Wally

Wally has an extremely rare cancer, Leiomyosarcoma of the bladder which represents about .05 % of all bladder cancers. His grade was 2 but the mass came out as an encapsulated ball so there was no way to determine if the margins were clear or not. There’s less than 200 cases recorded worldwide in medical literature. Upon Wally’s diagnosis, he was given 3 blood transfusions and platelets before undergoing a risky surgery. He fully recovered. Two weeks later, Wally underwent 20 radiation treatments at a top veterinary hospital.6 chemo treatments of Doxorubicin were planned but Wally developed canine neutropenic fever with a 106 degree temperature and was hospitalized for 2 days after his first round. I brought him home today! His team and I are discussing other chemo options, but Carboplatin is difficult to obtain due a worldwide shortage of the drug. They’re one of the top 10 veterinary hospitals and can’t get it right now. All of the other options can cause the same reaction- somewhat rare but it can happen. For now, i want Wally to enjoy the things that dogs like to do- Wally chases lizards and catches frisbees. Wally is a warrior! He’s especially courageous and compliant during treatments.He and I have a special bond and we share cancer & the adverse reaction to Doxorubicin. Everyone says that their dog is special, but Wally really is an amazing boy. He is the epitome of a Canine Cancer Warrior. I love him more than life. I took this picture the day before he went into the hospital with his reaction to the chemo. I have a picture of him getting radiation in the Edge Radiation machine, too. I’d be happy to share it. I now call him Wally Warrior. I am blessed to be able to care for him and to be on this cancer journey with him. It’s not the trip we wanted to take but we are both in it to win it.The team told me that there’s just no data and not enough known about this particular cancer in his bladder to weigh risks vs. benefits of chemo. We are looking into options for his future cancer care. I am optimistic. I think the targeted radiation treatments killed the cancer and any residual cells. Wally is 2 months past his diagnosis .