I am a mom to special-needs senior dogs, confronted with a cancer diagnosis.
For 15 years, I have fostered, transported and adopted senior dogs and dogs with medical issues that would make them less adoptable.
Like Charlie, a sweet and spicy chihuahua with hydrocephus who suffered from seizures and was understandably fractious in a shelter environment. I fostered him and eventually adopted him after an adopter returned him.
Charlie had the Charlie Cabanas: huts and tents where he could go when overwhelmed.
Angus, a sweet, loveable super senior chihauhua with bad knees and bad teeth and a bad heart who became a therapy dog.
Fern: Senior chihuahua mix.
Sweetest, funniest little dog in the world. At adoption she was obese, heart disease, unspayed, mastitis, multiple huge mammary tumors and a giant inguinal hernia. Her surgery to repair that all was in November and she is doing great!
Gideon: My perfect senior baby. Came from a high-kill TX shelter with heartworms, permanent heart damage, and severe ataxia — crossing of his legs neurologically which makes him fall. He’s my little guy in the wheels.
My prognosis is …OK… but I have only fulfilled about 1,200 of my 8,000 dollar predicted out of pocket expenses for my treatment (additional imaging, surgical consults, etc.).
So far I have needed:
Mammogram
Breast ultrasound
Breast MRI
Stereotactic breast biospy
Ultrasound guided biopsy
PET scan
MRI of the abdomen
Ultrasound of ovaries and uterus
Upcoming:
Liver biopsy
This is all before treatment even begins.
I have a 250+ co pay every time I walk through the doors of the radiologist.
This comes after paying for a big multi-stage surgery for my senior rescue, Fern, and mobility equipment and weekly PT for my disabled rescue, Gideon.
Could just use a little help for the upcoming year; especially considering my out of pocket resets this October back to the full 8k out of pocket.
