Our Pets...have they helped?
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Topic: Our Pets...have they helped?
Posted By: scared
Subject: Our Pets...have they helped?
Date Posted: Nov 17 2009 at 11:52am
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Hello again and I appreciate all your answers, if it were possible I would like us to give each other a big hug! So, if you can imagine us doing it because God knows if anyone deserves a huge hug it is us. Back to the question though, when I first found out Becky had breast cancer my work let me have a few weeks off to go to all the tests and just be with her. I was pretty useless anyway because I was so scared. Then I had to go back to work, we knew the beast we would be fighting. We had a plan down and a team put together and I would always have a hard time leaving my wife alone over eight hours. But she really was not alone because we have a 15 pound orange tabby called, "Jeff" that would not leave my wife's side. Really at night he would sleep on the side of my wife where she had breast cancer and purrrrrrr. And in the morning would follow my wife around. If she would be reading a book Jeff would be there to comfort her. Having Jeff around made it possible for me to leave Becky and go to work. If there was no Jeff in our lives, the cancer journey would have been much harder to go through. But God gave us Jeff many years before Becky had cancer. And even today he seems almost attached to Becky. Has a pet made any difference to you on your cancer journey? If so, how? ------------- Wife diagnosed 7/08 stage 2B 4.78cm with 3 nodes. 15 weeks of Adriamycin and Cytoxin, Mastectomy, 12 weeks of Taxol, and 6.5 weeks of radiation. |
Replies:
Posted By: trip2
Date Posted: Nov 17 2009 at 8:42pm
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Hi,
What a heartwarming story.
I do think pets can make a huge difference if you are a pet person.
During my second round of treatments I had a small dog who would lay on the bed beside me and do her little growl when ever someone approached the doorway. Even my husband. It was funny and of course she was not a mean dog, not at all, she was a loving companion for me. My protector. ------------- Stage 2 2003 Stage 1 2007 BRCA 1+ |
Posted By: Lillie
Date Posted: Nov 17 2009 at 9:40pm
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Hi David,
That really is a neat story. You should submit it to Guide Post or Readers Digest. David, does Jeff ever talk to you or your wife? Out cats can be very verbal at times. It is so funny. I know that pets make a difference in our lives. We have three outdoor cats but every morning when they hear me moving around in the kitchen they line up for breakfast, out on the breezeway. I open the door and "Meow", "Oreo" and "Butthead" are anxiously waiting. When I put the food in their dishes they all wind around my legs until I have given each one a head scratch and many words of endearment. Then they start eating. They are sooo sweet. They helped me lots of times (during treatment) to focus my attention away from myself onto them. They still do. "Meow" was our neighbors cat. About three years ago the neighbor sold her house and moved about 30 miles away. "Meow" was miserable and scared at the new house. I told the ex neighbor to bring him back and let him stay with us since he stayed at my house a lot when she was my neighbor. Well... three years later we still have "Meow", a big black tuxedo cat. "Oreo" showed up at our house on valentines day a few years ago. He looked to be about 2 months old and way black on top and white on the bottom. My husband and I worked to tame him and now he is so cute and sweet. "Butthead" was a semi ferile cat. She showed up a few years ago and the only contact I could have with her was, she showed up for food and would butt the food cup out of my hand. Hence, the name butthead. We found out much later that the reason she butted the cup was because she wanted her head rubbed. We have worked with her and she is tame now. Can you tell, I love my cats. Lillie ------------- Dx 6/06 age 65,IDC-TNBC Stage IIb,Gr3,2cm,BRCA- 6/06 L/Mast/w/SNB,1of3 Nodes+ 6/06 Axl. 9 nodes- 8/8 thru 11/15 Chemo (Clin-Trial) DD A/Cx4 -- DD taxol+gemzar x4 No Rads. No RECON - 11/2018-12 yrs NED |
Posted By: dmwolf
Date Posted: Nov 18 2009 at 12:37am
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Merkin and Dingleberry, our two 'stretch' terriers, say yes, absolutely! -Denise, transcribing for the furry things beneath my feet ------------- DX 2/08@43 stg II IDC; gr2,0 nodes. Neoadj chemo, first ACx2 (fail) then CarboTaxotereX6(better). Lump, Rads done 11/08; Clodronate. False alarm queen: PetCT lung & TM marker. NED. PBM w/recon 9/10. |
Posted By: JanetK
Date Posted: Nov 18 2009 at 3:11am
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My cats are absolutely a blessing and comfort in my life. I have two very large grey and white boys. Journey and Toes. Journey is so named because when he was a kitten used to go for walks in my husbands pocket. He is way too big (13 lbs) to fit in ANY pocket now, but he stil tries. He sleeps under the covers with me. My Toes or Toesies Is so named because he just has these little white toes on all his grey feet. He is also big (14 lbs) He gives kisses and wants to be by my side always, to the point of sometimes being a nuisance. But both my boys absolutely know when I don't feel good and comfort me the only way they know how...just by being big, fuzzy, warm purring love bugs.
------------- TNBC feb 13,2009 2.6x 3.5 neoadjuvant chemo 8 rounds Lumpectomy successful Oct 09 axillary node dissection Nov 09 still awaiting results |
Posted By: Ghostie
Date Posted: Jan 05 2010 at 12:29pm
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I have two cats, boy and girl, and the boy kitty has clung to my side all throughout my treatment. When I'm on the sofa under a blanket resting and/or feeling bad, he is always right there with me. At times he will look up at me with this expression of absolute, naked kitty love...and reach out a paw to touch my arm (even once my face).
I truly feel sorry for anyone who has never let the unconditional love of a pet into their life. They have no idea what they are missing. ------------- Age 49, DX 8/27/09, 1.8cm, Stage I, Grade 3; lumpectomy 9/21/09, clear margins, 2 nodes removed, BRCA2+, Oncotype score 67. Finished 4 DD A/C + 4 DD Taxol on 3/18/10. Completed radiation in June 2010 |
Posted By: Paddler
Date Posted: Feb 01 2010 at 1:05am
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Tipper ... our cat ... just crawled up into my arms for a cuddle and purr as I started to read this thread.
If I'm awake in the night ... she shows up to pat my face or just snuggle close.
Our dog, Hayley, is 2-1/2 years of Brittany non-stop energy. But she knows when you're down and just stays close to cuddle during the day.
When my Mum was having a sad moment a few weeks ago, Hayley climbed up to cuddle against her too.
Hayley doesn't lick ... but peers at us closely, then gently sniffs our eyes to see if everything's ok! Very sweet :)
Pets totally know what's going on .... and just how to help.
If you could only see me trying to type right now with a purring cat draped across my arms on the desk!!!! Time to go to bed :)
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Posted By: scared
Date Posted: Feb 01 2010 at 1:19am
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Thanks to those that have and will respond, our pets make a difference and without them this cancer journey would be much darker. Peace! Dave ------------- Wife diagnosed 7/08 stage 2B 4.78cm with 3 nodes. 15 weeks of Adriamycin and Cytoxin, Mastectomy, 12 weeks of Taxol, and 6.5 weeks of radiation. |
Posted By: 123Donna
Date Posted: Feb 01 2010 at 7:31am
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Dave, I agree! ------------- DX IDC TNBC 6/09 age 49, Stage 1,Grade 3, 1.5cm,0/5Nodes,KI-67 48%,BRCA-,6/09bi-mx, recon, T/C X4(9/09) 11/10 Recur IM node, Gem,Carb,Iniparib 12/10,MRI NED 2/11,IMRT Radsx40,CT NED11/13,MRI NED3/15 |
Posted By: Carol (Tenn)
Date Posted: Feb 01 2010 at 9:10am
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I don't have any pets anymore. My beloved Harry left us after 14 yrs. I miss him every day.
So my new pets are my birds. I have four feeders outside my sun room window and I can sit and watch them for hours. And I did when I was in treatment and didn't feel like doing anything else. They were a special blessing to me from the Great Creator! ------------- St 2 Gr 3, A/C/T, DD Radiation x35 Rec chest wall 07/09 Radiation x28 NED 10/24/11 NED 10/5/12 NED 03/15/13 |
Posted By: Megan
Date Posted: Apr 27 2010 at 6:20pm
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I don't know what I'd do without my two cats. I'm an animal lover anyway, so I can't live without pets in general.
My black cat Smitty is the most affectionate. He always wants to be with me and misses me when I'm getting treatments. I thought my tuxedo cat Sebastian was a typical, aloof cat who didn't care if I was around or not, but it seems he misses me too. They make me so happy and I feel so much better when I just look at them!  ------------- dx Oct.09, lumpectomy L breast, 2 nodes neg., 4 cycles AC + 4 cycles T, 6 1/2 weeks of radiation, BRCA neg. |
Posted By: Sugar77
Date Posted: Jun 11 2010 at 10:31pm
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My little buddy Brandie, a two-year-old Bichon-Poodle, has been so wonderful to have around. I've been off on leave from work during treatment and he was here for snuggles and comfort each and every day. He was afraid of my wig head so we had fun playing games with that. He also loved to steal my wig if ever I threw it on the table. Lots of fun!!! ------------- DX IDC TNBC Oct. 27, 2009, age at diagnosis 45, Stage 1, Grade 3, <1 cm, 0/2 nodes, lumpectomy, Taxotere/CytoxanX4, finished Feb. 8, 2010, radiation completed Apr. 21, 2010. |