Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hello everyone!
I was listening to the Ted Radio Hour during a jog today and heard a talk from Amanda Bennett, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, where she talked about her life with her husband and their battle against his ultimately fatal cancer. She was speaking to that hope we sustain when we are facing the certain death of a loved one - the hope that we can beat the prognosis, despite the statistics and the doubters. A lot of what she said really resonated with me with what I went through by Lily's side as we battled her osteosarcoma. There was a time after we had to let Lily go that it really hit me that we were so lucky to know that time with her was so very precious and we chose to make the most of every day we had. One quote from Mrs. Bennett really struck me:
"So we fought, we struggled, we triumphed. It was an exhilarating fight, and I'd repeat the fight today without a moment's hesitation. We fought together, we lived together. It turned what could have been seven of the grimmest years of our life into seven of the most glorious."
This just made me smile as it was so true for us. I felt the same way about the seven months we got with Lily and I do agree that I'd do it all again. I loved that she says that what the experts label "denial" is what she calls "hope".
If you're interested, the full transcript is here:
Kerry and Angel's Lily and Elliott...and Gus, the ornery puppy too!
Lily the Great Dane (she was actually a lot more than just "Great") joined our family as an ornery puppy on December 20, 2005 and changed our lives forever. She was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in early May of 2014 and her right rear leg was amputated on May 8, 2014. She sailed through 5 rounds of Carboplatin and 15 weeks of Pallladia. She hopped on 3 legs like she was born to it and continued to fight cancer with grace, valor and an abundant sense of humor...and always a *giant* smile on her face. Lily had two small nodules on her lungs but was brought short by a brain tumor in late December, 2014. Lily earned her wings on December 28, 2014 and we miss her terribly every day. http://lilyt.tripawds.com
Oh Kerry, Kerry, Kerry!!!!
Thank you sooo much for sharing this beautiful insight from this beautiful Soul!!
While my husband and I only had 80 days before that s**t disease took what was left of physical presence, we shared a lifetime of the most intense love and devotion, and even some great laughs!
I was told time after time I was in denial....not....I had HOPE and no one was going to take that away from me...from us. I wish I could remember...Dr. Andrew Weill...Norman Cousins..Wayne Dyer....someone from that "vein"....said if a Doctor tells you to give up hope, FIRE HIM!! I NEVER gave up HOPE! I changed the my definition as his transition got closer. I "hoped" he would not be in pain and I hoped, unlike what the doctors told me, (his "death" would be hell), his transition woukd be as peaceful as could be. He transitioned at home....peacefully with the dogs and myself by his side surrounded by love.
I didn't get to listen to the clip yer..slow internet, vut I shall.
I REALLY, REALLY hope you get how Lily is still reaching out touching loves through you! You and Lily, what a team!! You clearly made everyday special with Lily! You and she did indeed make each day count! Her legacy of HOPE is continuing to shine through from another dimension. Thank yoi!
Thank you so much for continuing to make a ddifference in our lives!
With @ove and appreciation!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
Beautiful and so very very true. Hope is what keeps us going forward, hope is what sustains us. Without hope we would have nothing left and would simply give up. This world needs hope, it levels the playing field. Thank you for sharing!
Linda, Ollie, Riley & Spirit Mighty Max
Applawse! Applawse! 
We couldn't agree more. Had we not fought cancer with Jerry, our life would be very, very different. Tripawds would not be here for starters. And Jim and I would have never, ever seen the gift of Living in the Now that a "terminal" disease slaps ya in the face with. The thing is, your heart has to be open to it. You have to do as she did, turn "denial" into HOPE and look beyond the statistics, the prognosis, and see what's right in front of you, right here, right now. Only then will you embark on a whole new, beautiful journey.
Before you learn this lesson, it's so hard to accept that we all die at some point. So we humans live in denial, until something like a cancer diagnosis comes our way. I would NEVER wish it on anyone. But once you can wrap your head around it, can be such a gift in that it reminds you to make the most of every single minute, because with or without it you never know when your time on this earth is over. As that saying goes, change the way you look at things, and the things you look at change.
Thank you for sharing this.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thank you for sharing this ... I agree... hope is hope - not denial. When my father was diagnosed with cancer, those doctors said less than a year ... I was 15 years old! What a shock. He lived 7 more years ..... HOPE! And prayer and positive thinking.
So when Shelby got sick, I channeled that and while they said 1 - 3 months, she got 8 and we lived in the moment for each of them. It was hard since I knew she was dying but she didn't know and she lived an even more pampered life than ever.
HOPE prevails. ... always!
Shelby Lynne; Jack Russell/Shiba Inu mix. Proud member of the April Angels of 2014.
October 15, 2000 to April 8, 2014
Our story: Broke rear leg in June 2013 - non-conclusive results for cancer so leg was plated and pinned. Enlarged spleen in September 2013 and had it removed and was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma and started chemotherapy. Became a Tripawd January 8th, 2014 and definitive Hemangiosarcoma diagnosis. Three major surgeries in 7 months and Shelby took them all like a champ only to lose her battle to cancer in her brain. We had 8 amazing extra months together and no regrets. #shelbystrong #loveofmylife
Thanks, all! I immediately thought of the Tripawd pack when I heard this...these feelings of hope in the face of death have definitely touched us all in more ways than just with our four (and three)-legged family members. I and am so happy to have a place and group of people who I can identify with so well!
Have a very happy Thursday!!
Lily the Great Dane (she was actually a lot more than just "Great") joined our family as an ornery puppy on December 20, 2005 and changed our lives forever. She was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in early May of 2014 and her right rear leg was amputated on May 8, 2014. She sailed through 5 rounds of Carboplatin and 15 weeks of Pallladia. She hopped on 3 legs like she was born to it and continued to fight cancer with grace, valor and an abundant sense of humor...and always a *giant* smile on her face. Lily had two small nodules on her lungs but was brought short by a brain tumor in late December, 2014. Lily earned her wings on December 28, 2014 and we miss her terribly every day. http://lilyt.tripawds.com
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