Albion

Karen and Adrian Lakin

Albion was our perfect dog, who was going to live forever. When she started limping and had a little bit of swelling around her right wrist, we ice packed it for a couple of days. It didn't get better, so we took her to our regular veterinarian. Thank goodness he had the foresight to take x-rays right then and there. It was bone cancer. We just couldn't believe what we were hearing, and we were not ready to accept that she was not going to be around very long. Our vet referred us to the CSU Animal Cancer Center. We had an appointment two days later. That's where the journey began.

We didn't know anything about treating cancer; dog cancer or human cancer. Nobody in our immediate family has had cancer, so we were pretty much in the dark about all of it. After Dr. Withrow started explaining treatment options for Albion, it was easier for us to understand what it was all about. The more common treatment for a lot of dogs with bone cancer is amputation. However, since Albion had had two knee surgeries in the past, and her back legs were not 100%, we were concerned about how she would handle a front leg amputation. We thought the limb-sparing surgery would be a better option for her. Two days later, she had the surgery.

She did amazing. She just came through surgery with flying colors, and she came home the next day and she was walking. We decided to do chemotherapy to try and control the cancer if we could. Our decisions were totally based on how we thought she would handle it, and how she did handle things. She kept beating the odds. She just kept going and kept fighting, so we just kept fighting right along with her.

It was always comforting to go to the CSU Animal Cancer Center for her cancer treatments. We got to talk to people who really knew what we were going through. It makes a huge difference to know that you're not alone. And even with so many other patients there, we still felt like we were really important. The students and staff were always really familiar with her case, and everybody was interested in what was going on with her. And Albion loved going to CSU. That was our top priority. Anytime she showed signs of having a bad reaction to any of the treatments, we would stop. It was all about the quality of her life, and she had a really good quality of life.

When Albion was first diagnosed with cancer, I was referred to an online support group for people whose dogs have bone cancer. What an amazing group I found. We received a lot of support from that, as well as suggestions about diet and things like that. We changed Albion's diet to a homemade diet, which we think really contributed to her doing so well for so long. Cancer's not a death sentence anymore. There's always something you can do, even if it's just a minor thing like changing the diet. It's doing the best that you can for your dog, that's the most important thing. You can make a big difference. Our motto came from a friend from the support group: "It is what it is and you do all you can do. Never give up. Never give in. You just have to believe."

Albion survived cancer for 3 years and 3 months and was cancer free just over two of those years. She completely beat the odds we were given originally. The experience has changed us. It's opened our eyes to paying more attention to the little things. We took her out to do things that she enjoyed, even if it was just going for a car ride or a short walk. Even if it was just lying out in the backyard in the sun, which was one of her all time favorite things to do. It also taught us that we need to pay attention to our own quality of life; to appreciate every day and not take things for granted, to just go and sit outside on a warm day.

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