Wednesday, April 11, 2012

This Isn’t’ a Real Post. This is Me Being Grateful Instead. You've Been Warned.

There’s a reason why I am a green DIY blogger instead of a Slice of Life blogger. I absolutely stink at kicking the personal and emotional door in and letting my innermost thoughts and feeling spill onto the Internet like the many bloggers I admire. I’m going to try my hand at it today. Please forgive me if I stumble.

First things first.

Thank you.

Thanks to your generosity, we raised enough money to pay for Blitzkrieg first two chemotherapy treatments within the first 24 hours of taking donations for the Blitzkrieg Cancer Treatment Fund.



Please don't think that money is the only way you can help us. There are many people who have said insensitive things to Husband and I once we started telling people the news. They think we're crazy and stupid for treating Blitzkrieg. It is sad because some of those people are pet owners too.



Husband and I are focusing on how much so many of you and our friends love our little dog to bits instead. The out pouring of love and support from your comments, tweets, emails, and Facebook status messages mean just as much to us as a financial donation.

Husband said he doubted strangers would donate money to people or a dog they didn't know.

Clearly, my Husband doesn't know the power of the blogging and social media community. He does now. Husband is floored that so many kind strangers have been so supportive. Honestly, I'm amazed and humbled the way you are supporting us too. Thank you for helping us help our boy.


Last week, during our preliminary oncology appointment at OSU Veterinary Hospital, they put Blitzkrieg on steroids because his tonsils and the lymph nodes in his back legs were very swollen. Blitzkrieg didn’t want to walk as long or as far as we normally do on our daily walks.

This week, the oncologist said Blitzkrieg is responding to the steroids and they are pleased to find the swelling in his tonsils and lymph nodes is greatly reduced. This is a good sign because long walks make Blitzkrieg happy. Today Blitzkrieg and I were able to take a longer walk than we have been recently. This is very good!

However, I don’t have the heart to tell Blitzkrieg that being on medically prescribed steroids disqualifies him from competing in the London Olympics.

What?! Are you kidding me IOC? You made that up because you 
don't want me to win gold in the Biathlon this Summer, right?! 

(The kid's on a roll. I'm not going to correct him that Biathlon is a Winter Olympic event, or that he hasn't been training for it, or that we don't even own the equipment to make biathlon training possible. I'm especially not bringing up the fact Blitzkrieg doesn't have thumbs because he thinks it's discriminatory when I do even thought I think thumbs are the thing that makes target shooting possible. )

Yesterday Blitzkrieg had his first chemotherapy treatment at OSU Veterinary Hospital thanks to all of you. It was tougher day than I expected. I kept looking for Blitzkrieg around the house only to realize he was at the hospital having poisons pumped into his body to kill the cells that are poised to kill him.

The hospital said Blitzkrieg was very good, charmed the staff, and quickly had the vet tech who treated him wrapped around his paw. That’s my boy!

Blitzkrieg fell asleep in his car seat on the way home from the hospital. Husband carried him from the car and put him on pillow in the living room. Blitzkrieg looked at me with that big soulful brown eye and gave his tail a flip. Blitzkrieg was happy to see me but clearly he was worn out.

The hospital sedated Blitzkrieg as a precaution given his past abuse issues. 
The little guy takes after me. I get whuggy from anesthesia too.

Though our behavioral training, we learned when dogs are sick or injured they distance themselves from the pack, unlike humans who crave comfort when they are ill. I expected Blitzkrieg to keep to himself last night. I was glad when I finally came downstairs for some quality Glee on the TV and me on the sofa time, Blitzkrieg moseyed over to the sofa and asked for permission to join us. Blitzkrieg wedged himself between Husband and I on the sofa. Clearly he was feeling well enough to join the pack.

Either that or he prefers watching the dance numbers in Glee on the bigger TV in the living room. 

I think it was the TV thing. You know how guys like their big TV sets.

Today, Blitzkrieg is still a little tired but he’s perking up as the day progresses. He’s already tried to beg me out of my morning coffee and afternoon peppermint tea, my morning vitamins, and my lunch – Blitzkrieg business as usual.

Your messages really help. Yesterday was not as a productive day as it should be without my trusty Office Manager by my side. I stumbled over my words and rambled too much for my liking during my Earth Day Crafts interview on Fave Crafts radio.

Truthfully, it’s hard to be all, “Yay be green! Kiss a baby while wearing nontoxic lipstick!” for Earth Day as I am called upon to be as a green DIY blogger when right now in my heart I’m thinking, “It doesn’t matter a hill of beans that I cleaned my house with nontoxic cleaners, and made sure Blitzkrieg used parabin free products, and ate high quality food. My boy got sick with lymphoma. It’s not environmental. It just happens. I could have filled the house with nuclear waste and the outcome would have been the same.”

Nevertheless, for now, I’m trying to focus on the positive.

And say thank you with all of my heart.


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10 comments:

Kim/reluctant renovator said...

I'm glad round one was a success and, hard as it was, you all made it through! {hugs}

Vivienne @ the V Spot said...

I am so glad to hear that it went well. Thinking about you guys.

Carolina said...

Happy y'all have the first round behind you already. It is only one... but each one is one more you have DONE!

And some things are just unexplainable. My cousin got Leukemia at age 6 - and lives in a vegetarian, pesticide-conscious household. :( But, you can take comfort knowing that you have done, and are continuing to do, everything you can to keep your guy happy and healthy!

Robj98168 said...

HOpe blitzy gets over this real soon. Poor little guy. I just do not know what I would do if something like this happened to Romeo. Probably a lot of tear shedding. So keep up the good fight little fellow~ Romeo and I are rooting for you!

Anonymous said...

Glad to hear you all made it through round one.
Non-dog folks don't get it that our pets are a part of the family. We will do all we can to keep our family members with us...happy and healthy.
(People with dogs may not get it and that's OK for them..."dog people" are a different breed.)
Sue Clarke

Melissa O said...

I hope your baby gets better soon. Don't listen to the negative things people say to you and your husband. I feel the same way about my dogs and cats. A couple years ago my cat broke his pelvis and instead of "putting him down" like all of my friends and strangers suggested I went ahead with the $4000 surgery. He was like my child and he was fixable and only 6 so to just turn my back on him and not take care of him wasn't an option. I can't understand why people and people with pets don't think this same way. Even though he passed away 5 months later due to a stroke the $4000 was well spent and I wouldn't have done anything different. You are doing a great thing and don't let anybody tell you different.

Traci said...

8 and a half years ago a 5 month old cat got his leg literally ripped off. He was sleeping in the engine of a friend's car and they started it not knowing he was there. I made the decision to take him to the vet and spend more money than I had at the time to get the rest of his leg properly amputated and have his wound closed up. He was not my cat. He was just a kitten that came from a friend's outdoor cat colony. Everyone told me not to waste my money. To just let him die. I didn't listen to them. I listened to my heart. I knew that poor kitten deserved a chance. That kitten is now almost 9 years old. Has not spent a day outside since he lost his leg. Everyone that meets him, loves him. Even my cat hating father-in-law loves my cat. He is the sweetest most affectionate cat ever. He constantly has nasty eye discharge, he slobbers everywhere, he chews on your fingers when you pet him, and I love him. Blitzkrieg survived a horrible beginning and turned out to be a wonderful dog. He deserves the chance to fight this and win. Don't let the negative people make you doubt for even one second that you are doing the right thing.

Anonymous said...

What I don't get is why the people who feel that treating him is "crazy or stupid" would ever voice that opinion? I think a lot of choices that other people make are crazy and stupid, but I'm pretty sure people would be flabbergasted if I told them it is crazy or stupid to be paying that much for a car, because quite honestly it isn't my business. Just as it isn't theirs that you chose to treat him. Words of support or none at all. I hope it all goes well and I'm glad you are able to tune out the opinions of others who had no business opening their mouths to begin with. And I'm not a dog lover, although sometimes they make more sense than people...

Lisa Nelsen-Woods said...

There has been a lot of tear shedding by both of the humans who live in this house. Some of our friends who think of Blitzkrieg as their surrogate dog have done the same.

sancolechio@yahoo.com said...

ok, great progress so far. I am Samson the Peke who also has great parents. My mom and dad got me back surgery when i was 4 and could not walk. All their friends and family thought it was a waste of money, but my parents did what was in their hearts. I am now 11 and my mom shows me Blitzkreigs blog every day! (i know it isn't his blog, i just like to think it is)
Good luck my brother.
Samson: David and San's Peke

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