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Author Topic: Vet says Christa has lymphoma.  (Read 7949 times)

Offline BeeMaster2

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Vet says Christa has lymphoma.
« on: November 17, 2018, 12:20:52 am »
We got the results back from the vet today. Christa, our service dog has lymphoma. Last week her lips of her right jaw were hanging down real bad and her eyes looked funny. The gland her neck got really large. The vet gave us eye drops  With the eye drops the lymph nodes were getting smaller. . They seemed to help. Today her eye and lip were hanging again. Tonight her eyes are glassed over. I went to take her outside and she started walking into walls. I careful led her out. I had to call her name over and over and over so that she could follow my voice. I just took her out again to go number 2 and this time she kept walking in circles. Again I had to call her name constantly to get her back to the house. She seems to be getting worse by the minute. 😥 Right now she is sleeping.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
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Offline iddee

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Re: Vet says Christa has lymphoma.
« Reply #1 on: November 17, 2018, 05:56:18 am »
I know it's hard to do, but you have to say 'BYE eventually. I lost my pal about 4 years ago and still grieve.
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

*Shel Silverstein*

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Vet says Christa has lymphoma.
« Reply #2 on: November 17, 2018, 08:13:32 am »
My wife got up this morning to take care of Wesley and came back in the room and said that Christa was dead. Her neck was ridged. I got up to take care of her. We saw a real slight chest movement. I thought she was on her last moments and started petting her. After about 10 minutes she lifts her head. A few minutes later she got up. I walked her out side and she did pretty well. I guided her back in and she is now sleeping in Wesley?s room.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Acebird

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Re: Vet says Christa has lymphoma.
« Reply #3 on: November 17, 2018, 08:37:28 am »
So sorry to hear the bad news Jim.  I think the loss of a service dog is even harder to take.
Brian Cardinal
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Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Vet says Christa has lymphoma.
« Reply #4 on: November 17, 2018, 01:31:07 pm »
Thanks Brian.
Much harder. Today she is also having a hard time walking and her head is cocked to the right. We just picked up Predison and gave her her first pill. Hopefully it will help her a little.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline jalentour

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Re: Vet says Christa has lymphoma.
« Reply #5 on: November 18, 2018, 08:11:07 pm »
Jim,
I'm not familiar with Christa. 
What did she mean to you and your family, besides being a member of the family?
JV

Offline Dallasbeek

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Re: Vet says Christa has lymphoma.
« Reply #6 on: November 18, 2018, 10:45:26 pm »
Sorry to hear that.  Losing a pet is hard.  Losing a service animal must be even harder.  I have avoided having a pet for the last 35 years after a lifetime of having one or more dogs, because the pain of losing an old friend got to be too much.  I can remember every one of them and the great times I had with them, though, so I guess that's something.  Still, I see puppies and think about adopting one.  My latest favorite is the Norwich terrier.  My sister-in-law has some and they are the most adorable little things I've ever seen.  But then I come to my senses.  At 82 and on chemo, bees are even more than I can tend to.
"Liberty lives in the hearts of men and women; when it dies there, no constitution, no laws, no court can save it." - Judge Learned Hand, 1944

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Vet says Christa has lymphoma.
« Reply #7 on: November 18, 2018, 11:26:22 pm »
Thanks Dallas.
JV,
Our first service dog, Radar, helped save my son, Wesley, a quadriplegic, from ending his own life.
Christa has taken over as a helper and a ever constant friend for Wesley. These dogs are amazing. When you get them they have a vocabulary of about 85 words and can easily learn new words/commands. You get very close. I broke down really bad after spending an entire night with Radar when he was in so much pain and could not sit or lie down all night and I had to take him to the vet for the last time. Pain killers did not help.
Now we are going through the same thing again just different organs being involved.

We started the prednisone yesterday and after she walked around totally bling for over 24 hours, she is getting her eyesight back in her left eye. It is a lot less scary for her now.
We have been spoiling the heck out of her, she is always hungry.  Not so much since she was diagnosed. 😊 Judy is giving her cheese and crackers and she can see them when she holds them out.
Hopefully she will keep improving. The Dr did not give us any hope.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Dallasbeek

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Re: Vet says Christa has lymphoma.
« Reply #8 on: November 19, 2018, 06:29:43 am »
I think I've known some people who didn't have 85-word vocabularies. 

What is the prospect of getting another (trained) service animal for Wesley?

Are these dogs like the ones for blind people in that they're like any other dog until you put their harness or whatever on them and then they become all business? 
"Liberty lives in the hearts of men and women; when it dies there, no constitution, no laws, no court can save it." - Judge Learned Hand, 1944

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Vet says Christa has lymphoma.
« Reply #9 on: November 19, 2018, 09:27:26 am »
Dallas,
Radar was all business when he was on a leash.
Christa?s nose was always getting her into trouble. While Wesley was walking her she always had to smell everything. This meant she pulled on his weaker arm. He was getting more and more frustrated. He has been leaving her home a lot when he went to doctors and such. He never did that with Radar. Before Christa got sick, Judy and I were working on retraining her to ignore her nose while walk on the leash. 
Right now we do not plan on getting another dog.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Vet says Christa has lymphoma.
« Reply #10 on: November 19, 2018, 07:52:54 pm »
      Jim of all the creatures that God made, I don't know of any that comes close to the distinctive characteristics of our friend the dog.  What other animal loves us unconditionally? Or loves us at all for that matter? A cat can be a good companion and I'm not downing the cat. The Horse can make good companion also, but fall off and break a bone and see if he stands by our side, not going to happen as a rule. What other creature will voluntary his lay his life down for us if facing a life threatening situation? Such as a poisonous snake in our path for instance, that we may not see?  What creature is most happy to see us when we have been off on a vacation, or for that matter just off to work for the day? What other creature is more eager to spend time with us than the dog?  God, our Creator, must have been thinking specially of us when made, and gave us the dog. What a wonderful gift! What a wonderful friend, our friend The Dog!  Yes, there is something special about the dog! I heard a old timer song the other day that said old dogs care about you even when you make mistakes, isn't that true?  God Bless you Jim, your wife Judy, and your son Wesley in this time of sorrow.

Sincerely, Phillip
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline herbhome

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Re: Vet says Christa has lymphoma.
« Reply #11 on: November 19, 2018, 09:56:28 pm »
Couldn't agree more, Philip. I pray that one day I can be as good a man as my dog thinks I am.
Neill

Offline Dallasbeek

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Re: Vet says Christa has lymphoma.
« Reply #12 on: November 19, 2018, 10:16:24 pm »
Philip, my that was a great tribute to dogs.  It reminded me of a court decision involving somebody names Burden or Burton or something like that that's quoted on a monument somewhere.  I can't find it offhand, but the closest I could find was the closing argument in a case, which may be the one I was searching for.

I don't want to take away from what you wrote in any way, but you and other dog lovers may be interested in this from a great orator/lawyer of the past.




George Graham Vest (1830-1904) served as U.S. Senator from Missouri from 1879 to 1903 and became one of the leading orators and debaters of his time. This delightful speech is from an earlier period in his life when he practiced law in a small Missouri town. It was given in court while representing a man who sued another for the killing of his dog. During the trial, Vest ignored the testimony, and when his turn came to present a summation to the jury, he made the following speech and won the case.



Gentlemen of the Jury: The best friend a man has in the world may turn against him and become his enemy. His son or daughter that he has reared with loving care may prove ungrateful. Those who are nearest and dearest to us, those whom we trust with our happiness and our good name may become traitors to their faith. The money that a man has, he may lose. It flies away from him, perhaps when he needs it most. A man's reputation may be sacrificed in a moment of ill-considered action. The people who are prone to fall on their knees to do us honor when success is with us, may be the first to throw the stone of malice when failure settles its cloud upon our heads.

The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous is his dog. A man's dog stands by him in prosperity and in poverty, in health and in sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground, where the wintry winds blow and the snow drives fiercely, if only he may be near his master's side. He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer. He will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounters with the roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of his pauper master as if he were a prince. When all other friends desert, he remains. When riches take wings, and reputation falls to pieces, he is as constant in his love as the sun in its journey through the heavens.

If fortune drives the master forth, an outcast in the world, friendless and homeless, the faithful dog asks no higher privilege than that of accompanying him, to guard him against danger, to fight against his enemies. And when the last scene of all comes, and death takes his master in its embrace and his body is laid away in the cold ground, no matter if all other friends pursue their way, there by the graveside will the noble dog be found, his head between his paws, his eyes sad, but open in alert watchfulness, faithful and true even in death.

George Graham Vest - c. 1855



The History Place - Great Speeches Collection
"Liberty lives in the hearts of men and women; when it dies there, no constitution, no laws, no court can save it." - Judge Learned Hand, 1944

Offline herbhome

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Re: Vet says Christa has lymphoma.
« Reply #13 on: November 19, 2018, 10:58:57 pm »
Dallas,

I had to copy that to my files for later.


Jim,

Just know are hearts go out to you, brother.
Neill

Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Vet says Christa has lymphoma.
« Reply #14 on: November 19, 2018, 11:03:28 pm »
Dallas,

I had to copy that to my files for later.


Jim,

Just know are hearts go out to you, brother.

herbhome I agree
That was awesome Dallas. I am glad you shared it with us. Thank you!!

Phillip
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Vet says Christa has lymphoma.
« Reply #15 on: November 20, 2018, 12:39:50 am »
Thanks Dallas and Phillip.
Christa seems to be getting better. She has been able to see all day. Her balance has been better today, she does not stumble as much or as bad as she did yesterday. I am going to start giving her honey to see if that will also help her.
The right side of her face is droopy again and she has been drooling almost all day even though the glands seem to much smaller.
She is much happier and taking advantage of being able to get a lot more food than she used to.
It would be really great if she would keep on improving. Vet does not give us much hope.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Vet says Christa has lymphoma.
« Reply #16 on: December 08, 2018, 07:56:10 pm »
Update, Christa seems to be doing pretty well, acting like her normal self with the exception of drooling from the right side of her mouth. The biggest problem we are having is that she has been so spoiled that she is now begging for food all the time and has put on weight. 😄

She still has her eyesight and has her balance back. We are hoping that she will live a lot longer than the vet said.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline iddee

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Re: Vet says Christa has lymphoma.
« Reply #17 on: December 08, 2018, 08:43:53 pm »
 :happy: :happy: :happy:
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

*Shel Silverstein*

Offline herbhome

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Re: Vet says Christa has lymphoma.
« Reply #18 on: December 08, 2018, 10:33:18 pm »
That's great news, Jim! :smile:
Neill

Offline Onyvi

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Re: Vet says Christa has lymphoma.
« Reply #19 on: March 12, 2021, 12:00:55 pm »
I'm glad everything went back to normal. I am very passionate about veterinary medicine and at the moment I am taking courses to become a professional in the field because since I was a child I noticed that I have this attraction. I take courses at veterinaryschoolsu.com where I learned many things that interested me and I decided that I want to do this school to work in this field. I can't wait to finish these courses and be able to help the animals and their owners with any problem. It's a great dream I've always strived for.