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| Stories That Inspire Hope |
Dr Couto and Bosha on one of his visits to OSU.
Bosha was diagnosed with osteo in Oct of 2005. He had an amputation and chemo, then
lived his life as an ordinary greyhound, eating, sleeping and running. Bosha visited a
children's cancer camp during the summer and gave hope to many children suffering from
cancer.
Bosha will always remain one of my biggest heroes. He fought the evil monster back and
won. He helped give Dr Couto and his team at OSU some statistics, but most of all he gave
them, and all of us, so much hope.
Bosha left for the bridge on June 17, 2009 3 years, 8 months after diagnosis. He truly was a
miracle.
lived his life as an ordinary greyhound, eating, sleeping and running. Bosha visited a
children's cancer camp during the summer and gave hope to many children suffering from
cancer.
Bosha will always remain one of my biggest heroes. He fought the evil monster back and
won. He helped give Dr Couto and his team at OSU some statistics, but most of all he gave
them, and all of us, so much hope.
Bosha left for the bridge on June 17, 2009 3 years, 8 months after diagnosis. He truly was a
miracle.
Miss Maggie-Mae here…I just wanted to tell everyone “thanks” for supporting such a wonderful and special
and important cause!
Cancer is evil and it is important that we raise money for research so that this awful disease can be
eradicated. I came into my Mom and Dad’s life at a time when they needed me most. They had just lost their
beloved Miss Nellie to bone cancer and I was chosen to be the one to help their hearts heal. And while I feel
I did my job and did it well, I am now fighting Osteosarcoma too. I was diagnosed in November of last year
and had my rear left leg amputated on November 12th, 2008. I was very ill right after my amputation and
when I started the chemo, but I quickly turned a corner when the chemo drug protocol was worked out. When
my Mom and Dad saw how happy I was to be alive and that I was able to go for walks again and enjoy all of
the things I did before cancer, they then knew that the decision they made was right.
I do have bad days, but there are more good than bad! I am so thankful for the life I have right now. Even
though I know my time on earth will be cut short because of cancer I will continue to live every day as it were
my last and make wonderful memories with my other fur siblings and my Mom and Dad. After all, cancer
may be able to take my body but it can not take my soul and it can not take away the memories that are
made. I love my Mom and Dad and I know how much they love me. I am going to continue to be strong and
fight this thing.
I know Miss Nellie is smiling down on all of you!
and important cause!
Cancer is evil and it is important that we raise money for research so that this awful disease can be
eradicated. I came into my Mom and Dad’s life at a time when they needed me most. They had just lost their
beloved Miss Nellie to bone cancer and I was chosen to be the one to help their hearts heal. And while I feel
I did my job and did it well, I am now fighting Osteosarcoma too. I was diagnosed in November of last year
and had my rear left leg amputated on November 12th, 2008. I was very ill right after my amputation and
when I started the chemo, but I quickly turned a corner when the chemo drug protocol was worked out. When
my Mom and Dad saw how happy I was to be alive and that I was able to go for walks again and enjoy all of
the things I did before cancer, they then knew that the decision they made was right.
I do have bad days, but there are more good than bad! I am so thankful for the life I have right now. Even
though I know my time on earth will be cut short because of cancer I will continue to live every day as it were
my last and make wonderful memories with my other fur siblings and my Mom and Dad. After all, cancer
may be able to take my body but it can not take my soul and it can not take away the memories that are
made. I love my Mom and Dad and I know how much they love me. I am going to continue to be strong and
fight this thing.
I know Miss Nellie is smiling down on all of you!
The 16th October 2007 started as any other day. Our dogs
all ate breakfast and did what they had to do in the garden. A
short while later, our five and a half year old Deerhound girl
Darcy walked across the room, let out a scream and held up
her front right leg. There had been *no* symptoms in the
previous hours, days or weeks. Xrays taken a few hours later
revealed a bone tumour, thought to be osteo. The choices
were immediate amputation or euthanasia. We had minutes
to decide because when that hideous call came, Darcy was
on the operating table. Her chest had been xrayed too and it
looked clear.
Darcy had - until that very moment - been a healthy, happy
five year old who loved stuffies, sleeping, treats and the
occassional run around. I knew that to amputate her leg
would remove her beautiful Deerhound 'trot' and it might not
buy her a long life.....but not to amputate would
remove....Darcy. For sure.
all ate breakfast and did what they had to do in the garden. A
short while later, our five and a half year old Deerhound girl
Darcy walked across the room, let out a scream and held up
her front right leg. There had been *no* symptoms in the
previous hours, days or weeks. Xrays taken a few hours later
revealed a bone tumour, thought to be osteo. The choices
were immediate amputation or euthanasia. We had minutes
to decide because when that hideous call came, Darcy was
on the operating table. Her chest had been xrayed too and it
looked clear.
Darcy had - until that very moment - been a healthy, happy
five year old who loved stuffies, sleeping, treats and the
occassional run around. I knew that to amputate her leg
would remove her beautiful Deerhound 'trot' and it might not
buy her a long life.....but not to amputate would
remove....Darcy. For sure.
| Darcy 2 1/2 Year Survivor! |
The leg that Darcy no longer needed was
amputated that afternoon and she came home,
very sorry for herself, the next day. I'd read (in
the intervening hours) as much as I could about
this sort of surgery and I prepared myself for
what to expect to see - and I prepared myself
for a dog who would do this on day two and
that on day three. What I got was a dog who
lay in bed peeing for 4 days. I got a dog who
refused to stand up and I got a dog who made
me think I had made the most terrible decision.
I learned that my dog isn't anyone elses and
will recover at her own rate and that it's a big
mistake to be disappointed or alarmed if she
is slower or faster then another dog in the
same situation.
Darcy sailed through her chemo admirably
(apart from a small blip right at the very end of
treatment). She coped with hair loss and hair
re-growth. Actually, let me rephrase that. SHE
didn't give a hoot about hair loss or hair
re-growth. WE as her humans coped with it
and SHE enjoyed being treated like a princess.
I had a terror that Darcy would never be the
same as she was before and indeed, she is
not the same as she was before. Why?
Because now, when she runs or now, when
she counter surfs or now when she takes a toy
from the toybox (or when she does ANY of the
normal things that she used to do before 16th
October 2007), she does it as an extra, extra
special version of her former self. Day by day,
the 'old' Darcy would return but this time, with
added glitter.
amputated that afternoon and she came home,
very sorry for herself, the next day. I'd read (in
the intervening hours) as much as I could about
this sort of surgery and I prepared myself for
what to expect to see - and I prepared myself
for a dog who would do this on day two and
that on day three. What I got was a dog who
lay in bed peeing for 4 days. I got a dog who
refused to stand up and I got a dog who made
me think I had made the most terrible decision.
I learned that my dog isn't anyone elses and
will recover at her own rate and that it's a big
mistake to be disappointed or alarmed if she
is slower or faster then another dog in the
same situation.
Darcy sailed through her chemo admirably
(apart from a small blip right at the very end of
treatment). She coped with hair loss and hair
re-growth. Actually, let me rephrase that. SHE
didn't give a hoot about hair loss or hair
re-growth. WE as her humans coped with it
and SHE enjoyed being treated like a princess.
I had a terror that Darcy would never be the
same as she was before and indeed, she is
not the same as she was before. Why?
Because now, when she runs or now, when
she counter surfs or now when she takes a toy
from the toybox (or when she does ANY of the
normal things that she used to do before 16th
October 2007), she does it as an extra, extra
special version of her former self. Day by day,
the 'old' Darcy would return but this time, with
added glitter.
Darcy had a party this past Friday night, to celebrate two years since her diagnosis and amputation. In
reality, she doesn't truly need formal parties because every day is a celebration of what sometimes - just
sometimes - can be achieved if the situation is right for the dog in question.
With much love, Miss Maggie-Mae 1 year cancer survivor! |
| Darcy enjoying her cake on 16th October 2009 |
Meet Cali
May 8, 2004 - BOC's Kaylynn was adopted through AAG, Kaylynn was
renamed Cali due to the similarity in her name to daughter Kayla's
names.
May 12, 2009 - The day we moved into our new house we noticed Cali
was
limping a little bit, not much, it seemed to let up so I just let it go. On
June 4 I noticed Cali was limping a lot and that there was a noticeable
lump on her right leg at just below the shoulder. The next day, the
limp was worse so we took her to the e-vet. The diagnosis was grim,
osteo, and we took her home for the weekend after deciding to
amputate. Surgery was already scheduled for June 9th, but we
contacted OSU via email to get a second opinion on the X-rays. OSU's
Greyhound Health and Wellness Program confirmed that it was osteo.
June 9th, amputation day, Cali received blood products from
Lifestream as Cali had been a blood donor for them. On June 12 Cali
came home, able to manage under her own steam, even the steps up
to the house.
renamed Cali due to the similarity in her name to daughter Kayla's
names.
May 12, 2009 - The day we moved into our new house we noticed Cali
was
limping a little bit, not much, it seemed to let up so I just let it go. On
June 4 I noticed Cali was limping a lot and that there was a noticeable
lump on her right leg at just below the shoulder. The next day, the
limp was worse so we took her to the e-vet. The diagnosis was grim,
osteo, and we took her home for the weekend after deciding to
amputate. Surgery was already scheduled for June 9th, but we
contacted OSU via email to get a second opinion on the X-rays. OSU's
Greyhound Health and Wellness Program confirmed that it was osteo.
June 9th, amputation day, Cali received blood products from
Lifestream as Cali had been a blood donor for them. On June 12 Cali
came home, able to manage under her own steam, even the steps up
to the house.
On June 22 Cali was back in the hospital due to a severe infection in one of her IV sites. She recovered, albeit slowly
so now it was chemo time!
On August.5th, chemo shipped from OSU with the helpful teamwork of OSU, Hope for Hounds and. Cali started
chemo on August 12th at Greenbandk Animal Hospital, and seemed to sail through her treatments with her usual
"let's get it done!" style.
October 29th, we are done!
so now it was chemo time!
On August.5th, chemo shipped from OSU with the helpful teamwork of OSU, Hope for Hounds and. Cali started
chemo on August 12th at Greenbandk Animal Hospital, and seemed to sail through her treatments with her usual
"let's get it done!" style.
October 29th, we are done!
| The last chemo treatment - October 29,2009 Cali loves Dr Kartes |
Cali passed away in her sleep in the
early hours of June 1, 2010.
Living and leaving life on her own
terms.
early hours of June 1, 2010.
Living and leaving life on her own
terms.