AbbaDabba

Abby continues to do well but today I took Lucky in because her lymph nodes had swelled back up and were bigger than before and the vet said he thinks we should go ahead and have one taken off and looked at. While he thought she might have responded a little to the antibiotics, it wasn't significant enough that he felt it was bacterial. He also said that while it could be something else, his inclination was that this had something to do with cancer. Possibly even being a completely different type of cancer, lymphoma. And yes, apparently it is possible for a dog to have TWO different types of cancer. I am a wreck. We JUST got Abby back to normal and I thought that maybe, just maybe things MIGHT turn around, but I guess just the thought might have been too much. My first instinct was to call my mother hoping she'd make me feel better but she of course proceeded to tell me about how we cannot afford financially or emotionally to put Lucky through treatment and how she's had a wonderful life, and basically gave me her eulogy on the spot.

I know if it's treatable, I'll have to find the strength and finances to go a second round and the strength to convince my husband of the same. We're moving, and strictly for financial reasons. We found a foreclosed upon house we can own for even cheaper than we rent now, and granted, it's a far, far, cry from our dream home, it seems like the smartest thing to do because we'll save money, build equity, and hopefully be able to chip away at the mountains of vet bills we charged and took out loans for. Maybe God send us this house so the money we save by having a cheaper mortgage can go to help Lucky through this also?

All this and we've not even gotten the surgery done, or even yet the results back. She goes in tomorrow and I've asked him have the results rushed so I pray I'll know by Friday afternoon but in all likelihood it'll be next week. I love how these things always fall right before the weekend so I get stuck at home worrying incessantly. I pray to God I'm just insanely overdramatic and worrying for no reason.......

Jodyp

I can so understand. I have recently lost one dog to lymphoma and still treating one for it. When the second dog was diagnosed I was stunned. both were diagnosed within 6months of each other. Our vet bills have been tremendous. Lymphoma is not curable but they can have remissions. some have reported several years worth but standard is 6 to 18 months. We lost Bailey after 18 months. Jason is at 12 and holding his own. I don't regret the money spent for the time gained but it is a huge personal choice. I wish you the best with both you babies.
Jody

Wendy

Hello,
I am so very sorry you have to continue to go through this. Abby's treatments have been such a challange and now Lucky. You are in my thoughts and prayers that good news will come your way. I will continue to watch for any updated reports on how Lucky's tests come out.
God Bless you and your sweet dogs! Wendy and Tanner

Benpaws

Prayers go out to you and Lucky. You will do what is right and what is within your ability to do.

Hugs to Abby and Lucky.

Blessings, Joanne & Shadow

AbbaDabba

It came back today as agressive lymphoma. The the odds of a dog having two types of cancer are unreal. Even more so her sister having a totally different type of cancer... How did this happen to us? What did we do to deserve this? We have no children. They are our children and they deserve LONG HEALTHY lives. We changed everything, their food, the water, gave them supplements, starting making our own cleaning products. It makes NO sense.

He didn't seem very hopeful about treatments. He implied that there's not much we can do, but I made an appointment with an oncologyst tomorrow morning. We're prepared to go to the ends of the Earth again if we have to. I swear I'd probably bankrupt myself over these dogs if it came down to it.

I just DON'T get it!!!!!!!

Wendy

Oh I am so sorry to hear this. You are right, it's not fair for 1 dog to have to go through this let alone 2. I can only imagine how devistated you must feel. I think you are doing everything you can for your furbabies and I hope the Oncologist provides you with some hope of a treatment plan.
Wendy and Tanner

Benpaws

Dear Amanda,
I am so sorry to hear about Lucky but you CANNOT BLAME yourself in any way. There are no answers as to why this happens. I must have gone over that a million times when Benny had MCT cancer and lost his life at age 6 to the disease. We do have children and grandchildren and are truly blessed, but Benny was my heart. He was there with me throughout all my many depressions and long days spent in bed. I miss him daily and will never ever forget the day my husband and I held him and stroked him and then it was OVER and everything went silent except for the ringing in our ears and the sobs from our crying eyes. It is a terrible feeling and the most dreadful memory. I still see him chasing squirrels in the yard and smiling beneath his grey beard, but he is only in my heart and in my memory and I cannot hug that little fur boy until we meet once more. I know he will be waiting at the gates for me.
He was the most unique and precious little boy and a huge part of all our hearts. To this day our little nine year old granddaughter who grew up with Benny carries his album of pictures and she cried at Christmas when we were down to visit her and says she prays every night that Benny went to Heaven, but " I know he did" she said. "He was my best friend."
I promised Benny when he was coming that day to the vet and his grey head and beard out the window with his eyebrows and beard blowing in the wind that I would do everything I could to keep his beautiful memory alive and that very day I came back to DCC and I posted every day and answered every question and my tears flowed endlessly. I am crying now as I write this. There are no answers, only realities and tomorrow is promised to nobody and NO,IT IS NOT FAIR! I am finding it increasingly difficult to respond at all to these very sad posts and a dear friend of mine lost her six year old Golden Retriever Annie to a very rare liver disease in November, her father and best human friend in December and last week lost her 10 month old Elio, son of Annie to the same liver disease. How very unfair. Dina is single with no children but many friends and Annie was such a huge part of her life. I have been writing to her to try and help her in her journey of grief. The grieving process is slow and each person grieves differently. Loss is never easy for anyone when such depth of love was shared.
I am very sorry for everyone here who has to deal with cancer in their best friends and most loyal companions and I wish I could talk with God and ask him WHY!
I may have to let Benny down and not come here much anymore. I have another puppy Shadow who loves me with all his canine heart and he never replaced Benny who was irreplaceable as every dog is and when you go through a disease a unrelenting as CANCER, they get deeper and deeper into your heart every moment of every day. I had to put aside friends and some family to be there for my precious little Benny.It is extremely difficult to return here and read the stories and relive my own every time I read them. I know others feel the same way as I do. I have needed a break and just posted a few brief things but I needed to post this.
This is probably something nobody here wants to read, but it is from my heart. I have lost 3 schnauzers and I miss them all but the "cancer journey" with my precious Benny tore my heart from my chest.
I wish you more time with Lucky and my prayers go out to you.
Life is what it is. I have faith in someone much greater than I and for some reason He sometimes takes from us those we hold most dear. There is no way to understand it. I have cried too many tears, and comforted as best I could. So many people here just visit for a very brief time and look for answers and seldom if ever return.
I think it is in the "valleys" of life that we learn the most and Benny taught me so many life-lessons in his brief time on earth. I would never have learned so many lessons if I had never known Benny and Wolfgang and Wilie and now Shadow. For that I am truly grateful!!
Your story makes me very sad and I hope you can find some answers, help and comfort in the days ahead. You must do what is in your heart.

Blessings,
Joanne & Shadow

You can click on the above attachments and see two pictures ( sorry they are sideways, but I don't know how to rotate them)taken at Christmas. One is just myself holding up a quilt and the other with Benny cuddled with me. The best thing I have received from this site are some precious and FOREVER friendships. We met through very sad circumstances and came here to share and comfort one another and cry and laugh and give the best advice we could and what worked and didn't work for our best buddies. One of those friends whom I hold most dear is Lisa (mybestfriendmybordercollie).
Lisa sent me this quilt for Christmas which she made herself and gave with the deepest of love. It has pictures of me and my husband in the middle patch, my grandchildren at the top and at the bottom left is Benny in his bed by the fire and in the right hand corner is young Shadow. I was overwhelmed with such generosity and kindness from someone I will probably never meet in this lifetime, but we do keep in touch weekly and share and talk and REMEMBER what we went through, she with Bing and I with Benny. Sadness connected us but the comfort she brought to my life and the comfort I get every day when I put that quilt over me while watching TV or reading a book warms my heart and I am so thankful this site was available to me. Lisa posted throughout Bing's devastating stomach cancer and came many days after that to comfort others. I am sure many of you miss her.
Many more friends too numerous to mention have touched my life and will be in it for a lifetime, God willing. You touched my life as well Amanda. Hug Abby and Lucky and spend as much time as you can with them. They NEED your presence.