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Dakota
16 years ago
General
I haven't been around as of late as depression tends to make me reclusive.
A lot has happened over the past few months concerning my dog Dakota. After his radiation therapies this last summer he had been doing well for a number of months, as frisky as a puppy and more active than he'd been in the past year. In late November he began to slow down and our worst fears were confirmed when the vet told us his cancer had grown back. A CT (or whatever) revealed the cancer spread to the bone along his upper jaw on the left side. By the grace of god, the cancer spread out, toward the nose, rather than in toward the brain, but ultimately it is of little consolation.
In December, after many vet visits and medications he developed bloat and amazingly survived it for several days before the vets discovered it. He had bloat surgery and had the regrown tumor removed, as well as some teeth under pressure from the tumor.
After or around Christmas he developed a new tumor on his upper left jaw, growing outward. It didn't seem to hurt him much, although he couldn't eat hard food, and it eventually started to bleed. The tumor was aggressive, it grew from nothing to the size of a small tennis ball in the space of a week The vet arranged to remove it and give him a three once-a-week radiation sessions.
He's currently on week 2 and has been doing fairly well. We were given some anti-bleeding medication which he has been doing well on, although he's starting to bleed again. On the bright side, the tumor doesn't appear to be growing back (as fast, at least) since he got it removed a week and a half ago.
Unfortunately, the vets seem to agree that any procedures they do are only stalling tactics and that his time with us is short. I try not to think about it, since he seems OK and happy and dwelling on the bad isn't going to make it any better. I just can't help but think sometimes, when I see him lounging about the house, perking up his ears when he hears a word he likes, or spontaneously rolling over onto his back when he wants his tummy rubbed, that one day he's not going to be there. He's been my baby for so long, I just can't fathom him being gone, much less wrenched away so cruelly and painfully. He is so sweet and so loving and so loyal. Everyone who's ever met him loves him, even people who hate dogs. He just doesn't deserve this.
A lot has happened over the past few months concerning my dog Dakota. After his radiation therapies this last summer he had been doing well for a number of months, as frisky as a puppy and more active than he'd been in the past year. In late November he began to slow down and our worst fears were confirmed when the vet told us his cancer had grown back. A CT (or whatever) revealed the cancer spread to the bone along his upper jaw on the left side. By the grace of god, the cancer spread out, toward the nose, rather than in toward the brain, but ultimately it is of little consolation.
In December, after many vet visits and medications he developed bloat and amazingly survived it for several days before the vets discovered it. He had bloat surgery and had the regrown tumor removed, as well as some teeth under pressure from the tumor.
After or around Christmas he developed a new tumor on his upper left jaw, growing outward. It didn't seem to hurt him much, although he couldn't eat hard food, and it eventually started to bleed. The tumor was aggressive, it grew from nothing to the size of a small tennis ball in the space of a week The vet arranged to remove it and give him a three once-a-week radiation sessions.
He's currently on week 2 and has been doing fairly well. We were given some anti-bleeding medication which he has been doing well on, although he's starting to bleed again. On the bright side, the tumor doesn't appear to be growing back (as fast, at least) since he got it removed a week and a half ago.
Unfortunately, the vets seem to agree that any procedures they do are only stalling tactics and that his time with us is short. I try not to think about it, since he seems OK and happy and dwelling on the bad isn't going to make it any better. I just can't help but think sometimes, when I see him lounging about the house, perking up his ears when he hears a word he likes, or spontaneously rolling over onto his back when he wants his tummy rubbed, that one day he's not going to be there. He's been my baby for so long, I just can't fathom him being gone, much less wrenched away so cruelly and painfully. He is so sweet and so loving and so loyal. Everyone who's ever met him loves him, even people who hate dogs. He just doesn't deserve this.
I'm just lucky, I suppose, because Mittens and Misty just abruptly went down hill, in the space of a day or so. I was too young to remember how Shawnee went. I do know that were I to face the same situation you're in, it would tear my heart out, too. Pets have a unique way of taking over your heart, and when you and them are especially close, like you and Dakota. Trying to imagine them gone, feels like trying to decide to saw one of your own limbs off.
Both
Aw,crap, Artemis; I knew it had to be really bad, because I did notice you'd vanished completely over the past couple of months. I know what you're going though, having lost Shawnee, Mittens and Misty....
So anyway, thanks :) hopefully I can make it on Y!M one of these days to chat. Might take my mind off of it, y'know.