My dog Lydia is a canine cancer survivor!

Typing that is super emotional for me. It was just two years ago when I found myself crying my eyes out as I typed My dog Lydia has cancer. The tears in my eyes as I type today are much different than the ones I cried back then! When I first heard the words “your dog has cancer” I wasn’t sure if we’d still be together a few months later, (let alone two years!), but here we are!

Lydia, Archie, and I are celebrating today! It was two years ago today that she had surgery to remove a couple lumps that turned out to be cancer. Her vet didn’t have much hope at first, and told me she may be with me for another six months – if we were lucky. On the other hand though, he said he’d never seen this type of cancer (anal gland cancer) caught so early. His hope (and mine!) was that he was wrong and he referred us to an oncologist.

Lydia’s oncologist was much more optimistic and started her on chemotherapy right away. She went through one treatment per month for nine months, and is doing absolutely fabulous! We’ve done a heck of a lot of living in the past two years and have learned to enjoy every single day more than ever before.

I don’t know about Lydia, but I’ve learned to appreciate her life (and life in general) in a different way than before her diagnosis. A day doesn’t go by without me telling her how wonderful she is and how much better my life is because of her. I am so thankful that she’s still here with me. We still get to hang out on the couch, go for long walks, play her favorite games, and cuddle up at bedtime. She’s she’s still here – and she’s happy and healthy!

Cancer is a nasty, nasty beast – whether it’s human or canine cancer. I know way too many people who have fought cancer themselves, or lost people and pets in a short amount of time. In fact, I lost both of my parents within months of being diagnosed, and more recently, I lost my cat Tequila within a month of learning she had cancer. So, I’m fully aware of how Lydia’s cancer could have gone. The past two years have truly been a gift. I don’t know why we were chosen to receive this gift, but you can bet I’m a very grateful recipient!

As I type this Lydia is lying on the floor next to me – quite content and quite healthy! She and Archie celebrated after their dinner with some ice cream and cookies. Lydia even got a new party hat and a fancy collar.

You would never know by looking at her that Lydia has been through so much. She’s definitely a fighter, she’s my hero, and my little cancer survivor. If you want to keep up with Lydia, she has her own Facebook page: Lydia, canine cancer survivor.

Tagged as: canine cancer, Dogs, Pet Health, Pets