Pets can help us to walk this journey

sylva
sylva Member Posts: 80
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
GREAT DOG STORY Anyone who has pets will really like this. You'll like it even if you don't and you may even decide you need one!

Mary and her husband Jim had a dog named 'Lucky.' Lucky was a real character. Whenever Mary and Jim had company come for a weekend visit they would warn their friends to not leave their luggage open because Lucky would help himself to whatever struck his fancy. Inevitably, someone would forget and something would come up missing.

Mary or Jim would go to Lucky's toy box in the basement and there the treasure would be, amid all of Lucky's other favorite toys. Lucky always stashed his finds in his toy box and he was very particular that his toys stay in the box.

It happened that Mary found out she had breast cancer. Something told her she was going to die of this disease....in fact , she was just sure it was fatal.

She scheduled the double mastectomy, fear riding her shoulders. The night before she was to go to the hospital she cuddled with Lucky. A thought struck her...what would happen to Lucky? Although the three-year-old dog liked Jim , he was Mary 's dog through and through. If I die, Lucky will be abandoned, Mary thought. He won't understand that I didn't want to leave him. The thought made her sadder than thinking of her own death.

The double mastectomy was harder on Mary than her doctors had anticipated and Mary was hospitalized for over two weeks. Jim took Lucky for his evening walk fa ithfully, but the little dog just drooped, whining and miserable.

Finally the day came for Mary to leave the hospital. When she arrived home, Mary was so exhausted she couldn't even make it up the steps to her bedroom. Jim made his wife comfortable on the couch and left her to nap. Lucky stood watching Mary but he didn't come to her when she called. It made Mary sad but sleep soon overcame her and she dozed.

When Mary woke for a second she couldn't understand what was wrong. She couldn't move her head and her body felt heavy and hot. But panic soon gave way to laughter when Mary realized the problem. She was covered, literally blanketed, with every treasure Lucky owned! While she had slept, the sorrowing dog had made trip after trip to the basement bringing his beloved mistress all his favorite things in life. He had covered her with his love.

Mary forgot about dying. Instead she and Lucky began living again, walking further and further together every day. It's been 12 years now and Mary is still cancer-free. Lucky? He still steals treasures and stashes them in his toy box but Mary remains his greatest treasure.

Remember....live every day to the fullest. And never forget....the people who make a difference in our lives are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care for us.

Comments

  • praiseJesus
    praiseJesus Member Posts: 33
    #2
    Animals are a gift
    I read your story then I let my sister read it,I enjoyed it......It made me laugh...smile...and really tugged at my heart.I have 2 cats Pauley 16 years old,and Sammy her daughter who is 15 years old. They are diffinitly my babies, I've had them forever...It will be around 3 weeks or so before I start chemo.....but when I do....I'm just hopeing that I will have more good days than bad.They like all my attention...but know how to behave when I say....and never really bother me when they know I don't feel good They sense it,there so special to me and they know it.I'd be lost with out them.
  • praiseJesus
    praiseJesus Member Posts: 33
    #3
    Animals are a gift
    I read your story then I let my sister read it,I enjoyed it......It made me laugh...smile...and really tugged at my heart.I have 2 cats Pauley 16 years old,and Sammy her daughter who is 15 years old. They are diffinitly my babies, I've had them forever...It will be around 3 weeks or so before I start chemo.....but when I do....I'm just hopeing that I will have more good days than bad.They like all my attention...but know how to behave when I say....and never really bother me when they know I don't feel good They sense it,there so special to me and they know it.I'd be lost with out them.
  • CR1954
    CR1954 Member Posts: 1,390 Member
    #4
    My faithful friend....
    Oh my gosh! I read your story, and I have to tell you that my Golden Retriever, Kenny, did everything just as Lucky had!

    He is and always has been what my husband refers to as a "mama's boy". All 100 pounds of him!

    From the minute that I was DXd and through all of the emotional turmoil that followed, he was near my side.
    I was only in the hospital overnight with my mastectomy, but from the minute I got home and up until now...6 weeks later, he has not strayed more than a few feet from me. In fact, I have had to be careful that I don't trip over him.
    When I came home, he loaded up my bed with all of his "precious treasures". Every time I moved, I had a new addition added to the growing pile! Every time I laughed or cried, the toy box would be emptied into my lap, and my proud nursemaid would hover!

    He is a Godsend to me and he always will be! My boy Kenny.

    Hugs to all of those faithful and loving pets out there....

    CR
  • Marcia527
    Marcia527 Member Posts: 2,729
    #5
    smell of cancer
    My son's dog, which I had trained and kept for six months as a puppy, seemed to know I had cancer. She would come up and smell my breath and just had a sad look. She had a really good nose and could smell where I hid her toys even if it was behind a closet door. I read that there is a different smell to cancer cells (this was a few years ago). I wondered if this is what she was smelling.

    I walk my dog even if I don't feel like it because I know she needs it. If I didn't have my dog, I'd be a lump on the couch. I would have to make sure I wear something contrasting or someone might think I was a cushion and sit on me.
  • Joycelouise
    Joycelouise Member Posts: 482
    #6
    About a year ago a dream of
    About a year ago a dream of mine came true; I got a German Shepherd Puppy. A month later a nightmare of mine came true: I got a BC DX. I was sad that I couldn't enjoy the puppy in the way that I had planned when chemo curtailed my energy but I did my best. I even went to dog training class with a drain in. Getting through this with my puppy has been a godsend. My puppy is now 80 lbs and my hair is almost an inch long. We have grown together.
    I loved the story! Joyce
  • kbc4869
    kbc4869 Member Posts: 159
    #7
    Great Story
    Dear Sylva,

    I loved this story. Thanks for sharing.

    When I got DXed, I lived alone with my three cats. They were all such a comfort to me. And they were all very upset that I was sick. My oldest female cat, Bella, seemed particularly affected. I got her from the shelter when she was 4 years old. I was told she had been severely abused. While I knew that she cared for me and was happy in our home, she would never allow me to hold her or sit in my lap. When I was dxed, I'd had her for five years. And she'd always stay near to me, but just hovering on the outside.

    The day I came home from the oncologist's office with my DX, I sat in my office alone and didn't cry, but sat there quietly, feeling so alone and sad like my heart was breaking. Bella came into my office and slowly crept up to me and then jumped in my lap. She sat there for two or three minutes and let me pet her. She had never let me do that before, and she never let me really do it again. But that spoke volumes to me. I knew she cared and sensed that I was sad. And even though she was probably petrified, she overcame her fear to comfort me. It meant so much to me and still does.

    She passed away a year and half ago at age 13. I miss her. She was such a good gentle friend to me.

    Love,
    Kim
  • sylva
    sylva Member Posts: 80
    #8
    praiseJesus said:

    Animals are a gift
    I read your story then I let my sister read it,I enjoyed it......It made me laugh...smile...and really tugged at my heart.I have 2 cats Pauley 16 years old,and Sammy her daughter who is 15 years old. They are diffinitly my babies, I've had them forever...It will be around 3 weeks or so before I start chemo.....but when I do....I'm just hopeing that I will have more good days than bad.They like all my attention...but know how to behave when I say....and never really bother me when they know I don't feel good They sense it,there so special to me and they know it.I'd be lost with out them.

    Yes, it's really a nice
    Yes, it's really a nice story. Animals give us so much, without conditions or expectations.
    When I was going through chemo this year, I read that it's important to do some aerobic exercise during that time (walk, bicycle, etc), and my rescued girl, Ebony, was the perfect companion during those days. Some days I wasn't in the mood for walking, but she was looking at me, almost talking to me: we have to go out for the walk, you need it and I need it too. And I can tell you that I walked almost every day. Chemo has some not too good days, but you know that the good days will come, and you will be ok. God bless.
  • sylva
    sylva Member Posts: 80
    #9
    Thank you for sharing all
    Thank you for sharing all those wonderful personal stories!!! It's so true that our pets know when we are sad, happy, sick, or need extra doses of love and affection. I remembered I saw a program in TV, too, where they were talking about dogs who could detect CA just by smelling the person. They really teach us to live in the moment, no regrets, no resentment. This last Sunday was my B I R T H D A Y ! ! ! and I told my honey that I didn't want materials things, just some horse riding classes. And this big gentle lovely horse named Sandy was a blessing from the sky. Hugs!!!
  • mmontero38
    mmontero38 Member Posts: 1,510
    #10
    sylva said:

    Thank you for sharing all
    Thank you for sharing all those wonderful personal stories!!! It's so true that our pets know when we are sad, happy, sick, or need extra doses of love and affection. I remembered I saw a program in TV, too, where they were talking about dogs who could detect CA just by smelling the person. They really teach us to live in the moment, no regrets, no resentment. This last Sunday was my B I R T H D A Y ! ! ! and I told my honey that I didn't want materials things, just some horse riding classes. And this big gentle lovely horse named Sandy was a blessing from the sky. Hugs!!!

    Happy Birthday Sylva and
    Happy Birthday Sylva and many, many more. I don't have pets but your story was lovely.
    And what you said about living today is so true. We need to stop and smell the roses because life is certainly too short. Hugs, Lili
  • sylva
    sylva Member Posts: 80
    #11
    mmontero38 said:

    Happy Birthday Sylva and
    Happy Birthday Sylva and many, many more. I don't have pets but your story was lovely.
    And what you said about living today is so true. We need to stop and smell the roses because life is certainly too short. Hugs, Lili

    Thank you! This was a
    Thank you! This was a special BIRTHDAY indeed. I don't take it for granted anymore.
    I read in another posting that you are from Argentina... me too! de Ramos Mejia. This world is so big and small at the same time. Chau
  • mmontero38
    mmontero38 Member Posts: 1,510
    #12
    sylva said:

    Thank you! This was a
    Thank you! This was a special BIRTHDAY indeed. I don't take it for granted anymore.
    I read in another posting that you are from Argentina... me too! de Ramos Mejia. This world is so big and small at the same time. Chau

    Hi Sylva: I was born in
    Hi Sylva: I was born in Buenos Aires, in the town of Caballitos. Haven't visited in a long time but my parents are there now on vacation. Nice to meet you also. Besitos, Lili

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