I’d been eyeing this date on my calendar for two months: Cat would need tests to see how she is faring on her FidoCure drug regimen, which — in addition to blood tests — would entail re-staging scans to see whether the cancer had metastasized.

TBH, I was hopeful but prepared to hear that it was spreading. Her snoring had gotten louder of late, and I was thinking it might be in her lungs. Craig explained the mechanism that caused older dogs’ snoring to worsen, but I was only half-buying it & otherwise assuming he was worried, as well, but trying to rationalize it. 

I mean, let’s be realistic: Yes, we’ve been doing so much to fight this, but her genetic make-up was NOT in our favor. With FOUR gene mutations — including one with the poorest survival rates — the ante had been upped with that DNA sequencing.

But…off they went: Craig & Cattie took yet another Daddy-Daughter expedition — 3 hours, each way — to Partner Veterinary in Richmond, VA, where she’d gotten her Yale Vaccine shots. We could’ve done this at NC State — just 45 minutes away — but given their policies, Craig realized they could make it to Richmond and back with all the tests needed in less time than it took to get her to NCSU and back.

There would be no treatment of any kind today. Just tests & scans:

• Thoracic radiographs of her lungs
• Echocardiogram (echo) for heart
• Ultrasound of her liver (Why these 3 scans? Answer: because splenic hemangiosarcoma will most often spread rapidly the heart, lungs, and liver.
• Complete Blood Count (CBC)
• Complete Metabolic Panel (CMP)

I stayed home with Wolfy (who is decidely not a road-tripper) and worked. Or tried to, anyway.  

I’ll be frank: I was a hot mess. 

Craig and I share our locations on our iPhones, so I tracked their drive, and from about an hour into their appointment, I did nothing but stare at Craig’s message thread, just waiting for those 3 gray dots to appear at the bottom of the screen, showing me that Craig had something to report.

After an hour and a half, I couldn’t deal anymore. I texted him: “How’s it going?” 

“Fine,” he responded. “Cardio is done. They have her back for the other scans now and will fill me in on all results after.”

Another hour passed. I was still staring at my phone. 

Then it came.

Damn those 2 extra seconds it took him to type all the extra exclamation marks! I was losing my shit over here, and every second felt like an hour.

Also: OMG. I was stunned. Then gracious. Then jumping around my home office with Wolfy (who was thinking WTF is this lady so excited about?). Then staring into oblivion — in disbelief. Then happy-sobbing. Then calling everyone I knew to share the good news.

Even more miraculous: her CBC and CMP tests came back and were perfection. On paper, this dog was healthier than she was 2 years ago, even. Just…wow.

…The battle continues!