I’ve been sitting here at my desk for the last hour trying to figure out what’s wrong with me. I just can’t get motivated to get any work done. The thing is though, I do know why I’m not motivated…I just haven’t wanted to admit it to myself. I’m a bit on edge because I’m taking Archie to the vet today.
A few weeks ago Archie got a bladder infection and has done a couple rounds of antibiotics as we try to get rid of it. I’m taking him to the vet in just a little while for a follow up, which will hopefully show that the infection is gone. That’s not what’s got my stomach in knots though.
Archie has a lump on his side.
Ugh!
He had a small lump about a year ago that turned out to be nothing but this one is different. It’s small (about the size of a pea) but it’s pretty hard, fixed in one spot, and seems to be getting bigger. I keep telling myself it could be absolutely nothing…and that’s probably, hopefully exactly what it is…nothing. But, having one dog living with cancer (still in remission, thank goodness!) has certainly heightened cancer awareness. I won’t say I’m paranoid, but because cancer has become a reality for Lydia, I’m not living under the “it could never happen to me” umbrella anymore. I wish that darn umbrella hadn’t been yanked out of my hand, but it was, and I can’t dismiss the lump on Archie no matter how small.
A pet sitter I know in Indiana is helping her dog Harvey fight cancer. And as she said, cancer is constantly whispering in her ear that it’s going to take her boy from her. I know what it’s like to hear that nasty little whisper in one ear for Lydia, and hope to hell I don’t have to hear it in the other ear for Archie.
Wish us luck!
Update: Archie’s fine! The urinalysis was clear (no more infection!) and the lump is just a fatty tumor. I can breathe again!
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{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
I hope everything goes well for Archie today – I have my fingers crossed and have instructed my boys Sam and Tanner to do the same. I hope that you get good news..
Sadie and I have our fingers, paws, toes, arms, everything crossed for you and Archie. Think positive!
Whew!
Okay, now get back to work!
Seriously, I’m thrilled to hear Archie is just fine!
What great news…….I was really afraid to read to the end of this one but I’m so glad that I did. Whew!
We’re praying that Lydia will also remain well.
What a terrific present for the new year. You go, guys……….
Kisses from Hannah to Lydia. Happy New Year to all……
Yay.
Been there, done that with those vet visits, worrying about what they’re going to find.
Glad to hear Archie is on the mend and it’s not serious. Hope Miss Lydia continues to stay healthy too!
Happy New Year!
What a relief to find that the lump was nothing serious! Heres hoping that the New Year brings nothing but continued good health for both Archie & Lydia!
Thank goodness Archie just has a lipoma. Austin has one and they are fairly common in middle-aged dogs. The vet told me just to monitor it and to watch out for any changes in the size and appearance and that was all they recommended. I didn’t want to sit around and wait for it to get bigger and bigger so I consulted with a Homeopathic Veterinarian here in Austin and we’ve begun treatments to see if we can prevent further lipomas and possibly stop this one from growing any bigger than it is (2 cm). One thing I’m learning about Lipoma’s is that some believe it’s a sign there is an imbalance in the system. The body is unable to shed access fat normally so the body tries to encapsulate it by forming this lipoma.
In order to increase Beemer and Austin’s immune systems, I’ve started them on a natural supplement called Transfer Factor. Transfer factors are tiny molecules found in colostrum which provide “immune knowledge” from a mother’s immune system to her baby used in recognizing and fighting outside threats. Transfer factors are not only useful for disease prevention but can also help with diseases already established due to inadequate immune response. I’m giving it to my dogs as a preventative in the hopes that if a pathogen were to find it’s way into their body, their immune system would be more than capable of killing it. I’ve been reading a lot about TF and a fascinating aspect of the immune system is a population of cells known as the Natural Killer cells, or NK cells. These are the first responders against foreigners like viruses, bacteria, or cancer cells and TF has been shown to increase the number of NK cells from 248% to 437%. If interested I can tell you where I get mine.
That is great news that Archie is A-OK!
Happy New Year!