Before Sheena started her cancer treatment, her little dog Chizel was very 'clingy'. He would nestle up to her more than usual, want to be on her lap - generally be closer. Once Sheena was diagnosed and her treatment started, he was keen to be as close to her as possible.
When she went for chemo at the hospital, Chizel would wait in the car and I would come out every now and then and check on him, take him for a walk, and when Sheena came out (and I drove home), he would want to be on her lap.
Chizel sleeps in our bedroom in his own little bed on Sheena's side. When my cancer treatment started (and probably before that actually), Chizel started sleeping on my side of the bed - with no nice comfy dog bed, just the floor. All thround the summer, through radiotherapy and after, Chizel stayed on my side of the bed.
After coming home from my operation, Chizel went back to his side and the comfy dog bed. I think the dog's nose 'knows'. We know dogs can detect cancer, Covid, Parkinsons, epilepsy - there are so many amazing things medical detection dogs can do. I am choosing to believe Chizel, that my cancer has gone, but the team at Ipswich hospital want to make doubly sure.
My cancer was removed and the surgeon is happy that a good clear margin was taken all the way round, but one of the many lymph nodes they removed did have a tumour. So the next stage will be some preventative chemotherapy. I will now have to wait for an oncology appointment to find out what and when, and have more scans to make sure it's all going well.
The positive from all this is that the surgery went well and my recovery on that side is good. If Chizel starts coming back to my side of the bed, then I'll get worried! Meantime I'll keep on with the treatment that means I am going to live, and not have cancer, and get on with my life. Next year is going to be a whole new adventure.
I know these are difficult times, but if you have any symptoms that are even slightly worrying you, take action. Call you GP, get tested, because having your mind put at rest is a whole lot better than waiting until treament needs to be drastic. And if your dog or cat starts behaving differently around you, listen to them too.
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