TJ's Medical Fundraiser
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Hello beautiful people!! My name is Jude and I am raising funds for my senior support dog TJ's mounting vet bills. He's staying to sleep away and rapidly. In the past two weeks his health has taken a fast descent into the worse. He needs testings, procedures, screenings, and treatments that I can start scheduling the appointments for us once I have the funds to cover them. Sober rather than later I've been advised.
TJ is a rescue pug mix and the love of my life, he is my soulmate and registered emotional support animal. I love him more than my life, it's him and me against the world!! He has several serious, chronic medical conditions, some severe that have been ongoing and are now accelerating fast. I had to let go of his pet insurance. My financial state is such that I cannot afford it let alone the testing and treatments he needs for his thyroid, liver, skin, masses, and tumors.
His balance was the first thing I noticed was off very recently. I observed stumbles, trips, limps, staggers, and occasionally his feet will get out from under him and he bumbles more than walks. Trying to go up stairs to our apartment used to be going up to stairs 2 at a time like a rocket until 2 weeks ago, and he's been slowly crawling and hopping up the steps with labored breathing and movement like he's in pain with every misstep. It takes time and he slips on the steps and whimpers. This came on very fast.
As well, the doctor suspects he has Cushing's and Addison's diseases and will have to undergo a full day of testing with cortisol injection and blood draws every two hours to make determinations and then decide what treatment options are available. They prescribed two medications to take twice a day, one for his thyroid and one for his arthritis.
He has osteoarthritis, mostly in the hips and legs, which he is being medicated for as well because he's in a great deal of pain at times during the day. He has a problem with his thyroid production, liver enzymes, and his adrenal gland isn't producing cortisol as it should, so these things must all be tested over coming days.
He has skin growths and carcinomas as well as masses in his chest and right side of undetermined origin that had been stationary for a few months worth of monitoring and started to turn on at the beginning of the month. Testing will be done to determine what these things are. He has six tumors growing outside around his head and neck. They have begun growing exponentially, firming up and changing colors, occasionally discharging and some slight bleeding now and then.
Surgery is not an option for him anymore, I've already been told that he would have major kidney problems under anesthesia and likely wouldn't survive it, so no matter what these things are, he can't go under because I won't risk it. If there are malignancies inside, chemo and/or radiation would not be optionable. I wouldn't put him through that. If he's meeting his end, he's going to do it in his little pain as possible. That was the promise I made him when he was a baby.
But now he's in pain. It's absolutely breaking my heart and crushing my spirit to watch this happening to the thing I love the most in this universe. TJ is my child, I adopted him from the shelter as a puppy where I vowed to him that I would be his protector and would always take care of him and not allow him to suffer until the end. And I've always stood by that. Whatever it is it's already inoperable and I accept that. Surgery is a foregone conclusion at this point.
But what I will not do, what I will not accept, is him slipping into further pain and discomfort If nothing can be done. When the time comes as it may sooner than I'm ready for, I will have to make the decision to have him put down. I've been acutely aware of this for 11 years and it's been the thing I have feared the most. I thought my divorce was the worst thing that happened to me but watching this, I would go through that pain a billion times over if it meant that this baby didn't have to feel any.
My plan for him is that when it is time, the vet will come to our home. He will be with his family and loved ones. When medication is administered to make him fall asleep, he will be snuggled against my chest on his blanket in our bed where we sleep every night. I will hold him to me and sing to him as I do nightly and give kisses and say puppy prayers until he's gone. Then I can have him cremated. I can't believe I'm actually saying these things but this is reality and I have decisions to make.
Please help me find some answers and get solutions for his ills, and if he must cross over the rainbow bridge allow me to do it with the honor, respect, and dignity he deserves. This is my worst nightmare come true because I truly do love him more than anything. All I want is time with him, I would rather be with him doing nothing than doing anything anywhere with anyone. He's my life and it has been dedicated to serving him, loving him spectacularly, and receiving the kind of love so rare it defies description. We take care of each other. It is is truly a case of who saved who.
Funds from these kind and deeply appreciated donations shall be used to cover the cost of vet visits and associated medications, treatments, procedures, testings, screenings, whatever he needs. A portion not allocated for billing will be reserved as the cost for the in home visit. That is estimated between $400-$800 for in home service for when it's that time to finally break my heart.
We love you and thank you in advance. Please share this campaign for TJ!!
Love and gratitude for your kindness and generosity,
TJ and Daddy
Organizer
Jude Smith
Organizer
Tucson, AZ
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