Hi,
I just found your blog by chance (I was googling a Lebowski sweater for a friend’s birthday!) and I ended up reading all your posts about Hoover. I’m not going to lie, I cried through all of them.
My dog Boris has just finished his second round of chemo. He is 3 and a half years old, and was diagnosed with an incredibly aggressive form of lymphoma. A year and a half ago, Boris was given two weeks to live.
I know chemo sucks, and I really really understand your fear and your concern for your dog, but you can trust me when I say – it is all worth it. My dog is happy, healthy, and full of energy. His oncologist actually wasn’t expecting him to live through this second round, so for him to be this great came as a huge shock to the entire oncology team.
I just thought I’d write and tell our story, because when Boris was first diagnosed and going through the first round of chemo, the only thing keeping me positive and strong for Boris, was hearing success stories.
I don’t know if and when it will come back again, but for now we’re living on stolen time, and I’m grateful for every single second I have with him.
You and your husband are incredibly brave, and I wish you so much luck for Hoover’s recovery.
Rosemary
Ps. I don’t know if you can get Vegemite in the US, but it’s the only thing Boris will take pills with. It’s an Australian spread – very salty and B adores it, it’s difficult to have it myself as he recognises the jar now!
Hi Rosemary,
Thank you so much for your incredibly kind words. It was lovely to wake up this morning and read your note.
Sadly, Hoover’s cancer returned to his lungs — and worse, he developed another tumor in his remaining front leg. He must have been in a lot of pain, but he never complained. However, there was a huge risk that he would break that leg and we couldn’t face the thought of him suffering for us.
We had to put him down on August 10th. We’re all still recovering and I just haven’t had the courage to write it up for the blog yet.
We are so grateful for the extra six months we had with him due to the treatment we were able to give. I know he was happy and comfortable until just the last few weeks of his life.
I am so happy to hear of Boris’ success story! And a handsome fellow he is, too. Dogs mean so very much more to us than we can quantify.
Also, good luck with your Lebowski sweater. I have the back knit up — but my model would not hold still properly for measuring and it’s far too big. I still need to rip it out and start over. Let me know how yours progresses and I’ll send you a photo of our new dog, when we find the right one.
Best,
Sue
PS – It just occurred to me that the perfect way to tell the story on the blog may be to just post your email and my response. Do I have your permission to publish your email on my blog? It would save me the task I’ve been dreading. Of course, it’s completely fine if you’d rather I didn’t.