So 2009 is coming to a close and the new year is always a great time to check back on milestones and create new goals.
We sometimes measure success by listing our milestones but I see them as just a stepping stone through life; landmarks that we can use to help us recall where we’ve been, what we did, and where we’re going. To me, the length of the list isn’t that important as long as the journey is one that has meaning.
This year, I do have a different perspective to share on this yearly ritual of looking back and looking forward since this is the first time I have spent a year with a family member — yes, my dog — who had an illness that took significant care. While its different having an ill pet rather than human family member, the impacts are similar.
As many if you know, my crested Louie has Lymphoma which for most dogs is an incurable cancer. Treatment can keep it at bay but it will return. When he was diagnosed in Nov 08, one of the first questions we had to wrestle with was: Are we going to treat him?
That question is a personal one and I think depends on many factors. We had an older dog, Ginger, who was over 15 years old when she had symptoms. She was treated only with prednisone. For Louie, it appeared a no-brainer for us to choose aggressive chemotherapy. He was younger, healthy, and loving life. But you still look at cost and what the treatment does to dog, and ask again. One of the things that helped me decide to treat was an article that mentioned just getting 1 year more was significant in terms of a dog’s life span. It mentioned if you consider the average dog life span to be 10 years, then 1 year is 10% of a dog’s life. That is significant amount.
When I started Louie’s treatment, I didn’t fully realize the commitment it took, financially, time wise or emotionally. We were at the vets office every week except one from mid Oct 08 until the end of April 09. Some of that was the diagnosis and some was after care– but it remains — a total of approximately 6 months of weekly jaunts to the vet. Sometimes I chide myself for pointing out this commitment, because don’t we go to agility class weekly for months? We do, but the emotional toll is very different.
And the toll on the patient is different.
So the question I ask as we ring in a new year: was it worth it? And that is where the Review of the past year comes it. I look back and I can say for Louie and I, absolutely. It was worth it. I had experiences and opportunities and new doors opened. We have new friends.
We have had milestones both because of the Cancer and in spite of the cancer.
Louie 2009 milestones include:
* Having a Sidebar Highlight Article in AKC Gazette discussing Louie’s cancer & him attending 2008 AKC Invitational’s where he finished 13th place
* Being one of two Grand Marshalls, and getting to start the race for
FreshPets NJ Bark for the Cure 5K (we are proud of this since I had switched
Louie to FreshPet food after this diagnosis and big supporter of the product
and the cause). We even were in North Bergen newspaper!
* Being High in Trial in Agility at 2009 Chinese Crested national
specialty with two splendid runs
* Mentioned in Fur Fun’s generous donation to We are the Cure (Canine Cancer research)
* Attending NAFA CanAM where his team, Fur Fun’s veterans division,
took first place (CanAm is Flyball’s nationals!)
* Finished several agility titles, including the AKC MACH3
* Louie is qualified, yet again, for AKC Nationals. While we don’t
attend all of them, he has qualified for many years now!
But we are most proud of two things that aren’t really milestones and things
we have no control over
- Having many people come up and say we are an inspiration
- and Ringing in 2010 together
Louie came out of remission this December. We got 13 months from that first set of chemo. I decided to start him again but I will watch how he
responds to the treatment. I think we won’t have as many milestones in the
upcoming year, and I can only hope that we’ll reach one that we have no
control over: ringing in 2011 together.
Meanwhile, some other exciting highlights for 2009 include other good ones!
And I hope these continue into the new year! Besides time & adventures
with Paul, I plan to get in better health, train Zuri more, and look
forward to many adventures with Fusion, and plan to love on my Louie.
Other 2009 Milestones
* Better health for me
* Fusion getting several agility titles, making qualifications AKC
Nats, making qualifications for AKC World Team Tryouts, earning FMCH, and on Fur Fun Multibreed Flyball Team that was 4th place at CanAm
* One I’m very excited about: Getting “IT” with Fusion in agility –
that feeling that is so hard to explain, that is sometimes called “flow”.
Its where you just “are” in the moment. Its a wonderous feeling.
* Watching Paul and Peyton earn MACH
