Round 7 is officially in the books! It was a long day with labs, nurse visit, and chemo all packed into a single trip to Mayo. Efficient, sure, but it made for a very long day. I also had my first male nurse this time, who was nothing short of professional. Meanwhile, Melissa, true to form, took command of the remote, and we settled into Creed III to pass the time.
I’m now pass the halfway point of this first phase of chemo, and it’s wild to think how quickly and yet slowly this journey has gone by. There are moments when I look back, and I can’t help but wonder, “How did I even get here?” I shared the initial discovery of the mass in my right breast in my first post, but something significant happened before that discovery that ultimately made me pay attention.
A few months before I found the mass, my family watched The Art of Racing in the Rain. There’s a part where Enzo, the dog, senses something is wrong, telling the viewer that one of the characters “smelled as though she was decaying inside.” It turned out she had cancer and didn’t know it. That scene stuck with me in a haunting way.
Fast forward a bit, and our dog Shadow started acting strange. He would get right in my face, sniffing intently, no licks, just close sniffs. He’d sit, stare at me, and even paw at my knee as if he was trying to tell me something. At first, I thought he was begging for a treat, but even when I gave him one, he’d just come right back. My daughter would try to distract him with some attention, but his focus would quickly return to me. It was as though he couldn’t ignore something… and eventually, neither could I.
That night, I decided to check myself. My mind flashed back a couple of years when I’d lost weight and found a small lump that was simply fatty tissue. But this time, it felt different—both because of Shadow’s response and because of the nature of the mass. The next business day, I scheduled my appointment.
Turns out, Shadow’s instincts were spot-on. I’m grateful he kept nudging me because it’s likely I wouldn’t have noticed or acted as quickly. In every way, Shadow is our hero, and I’m grateful every day that he didn’t stop until I listened.
So here we are, with Round 7 behind us and the battle continuing. I’m holding on to little wins, my team of support, and, of course, the unwavering loyalty of a very good boy named Shadow.
