Jerry’s Story of Courage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was November 18, 2005, when I first felt the lump under Jerry’s armpit while rubbing his belly.  I started to panic as I realized all of his lymph nodes were swollen. I immediately took Jerry to the emergency vet because I just had to know if it was cancer and I knew I had to act fast if it was. Though I was not surprised when the vet said it was most likely lymphoma and that Jerry would maybe live a year if I decided to do chemotherapy, I could not stop the tears that started to flow.  My first instinct as I was driving home was not to do chemotherapy because I did not want Jerry to suffer.  The next morning I had changed my mind and we started chemotherapy that week.  That was 1 year and 8 months ago.

Jerry proved everyone wrong with his fighting spirit.  When he was first diagnosed his cancer was staged at V and his sub stage b, both the worst case scenarios.  The lymphoma was also in his lungs so his chances of going into remission were not good.  Right after his first dose his nodes shrunk down and his breathing returned to normal. To my surprise Jerry’s first remission lasted 14 months.  In addition to the chemotherapy (he did the Madison-Wisconsin protocol), we did the half body radiation.  That was the only time I saw Jerry very ill.  He ran a fever between 104-106 degrees for nearly two weeks and would hardly eat anything.  Once he pulled through that, he never really had any side effects.

Throughout all of his treatments Jerry has continued to be such a great joy and is currently fighting for a third remission.  He came out of remission for the second time late in May and has started chemotherapy again.  He is such a brave boy who has stolen my heart; the thought of losing him is unbearable.  I do not regret treating his lymphoma with chemotherapy, as  it has given him an extra 1 year and 8 months that have been filled with ball playing and lake trips.  Jerry’s 7th birthday is September 15.  He was 5 when diagnosed so we will have a huge celebration when that day comes. I am hoping to have many more days filled with ball playing and wet kisses, and sleeping late with Jerry sprawled out next to me in bed….I have to go now there is a certain someone waiting patiently for me to throw his ball!