Grizzly’s Final Goodbyes

Update 11/6/23:

Oh My Sweet Angel Boy... I cannot believe I have to say this.

Grizzly passed away Sunday morning after spending his last day doing exactly what he loved most. Grizzly, Kyle, and I spent 12 hours on a farm with all the animals, love, pizza, and chips he could have ever wanted.

We were supposed to hear from an oncologist today for a consult to determine what kind of tumor he had and to get a general idea of how much longer we would have together. Knowingly Grizzly, he heard us talking about more vet visits and said "screw that, I'm not wasting my time in a cold, miserable vet's office." So he lived. He literally lived his heart out and loved us harder than he ever had. That night, I kissed him goodnight. I woke up on Sunday and found my sweet boy had passed moments before we woke up. He left this world exactly how he wanted us to remember him. He was cozy, he was peaceful, and he was free.

He was so smart. He was so loyal. He was so strong. He knew exactly what we needed even if it wasn't what we wanted. He knows me better than I know myself!

My sweet boy, thank you for the best 8 years of my life. Thank you for being the absolute best sou dog and best friend a girl could ask for. I love you I love you I love you buddy!

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I want to thank every single one of you from the deepest part of my heart for donating, sharing, and grieving with me. Your financial, emotional, and spiritual support has given me the strength to be the best and give the best to Grizzly. This journey has been hands-down the hardest, but also the most beautiful so thank you for being a part of it with us.

The money raised will still go towards support in Grizzly's name for credit card debt from vet bills, his cremation and celebration of life, and some personal bills. I would like to reach out to each one of you personally, but it will take some time so I ask for your patience.

My best bud, my sweet man, my stinky poo poo boy! You will be SO missed but I know you're still here! We just can't see you... See you in a little bit, bud. I know where to find you! Love, Your Proud Momma

Update 11/2/23:

On November 2, 2023, Grizzly was scheduled for a CT consult with our local surgeon who was planning to remove his right kidney with suspicion of a tumor. However, it turned into a cardiology appointment that resulted in the worst news I could possibly get.

My sweet angel boy has terminal cancer in his heart that disqualifies him from surgery, treatment, and prolonged life. His heart tumor is 5.5cm x 4.5cm growing from the outside of his heart to the inside. The tumor in his kidney was the original suspicion for his sickness, but with further evaluation, we discovered that the heart tumor was the reason and we cannot pursue treatment as its too risky and his likelihood of survival is slim to none.

Just when I thought we were going to save him, we were told the only thing we can do is spoil him, love him, and give him the best ending to the greatest life a dog could live. The vets assured me he is not in pain or discomfort like I expected.

I am saddened to say that the plans we had to save him are no longer viable options. The money raised so far is still supporting current vet bills, his oncology visits, medications, and rent so we can have a roof over our heads for the last few moments of his life. For those who have donated with the intention that the money would go to surgery, I would like to give the opportunity to return your money. However, there are still more expenses and sacrifices we need to make to ensure he lives the BEST life he could ever have while remaining the most comfortable. Please reach out to me personally if you would like me to return your money.

As for steps moving forward, he is seeing an oncologist on Monday to determine what kind of cancer it is and get a general idea of how much time we will have left with him. It's suspected to be just a few weeks to a few months (2-4 max).

This is my worst nightmare. I cannot thank you all enough for your donations, your support, your kind words, and your unconditional love for us. You've changed our lives. Grizzly is sitting by my feet as I update our journey and wants you to know that every single one of you has contributed to the amazing life he was lucky enough to live, so thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Original Post:

Grizzly’s health has been steadily declining for the last year. He recently got an ultrasound along with dozens of other tests with suspicions of a tumor on his right kidney that requires surgery to remove.

On 10/31/23, he was diagnosed with polycythemia vera - a rare blood disease that causes overproduction and thickening of blood. Polycythemia is the opposite of anemia and can cause serious issues like lack of oxygen, lethargy, neurological symptoms, numbness in the hind legs, and many other issues. Unfortunately, the kidney tumor is a secondary response to his overproduction of RBC, but can improve his symptoms and quality of life by completely removing his right kidney.*

If you’ve met Grizzly, you know that this dog is full of happiness, joy for life, and unconditional love for me and my people. He’s hurting, he’s in pain, and he needs help ASAP.

His next steps moving forward will be more testing and phlebotomy/blood removal prior to a CT scan, then a CT scan with 3 days in the hospital to confirm what the ultrasound suspects, and then surgery to remove his right kidney with the tumor. If everything up until this point is smooth, safe, and effective, the rest of his recovery is through blood monitoring and blood thinning/reduction medication for several weeks, months, or potentially for the rest of his life.

The cost of the CT consult, blood testing, phlebotomy, CT scan, and surgery will cost about $5,500 or more. I’ve already spent $1,900+ up until this point just to figure out what is actually making him sick. I will not give up on him. He’s my everything and his time on this earth is not ready to be over.

Please consider sharing this post or donating to help save my best friend, my child, the love of my life. Our fight is not over as long as his story continues to be shared. I can’t live this life without him knowing he has a chance to beat this.

Please and thank you…. We appreciate you more than you could ever know….