It has taken some time for us to even think about telling Luna's story.
We lost her on September 10, 2007.
Luna, January 31, 2002
Luna came (from Hazard, KY)
to live at Blue Moon Farm as a 12-week old pup in November of 1997.
Life was good.
She had a big "sister", Echo,
and a little "brother" kitty, Machashi.
She loved her farm
and her family, and was a loyal and fearless protector to the end.
In November of 2006 a trip to our vet to check out a limp revealed osteosarcoma in her right front leg. After we started to wrap our brains around this news we went into overdrive doing research on possible courses of action. We read everything we could find on the internet, and came across a clinical trial at the University of Missouri Veterinary Teaching Hospital. According to the article we saw, they were looking for dogs with osteosarcoma. We contacted Dr. Nellie Owen there, and she in turn contacted Dr. Carolyn Henry. Both of these doctors specialize in veterinary oncology. Unfortunately the trial was over, and the results hadn't been published yet, but both of these wonderful doctors gave so freely of their time and advice to help us through the mind boggling and difficult decisions we had to make. Their compassion was incredible for a dog they'd never met. We felt secure in the hands of our own wonderful vet, Dr. Jack Taylor and his terrific staff at the Barnes Mill Animal Hospital here in Richmond, and after many heart wrenching discussions we decided on a course of action.
The recommended procedure was amputation to stop the pain, and chemotherapy to try to prevent recurrance and prolong her life.
On December 7th we had her leg amputated.
She did great in her recovery
from the surgery, and began life as a "tripod". But our decisions
weren't over yet......now we had to decide chemo or not, and if so, what
drugs? (and at what cost??) Again the doctors gave freely of
their time and information in helping us wade through the pros and cons
of different chemo drugs. As one would expect, the drugs we decided
would be most effective yet not too hard on her were the most expensive.
What a horrible position to be in......can we afford to do this after the
cost of the surgery? Do we use less expensive drugs? Will they
work as well? How do we even begin to decide?
At this point some guardian
angels appeared in the form of Jean's sister Ruth and her husband Mark.
They told us "We don't want
you to even think about anything other than what's best for Luna. Here's
our credit card number!"
They even reimbursed us for
the surgery, totally removing the financial stress. How blessed are
we? And how well loved was our "Loonie"!
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In January of 2008 we became aware of a fund which has been established to help others with the sky-high costs associated with caring for a beloved pet suffering from cancer. It is called the Magic Bullet Fund and is associated with IGive.com. By shopping at associated websites through IGive, a portion of your purchase is sent to Magic Bullet Fund. Pet owners in need can apply for financial aid. Please visit the website and read their stories. http://www.themagicbulletfund.org/ And then sign up at IGive.com for donations from shopping... IGive.com Thank you for helping beloved pets in need. |
She began 6 courses of chemotherapy
(every 3 weeks) just before Christmas of 2006. We decided on a rotation
of drugs to try to really zap the cancer. We also started her on
a diet including alternative medicine/food supplements to boost her immune
system during the chemo. The winter of 2006/2007 was not a fun one
for any of us. We stuck close to home and gave Luna lots of TLC and
time outside when the weather was favorable for a bit of sun and "smellavision".
She finished her chemo the week before our farmers' market started again
in April. Perfect timing.
It took her a while to regain her strength after chemotherapy, and to get comfortable with the three-legged thing. While it narrowed her world a bit, after a month or so she was still apt to disappear down into the cow pasture for an afternoon of exploring with Moonshadow. It was
awesome to see her come up the very steep hill from the creek hollow on 3 legs!
She surprised Leo one day when he was working on the river bottom. She had taken it upon herself to make the trek about a half mile down our rocky road as she had done thousands of times as a 4-legged. He knew she must be exhausted, so when he was finished working he walked up to get the truck to pick her up. Before he could get back down to her we looked out the front window and she was lying in the front yard!!
Sadly, that was the only time she did that, but it sure made us know she was still enjoying her life!
We worried about how she would let us know she was ready to come in from outside....she was not a barker, but used to paw the door, something pretty hard to accomplish with only one front leg! She delighted us the first time she hit the door and we looked to find her standing on the 2 back legs peering in the door at us!
We watched her carefully as the summer passed, and by the time August rolled around we knew something was wrong.
We took her for a checkup and chest xray (as that was where the cancer would most likely metastasize). Doc found a couple of
spots on her lung, and prepared us for the worst.
We spent the last month of her life making her as comfortable as possible, giving her lots of attention and love, and trying to prepare for the day she would no longer grace our lives.
Here is a poem which was kindly shared with us by Dr. Nellie Owen upon receiving word of Luna's death......
FROM FRIEND TO FRIEND
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You're giving me a special gift, So sorrowfully endowed, And through these last few cherished days, Your courage makes me proud. But really, love is knowing When your best friend is in pain, And understanding earthly acts Will only be in vain. So looking deep into your eyes, Beyond, into your soul, I see in you the magic, that will Once more make me whole. The strength that you possess, Is why I look to you today, To do this thing that must be done, For it's the only way. That strength is why I've followed you, And chose you as my friend, And why I've loved you all these years... My partner 'til the end. Please, understand just what this gift, You're giving, means to me, It gives me back the strength I've lost, And all my dignity.
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You
take a stand on my behalf,
For that is what friends do. And know that what you do is right, For I believe it too. So one last time, I breathe your scent, And through your hand I feel, The courage that's within you, To now grant me this appeal. Cut the leash that holds me here, Dear friend, and let me run, Once more a strong and steady dog, My pain and struggle done. And don't despair my passing, For I won't be far away, Forever here, within your heart, And memory I'll stay. I'll be there watching over you, Your ever faithful friend, And in your memories I'll run, ...a young dog once again. In Memory of Asta, Feb. 1997
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And here's one we saw in our local paper which will touch the heart of any Rottie owner....
A Stump for a Tail (author unknown)
| You can't buy loyalty, they say
I bought it though, one long-gone day. You can't buy friendship, tried and true, Well just the same, I bought that too. And so much love that all in all The purchase price was pretty small. I bought a single, trusting heart that gave devotion from the start. If you think these things are not for sale, Buy a brown-eyed puppy with a stump for a tail. |
Love them well while they're with you.
Luna Blue and Machashi 12/5/06