Daz's Cancer Treatment
Donation protected
Daz passed away on September 17th, he spent the least possible amount of time in pain and was still able to enjoy his last hours with people he loved. I appreciate all of your support and help. I almost broke even on the amount spent on treatment, but if you would still like to help, I would appreciate any photos of Daz you have, or memories of him you can share with me. Please send those to [email redacted].
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I have depression, and Daz has cancer. He has saved my life a few times, I need to return the favor now. I am raising money to pay for chemo treatments to help him live longer and more comfortably.
Daz is an emotional support animal and a sometimes problem child: He loves eating garbage, he's allergic to everything, he loves saying hi to strangers, he's curious to a fault, and he can charm your lunch right out of your hands. He is also the reason I made it through the worst parts of my depression. A type of cancer called cutaneous lymphoma is trying to take him away from me. I can't provide the treatment he needs on my own, so I'm asking you for help. Please donate, even small amounts. Please share this page - I'm fine with people knowing I have depression, and I think our story is an important one for people to hear. Any signal-boost is appreciated.
Thank you.
Our story:
For me, the difference between an emotional support animal and a service animal is the function they serve. A service animal is a highly trained support that provides specific functions or tasks to help their owner live a normal life. Daz is trained to roll over on command. He will misbehave if I don't get out of bed in the morning (to feed him), take him outside (so he can potty), or exercise him (so he isn't as rambunctious).
In 2014 and 2015, when things were at their worst and depression was close to winning, Daz would jump up next to me on my bed, give a big harrumph, and flop on his side with his giant head in my lap. Giving his best puppy-dog pout, he would remind me that I had to be there the next day to take care of him. Because of those interruptions, I kept having more next days, and it turned out that with enough next days I was able to find support and medication and internal strength.
I will always have depression. There will be times when everything seems hopeless and pointless, and there will be days or even months where I'm happy to get out of bed. Daz has always been there to make the dark times lighter, and the happy times more joyful. I'm not ready for him to leave just yet, and I need your help keeping him here with me.
Treatment plan and costs:
Chemo every 3 weeks:
Oncology Chemotherapy Reassessment - $107.00
VetScan Prep Profile II + CBC - $132.80
Lomustine (Gleostine) 40mg Cap - $106.41
Lomustine (Gleostine) 10mg Cap - $49.47
Lomustine (Gleostine) 5mg Cap - $60.78
Denamarin Adv Lg Cw Tab 30ct - $117.75
MISC Prescription - $76.00
TOTAL: $650.21
Steroid Rx every 6 weeks:
Prednisone 30mg Tab - $21.99
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Update 8/30:
So it turns out chemo isn't that bad! It's basically just peanut butter.
The oncologist says Daz has a good white blood cell count and a healthy liver. The steroids seem to have helped shrink his big tumor on his back leg, which is a good sign. He has a lot of new tumors on his chest and his face, but the doctor said:
"For a dog with cancer, he is very healthy"
He's on a liver supplement, and we go back in for more blood work next week to make sure he can tolerate the chemo - besides that, things look good. And Daz has no idea he's sick, which is the important thing.
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Update 8/23:
So far we've raised enough to mostly cover one chemotherapy session. He will need one treatment every three weeks, and they are more expensive than my original estimate. Six months of chemo alone puts us at $5,200, not including the diagnostics and appointments we have already done, so I'll leave the goal at $5,000. I've provided a breakout of the costs above.
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Update 8/22: We have confirmation that it is cutaneous lymphoma. That is not good, but we can help him fight it. I am waiting on a treatment plan from my veterinary oncologist, once I have it I will update this page with a timeline and cost information. Thank you all so much. Please share this even if you can't give - that is a huge help.
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Initial 8/19:
I will update this when I get test results and a treatment plan back from my oncologist. For now, I know that six months of chemo comes out to roughly $4,000, not including what I've already spent on diagnostics and current treatments. Six months sees us both into 2019, and gives me time to safely figure out what life looks like on my own.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
I have depression, and Daz has cancer. He has saved my life a few times, I need to return the favor now. I am raising money to pay for chemo treatments to help him live longer and more comfortably.
Daz is an emotional support animal and a sometimes problem child: He loves eating garbage, he's allergic to everything, he loves saying hi to strangers, he's curious to a fault, and he can charm your lunch right out of your hands. He is also the reason I made it through the worst parts of my depression. A type of cancer called cutaneous lymphoma is trying to take him away from me. I can't provide the treatment he needs on my own, so I'm asking you for help. Please donate, even small amounts. Please share this page - I'm fine with people knowing I have depression, and I think our story is an important one for people to hear. Any signal-boost is appreciated.
Thank you.
Our story:
For me, the difference between an emotional support animal and a service animal is the function they serve. A service animal is a highly trained support that provides specific functions or tasks to help their owner live a normal life. Daz is trained to roll over on command. He will misbehave if I don't get out of bed in the morning (to feed him), take him outside (so he can potty), or exercise him (so he isn't as rambunctious).
In 2014 and 2015, when things were at their worst and depression was close to winning, Daz would jump up next to me on my bed, give a big harrumph, and flop on his side with his giant head in my lap. Giving his best puppy-dog pout, he would remind me that I had to be there the next day to take care of him. Because of those interruptions, I kept having more next days, and it turned out that with enough next days I was able to find support and medication and internal strength.
I will always have depression. There will be times when everything seems hopeless and pointless, and there will be days or even months where I'm happy to get out of bed. Daz has always been there to make the dark times lighter, and the happy times more joyful. I'm not ready for him to leave just yet, and I need your help keeping him here with me.
Treatment plan and costs:
Chemo every 3 weeks:
Oncology Chemotherapy Reassessment - $107.00
VetScan Prep Profile II + CBC - $132.80
Lomustine (Gleostine) 40mg Cap - $106.41
Lomustine (Gleostine) 10mg Cap - $49.47
Lomustine (Gleostine) 5mg Cap - $60.78
Denamarin Adv Lg Cw Tab 30ct - $117.75
MISC Prescription - $76.00
TOTAL: $650.21
Steroid Rx every 6 weeks:
Prednisone 30mg Tab - $21.99
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Update 8/30:
So it turns out chemo isn't that bad! It's basically just peanut butter.
The oncologist says Daz has a good white blood cell count and a healthy liver. The steroids seem to have helped shrink his big tumor on his back leg, which is a good sign. He has a lot of new tumors on his chest and his face, but the doctor said:
"For a dog with cancer, he is very healthy"
He's on a liver supplement, and we go back in for more blood work next week to make sure he can tolerate the chemo - besides that, things look good. And Daz has no idea he's sick, which is the important thing.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Update 8/23:
So far we've raised enough to mostly cover one chemotherapy session. He will need one treatment every three weeks, and they are more expensive than my original estimate. Six months of chemo alone puts us at $5,200, not including the diagnostics and appointments we have already done, so I'll leave the goal at $5,000. I've provided a breakout of the costs above.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Update 8/22: We have confirmation that it is cutaneous lymphoma. That is not good, but we can help him fight it. I am waiting on a treatment plan from my veterinary oncologist, once I have it I will update this page with a timeline and cost information. Thank you all so much. Please share this even if you can't give - that is a huge help.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Initial 8/19:
I will update this when I get test results and a treatment plan back from my oncologist. For now, I know that six months of chemo comes out to roughly $4,000, not including what I've already spent on diagnostics and current treatments. Six months sees us both into 2019, and gives me time to safely figure out what life looks like on my own.
Organizer
Christine Sandall
Organizer
Portland, OR
