Survivors and Celebrations

Luke's Story

I had stayed home from work that day - the day I reached back to pet Luke and found a lump on his leg. We took him in to the vet and left him there for some tests. My daughter was on the phone and took the call. She came out and said "The vet called and said Luke has cancer." "What?" I responded, "You must have heard him wrong." Well, she didn't and that day began our journey with Luke and his bone cancer. I found myself arguing with pharmacies on his behalf when he was close to running out of his narcotics knowing he would be in a lot of pain. He had an excellent vet, one who himself had been through a cancer loss just a year prior to me bringing Luke to him. We lived on a beach and Luke had many friends both dogs and humans. One of his friends Rhett Butler a boxer would show up daily for a cookie and to take Luke for a walk. He would walk slowly with him and when Luke wanted to wade in the water he would walk right next to him. There were days when all Luke could do was sit on the couch and stare out at the beach watching the other dogs running and playing. On his last check up I was told I would need to make a decision because the cancer was spreading rapidly. I needed to decide on amputating his leg (a front leg) or euthanizing him. When I got him as a puppy I never could have imagined having to make this decision only 5 years down the road. First I was going to amputate and then day by day I saw the horrible pain he was in. I watched him longing to play with the other dogs and run on the beach and swim in the water. I decided to let him go and release him from his pain. He had befriended an older gentleman on the beach and I said to Luke "Let's go say goodbye to your human friend." The older gentleman knelt down on the sand, put his arms around Luke and said "I'm going to miss you buddy." That day when my daughter and I took him to the vet at the last moment I said to the doctor is it too late to amputate? No he replied and then he told me "I have to tell you that within 6 months or less you will be faced with making another decision." I sat on the floor with him, his head in my lap and I petted him until he fell asleep one last time. I pray that people find it in their hearts to donate in hopes of finding a cure for the cancers that are taking our dogs and cats.