This fundraiser is for Bourbon's latest round of medical bills. On November 4th, 2020 he will have his left eye removed to try and eradicate the last bits of any cancerous cells in his eye tissue.

Whether we reach this goal or not, I really want to say THANK YOU so much for the support and kindness! More than anything I am heartened by how many people care about my baby. He is just such a happy little dog after everything he's been through and I am so lucky to have him in my life--I want the rest of it to be long, happy, and healthy.

Over the course of 2020 my best friend and furry son has been battling an ocular tumor that just won't quit. We've wracked up around $12K of bills as of October, but he has been worth every penny.

We are also very lucky that people have been providing their support emotionally through this entire process. I have been budgeting costs from what I had put away for grad school and I am very glad that I had the savings to do so, but I am heartened by the offers of financial support along the way. So I am finally opening up to these offers now that we've gotten the latest quote from his ophthalmologist:


Setting the goal at $3000 is just to cover the eye removal surgery, the follow-up appointments (which range from $150-300 per appointment), any necessary medications, and the next full chest x-ray and bloodwork that is scheduled for January (usually around $800).

THE FULL STORY...

Back in early January 2020, we first noticed what appeared to be a sty on his left eye lid. After taking Bourbon to is primary vet, we had the mass removed and sent for biopsy. It came back as a hemangiosarcoma on the conjunctiva tissue but with unclean margins, and we were recommended to a vet oncologist (Seattle Veterinary Specialists).

At the oncologist we were given a consultation on our options to dealing with malignant tumors, especially one as uncommon as a hemangiosarcoma in that area of the body. Bourbon had an ultrasound, chest x-rays, and bloodwork which (THANKFULLY) all came back to show no new grows or signs of fighting other infections. We were then recommended to an animal ophthalmologist (Northwest Animal Eye Specialists). 

During this time another growth began. Bourbon underwent his second surgery to remove the tumor and more of the surrounding tissue to get clean margins. This was also sent for biopsy and came back as a melanoma, which made a lot more sense for the location and discoloration. He did very well and we had several follow-up appointments to make sure there were no recurrences.



In the summer, however, I noticed a growth now on the inner side of his eye. We quickly got back in with NWAES and removed that tumor, as well as the entire third eyelid to try and avoid any further regrowth. That biopsy also came back as a melanoma. With this he was on some extra medications to help promote tear growth since he no longer could in his left eye. We connected with SVS and began Bourbon on a melanoma vaccine treatment to try and avoid any further surprises. These start in a series of 1 shot every 2 weeks for the first 4 weeks, then 1 shot every 6 months for life provided that he continues to show no signs of cancer.

On Wednesday the 21st I noticed another growth on his eyelid back in the original outer eye area, just a couple weeks after the third shot. He went to see NWAES on Friday October 23rd and SVS on Monday the 26th. The good news is there is still no sign of the tumor metastasizing. The bad news is we're out of tissue to remove. In order to try and ensure that there will be no cancerous cells left, we have all agreed that the best course of action is to remove his left eye entirely so the surrounding tissue can be dealt with.

As much as it saddens me to do this as his 4th surgery of the year, he has been nothing short of a happy and sweet dog the entire time. At 11 years old people still ask if he is a puppy--he's spunky and friendly and has a zest for life that a lot of us just aren't feeling in 2020.


WHERE IS THIS GOING?

Every bit earned, no matter how much, is 100% going to Bourbon's medical costs. As stated in the first blurb, across three different vets (who have all been wonderful, kind, and take very good care of him--really, he LOVES visiting), I have spent just about $11,600 as of October 28th. This doesn't include his fourth upcoming surgery.

As far as ongoing expenses, he is still going to need to get the melanoma vaccine every six months for the rest of his life. These are around $850 per shot. For the first 18 months he is also getting chest x-rays and bloodwork every 3 months to make sure he's still doing well, another $800-900 per appointment, all of which I am following through with.

Beyond this awful cancer that just will NOT leave him alone, Bourbon is a very happy and healthy senior dog. I adopted him at about 1 year-old and he has been my best friend ever since. After losing his feline sister to an untreatable tumor in fall 2019, I am unwilling to let this go as long as he is still happy and healthy and there is a possibility to a good quality of life.


Thank you, everyone for reading! We appreciate all the support. Please enjoy this picture of Bourbon walking around with his yak cheese stick like a cigar. (He loves his yak cheese.)

To follow more of his journey or just enjoy what a great boy he is, I have been (loosely) keeping this up on his Instagram @ bourbondoggo