6 / thebillericagreen.com / July 2011
A Story of Survival By Terry Christie-Erisman
I
n early March 2010, just shy of his 7th birthday, our Doberman Pinscher, Cobey, seemed to have developed an intermittent limp in his left front leg, which at the time was not of great concern. Being the consummate athlete, he’d had his share of strains and sprains and always recovered; this time we didn’t expect it to be different. As fate would have it, he was already scheduled for his annual exam, so during his visit, we brought it to the vet’s attention, anticipating nothing more than a sprain. Twenty minutes and an x-ray later, the vet returned with a somber look on her face, then said, “Cobey has bone cancer.” The words were paralyzing… Panic stricken, the questions began: Were they sure? Was he in pain? How long did he have? We stood in silence while she explained that osteosarcoma is a very painful, fast moving cancer, and can be fatal within weeks to several months of the time of diagnosis. The only way to alleviate the pain would be amputation, but the only chance to save his life, would be to follow the surgery with chemotherapy. But before we could proceed, more testing would be needed to be sure that the disease hadn’t already spread; and, time was of the essence. The following afternoon, we were in Boston for Cobey’s additional testing. As we waited, surrounded by a mental fog, I tried to envision the road ahead and what life would be like for our beautiful, athletic boy if he indeed was a candidate for the surgery. I knew this would prove to be one of the most difficult decisions we’d ever have to make. Thankfully, all results were negative, indicating that we had caught the cancer early. It’s hard to describe how much happiness and unconditional love Cobey has brought into our lives, and we were
determined to do whatever it took to return him to good health and a happy life. Our decision had been made… Five days later, after hugs and kisses, and with tears in our eyes, we placed Cobey (and his Teddy) into the hands of the surgeon. The surgery was successful. Several days later, we arrived to take him home: emotionally, we thought we were prepared; we were not. Our handsome dog’s appearance was now heartbreaking and difficult to look at, but he didn’t seem to notice. All that seemed to matter was that we were back, and he was going home. Over the next few weeks, he was lethargic and depressed, which caused us to question our decision. But as the days passed, we began to catch glimpses of the boy we used to know. As he was slowly regaining his strength and confidence, we were distressed by the fact that it was time for his chemotherapy to begin.
Staff at the oncology clinic were wonderful and immediately smitten with Cobey. Over the next 6 months, he would receive his treatments at three-week intervals. Each time we’d arrive at the clinic, true to his spirit and personality, Cobey was always happy to see everyone, and he’d quickly learned the drill: He’d find his mat, settle right in, and then look up at everyone as if to say “Can we please just get on with it?” To our relief, except for some weakness and loss of appetite, he tolerated the treatments. As the weeks passed, we were devoted to helping him regain his strength and stamina. Soon enough, he was back happily running on the wooded trails and chasing his ball at the park, just like in the old days! In fact, if you saw him running, you’d never believe he was tri-pawd! Life was finally getting back to normal. Then one day last fall, while running in the park, Cobey ruptured an Achilles’ tendon on his left rear leg. After consulting the vet, we learned that surgery was the only option, and that recovery for would be difficult for a four-legged dog, but a tremendous challenge for one who’s already at a deficit. Again we agonized over the best course
of action; but considering all he had been through, and his utter will to survive, we knew that we couldn’t let this stop him. In January, his tendon was re-attached and stabilized with external rods and multiple pins through the bone, which remained in place for another three months. After removal of the hardware and several months of convalescence and therapy, in true Cobey Style, he’s on his way back again! From his initial struggle to coordinate his newly configured body, continuing through his most recent challenge, his strength, determination, and will to live has been unlike anything we’ve ever experienced; he has taught us never to give up. None of us know what life has in store, and Cobey’s message is simple: “Love unconditionally, live each day to the fullest, and when life knocks you down, get up, brush yourself off, and just start over.” If we hadn’t had the courage to give him this chance, we would never have realized the joy in his message, and sadly would have lost out on time to come and the happiness of spending each new day… with Cobey. Cobey continues to live his happy life with Terry Christie, owner and training director of Canine Magic Dog Training Company in Billerica, and will continue to touch the lives of everyone he meets, for many years to come. For a video diary of Cobey’s journey, go to youtube.com/user/gadooman. Choose “see all” and scroll to the bottom.