Gia's Cancer Treatment
Donation protected
Hi everyone, my name is Gia (named after the supermodel, Gia Carangi), and I'm a super loveable 13 year old German Shepherd. I have two little sisters, Harlow and Edina, and the best dads a daddy's girl could ever ask for!
Recently I was diagnosed with stage 1 lymphoma. While this news was extremely shocking, I am lucky enough to be receiving treatment so I can live the rest of my life to its fullest, and with minimal to no pain.
Last week I went to my very first oncology appointment. Super duper scary, but I have an amazing oncologist who loves dogs and really wants to make a difference. Shout out to Dr. Pierro & Nurse JoAnna, at the Veterinary Cancer Group, for being so wonderful!!!
Before deciding how to procede I had to have a few x-rays to see the extent of the "big C". It was during my first x-rays when I found out I had fluid in my chest that needed to be drained ASAP! After an hour of draining the fluid the doctors were able to remove 2 liters of fluid from the right side of my chest. TWO LITERS!!! That's like an entire bottle of Pepsi pushing on my lung and making it hard to breathe! Now that I can breathe a lot better I have much more energy and am ready to tackle the next part of my journey.
From the x-rays, Dr. Pierro was able to see several masses in my chest--these are the cause of the fluid build up. My parents and the Doctor discussed treatment options, and I'm excited to say that I get to be part of a clinical trial for a new medication that is showing lots of promise in previous studies. The great news about this trial is that I will only be receiving chemo treatments every three weeks, vs. going every week for 19 weeks straight with the traditional chemo therapy. I don't know about you, but 19 weeks of being pumped full of poison sounds absolutely awful! The bad news is that treating cancer is REALLY expensive. :-(
This is where you come in! I'm trying to help my dads raise $8,000.00 to pay for all of my Doctor's visits, x-rays, pain management medications, steriods, blood work & labs, hazardous waste disposal, and anything else that might pop up during the next 12 weeks. Fortunately, since I'm in a clinical trial, the actual chemo medication if FREE!!!
I look forward to keeping everyone updated as I continue this journey to recovery and truly hope you can follow my story, share it with your friends, family, and pets, and possibly even help support me along the way. Please feel free to send me photos of your own pups and lots of encouraging words!
Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to my story. I really appreciate anything you're able to do to help!!!
Lots of love,
Gia
Recently I was diagnosed with stage 1 lymphoma. While this news was extremely shocking, I am lucky enough to be receiving treatment so I can live the rest of my life to its fullest, and with minimal to no pain.
Last week I went to my very first oncology appointment. Super duper scary, but I have an amazing oncologist who loves dogs and really wants to make a difference. Shout out to Dr. Pierro & Nurse JoAnna, at the Veterinary Cancer Group, for being so wonderful!!!
Before deciding how to procede I had to have a few x-rays to see the extent of the "big C". It was during my first x-rays when I found out I had fluid in my chest that needed to be drained ASAP! After an hour of draining the fluid the doctors were able to remove 2 liters of fluid from the right side of my chest. TWO LITERS!!! That's like an entire bottle of Pepsi pushing on my lung and making it hard to breathe! Now that I can breathe a lot better I have much more energy and am ready to tackle the next part of my journey.
From the x-rays, Dr. Pierro was able to see several masses in my chest--these are the cause of the fluid build up. My parents and the Doctor discussed treatment options, and I'm excited to say that I get to be part of a clinical trial for a new medication that is showing lots of promise in previous studies. The great news about this trial is that I will only be receiving chemo treatments every three weeks, vs. going every week for 19 weeks straight with the traditional chemo therapy. I don't know about you, but 19 weeks of being pumped full of poison sounds absolutely awful! The bad news is that treating cancer is REALLY expensive. :-(
This is where you come in! I'm trying to help my dads raise $8,000.00 to pay for all of my Doctor's visits, x-rays, pain management medications, steriods, blood work & labs, hazardous waste disposal, and anything else that might pop up during the next 12 weeks. Fortunately, since I'm in a clinical trial, the actual chemo medication if FREE!!!
I look forward to keeping everyone updated as I continue this journey to recovery and truly hope you can follow my story, share it with your friends, family, and pets, and possibly even help support me along the way. Please feel free to send me photos of your own pups and lots of encouraging words!
Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to my story. I really appreciate anything you're able to do to help!!!
Lots of love,
Gia
Organizer
Chris Valentine
Organizer
Santa Clarita, CA
