Scans this year have been uneventful and I am happy to say that next month, July, will be two years on this current treatment combo! TWO FRIGGIN YEARS!!! This is amazing and I am grateful, appreciative, happy, and completely aware of how "lucky" I am. BUT, yes there's a but, these drugs never get any easier to take. Every single cycle I tell myself maybe his one will be the one my body finally gets used to, lol...ya...nope. The HFS...mouths sores...the nausea...to the stomach cramps...heartburn...diarrhea.
Now onto the more important aspect of this post: the PUPPY!! I had always loved these tiny little furry fluff balls and then I met this one and I knew she was THE ONE. Her name is Lola and she is a high energy, feisty, tough, crazy, and simply irresistible pup. She's also got my attention span, so collectively we seem to wander the world in a daze of distraction, lol. In fact, much of my absence from social media has been because of the non-stop busyness this two pound ms. Lola has occupied me with. She had a rough start as she suffered a seizure days after bringing her home and she most certainly has a LOT of fight in her, lol. A lot. As per the vet: "I have never seen a dog of this breed have absolutely no fear." That's Lola in a nutshell. I also learned that although I can deal with sick people I am NOT good with sick animals, and also learned that veterinary care may be similar to the American healthcare system..as in it's bloody pricey $$$$!! Now we are trying to rectify the non-existent relationship she has with our 6yr old dog Max. After bringing in a dog trainer to try and help us understand how to bring down the DOUBLE baby gates so our dogs can be around each other, as opposed to the maximum security penitentiary we have created to keep them apart, we learnt that our older dog has some major fear issues which is why he wants to attack anybody who enters our home; including Lola. Lola doesn't stop wanting to play and keeps jumping at his face and Max being the old man dog he is wants none of it, so he growl, nips, and I'm sweating with back to back hot flashes as he will most certainly kill her (simply due to her size) even with a nip. After the trainer took a brief history,she essentially told us that our older dog is the way he is because of my first diagnosis of cancer which occurred not too long after we got him:(. She said my scent would have changed from chemo, and my appearance as I lost my hair the first time. He was traumatized. Truthfully, when she said this I almost started crying right there. I mean...seriously??!!! The stupid disease has not only impacted my family and all those I love but also our DOG??!!!! I couldn't help but wonder if this second puppy would also be somehow "traumatized" by me which is the very last thing I would ever want. I waited for the trainer to leave before I went to the bathroom and cried my eyes out.I'm sick of the constant losses...the consistency of all the things in life this disease erodes and destroys. I'm sick of it. A part of the reason I got the pup was to bring some more carefree fun and joy into my life. I love advocating for MBC, but I also want to LIVE and enjoy life without the constant cancer halo hanging over my head like a dark cloud that goes everywhere with me. Then, I get the pup and learn about how my older dog is fearful and scared due to my initial diagnosis almost 6years ago?! Pretty soon they'll tell us to take our dog to a damn therapist it seems, lol.
So, as of now, I'm loving this cute little fluff ball, feel guilty as fuck for the way Max turned out, and am desperate to get rid of the baby gates that segregate our dogs like we are living in a maximum security prison, THEREFORE anybody reading this a dog trainer, dog therapist (I'm sure they have those too as they have chiropractic and just about everything else in the world for dogs), or just someone who can offer any insight into how to get two dogs to live harmoniously together, I'm all ears! I typically write about wanting more for cancer research, and trust me that'll always be my number one, but right now a dog trainer will do.
Now I am going to shamelessly post pics of my new pup Lola. Enjoy...
"Hi, my name is Lola and I am super fast, think I am 100lbs even though I don't register on our home scale, have pipes that can pierce my owners ears, but I love to cuddle, bite hair, bite my new brother constantly, bite my owners feet, and walk on my two front feet like I am a member of Cirque du Soleil."
This was when we first brought her home..she melted my heart. I mean seriously that FACE & the FLUFF!!
Just to show you how tiny she is
Her ears flopping in the wind, lol
Bringing her home from the vet post-seizure. Seriously, that face though??!!
Yes, she has an outfit on and before you judge, she actually calms right down when she puts on her ELLEN attire, lol. It's like a thundershirt for her and pure cuteness to watch on my end, so a win win for both of us!
That face!!
I need more memory on my phone at this rate!!
These are our dogs. I LOVE Max as he is a wonderful dog if he knows you, and as long as you don't come into the house as he does not like strangers...this is Max's kingdom and we just pay the bills, lol. One day we will live harmoniously:)
