I can’t remember if I’ve update you all on Dende recently…
He was diagnosed with Lymphoma in February of 2011. We looked at our options, started to “say our goodbye’s” and put him Prednizone. Then we waited. They told us it would be a fast downward spiral. I remember I was pregnant at the time and constantly praying he wouldn’t die in the same month that I had Josiah–I wasn’t ready to deal with both at once.
So, we continued to wait. And wait and wait…
We took him back in for his yearly visit last February (a year ago now) and they said it seemed like he was doing fine so we started to wean him off of the medicine. In fact he was doing so “fine” that at the beginning of the summer they came to the conclusion that he was cancer free. So, we took him completely off the medicine.
Meanwhile, we had to deal with the effects of going easy on our “dying dog” and whip him back into shape. Literally. We (well, mostly Tim) started to spoil him a bit when we were dealing with the idea of him passing, so he gained a bit of weight. Plus there were some annoying habits that we had started to let slide. But now that he was fine again, we decided that we needed a well-behaved (as much as he can be, at least!) dog.
And the summer was great.
Then we found a lump on his neck again.
So, we took him back in and they confirmed that the Lymphoma was indeed back, so we put him back on the Prednizone (again). And, just like that, the lump went away and he returned to “normal.”
Interesting, huh?
Yesterday marks 2 years since he was first diagnosed with Lymphoma. TWO YEARS! And they told us he would be gone in less than two months. Can you believe that? I guess the medicine is very effective on him. The funny part is that that medicine was never intended or expected to actually help for any significant amount of time. It was merely meant to help make him more comfortable for a little while. It’s a good thing we opted for the cheaper medicine option since we’ve now been paying for it for almost 2 years…
So, Happy Day After Valentine’s Day, Dende! We’re happy to have you with us still!
What a beautiful picture of him! I’m so glad you didn’t have to watch him slowly die. I know how hard it is to lose a dog and it would be even harder if he had to suffer. Unfortunately both Dende and Sherlock are getting into middle age, andthat reality is starting to sink in. I don’t know what we’ll do without Sherlock. I guess we both just enjoy the time with have with our sweet pups.