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Cancer Sucks - Audrey Update
 | | Audrey in Carmel by The Sea |
Audrey was first diagnosed with Stage IV Lymphoma in May of 2013. The diagnosis rocked my world to the core. I had just finished competing in a NW1 Trial in Livermore less than a month before she fell ill. It all happened so fast. On a Wednesday she went to my Marina class and a few days later she ended up in the emergency clinic blown up like a puffer fish.
Though at the time Audrey had only been with us for a year and a half we developed an incredible bond with her. I took her everywhere with  | | Audrey in Circus Class |
me, to classes, lessons and we started Nosework training. We also went to Circus Class where she learned to perform a whole bag of tricks. This was one of her favorite evenings during the week.
We started Audrey's Chemo in May of 2013. She went through the Wisconsin Protocol for treating Lymphoma. During this time she bounced right back and was her normal Beagle self. We continued to train and compete in Nosework and went to weekly Circus Classes.
 | | NW1 Title - Guerneville |
She got her NW1 ti tle in Guerneville, July of 2013 and we competed for her NW2 title in San Pedro in November 2013 and two weeks ago in Livermore which she almost passed. She never acted like a sick dog all through treatment. I started to take things for granted. She was going to be with us forever.
She even went into remission around December of 2013. Unfortunately her remission lasted only a month. When she went in for her check-up late January they discovered that her lymph nodes in her neck had grown very slightly. They did a test and my worse fear was revealed. The cancer had come back. This news hit me harder than when I first learned of her disease. We started some new drugs but they also were not effective. Just a few days ago she swelled up again like a puffer fish.
At this point I am sad to say that we have run out real viable options. We treated her with one of the early chemo drugs and Prednisone and her swelling has gone way down. She is eating and we went for a walk yesterday and today. She was happy, tail wagging and interested in chasing the squirrels.
We don't know how long she will be with us. Maybe a few days, a few weeks, possibly a month or two. However long she is with us we will savor every moment that we have with her. Though I have said good-bye to 4 dogs during the past 7 years this good-bye seems to be the hardest yet.  | | Dinner Please! |
Audrey just minutes ago telling me to stop writing this newsletter and to feed her. Dinner it is!
Bye for now.
Steve & Audrey
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