Archive

1. Baby Jack

   June 7, 2016 2:24 pm Comments Off on Baby Jack

   From the day I met my Baby Jack (black lab mix) as a 4 month old puppy at the rescue, I knew he and I were destined for a great journey together.

   He was there for me through everything and we shared so many wonderful adventures together in his 8.5 years. He would watch me out the window and would be there at the door greeting me at lunchtime and after work each and every day. He was my VCU basketball buddy, we did fun day trips to all different places (usually with his cousins). We had so many fun adventures, I cannot even begin to count them all. He was always there to snuggle at the end of each day and I cherish those times, and just the regular day to day time with my sweet boy.

   On February 14th, 2016, Jack came over to me and I noticed a small amount of blood coming from his nostril, I thought it was strange since he doesn’t get into things. I made an appointment at the vet that Tuesday and they said it could be a variety of things, his airways were clear, but they did not see anything up there, so sent us home with some drops and said if it continues we will need to do further testing. It continued that week, so I called on Thursday and our vet got us set up with in with an internal medicine doctor at Dogwood the next day. She said it could have been a variety of things with nasal cancer being a possibility, but being that it is a rare cancer, it could have very well been rhinitis too. We scheduled the MRI for that following Monday with a fast read so we would get results the same day. I dropped him off and could not stop crying and went on my way to work. That afternoon on February 22, 2016, I got the call that he had an aggressive nasal mass that had breached his brain already and my world was turned upside down.

   Jack is and always will be my baby, so I started researching everything that could possibly be done for him. I got him set up with Dr. Lord at Four Paws Holistic and Dr. Waite at The Oncology Service. He started on many different holistic supplements and Piroxicam and Palladia. Radiation is the primary treatment for nasal tumors. I opted against radiation as I would have to have dropped Jack off in either Northern Virginia or North Carolina for a week at a time. Jack hated being away from home, and it was not something I wanted to put him through especially with how aggressive it was and not knowing if it really would have given him that much more time. I wanted his time to be spent with me together. There was a chance the Piroxicam and Palladia (chemo drug) could have shrunk it or slowed it’s growth. He did really well for a couple of months, you never would have known he was sick. He was eating, going for walks, running around, playing with his toys, his happy self. His doctors were all very impressed with him.

   Then on April 27th I came home at lunch and he did not come downstairs to greet me, I ran upstairs and he was laying on the bed and could not move. I called my Dad and we rushed him down to Dr. Waite and found out that it was a seizure (that is a symptom of nasal tumors once they reach the brain). We took him off all medications and supplements and were going to try one more medication for the seizures. He and I had a very relaxing night, I just sat with him and snuggled with him and told him how much I loved him. He did not jump on my bed as he did every single night to go to sleep. I worked from home the next day and another seizure hit, I was there for him that time and was able to comfort him. That seizure did something to him, he could not move at all again and the sparkle in his eyes was gone, he told me it was time. I called my family and friends and made the decision to say Goodnight to my Sweet Jack that afternoon on April 28th. I told him we are not going to say Goodbye, but we are going to say goodnight since I know will see him again one day.

   My nephew who is almost 3 came over to see him and he said the best thing anyone could have said to me that day. We were sitting there with Jack and I told him where Jack was going and he asked me if he was going in a helicopter. I told him yes, he’s going in a helicopter, so now whenever I see one I know Jack is checking in on me, Jack was definitely listening to him that day. 2 weeks after he went to sleep, I was driving down the highway and a helicopter came fairly low right over my car and rode with me and then took off. I could not believe that happened (I rarely see helicopters) and knew Jack was there, it made me happy knowing he will always be there and will alway be with me.

   Dr. Waite’s team told me about Fetch A Cure and what a great organization it is. I know they are bringing radiation to Richmond, which is going to be such a great option for so many animals. It will be nice to have an option where they can go for the day for treatment and then go home at the end of the day where they belong. I’m also in touch with vet schools across the country to learn more about nasal cancer and have gotten so many great responses from them and know it is something they are doing research on to learn more about as the symptoms don’t appear usually until it’s in it’s late stages. So now in Jack’s memory I want to get involved and help other dogs who have to fight cancer.

   This was just a very small part of our journey, I have so many wonderful memories with Jack that will live on with me forever. He took a piece of my heart with him and I have his whole heart and know that he is waiting for me and I will get to see him again.

   As I told Jack every night…Goodnight my Baby Jack, sweet dreams, let me know if you need anything, I love you.

2. Kudjoe

   March 10, 2016 8:16 pm Comments Off on Kudjoe

   In 2009 I was living in North Carolina where I got my little man for free off Craigslist. I named him Kudjoe, but changed the spelling so people wouldn’t mistake him an evil dog from a Steven King novel 🙂

   Kudjoe grew very quickly and by six months when his legs were bigger than the rest of him, and weighing in over 60 pounds, I knew my little angel was a little more than just a lab. Kudjoe single handedly chewed through my DVD collection, ripped up and ruined my carpet, and even ate through dry wall in my living room. I was later informed by my vets that he was part Chow and Great Dane, and quickly quickly he became less of a dog and more of a small pony, weighing a whopping 125 lbs. But Kudjoe never quite realized how big he was, always sitting in my lap, or laying on me with all of his weight. He also never stopped running around, getting the “zooms” as I called it, and because of his size he would knock over everything in his path.

   Despite being a big guy, Kudjoe is just a lover. While some shy away from him because he is so large, the most harm he would do to someone is jump up on their shoulders just to lick their face. I live for the moments I walk in the front door and he is jumping up on me to greet me after a long day of work. I love the way he always knows when I’m sad or not feeling well, because in those moments I look up and there he is, always by my side. Kudjoe has captured the heart of my family since I moved home to Virginia, and while my mom once didn’t care for him, he now visit her and lays on her bed as she loves on him and gives him treats. Even my dad, who claims to “not be a dog person”, can be found sitting on one end of the couch with Kudjoe on the other end, enjoying some much needed “man time.” We all have developed many nicknames for Kudjoe that include “Gorilla Nose,” “Kudjman,” “Kudjoe Bear,” “Bear face,” “Bubba Bear,” and lastly “Le Kudj,” which of course is Kudjoe in French 🙂 We have always had a dog since I was born…but none have ever quite been what Kudjoe has been to us all. There is no one’s heart that Kudjoe won’t touch.

   

   Just around Christmas time my family and I noticed that Kudjoe’s appetite wasn’t quite what it normally is (which is more or less Kudjoe eating everything in sight”. He was also drinking an excessive amount of water and not wanting to play much. After a week or so we decided to take him to the vet just to be sure everything was alright…and it wasn’t. He was quickly diagnosed with Lymphoma, and the cancer had settled in his spleen. Within weeks he was having his spleen removed, and then developed an infection a week thereafter. It was confirmed that he has T-cell Lymphoma, a little more difficult to treat than other forms of the cancer. He underwent his first chemo appointment just yesterday, January 29, 2014. In less than a month I have watched my only 4-year old angel lose his energy, his appetite, his playfulness, and that big grin I was always greeted with. I would do anything for Kudjoe just as he would do anything for me and my family. Every night before I go to bed I say goodnight to Kudjoe and whisper in his ear “Mommy loves you…guess how much?” And every night he looks at me as if to say “how much, Mom?” And I whisper back to him, “to the moon and back.” I just want to be able to whisper in his ear at night for as long as I can, and give him his best chance to get back to all that he loves in life.

    

   Update: The estimate for Kudjoe’s treatment was very expensive. Fortunately, FETCH a Cure was able to assist Jennifer and Kudjoe with the total treatment cost.  Jennifer wrote to tell us that Kudjoe is doing fabulous and that he is currently in remission.  This is what she wrote, “Kudjoe and I are doing WONDERFULLY!  Kudjoe is a chemo champion!  All of his lab results show that he is healthy as can be! He has three more chemo treatments and then will just be in for monthly check-ups.  He is 100% back to his normal self and we both couldn’t be happier!  I am so thankful to FETCH a Cure for giving me this time with my angel, I am hoping and praying for much more time to come as he is in remission!

3. Joey

   7:52 pm Comments Off on Joey

   I got my baby 11 years ago at a puppy mill…I know…bad place. In my defense, my second pup was a rescue. Back to Joey… He was in a pin with three other adorable pups…but none of them seemed very interested in me or my friend. Joey on the other hand, followed us around like crazy. He was so excited at every little touch.  I couldn’t take my eyes off him. We left because I wasn’t able to really afford him at that moment. I got 5 miles up the street and couldn’t stop thinking about his lil pink belly and scruffy pink nose. I turned around and broke out the credit card….Best decision ever!.  Of course 11 years later looking back on that moment, I now understand why he was obsessed with us. It all makes sense now….my friend had just left work and smelled like Pizza! Joey is not starved by any means, and is obsessed with food. I literally have toddler locks on all of my kitchen cabinets because he can open all doors with his paw, including the refrigerator door. Every time I am eating, he is right there staring at me with those cute little black lined eyes…. He knows I’m weak. His favorite treat is a bite of my turkey bacon in the morning. It’s his eating obsession that allowed me the opportunity to discover the cancer early enough to treat it…you see it was during a rather expensive vet trip for a devoured and swallowed leather boot, that my vet discovered the thyroid mass. Gotta love a hound.

   He and my other dog Abby, are the only things that have always been there for me and have loved me unconditionally. Joey and I have always had a close bond. He is attached to me from the second I get home to the second I leave. When I come home from work, he is sitting at the front door staring out waiting for my car to pull up. Which is why this is so hard for me. Prior to the surgery,  I hear him at night wheezing because when he slept, the mass pushed on his windpipe. Now that the mass has been removed, I’m faced with a new hardship…Chemo! It absolutely kills me and I feel powerless to help him. He is my best friend and I cannot help him due to the financial hardships I’ve had.

    

    

4. Boomer

   7:32 pm Comments Off on Boomer

   Boomer is a fantastic dog with lots of personality. It’s true that big things come in small packages. He came from a breeder in FL and fit in the palm of my husband’s hand (before we were “we”). He is tenacious like a textbook Jack Russell terrier but very loving, as well. He’s definitely Mr. Toughguy, unaware of his small size. He has tried to establish this alpha male domination, playfully, with horses so there doesn’t seem to be a limit to the size he will challenge. He is stubborn and will wait out anything and/or anyone. He loves car rides and finds that his perfect spot is on the center console. As strong as he is and as tough as he looks, he also has a soft side. He has year round allergies and he has to take Benadryl before any type of immunization of he has a bad reaction. He really likes toys and he doesn’t tear them up in minutes, like his seemingly adorable brother Teddy, a toy tazmanian devil of a poodle.

   Boomer is older and has seen a lot, he can seem grumpier but only because he’s more mature. He has a very good heart. When I had surgery on my foot, he was my bedside nurse. He dutifully slept next to my foot as long s I wnted him to. When my brother in law came to visit and goofed around on my crutches, Boomer got very protective and chased after him, barking, until he put my crutches back, as if he knew they were my legs for the time being. He was also the door to my relationship with my husband. I used to have a little poodle named Mani and I asked my husband, then an acquaintance, to walk him for me while I was at work. Our dogs became friends first. Then we followed suit and one thing led to another. A year before I was pregnant with my daughter, our dogs were involved in a deadly dogfitght. Left in a shared yard with a neighbort, our neighbors let theier unsocialized German Shephard and Rottweiler into the yard which immediately attacked Mani and threw him round like a “ragdoll”, relayed the attending vet who was with him when he died. Boomer was surely next. I always thought he would be the one to get hurt in  fight, acting like such a macho man all the time, but this time, standing his ground may have saved his life. I can’t imagine how it much have hurt to watch your best friend die brutally, but I know how much my heart hurt from it. Boomer and I mourned together for months. It was clear that he was mourning, it could not have been mistaken for anything else.

   Eventually, I felt the only way to heal our pain was to get a new friend and that’s where Teddy came in. Boomer loves his new brother, Teddy, but I can tell that it’s a different relationship than what he had with Mani. He’s very protective over all of us now and when I became pregnant, he gain attended my side, sitting right at my belly. If Teddy, very young and immature at the time, even looked like he was coming ner, Boomer let him know right away that is was against the rules. If I’m ever sad, he will come to my rescue. He makes me take breaks even when I’m slaving away, encourging me vocally and quite loudly sometimes that I had better throw a toy or take him out to go for a walk. He also play with the kids and let’s them hold his leash. Boomer has also been a volunteer dog with Fairfax Pets on Wheels, requiring behavioral evaluation and health certifications. I was so proud of how he handled the elderly when we visited their bedsides. He was such a trooper. That’s why we are willing to do our part to help save him, this time. Pay it forward. He deserves everything we have to give and more.

5. Belle

   6:03 pm Comments Off on Belle

   

   “Three weeks ago I found out my best friend has cancer.” (This was the start to a letter that FETCH a Cure received from a young college student). The vet told me that she has Lymphoma and would probably only live for two more years if going through chemotherapy. Of course I was willing to do this, she is only 3 years old and luckily I purchased health insurance for her but because I have to pay up front and then be reimbursed I am facing a very difficult problem. So far my father has been helping me and my pet financially but do not know how much longer he can as he is temporarily unemployed.

   FETCH a Cure was pleased to be able to loan Frank money to pay up front for Belle’s chemotherapy. Frank had wisely purchased health insurance for Belle when she was a puppy and the insurance company paid for all of her treatment.

    

   Update: Frank has been one of our best volunteers and has fostered several Pen Pals dogs and was a life-saver at our 2015 Pets on Parade Gala. As of this writing (March 2016) Belle was in remission and doing great!