The Dog Lived (and so will I): About Me (and This Blog)

The doctor called at about 3:45pm on December 23, 2008 to tell me the mammogram was "highly suspicious of malignancy." Right. Merry freakin' Christmas. My dog Seamus had cancer three years before that and they told me he had maybe a year to live. He's still alive, cancer free and completely healthy. Cancer barely slowed him down. So yeah, the dog lived...and so will I.

I marched on through treatment: lumpectomy on January 28, 2009; chemotherapy from February through April; 33 rounds of radiation finished on July 14, 2009. Fantastic Survivor party on July 19th. Seamus and my boyfriend Chris were both with me every step of the way.

Sometimes what I went through was funny (sometimes you just have to laugh), sometimes it was darn near tragic, but we made it and everybody is doing fine. This blog chronicled that journey and now covers my "return to normal" and further adventures with Seamus and Chris.

And Christmas 2009? We spent that in Hawaii. Ah, yes, what a difference a year makes.

(Yeah, that's the post-chemo hair. I like to think that's the only sign left.)

Why The Title

I hate and refuse to read/ watch/ acknowledge any story involving a dog--because I love dogs and the dog in a movie/ book/ whatever always dies. I can't handle that.

When I found out I had cancer I said to Chris (writer, significant other; in case there is a soul reading this who doesn't know that) "If I die, given that Seamus lived, you have to write the memoir "The Dog Lived." I love the irony. Seamus (our beagle) was diagnosed with cancer more than 3 years ago and was told (okay, right, I was told; Seamus still doesn't know) that he would live maybe a year. Instead he's cancer-free and well into remission. That would be the great irony of my life story--the dog lives. I don't.

Not surprisingly, Chris was not amused and did not want to write that memoir. Oh, and my prognosis is not at all that grim. So instead, in a rare mood I'm attempting to just put a positive spin on things. The Dog Lived...and so will I.

For Those of You Over the age of 35

It seems we've learned the age cut-off for understanding how a blog works (i.e. Chris or younger = you get it). So here's a few hints:

1) if you are new to the blog you actually start at the bottom (scroll down) for the first entry and then work your way up.

2) if you want to leave a comment, click on the "# comments" phrase (it will actually say 0 or 1 or 6 ...an actual number) at the end of each post (okay, "article" if the word "post" was too bloggy for you). A window will open with the other comments and a box where you can type in your comment. You don't have to have an account. Just fill in the "Name/URL" with how you want to identify yourself and then click on the "Publish Post" button.

3) comments are how I know you care. ;-)

Teresa

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Contents of this blog site are copyrighted. 2009.

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About Me (and This Blog)