Living with Canine Lymphoma
Jack was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Lymphoma on October 11, 2009. He completed his chemotherapy protocol on April 7, 2010, and celebrated his 1-year anniversary October 11, 2010. (Please see his blog (link on the left) and read about our experiences during that amazing year! We will continue to post on the blog occassionally... our last update was Wednesday, June 22, 2011.)
A few days later during a routine check-up, it was discovered that Jack's lymphoma had returned and he was no longer in remission. His vets speculated he's older than we thought - they estimated between 13 and 15 years old. We guessed him to be 12. At this age, and with all of his other ailments, we decided not to pursue additional chemotherapy. Although it gained us 13 wonderful months, it was hard on him and the remission rate is much less the second time around. Instead, we made sure Jack was as comfortable and happy as possible. Jack will always be a loved and cherished member of our family.
Jack left us on November 14, 2010, and we miss him terribly. His last 13 months were an incredible journey, and we are grateful to everyone who read our blog and took the journey with us. Jack's time with us is over, but he will be part of us for the rest of our lives. This was a difficult period of saying goodbye, but also an amazing time to help our dear friend prepare for his next journey.
Any prayers and positive thoughts you wish to send Jack's way will be most appreciated! He is a sweet and gentle soul with an amazing spirit.
Here was our original story of Jack's diagnosis when we started this webpage in October 2009:
Jack and his caregivers Linda and John are using this Web site to tell Jack's story - and provide some comfort to other dogs and their caregivers as they fight cancer. Our first reaction was "Oh my! Jack is dying of lymphoma." But once we assembled our team of specialists (Oncologist, Cardiologist, DVM, etc.) and a treatment plan was developed, our perspective has changed to "Oh my! Jack is living with lymphoma." Our goal is to make sure that he has the highest possible quality of life, the best treatment protocols available, and that he is happy and comfortable living with us for as long as he's meant to be here.