The Big C

4/25/2017

As we were waiting for the Vet to come back into the room, I looked my baby girl in the face and took a deep breath. This was the last time I would look at her without knowing the battle we were facing.
The news came hard and fast.

"Bella has cancer. Bone Cancer. Her right front ankle."
"This is where they get it", the Vet said. "At the end of the long bones in the legs. These large dogs are prone to it. She is only 6 years old. I'm sorry."

She had only started limping a few days ago. A swelling on her ankle made it look like inflammation related to injury. It seemed fixable. Temporary. Just pop on over to the vet and have them make the repair.
Now I'm hearing words like Osteosarcoma. Surgery. Amputation. Pain management.

No one chooses this path, it chooses us. I can't possibly imagine what we have ahead, although I have heard the stories. Many have traveled this journey before us. What I know right now is what the Vet did not say out loud. Bella is dying. Sooner rather than later. It matters not that she is too young and precious and undeserving.

We have an appointment this week for a consult at the University of Illinois. Oncology Dept. There we hope to figure out the best choices for her future. Her life and her death. Choices that will weigh heavy on our hearts and minds. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

If you have experience with cancer treatment in your dog, I'd be interested in hearing your story. Feel free to post on the page, in comments or message me. The more we know, the better decisions we can make. Thank you.

2 Comments

Cheralee

5/21/2017 07:29:30 pm

A year ago last fall, I began to see my senior Newfoundland, Odin, wince as he walked up and down the stairs. He had always been a bit "sensitive", so after checking his paw, I decided to keep an eye on him. He quickly refused to stand and would cry because he couldn't come upstairs to sleep near us at night. I began to sleep on the couch, with one arm hanging down to make contact with him. Only one vet in our area has an x-ray machine, so it took a few days to get him in. At that point, I had to pick him up to get him into the car. A sharp protrusion on his shoulder made me believe he needed to see a pet chiropractor or something. The vet delivered the news - bone cancer had destroyed his shoulder blade. What I felt was the remnant of his shoulder, normally covered by muscle and under a layer of fat and tissue. I immediately made arrangements to have him be put to rest at home. It was only 10 days from that first wince to our goodbye. He was a rescue and my first dog in almost 12 years. Odin was the first dog my children could remember. We spread a blanket under the apple tree and said our goodbyes in his favorite spot to watch our chickens and goats. I envy your time with your girl, but I also understand how much harder that makes it. Thank you for thinking forward and hoping to help others.

thepocketfarmer link

5/25/2017 06:22:28 pm

Cheralee,
What an awful and gut wrenching diagnosis! We are in our 4th week now of this roller coaster cancer ride and I am still reeling from the news. These gentle giants deserve kinder sunsets and I hope it won't be long before we find it. Thank you for sharing your story, may Odin rest in peace. <3

Hi, I'm Sue Pranskus, and this is my sometime blog. It's mostly about my attempts to "green-up" my life. On our little farm we experiment with livestock, gardening, building, repurposing and anything else that we find interesting. Born and bred on the West Coast, I am living in the Midwest by choice, not circumstance. I have built a life based largely on core values and loosely on whimsy. It's that whimsy, though, that gets me in trouble every time!

I love my girls!

The Big C

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