Our Story so Far…

On January 9th 2023, Ruby was roughhousing with her sister Piper. After a particularly hard play session, she was a little stiff – but this was nothing out of the ordinary for Ruby as she’s been aging.

The next day, Ruby was cuddling in bed with me and twisted funny to get up. She yelped and pulled her right hind paw upwards and proceeded to limp. This wasn’t something we hadn’t seen before after particularly hard play sessions.

After some rest and relaxation, Ruby was running, jumping and playing again by Saturday, January 14th.

On January 16th, her brother Tesla in his infinite wisdom decided he wanted to play with Ruby on the couch. They got a little too excited and Tesla attempted to mount Ruby. Ruby spun to her left side and snapped at Tesla, a normal reaction for Ruby, but she then lifted her right hind paw and started limping again. We incorrectly assumed that she just reinjured the muscle.

By January 19th, Ruby was shaking in pain. We suspected a pinched nerve or a particularly tight muscle. We reached out to our family vet and asked if we could give her some previously prescribed Carprofen for this – she agreed we should try it.

The morning of January 20th, Ruby jumped out of bed, ran down the back stairs, and went potty as if nothing had happened. She kicked up some grass and decided “maybe let’s not do that”, and proceeded to walk back up the stairs. Over that weekend, she showed some reluctance to jump off of furniture and go down stairs – but I would too with a tweaked muscle.

On Monday January 23rd in the evening we ceased Carprofen. I knew we couldn’t continue to give it without seeing a vet and Ruby seemed to be doing better. By Tuesday afternoon, Ruby had Ataxia in her back legs and was wobbly.

We scheduled with the vet and were seen on Thursday January 26th. We ran xrays and bloodwork. Her xrays didn’t show anything of note, except for some minor early hip dysplasia – not something that would be causing this. She righted her feet when flipped, albeit slowly, and not all the time – a concern about Neurology.

Her bloodwork came back that Saturday. Nothing too crazy. Some elevated levels in the liver, some elevated protein, and some odd clotting. Neurology was highly encouraged.

On Monday January 30th, I spent the day calling Neurologists. I somehow miraculously got a call back for an appointment the following morning at SVS in Downtown Seattle. I agreed happily. We planned our drive and fasted Ruby.

That next day we got a call first thing in the morning. They canceled the appointment – a disappointment since we had another Neurologist offer us an appointment that same day that we turned down. We reschedule for February 1st, and get a back up appointment just in case.

Wednesday February 1st would be the first day Bill and I walked into a living nightmare.

We entered the clinic, and the vet techs were lovely. When they took Ruby back and the Neurologist brought her back into the exam room, she practically dumped Ruby onto the floor as she struggled to keep her balance until Bill and I helped her sit up. She said it was permanent paralysis.

We protested – Ruby would move her feet when we tickled them, she’d raise her legs and try to walk outside. We were told it’s just reflexes, they aren’t voluntary.

We asked what to do. The Neurologist didn’t have an answer, she really didn’t seem to even care. Bill asked about an MRI, she all but declined it – trying to dissuade us. She told us it wouldn’t matter, it would only give us information.

We do the MRI.

We leave our baby girl in their care, hoping they’ll be in good care. We call when we get home and are told she’s doing great twice.

I received a phone call shortly thereafter. They found a 5cmx5cm mass in her lungs. My heart drops. She asked if I still want to do the MRI. I ask to call back and call my Family Vet. Our Family Vet assures me that it’s safe to do the MRI, that with Ruby being so young we should absolutely pursue heroics, and to see if we can aspirate the mass in her lungs.

I call the Neurologist back. Yes, let’s do the MRI. No, we can’t aspirate the mass, she doesn’t have a radiologist on staff that day and it “doesn’t matter. With these dogs and where it’s located, it’s too deep to aspirate”.

I’m terrified. But I’m reminded of my dear friend Tabitha and her dog Sabia that beat lung cancer. I’m still terrified, but I have hope.

I call back a few more times. I’m told Ruby is doing great.

On my last phone call, I get the Neurologist. She tells me Ruby is still in imaging. She tells me they found multiple lesions on her spine, that she has multiple myeloma, that it’s the worst and most severe case she’s ever seen, and that we should euthanize her.

I disagree. I don’t want to euthanize my girl. I don’t feel like she’s ready. I’m then pressured 2 more times to euthanize my girl.

We decline. I say I want to do pain management, when can I get my baby girl, and what medications are you giving me.

Bill understandably breaks down. I start calling every single Oncologist I can think of – even some out of state.

We get our baby girl. We spend time crying together on the couch, holding and snuggling our Boopie. I practically refuse to sleep because I’m terrified something will happen to her over night.

We find out that she never had a formal MRI reading. We also find out she didn’t listen to us when we said Ruby was a lightweight repeatedly and gave her 2x her usual dose of Propofol for a procedure that long and 150mg of Trazadone.

I’m furious. I have no spoons anymore – only knives.

I hear back from Oncologists on Thursday February 2nd. Most places give me dates that are too far out – especially for a little girl that was just diagnosed with a cancer that allows for 6 weeks to live.

I get an appointment with VSC on Monday February 6th at 9:30am. I tell them I’m happy to take an earlier appointment should it arise, whatever the time. My new personal hero, Rachel, tells me there’s a 1:30pm slot on Friday, February 3rd, but she did just offer it to a Lymphoma patient and we needed to wait until we found out if they take it or not.

They take the appointment.

I’m crushed.

I hear from another vet who recommends we get a vet-to-vet consult to start Ruby on medication as soon as possible. I relay this to my family vet whois more than happy to do so.

Then, I get a phone call from my personal Hero. Can I come in Friday February 3rd at 9:30am? Of course I can.

We make a plan.

We fast Ruby.

We get to Oncology at VSC at 9:30am and it’s like night and day to Wednesday.

Everyone tells us how beautiful and sweet Ruby is.

Everyone tells us how much love she’s going to receive.

Our Oncologist tells us Ruby absolutely DESERVES a fighting chance.

We need to check 2 of 4 boxes for the suspicion of Multiple Myeloma. We already checked 1 – bone loss.

Ruby stayed at the clinic for the day and ended up receiving 100mg of Trazadone because she seemed uncomfortable. They chose this dose because she is a lightweight, remembering what I said.

They did her bloodwork, her clotting looked normal compared to her last panel, so it was safe to do the fine needle aspirate during her ultrasound.

We did another blood draw and urine sample via needle to be sent for electrophoresis -- which we hear back on next week.

We did our ultrasound and spleen aspiration. She did have masses on her spleen which was noted as concerning but none the less. She did her entire ultrasound and aspirate with NO sedation except for the 100mg of Trazadone. What a tough little cookie!

Her Kidneys and Liver looked good, so we did a treatment of Zoldranate, which was well tolerated.

To make the day so much better, when we got Ruby in the car she sat like a little human at first but ultimately pulled her right hind leg up under her to lay down. When she got home and slept, she ran in her sleep and used all her legs <3

Permanent Paralysis? No way.

She never ceases to amaze me.

#FFYR

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How will the funds be used?

Ruby will have ongoing Oncology care for the rest of her life if Multiple Myeloma is confirmed as our diagnosis. We hope to have Ruby for many years to come so we'll be pursuing anything in our power to extend her life as long as she wants to continue going.

Our $10,500 goal contributes to:

There will be more costs we incur over time. When/If Ruby is definitively diagnosed with multiple myeloma we'll also be spending:

Anything and everything helps. There is absolutely no obligation to help Bill and I with these costs, but it does ease things for us.

Why can't (doesn't) Ruby have insurance?

By the time we had the funds for insurance, at 2 years of age Ruby started having partial idiopathic seizures. Insurance companies for pets are allowed to discriminate and reject potential customers for pre-existing conditions. Rubys cost of insurance became astronomical with many things not being covered. Bill and I set aside funds to handle things as they arise, but as with anything it only covers so much.