About Us
In early 2017, I found myself in an odd situation: Abandoned in South America. My good friend & travel companion had been stopped at customs when we landed in Buenos Aires. She’d done nothing but make a simple visa mistake — but was promptly put on a flight back home. So there I was — alone — trekking Patagonia by myself for 2 weeks. Before, I didn’t even know what “trekking” was . . . because this wasn’t my trip. This was her dream; she’d planned it all & only needed an adventurous friend to join her. Now, it was just me on her vacation.
Meanwhile, back in North Carolina, a spirited 7-week-old puppy also found herself abandoned, shoved into a bathroom, alone in the dark for days, & later surrendered.
After returning from Argentina, I was asked to foster the puppy.
I’d never had a dog. Only my 2 cats. In fact, divorced & childless, my friends called me “cat lady.” …So, naturally, I named the dog “Cat.”
I didn’t choose her, nor did she choose me, but we soon chose a life together.
Not long after, we found a wonderful man to share that life with us.
Six & a half short years later, Cat the Dog abruptly collapsed & was rushed into emergency surgery. She survived, only to be diagnosed with the most aggressive form of canine cancer, hemangiosarcoma.
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The doctors gave her 1-3 months to live.
Devastated, disoriented, but determined, her dad & I were unwilling to accept the defeatist tone that accompanied the diagnosis. We vowed we’d do anything to give her the best life possible — for as long as possible.
Over 7 months later, she’s beating the odds.
Why I'm Sharing
Post-diagnosis, we couldn’t get Cat into any treatment consults quickly, no matter the modality — so I combed online support groups for information. The compassion & advocacy there was incredible. At the time, though, I became overwhelmed: All I began to see was a smattering of hope amidst a slew of stop-gaps & stories of loss that left me sobbing. There were so many beginnings & so many endings — but what was in between? Somehow, I felt like I was part of a community, yet wandering alone — again.
I needed to see the bigger picture. I needed a roadmap. So I decided to channel the journalist I once was, devoting countless hours to evidence-gathering to understand this disease.
I don’t claim to have all the answers, I’m certainly no medical professional, & I still have much to learn, but I’ve spent months translating so much info into a pragmatic path forward that it makes my college thesis look like a finger-painting. I figure I might as well share.
I also hope my firsthand account might offer a chronological, cohesive, & candid view of one family’s journey to other parents of cancer dogs.
…And if I can pepper it with anecdotes of my singing, swimming, happy-go-lucky, ChuckIt-obsessed girl & her goof of a baby brother, “Wolfy,” then all the better. The biggest blessing is that she has no idea what’s brewing inside her. She just wakes up every day with joy in her heart & that German Shepherd smile — ready to grab life by the tennis balls.
A special thanks to The Canine Cancer Alliance for the loads of information you’ve provided me. Without this invaluable resource, this blog would not be possible. We are so grateful! 