This has been a roller coaster month. On April 30th Audrey* finished her Circus Class 2. On May 2nd I took her to my regular vet because her neck was all swollen. They gave her a steroid shot and did some blood tests which were negative. The swelling went down and she seemed normal the next day.
On Saturday morning the 4th she looked terrible again and was very lethargic so I rushed her off to the emergency vet. BAVS took her in and ran a bunch of tests. All of her lymph nodes were swollen. They suspected cancer but needed to have all the results in before they could give a definitive diagnosis.
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| Audrey before 1st Chemo May 6, 2013 |
Just hearing the word cancer sent me into a tail spin of fear and disbelief. They sent me home without an answer and told me they would call me as soon as they had the results from the CBC blood test and the Cytology.
I took Audrey home and went on to my afternoon lesson appointments. I needed something to take my mind off of the dark cloud that was hanging over me.
Sunday she was still a very sick puppy, very lethargic and refusing to
eat. There was nothing I could do but wait for the dreaded verdict so
I went on with my normal Sunday routine, class then lesson appointments.
Working with clients that day kept my mind off what I was fearing the
most, a cancer diagnosis. I kept hoping that it was just an infection, an
allergy or anything else but...
I finally got the word Sunday afternoon, May 5th, Cancer.
The dark cloud descended over me and I just shut down and went numb.
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| Audrey May 7, 2013 after 1st Chemo |
I set-up an appointment to see the Oncologist on Monday the 6th. I learned that she had Stage IV Lymphoma. Without treatment they gave her at most 6 months to live. With Chemo she could live a year or more depending on how she responded to the Wisconsin Protocol which is a four drug chemotherapy treatment that lasts 10 weeks and then followed by 16 weeks of maintenance.
All I could think of while the doctor was talking to me was that I am going to
lose my baby.
We started Chemo that day and I left her for the afternoon. When I picked
her up in the afternoon she was happy to see me and to get out of the clinic. Her spirits were up but she was definitely not herself.
The next day her swelling had gone down and her appetite was good. I was encouraged. Then Wednesday May 8th, she had a major blow up. She would not get up and her neck and face had blown up like a puffer fish. I rushed her back to BAVS emergency. It wasn't the Lymphoma but an infection. She stayed the night receiving antibiotics and fluids. She had developed an abscess that broke through the skin during the night leaving a open wound that now would need surgery to close.
I took her home the next day, May 9th. The swelling on her neck had gone way down. When Audrey was brought into the exam room she was so excited to see me that she leaped into my lap. She was ready to go home.
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| Audrey recovering May 10, 2013 |
Her next Chemo treatment would be Monday the 13th and the surgery to close the abscess would be Tuesday the 14th.
She started looking better and acting more normal. I had to limit her exercise and activity which did not sit well with her.
I took her to class in Danville on Saturday the 11th because she started to bark at me when I was leaving home. I couldn't leave her behind.
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| Audrey at Danville Class May 11, 2013 |
Dr. Hill, her regular vet, did the surgery on the 14th and she came through it with flying colors. She was up and about the next day and acting like her usual Beagle self.
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| Audrey after Surgery May 14, 2013 |
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| Audrey May 17, 2013 |
After her third Chemo treatment her lymph nodes were all normal size and we found out that she has B-Cell type Lymphoma which is the better one to have.
Today, Monday June 3rd we go in for our fifth Chemotherapy treatment. Since her surgery she continues to have a normal life. Her appetite is great, she can never get enough food or treats and her energy is high. She loves going to class and we will be starting another round of Circus Class tomorrow. I am hoping also to continue nosework with her and to possibly get our NW1 title.
This has been a real journey in a very short time and it is not over. I have
learned that Audrey does not know that she has a lethal disease. She only knows the "here and now". She lives in the moment. She does not think about mortality or the future.
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| Audrey May 29, 2013 |
She is currently
sleeping at my feet, snoring softly, while I type this story, waiting for dad to jump up and take her for a walk.
I have learned that I want to be more like her. To live each moment and appreciate life as it is happening and not to live with the dread of the future. I have learned that I want to be like Audrey, a dog. Live in the moment and appreciate all the
little things as they happen. Whatever time we have together I am going to make the most of each day. This may be the greatest gift Audrey could have given me.
I want to thank my wife Suzy, Family, Friends, Clients and my Facebook community for all the support that they have given me and my wife during this difficult time.
You can follow Audrey's Journey at www.facebook.com/TheDogSquad.Steve
*Audrey is a 5 1/2 year old female Beagle who came into our life in September of 2011.
