Cady chewing the seam of her favorite toy, Murry the Moose

Many thanks to everyone for your support, prayers, texts, emails, and calls while we were waiting on the biopsy results for Cady this week. The doctors had told us that there was a 20% chance that it could be benign. No matter how hard we tried to prepare for the other 80%, there’s really just no way to prepare for it when it involves a family member you love so dearly. I’ve never wished more for 20% as much as I did this past week.

The doctors promised us results within 3-5 business days, and every day that I came home this week, the first question I would ask Marshall as I got out of the car was, “Have you heard?”  I was more grateful and hopeful with each day that he responded, “No, they haven’t called yet.”  I knew that if the news was good, Marshall would call me at work.  And if the news was bad, he would want to be with me when he shared the update.  When I hadn’t gotten a phone call from Marshall on Thursday afternoon, it could be one of two things- they haven’t yet called, or even worse, he didn’t want to call me.  I worked late on Thursday, partly because I was a bit nervous and scared to go home. I normally call Marshall every day on my way home, but this past Thursday was different. I sent a text because at least I couldn’t hear in his voice if there was more that I was coming home to.  Thursday afternoon, the question came around again, “Have you heard?” I could tell by the look on his face- the 80% was true.  The biopsy came back malignant, and with that, I just dropped everything I had in my arms and Marshall hugged me tight. Zoë was still in her car seat and just sat quietly- it’s as if she knew we needed that moment.

So, where do we go from here? The doctors can’t really give any guarantee about the prognosis timeline.  Since this cancer is not one that is prevalent in small dogs, it’s hard to estimate how fast it will spread or how quickly it will cause her any pain.  The range is anywhere from 2 weeks to one year, with most dogs living about 1-4 months after discovery of the cancer. The saving grace is that Cady is not in any pain right now and has no clue what is going on. They removed her spleen and the ruptured tumor in the surgery, and the good news is that the cancerous cells haven’t yet spread to any other organs, which explains why she currently is back to her old self.  However, the cells will continue to grow and will spread through her blood vessels, and with that, it’s just a matter of time. Chemo is an option, but doesn’t promise much more time. Chemo for dogs is a bit different than humans in that the drug therapy isn’t as powerful and the goal isn’t really to zap the cancer out, but rather to help prolong life. The doctors have shared that even with chemo, her prognosis may double from one month to two months, but it won’t cure her.  Inevitably, another tumor will develop, and the moment at which we see pain, we will need to make the decision that will make Cady the happiest and most peaceful.  For now, Cady will continue to play, sleep, eat, and of course lick everyone in sight, for as long as she is happy to do so.

Thank you. I so mean these words. I have been amazed at the love that we have received from all of our friends and family. Everyone has been so considerate and genuine when checking in on us- partly because they know how much we love our Cady, and partly because many are also moms and dads of sweet furry friends and know the unconditional love that comes with that relationship.

Marshall described our time with Cady now as “bonus days.” Bonus days to offer her a fun celebration of her life and to continue to show her how much we love her.  Bonus days for her to hunt for more chipmunks.  Bonus days for her to so deliberately tug and pull at her blanket with her paws until it is in the perfect position for her to nap.  Bonus days for her to bob for the ice cube in her bowl of water.  Bonus days to snuggle with us in bed.  And a new favorite around here, bonus days for her to walk in a room and make Zoë light up with smiles just at the sight of her.

So, here’s to our Cady….we love you and wish for more and more bonus days!

Cady, wishing you a bonus day to catch this little guy…