Willow's Journey

8:00 a.m.

We dropped Willow off at the veterinary clinic where I work as a technician.  She was scheduled to have a TPLO (Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy) surgery to repair her partially torn ACL. Dr. Ward, a traveling orthopedic specialist was going to be her surgeon. It is odd for a dog this young to have a torn ACL, but it can happen, especially since she’s a larger breed. Of course I had the normal pre-surgery worries. Will she have a bad reaction to the anesthesia? Will she get an infection as the wound heals? Will she do okay during recovery? Are we still going to be able to go hiking? All of my friends and coworkers at the clinic reassured me she would be fine because she is so young-only a year old.

11:48 a.m.

My phone started to ring in the middle of my last class. I thought it was probably the surgeon letting me know the surgery went well and she is starting to wake up. I exit class and answer the phone.  Dr. Ward answered with “I have some bad news.” My heart immediately stopped. He proceeded to tell me that the pre-surgery x-rays showed a tumor-not a torn ACL.  He started to explain the type of tumor and what it all means, but I couldn’t listen. I was immediately heartbroken. She’s a year old. She shouldn’t have a tumor. Once I realized I hadn’t heard a word he had said, I asked him to repeat it. He informed me that she most likely has osteosarcoma-a bone tumor. Osteosarcoma is a very aggressive type of cancer and is very painful and essentially terminal. The only option was to amputate her leg and start chemotherapy soon after.  Even after these procedures, she still is only estimated to live for about a year.  I agreed to do a biopsy to make sure it in fact is osteosarcoma before we do the surgery. Step 1.

1:30 p.m.

I drove so fast to the clinic to pick Willow up. She was still groggy, but they let me take her home early anyways. It was obvious that I had been crying. All of the receptionists, technicians, and doctors were very solemn. They said that they were very sorry and no one saw this coming. Willow seemed so sad. Normally you can see the light in her eyes.  She’s always so full of happiness. The girl never met a stranger.  Everyone is her best friend. We drove home immediately and took a nap together on my bed. I was supposed to go back to the clinic at 3:00 to work for a few hours but  I asked if it was okay if I called in. I knew that I would be worthless if I went to work.

8:00 p.m.

She seemed so miserable. Normally she is such a shadow at home-she follows every step you make. She was constantly laying there whining.  I don’t know if she was still sleepy from the anesthesia or if she was sore from the biopsy-or both.  I couldn’t help but burst into tears every time I looked at her. I can’t imagine only having one year left with my beautiful girl. She doesn’t deserve this fate. She hasn’t lived a full life yet. I decided to do some research on osteosarcoma.  I read so many articles about pet cancer and so many stories of dogs who were diagnosed and then soon passed away. It really didn’t make me feel any better. All of those stories were about dogs who were at least five years or older. They at least got to live a little. I was so upset, angry, confused, and still in disbelief. It isn’t fair.

Now we wait. The biopsy results should come in no longer than a week. Theres a tiny, tiny chance that this could be a fungal infection or a mass that isn’t osteosarcoma-but it isn’t likely and they don’t want me to get my hopes up. But it’s the only hope that I have left to cling onto.

Willow’s first grooming visit