Hello!
My name is Ayla Lisicki and my boyfriend's name is Taylor Tomlin. I want you to get to know me, Taylor, and Mala, so our story is below. But for those who want the bottom line up front - here it is: Mala stole the carcass of our Thanksgiving turkey and a bone lodged in her lower intestine. We had to decide what to do and we chose to save our beloved dog’s life and had it surgically removed before it could kill her. However, during the surgery-literally right in the middle of it-the surgeon called us to tell us there were two masses in Mala’s stomach. He could remove one, but an attempt to remove the other was extremely risky and could kill her. It was decided to keep it there. He told us that it was most likely cancer. We saved her life only to be told that it will most definitely be cut short. We are asking for any amount of donation to just cover our vet bill. It's a large amount of money that we were not prepared to pay, especially during the holidays. We don't have any kids (yet), and Mala is our baby. Thank you for taking the time to read this. We are truly grateful for any help or for just sharing our story.
Now, for the details - it is an emotional roller coaster! Our “puppy” is an 11 year old boxer named Malaka (or Mala) that we treat like our baby. Last week we received some news that changed our lives forever. Even though the inevitable will still happen, we are asking for your help .......
Malaka Shalaka Waka Flaka Flame is what I call her every day I come home from work. Sometimes I get home early and she's sitting on the couch, but if I get home late, she sits outside by the fence (on a small mattress we have provided for her thank goodness it never rains in Cali) that has a clear view of the driveway. It doesn't matter if Taylor is home before me. She waits for my arrival to make sure I am home safe. Mala is a good dog.
Taylor and I made our first Thanksgiving turkey together. I carved it, we ate, Mala got some scraps, and Thanksgiving was great. We left the house to visit a friend that just had a baby and when we returned, our trash can was knocked over and half of our Thanksgiving turkey was dragged outside to the garden. Mala's stomach was bloated. Trash was everywhere and we were freaking. As Taylor cleaned, I Googled.
Most websites said, "Don't induce vomiting", got it! "Check for choking or throat issues". None, she's good. "Feed your dog soft foods like rice and bread". Shoot. We can't. Mala has pancreatitis which means she must be fed a low-fat diet at all times. Feeding her anything other than the prescription food we get from the vet will definitely upset her stomach even more. Last recommendation, "Monitor your pet for 72 hours". So that's what we did. Friday through Sunday she was fine. Monday morning came and she was not acting like herself. We couldn't leave her home alone so we took her to Banfield Animal Hospital to monitor her while we went to work. Monday afternoon they called and recommended that we move her to VCA Specialty Animal Group Emergency Hospital for further testing. Taylor left work, picked up Mala, and the worst was discovered.
Mala had an ultrasound that confirmed bones lodged in her small intestine and unpredictably two tumors in her stomach area. Doctors recommended surgery within the next 4-hours or Mala would not live. I opened up a credit card account, sent over all appropriate documents, and we gave consent to the surgery in less than 40 minutes.
Later that night we ate Ritz crackers for dinner and stared at the TV. We didn't say but a few words to each other. The phone rang. It was the surgeon calling in the middle of her surgery. Taylor answered and put it on speaker phone. The man sounded as if he were in a bathroom. In my head I'm imagining my dog on the table and her stomach open with nurses standing around her with their blue gloves in the air waiting for my word, but I doubt it.
Mr. Doctor said that the surgery went fine. Although they had to open her up, they were able to push the bone down to the colon area without having to cut into her small intestine. This means that now she should be able to pass all the bones that she ate on Thanksgiving. It was AWESOME news! But wait, why is this man calling us while my dog's stomach is open on table?
He's worried about the tumors. The first was removed, no problem. The second he gave us three options. 1 - take a sample to test - but risk puncturing it and her hemorrhaging internally and dying. 2 - remove it, but that was risky because it is connected to a main artery and he advised that this would be an extremely dangerous, or 3 - leave it. We chose to leave it. If it is cancer, the surgeon said that she may have 6 months to live; maybe less. There’s always the chance that it is not malignant, but based on our conversation with the surgeon, more than likely it is.
Mala was at the hospital for another day. I finally got to pick her up Thursday around noon. Her bandage covered half her stomach and her eyes were droopy. The nurse handed me a bag full of medication, a $7,656.41 bill, and helped me lift Mala into the car.
We contacted her primary care veterinarian and asked if the tumors could have been seen on previous x-rays Mala had taken in the past. She told us they could not have been seen on an x-ray and the only way we would have known they were there is by doing an ultrasound. So, if Mala had never eaten the turkey bones or gotten the ultrasound, we would have never known about the tumors.
I believe that all this happened for a reason. Again, if she didn't eat that turkey that forced us to take her to the hospital, she wouldn't have had the ultrasound, which led to our discovery of the tumor. Nature would have still taken its course, but now we know. We have been given the opportunity to give her the best few months of her life. Everyday from now on is a blessing!
What is the money for?
We're asking for ANY amount of donation to just cover our vet bill. It's a large amount of money that we were not prepared to pay especially during the holidays. We are both planning to fly to Florida for Christmas to see my family, which is something we haven't been able to do since 2016. I'm also planning to spend New Years with my family, which is something I haven't been able to do for 3 years. These tickets were purchased more than 6 months ago and are non-refundable. We saved up the whole year to make it happen. Mala will be with Taylor’s family while we are gone, being spoiled as much as a grand-puppy can be.
Again, thank you so much for listening, hearing our story, for any help you can give, and for sharing on your social media.
First picture taken of Malaka. 1 year old in Key West, FL
Mala now! Picture taken September 2018 in San Diego, CA on Cowles Mountain
My name is Ayla Lisicki and my boyfriend's name is Taylor Tomlin. I want you to get to know me, Taylor, and Mala, so our story is below. But for those who want the bottom line up front - here it is: Mala stole the carcass of our Thanksgiving turkey and a bone lodged in her lower intestine. We had to decide what to do and we chose to save our beloved dog’s life and had it surgically removed before it could kill her. However, during the surgery-literally right in the middle of it-the surgeon called us to tell us there were two masses in Mala’s stomach. He could remove one, but an attempt to remove the other was extremely risky and could kill her. It was decided to keep it there. He told us that it was most likely cancer. We saved her life only to be told that it will most definitely be cut short. We are asking for any amount of donation to just cover our vet bill. It's a large amount of money that we were not prepared to pay, especially during the holidays. We don't have any kids (yet), and Mala is our baby. Thank you for taking the time to read this. We are truly grateful for any help or for just sharing our story.
Now, for the details - it is an emotional roller coaster! Our “puppy” is an 11 year old boxer named Malaka (or Mala) that we treat like our baby. Last week we received some news that changed our lives forever. Even though the inevitable will still happen, we are asking for your help .......
Malaka Shalaka Waka Flaka Flame is what I call her every day I come home from work. Sometimes I get home early and she's sitting on the couch, but if I get home late, she sits outside by the fence (on a small mattress we have provided for her thank goodness it never rains in Cali) that has a clear view of the driveway. It doesn't matter if Taylor is home before me. She waits for my arrival to make sure I am home safe. Mala is a good dog.
Taylor and I made our first Thanksgiving turkey together. I carved it, we ate, Mala got some scraps, and Thanksgiving was great. We left the house to visit a friend that just had a baby and when we returned, our trash can was knocked over and half of our Thanksgiving turkey was dragged outside to the garden. Mala's stomach was bloated. Trash was everywhere and we were freaking. As Taylor cleaned, I Googled.
Most websites said, "Don't induce vomiting", got it! "Check for choking or throat issues". None, she's good. "Feed your dog soft foods like rice and bread". Shoot. We can't. Mala has pancreatitis which means she must be fed a low-fat diet at all times. Feeding her anything other than the prescription food we get from the vet will definitely upset her stomach even more. Last recommendation, "Monitor your pet for 72 hours". So that's what we did. Friday through Sunday she was fine. Monday morning came and she was not acting like herself. We couldn't leave her home alone so we took her to Banfield Animal Hospital to monitor her while we went to work. Monday afternoon they called and recommended that we move her to VCA Specialty Animal Group Emergency Hospital for further testing. Taylor left work, picked up Mala, and the worst was discovered.
Mala had an ultrasound that confirmed bones lodged in her small intestine and unpredictably two tumors in her stomach area. Doctors recommended surgery within the next 4-hours or Mala would not live. I opened up a credit card account, sent over all appropriate documents, and we gave consent to the surgery in less than 40 minutes.
Later that night we ate Ritz crackers for dinner and stared at the TV. We didn't say but a few words to each other. The phone rang. It was the surgeon calling in the middle of her surgery. Taylor answered and put it on speaker phone. The man sounded as if he were in a bathroom. In my head I'm imagining my dog on the table and her stomach open with nurses standing around her with their blue gloves in the air waiting for my word, but I doubt it.
Mr. Doctor said that the surgery went fine. Although they had to open her up, they were able to push the bone down to the colon area without having to cut into her small intestine. This means that now she should be able to pass all the bones that she ate on Thanksgiving. It was AWESOME news! But wait, why is this man calling us while my dog's stomach is open on table?
He's worried about the tumors. The first was removed, no problem. The second he gave us three options. 1 - take a sample to test - but risk puncturing it and her hemorrhaging internally and dying. 2 - remove it, but that was risky because it is connected to a main artery and he advised that this would be an extremely dangerous, or 3 - leave it. We chose to leave it. If it is cancer, the surgeon said that she may have 6 months to live; maybe less. There’s always the chance that it is not malignant, but based on our conversation with the surgeon, more than likely it is.
Mala was at the hospital for another day. I finally got to pick her up Thursday around noon. Her bandage covered half her stomach and her eyes were droopy. The nurse handed me a bag full of medication, a $7,656.41 bill, and helped me lift Mala into the car.
We contacted her primary care veterinarian and asked if the tumors could have been seen on previous x-rays Mala had taken in the past. She told us they could not have been seen on an x-ray and the only way we would have known they were there is by doing an ultrasound. So, if Mala had never eaten the turkey bones or gotten the ultrasound, we would have never known about the tumors.
I believe that all this happened for a reason. Again, if she didn't eat that turkey that forced us to take her to the hospital, she wouldn't have had the ultrasound, which led to our discovery of the tumor. Nature would have still taken its course, but now we know. We have been given the opportunity to give her the best few months of her life. Everyday from now on is a blessing!
What is the money for?
We're asking for ANY amount of donation to just cover our vet bill. It's a large amount of money that we were not prepared to pay especially during the holidays. We are both planning to fly to Florida for Christmas to see my family, which is something we haven't been able to do since 2016. I'm also planning to spend New Years with my family, which is something I haven't been able to do for 3 years. These tickets were purchased more than 6 months ago and are non-refundable. We saved up the whole year to make it happen. Mala will be with Taylor’s family while we are gone, being spoiled as much as a grand-puppy can be.
Again, thank you so much for listening, hearing our story, for any help you can give, and for sharing on your social media.
First picture taken of Malaka. 1 year old in Key West, FL Mala now! Picture taken September 2018 in San Diego, CA on Cowles Mountain