I don't even know where to begin.
Before Kevin and I left for my birthday trip, I noticed Beasley slow to get up from the laying position. I was so caught up with leaving town & making sure everyone was taken care of that I wrote it off to him being sleepy or possible arthritis.
his first night at our house: I think he found comfort in his "friend"
When Kevin and I returned, Bill {Kevin's Dad} mentioned Beasley was not acting himself. At this point, he wasn't even going up stairs. You should know, Beasley follows us everywhere -- he loves to be around us -- where we go, he follows shortly after.
He was due for his annual check-up, so I scheduled it for June 22. They looked him over, took his blood & did the general doggy check-up. Due to his previous injury on his back left leg, we all decided his "slowness" was due to arthritis. He is not an old dog, but Goldens, especially with injuries, are prone to arthritis.
one of his favorite places in our yard -- until we pulled all the monkey grass up!
Two days later, June 24, he struggled to get in the crouching position to "take care of business." I began to cry and knew something was wrong. I immediately called the Vet for another appointment. Since his blood work came back 'perfect,' the Vet took x-rays to rule out hip displaysia or something wrong with the plate in his leg. The x-rays were clear, so he thought his healthy leg may have a tendon tear due to weight over-compensation of the injured leg.
his favorite snack, a green apple
{2005} post-surgery at home...so pitiful
Next steps:
Take him to Georgia Veterinary Specialists or Auburn. Since we'd been to Auburn for his previous surgeries & were going down for the 4th, we made an appointment with the Orthopedic Surgeon.
I arrived at the AU Vet School on June 30; paperwork, x-rays, Hudson & Beasley in tow. Dr. Montgomery took a look at the x-rays and went to the Radiologist for a consult. He came back & told me their thoughts:
**It could be severe arthritis - but most likely not**
Due to fluid around the rear spine, it could be:
1) Bladder Infection - 50/50 chance
2) Tumor
WHAT! A Tumor! But he is only 7 years old! SEVEN!
this doggy LOVES to swim
We opted for them to keep him & run a urinalysis for the possible Bladder Infection; they also scheduled an ultrasound to check out his Lymph Nodes. If his Lymph Nodes were enlarged, they would pull fluid from them & his prostate, where they concluded the tumor was originating.
Thursday, July 1:
I receive a call from the 4th Yr student, Mary Martin, assigned to our case. His urinalysis is clear - which means -
The mineralizations found in his prostate and "bad fluid" {I can't remember the term they used} in his Lymph Nodes points to Cancer.
New Next Steps:
I scheduled an appointment on Tuesday, July 5 to meet with the Oncologist. Kevin stayed with me, & we saw Dr. Sones. They can't get to the specifics of where everything is originating but it is a Tumor, no doubt.
Our Options:
1) Treat Cancer with Radiation & Chemo
2) Not Treat the Cancer -- Opt for Pain Management Only
he loved getting to ride on the boat with everyone
*Side Note: Our very close friends literally went through this 2 weeks prior to our 1st Vet appt. Their Golden, Abby, was treated for her original tumor only to have 3 more tumors appear 3 months later. They spent quite a bit of money for only 8 more months. We spoke with them over the weekend, and they mentioned the toil of the treatment wore on Abby and them. Knowing what they know now, their decision might not have been the same.*
Beasley - front; Abby - back
Goldens have a 60% chance of dying from Cancer -- TWICE that of every other breed -- but still have a life span of 12-15 years. Prostate cancer is more common in neutered males & is one of the worst kinds of cancer.
With Option #1:
1-2 weeks of chemo & radiation
6 months {OR LESS} lifespan, yes, only 6 months
With Option #2:
Pain Management
New Anti-Inflammatory shown to reduce tumors for added lifespan
Couple of weeks-1 month lifespan
{this was really hard to swallow}
Abby - left; Beasley - right
The first couple of days - while waiting to start the new anti-inflammatory - were so incredibly sad. We were hand-feeding Beasley, & he could barely walk. Kevin was carrying him up the stairs at night, so he could still sleep by us.
However, he's now on the new drug & it seems to be doing wonders; he is getting around so much better and eating by himself! Although, we have a beach trip coming up the last week of July. He does look much better, but I am terrified of something happening while we're out of town. I keep praying God will show us when the time is right, keep him healthy through July, and keep him as free of pain as possible.
We so love our Beasley. We got him 2 months after getting married. He's been there with us from the beginning. He had such a wonderful weekend July 4th at the Lake. He swam & swam until he could barely carry the toy up the stairs. But he continued to wag his tail with excitement!
Beasley with Hudson, 6 months
Beasley with Grant, 5 months
Beasley with Hudson, 3 1/2 years
When I think about letting him go, my heart goes to those 2 sweet boys sleeping upstairs. They will never really know what a wonderful soul Beasley is. He is gentle, happy, loving, energetic {when he wants to be} and empathetic. I am so glad I took {and take} lots of pictures of Beasley with them.
I ask for prayers for Beasley and our family. This will be the hardest thing as a couple {next to fertility treatments} we've been through.
