It has been a very trying and difficult two weeks, but things are looking up. My baby and love of my life, Hazel, was diagnosed with cancer a week ago last Friday. She had a growth appear on her front leg right above the elbow about a week and a half or so before I took her in to have it checked. That might sound strange but she gets these fatty tissue growths at least once a year and I take her in for a needle biopsy and they are always, or have been, nothing. So I thought it was routine. When I took her in and was told the needle biopsy looked weird and had to go to the lab, my heart sunk into my stomach and I was truly blown over with shock. I had done this with her so many times that I never even consideredt the possibility of it being cancer. So that night I worried and cried and drank too much wine. In the morning I received a call with the news that it was cancer! I replayed the night before of crying and drinking. But then I snapped out of it and ordered books on fighting cancer and researched it online. More educated then ever I did the only pro-active thing I could do before knowing exactly what kind of cancer this was.
I took her off her organic dog food, our other little one, Oscar too, and now I cook an all natural, unprocessed diet for them and they love it. Hazel is eating an all protein and fat diet with no grains or carbs as recommended for dogs with cancer. Cancer cells feed on carbs so withholding them will slow any tumor growth or spreading - that is the idea anyway. Todays menu was chicken thighs and livers with broccoli, celery, red chard, whole fat plain yogurt, fish oil, flax seed oil and egg shell powder...mmm.
On Wednesday, the earliest we could get her in, she had surgery to remove the tumor. I was worried about time wasting away when she could be being treated but was also glad to have the five days to make really special for her before her surgery. We went for long walks somewhere new every day because I knew she would miss then=m while recovering. Usually we walk our neighborhood and local park so I drove her to other parks and hiking trails to spice it up.
Tomorrow makes a week since her surgery and she is recovering nicely and back to her old antics - which makes us smile. We received the wonderful news on Monday that the biopsy of the removed tumor showed a low level of malignancy and the type of cancer she has rarely spreads to other parts of the body. Hooray!! We could not ask for better news. It also showed the the tumor removal margins are clean, thoough thin. We are meeting with an oncologist in one week (more waiting) to see what else we can do to keep our girl healthy.
She is 13+ now, I have had her sine she was five weeks old. I know she won't live forever, though my heart will refuse to believe that until the very end. I like to think of her as a young 13. She is very strong and silly still. I kept telling myself she would be okay. My dream has come true and I am so very greatful.
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