Everyday we are thankful. God has given us one more year with Whitney Dog. Today marks the anniversary of her first surgery that turned our world upside down and sideways.
One year ago I received a somber call from the veterinarian during what was supposed to be Whitney's exploratory surgery. She called to say she found a large mass in her abdomen and she feared it was cancer though she wished she didn't have to tell me this. I remember falling to the floor sobbing uncontrollably. I don't know how long I laid there (but it felt like forever) before I could phone Doug. In that phone call I couldn't even complete my words, I think all I could get out is that, "it's Whitney and it's not good." I don't think I could bring myself to say the word cancer. Doug rushed home after that phone call and I remember him asking me to tell him what happened, and I just couldn't. This is such a vivid memory of one of the worst days in my life. But one year later I can say this is one of best days of my life, she is still apart our lives, our family.
And no...she doesn't have cancer, but she does have an infection that grows and mimics cancer. She underwent a second surgery at the U of M the 22nd of October last year. The surgery was unsuccessful with the surgeons thinking that this infection was inoperable cancer. With many biopsy and labs--cancer was ruled out for the second time, but wasn't ruled out was the mass of infection (which in the first surgery they removed a baseball size).
Then came a hard decision, do we put Whitney through a third surgery in hopes surgeons can aggressively remove the infection?
With surgery comes risks...we put her life at risk twice to perform the first two surgeries, would we be as fortunate the third time around? This would be anything other than an easy surgery. If the surgery was a success she would be infection free...if it wasn't she could lose part of her stomach, intestines, liver, and at worst, not survive the surgery.
We took a leap of faith and put this is all in God's hands and chose not to have the third surgery. We wanted Whitney to be Whitney---just has she always had been. If our time had to be cut short with her we wanted her to be happy, even if it meant that we would have less time with her. This was one of the hardest decisions we have ever had to make, but we didn't want to be selfish, not after how much Whitney has given to us. She is truly a family member.
One year later...she is our energetic Spring Spaniel, showing no ill effects from the infection. We are thankful for everyday we get to spend with her.
BIG YAWNS
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