Got The Bad News Yesterday Options

[lizabeth]

Hello everyone,
Yesterday we just got the news that our sweet dog Kobe has lymphoma. She is a black lab mix and is only 8 years old. The vet told us that it's not curable and we have two options as far as chemo. The more aggressive option may give her a year, and the less aggressive with prednisone may give her 6 months. I just can't believe I'm writing this...I'm in shock.

If you don't mind me sharing a little, Kobe is one of the sweetest dogs I've ever known. She absolutely adores her "brothers" who are our two sons, ages 18 and 20. She loves riding in the car, going for walks, playing fetch with her old, flattened basketball, and sleeping in the sun. I think her favorite time is winter because she can roll in the snow, catch snowballs and snuggle on the couch when she's inside. She can be feisty and is always ready to play, but she also has a very sweet temperment. She doesn't like the dark, and falling water (such as rain or a sprinkler) scares her. I could go on and on, but that's all I'll say for now.

Kobe came into our lives when I was struggling very hard with depression and she helped me heal as she drew our family even closer together. I want us to make the most of this time we have left with her, as well as make her as happy and pain-free as possible. I can't stop crying though and go off to do it whenever I get some alone time. My husband and our sons feel as devestated as I do.

Thank you all for listening and I'm grateful for a forum like this. I have friends I've told about this, but none of them are really animal people and I think they have a hard time understanding. Thank you again.