Bo is at the dental vets, getting the biopsy on his mouth tumor. I'm on the edge of my chair as I write this. Literally. I tried sitting at Starbucks, under the huge photo of Bo of course, but couldn't sit still there either. But I dreaded coming home to an empty house to just sit and wait.
But this whole cancer issue is a lesson in waiting. Like waiting this last week for the biopsy appointment to find out WHICH type of cancer he has so we can move forward on deciding diet/supplements/medicines and scheduling surgery.
But what we're really waiting for is HOPE. I've found some in books for helping dogs with cancer. I'm currently reading
42 Rules to Fight Dog Cancer: Real Stories and Practical Approaches to Dealing with Dog Cancer by Aimee Quemuel, because it's like the summary version of all the other books I've been interested in reading. Of course, I'll read those other books too. As soon as I can stop pacing.
My husband, on the other hand, is troubled. He's not reading how diet, supplements, herbs, and new Western techniques are making huge strides in survival rates. He's not reading the personal stories of dog owners who were told their friend had only 3 months to live but survived 3 years.
50% of dogs die of cancer. That's an ugly statistic, and it's not natural. What vets and naturopathic followers have figured out is that we humans must be doing something wrong by our dogs. So that means we can also do something right. To me, that's good news. It means I have power. Something I can do to make a difference in Bo's health and healing.
But the largest message I'm hearing is that HOPE is part of the healing process. It keeps owners in good spirits and on the right mental track when all the fear and anger around cancer wants to take over. Cancer spreads. Into your soul, if you let it.
So, folks, HOPE is out there. It's like a calm beach in the middle of a storm. If you're patient enough to find it.
