily -

Well, after three chemo treatments and two full months of being sick, Miss Lily is still herself. She might be quite a bit chunkier and grunts all the time because of all the extra weight, but she is still feisty and playful at times. She keeps me awake at night sometimes from snoring, but she is still a joy to have. We are thankful for all the time we are being given with her.
Speaking of which - last Tuesday when I took her to the vet to have her 3rd round of chemo, I asked our regular vet how we would know (next February) that the GME was gone ... she told me she was unsure and that would be a question for the neurologist. I told her that I remembered him telling us he would NOT have to do another MRI (cha-ching) so that after a year she would just be off of all of the meds and be in remission. I was confused by this, because I am the type of person that doesn't like to go on assumptions. I want to know for sure that things are right before we just assume the GME is gone a year from when it began. I obviously don't want to have to pay for another MRI and spinal tap, because goodness knows it cost us enough the first time, but I do want to know that my Lily has come out of this and she hopefully won't go back (relapse). When my regular vet didn't have an answer, I got really down and just started praying for God to show me some guidance and to give me some faith in the doctors that they are doing what's right to get Lily better and give her a good long life after this GME monster is gone.
So, against my own wishes and against what the neuro had told me, I got back online that afternoon to try to find some good news about her disease. At first, of course all I read was negative, which was why I had quit reading it to begin with. Then, I changed my google search to read the entired name of the disease rather than just the acronym GME (granulomatous meningoencephalitis). It brought up new links I had never seen before, and the best part is it brought up a link to a Yahoo Group called NewGMEDogs. I joined the group, which is something I normally would not do, BUT it was the hope God had sent me. There are dogs on this group that have been in remission from GME for 8, 9 and 10 years and are leading completely healthy and happy lives. The more I read, the better I think Lily's chances are. When she was first diagnosed, the neuro doc here in Charlotte did tell us she had a very MILD case of GME and that we had caught it early. From everything I am reading on this board, we have been lucky with Lily. She has not suffered many of the side effects the other dogs have seen with the GME. She had the seizures, but other dogs had suffered mild and acute paralysis and other really bad effects from the GME and their owners didn't have the resources I had and didn't get the diagnosis as quickly as we did. I am very thankful that God placed the doctors in my life that we have. They have been woooooooonderful!
As a result of finding the group online, it all started centered around a doctor in Massachusetts. He is a GME specialist and a doggie neurologist. He has 90% success rate with treating dogs with GME and he is extremely knowledgable from all that I have read. He is willing to work with my regular vet to get Lily EVERYTHING she needs to get into remission and stay there with no relapses. I really have faith that God led me to this website and gave me this resource so that Lily can get better and lead a long, healthy and happy life. I really hope this is what happens. I will keep updating the blog as I can and as things continue to progress. Hopefully we will continue to see good progress and the posts will be happy events going on with this sweet little dog. I love her to death and she is just such a light in our lives.
Please continue to pray for Lily and for us. By no means does this doctor seem to have a miracle drug, and her treatment will still be ongoing for at least a year, but we are hoping that once she does come off of all the medication she will be the same old Lily she was before this horrible monster attacked her brain! Thank you all for your continued support and prayers - I know she is doing better because of all of the prayers and love!