Tempest
Tempest
Tempest became a Leeth Weimaraner through adoption in 2005. She had been kept in a crate for most of her life before rescue and was kind of a wild child when we adopted her. In fact, the volunteer who did our home visit had her in the car the whole time, hoping we would adopt her!
We, of course, fell in love with her spunky attitude and it didn’t take long for her to become the number one diva in the house. Dust-ten, our other Weimaraner, wasn’t too sure about her in the beginning but they soon became brother and sister; Sister being in charge at all times of course! Tempest loves chasing moles in the yard, catching birds midair when she can, and always being the best dressed dog everywhere she goes.
She was diagnosed with Mast Cell Cancer in October of 2014. We were devastated but Tempest didn’t seem to notice she was even sick. We took her to the best surgeon in the area and had all her tumors removed with clean margins. She got a great follow-up report and was continuing to do very well until one day we discovered a mass we were unsure about and rushed her back to our vet. Unfortunately, we were told she had more mast cell tumors and would require another surgery.
We had a long talk and decided we were going to do the surgery again since she had done so well before. She came through like the fighter she is. We decided on advice of her cancer vet to do one or two rounds of chemotherapy to hopefully prevent any tumors from returning. Well, we are glad to report she is almost done with round one and is doing fantastic! Every other Thursday she dresses up in her fancy tutu and pearls and marches in the vet’s office for her treatment. The staff has fallen in love with her diva-tude and we have every confidence Tempest has kicked cancer’s butt and will continue to be healthy for a long time!
She has so many people supporting her that she has nicknamed them #teamTempest and they wear that tag with pride and love for this princess warrior in her fight against canine cancer!
Finn
Finn
This is NOT what cancer looks like.
Finn’s journey with lymphoma started with swollen glands and a decreased appetite. We’ve had dogs of all shapes and sizes, Boston terriers to boxers, and bullies and many other breeds in between, but cancer has never entered into our pack. Finn and his sister, Iris, were about to turn 5 at the time of Finn’s diagnosis. I was aware of the higher chances for cancers in the breed, but still didn’t think it could happen to Finn. Once I discovered the swollen nodes on his neck and now hind legs, I frantically called the vet and was finally able to get an appointment for February 18, 2015, following a lengthy delay brought on by a few unexpected ice storms and snow days ― two things that Memphis is not good at.
Dr. Jo at Park Avenue Animal Hospital did the examination and performed an aspiration of the nodes in his neck, which felt like quail eggs. I could tell by the look in her eyes and the tone of her voice that Finn was facing something serious. That something serious turned out to be lymphoma. The following day, I got the call that I dreaded but knew was coming. High grade, aggressive lymphoma. She said that chemo would start the following Monday. Dr. Jo added that the drugs she needed weren’t available at Park Avenue and that her partner, who normally does the administration was out of town, so Finn might have to wait for treatment unless we wanted to go to Bartlett and see Dr. Kathy Mitchener at Angel Care.
I emailed and called Dr. Mitchener several times over the weekend after the initial diagnosis and begged her to see us first thing in the morning on a Monday. And guess what ― more ice. My heart sank thinking that Finn wouldn’t be able to get into Angel Care and this disease was eating away at him. I became acutely aware of his weight, his decreasing energy and the fact that he no longer wanted to climb up on the bed at night and take his spot on my pillow. Each minute seemed like an hour and time stood still.
More blood work, and a quick look at his results from the aspiration and a chest x ray later, and Dr. Mitchener confirmed the diagnosis and outlined the options. She offered me time to think about what I wanted for Finn, and I simply said, “I don’t need any time; I want to start now.” His initial protocol was to last 25 weeks, during which time he would do rotations of 4 or 5 drugs, combined with Prednisone and supplements. I opted not to type the lymphoma, as Dr. Mitchener was confident in her treatment plan whether it was B or T Cell. One thing I have NOT dwelled on is survival rates or a timetable for how long this will give Finn. Not operating with a finite schedule has really helped me push through. Armed with our newly minted #teamfinn dog tags, we entered into the battle with the beast.
During the initial panic phase, I did much research on lymphoma, drugs, diets, you name it. I cook for not only Finn, but our posse of pups including Iris, Quince (rescue), Chip (senior Boston), and Frayser (rescue). I joined groups and researched organizations dedicated to canine cancer, which led me to the Puppy Up Foundation.
Days are consumed by my day job in marketing and nights by cooking liver, vegetables, fresh chicken and bone marrow broth, as well as researching supplements. Finn went from 58 pounds at diagnosis to a sturdy 78.9 pounds in mid-September.
The first two rounds of chemo came and when with little to no side effects, but I knew not to get too comfortable. Dr. Mitchener warned me that as the treatment progressed, the side effects might too. And she was right. Of all of our dogs, Finn is by far the most private and sensitive. The stomach issues that are latent effects of some of the drugs are the hardest, especially when they hit in the middle of the night. Finn and Iris share an incredible bond, which includes eating out of the same bowl (they will not eat any other way), so Iris has gained in a number of ways from her brother’s illness, but their bond is something special.
After a brief summer vacation, I came home and felt in my soul that Finn might have taken a step back. Of course, at his very next checkup, a very pronounced lymph node had flared and his bloodwork was off. My heart sank. But Dr. Mitchener said, “I am going to say something that you will find incredibly stupid and that is ‘don’t worry.'” I smiled and listened, finished the appointment with the news that she was going to give him CCNU drugs and see him back in two weeks. I walked to the car, got in with Finn and burst into tears. “Don’t worry.” Does she know what she just said to me? The next two weeks seemed like an eternity and finally it was checkup time. The node had all but disappeared and Finn’s bloodwork is, in her words “perfect.”
Finn’s fight is not over, I know that. But I have learned so much and never felt better about the road that we are taking to heal him. He is happy, energetic and back to menacing one of our cats ― just like he has for 5 years. And his illness put me on the path of discovery about canine cancers and the amazing resources that are out there to help pups and people locked in this battle. We found hope for Finn and others battling this awful disease through working with Puppy Up! #teamfinn .
For more information on the Memphis PuppyUp Walk, please follow this link.
