CANCER SURGERY TOMORROW for Marley, the now 13-year old Italian Greyhound cross we pulled from a rescue almost 10 years ago.
He’s slowed down a bit, as will happen with age, and a few weeks ago we discovered a fatty tumor inside his back leg.
Lipoma? Nope. A biopsy said it was mast cell cancer, so surgery is scheduled for tomorrow to get it removed. Hopefully they’ll get it all and/or it will be Grade I. It’s out of my hands now.
If one is looking for small signs, however, it turned out the lady scheduling us for surgery at the vet was the same person from whom my son acquired Lucy, his Pit Bull, some 13+ years ago.
How random is that? The MSA of this area has a population of over 6 million. What are the odds? Better than one in 6 million, but surely less than one in a million.
For whatever reason, the coincidence felt good. Then I remembered that bladder cancer got Lucy just a few months after her very expensive surgery at this same vet.
Sigh. We’ve been here before.
After Lucy died, my wife gifted her love-sponge dog — Marley — to my son. It was the ultimate sacrifice. Marley has been my son’s “daily dog” ever since, going with him on every job, and with him every second of the day, same as Lucy.
Marley adores Austin, same as Lucy did.
God damn it.
I’m not ready for bad news. A
We need a win on this one.
Another year or two is all we’re asking for.
3 comments:
Thinking of you guys and Marley.
Eff cancer all to hell. It took my Lucille, osteo sarcoma. She was otherwise healthy and probably would have lived a couple years longer. For all it's worth, I'm sending good thoughts for Marley and your son. Best wishes!
PS. There's interesting genetic research into canine cancers going on right now. Rates have been on the rise, and not just in the 'heartbreak breeds' like Berners...poor things.
I know you've said in the past that not every lump needs biopsied, but having seen mast cell tumors present in a variety of ways apart from the classic mildly-erythemic, hairless skin lump, I'm glad your son pursued this. Hoping for clean margins on the path report, but for the remaining time you want, even if it all wasn't removed, it's a relatively easy neoplasia to stave off the inevitable for the long-term unlike others and the dog can maintain a lovely QoL in the meantime.
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