I'm raising money to get Annie the surgery she needs to survive, but I need your help to reach my goal! Any amount helps. Please share this with your dog lovers everywhere.
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Hi all,
It's been a long time since an update. I think I was keeping all the positive thoughts in my head, afraid that if I shared them they might not be true.... but I have to break my silence. Annie went to the vet on Wednesday to get the final metal pin removed from her jaw. She had 2 pins put in to hold her jaw in place after the tumor was removed and they needed to stay there until her jaw healed. The pins had undoubtedly been causing her immense pain, but they were necessary to keep her jaw from drifting. If it drifted - she'd have a lot of trouble eating for the rest o her life.
Well...... I would like to report that on Thursday when I got home from work I was greeted at the door by a PUPPY! Annie was back to her old self! And I don't mean her "before the surgery" old self, I mean "before the tumor" old self! She made it clear she was no longer in pain, she was so happy and so grateful. We cuddled on the couch and she burrowed her head into my chest and was so thankful.
I feel like we finally stepped over that final hurdle and this crappy adventure is OVER! I can't thank you all enough for saving her life. You are all amazing people, and you are the reason this was possible. We would never be here right now if I had to do this on my own, because it simply just would not have happened. You saved her life and gave me so much hope that there is definitely still good in this world.
This was a long, bumpy, windy, emotional and let's face it.... shitty... road. But it's over and it feels so good. Thank you all for giving me my Annie back! We'll be going on our first post-surgery hike tomorrow. Pictures will not be far behind!
Thank you again. I love you all! HAPPY FRIDAY!
Love, Ali and Annie
[email protected]
**Please note: The surgery went well but is still not completely paid for. I am still trying to raise funds for chemo so that I did not put Annie through all this for nothing. The chemo will ensure that the cancer is out of her. Also - any extra funds I raise will be donated to Danbury Animal Welfare Society - the shelter that rescued Annie. Thank you! (www.daws.org)
Our story: Annie came into my life in 2007. When I rescued this one-eyed girl, never did I think there would come a day when I wouldn’t be able to save her. She has survived being used as a bait dog for dog fighting, she has survived life in a shelter, dodged the fate of being euthanized and now she’s faced with surviving cancer. We (a now inseparable pair) were just diagnosed with a bone cancer that has infected Annie’s lower right jaw. Every day she is having more difficulty eating. She has two fast growing tumors. She can easily survive this and thrive for many more years, but needs a lot of help now – including surgery to remove the bone and post-surgery chemo to make sure the cancer hasn’t spread. Annie – I mean, dogs in general, but Annie especially – is incredibly resilient when faced with a diagnosis like this one. The sooner we can get the bone removed and the cancer out of her, the better. And once she’s had time to heal a bit from that, and get back to normal – or as normal as Annie gets! – she can start the post-surgery chemo treatments to prevent the cancer from growing in her other bones. She’s only got a month before she starts to get really uncomfortable. Right now she has no idea she is sick but soon she won’t be able to eat, she’ll start to lose weight and not to mention she will have to endure the pain of the tumors destroying the bone in her jaw. If we can get Annie the surgery and chemo she needs, she has a 70% chance for a full recovery! That’s HUGE. The surgery can happen within the next week, if not sooner. But I don’t have the means to help her on my own. She needs your help. WE need your help. We can’t let a little cancer bring her down. I’ve spent years volunteering at shelters helping dogs like Annie get adopted, trying to “pay it forward” and get these pups into loving homes. Based on the money we have already spent and the estimates I have gotten for surgery and chemo, I have come up with a total dollar amount for my fundraising goals. Without these funds, Annie can’t get her treatments, and unfortunately I don’t have the means alone. Please, if you can make a donation, any amount will help.
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Hi all,
It's been a long time since an update. I think I was keeping all the positive thoughts in my head, afraid that if I shared them they might not be true.... but I have to break my silence. Annie went to the vet on Wednesday to get the final metal pin removed from her jaw. She had 2 pins put in to hold her jaw in place after the tumor was removed and they needed to stay there until her jaw healed. The pins had undoubtedly been causing her immense pain, but they were necessary to keep her jaw from drifting. If it drifted - she'd have a lot of trouble eating for the rest o her life.
Well...... I would like to report that on Thursday when I got home from work I was greeted at the door by a PUPPY! Annie was back to her old self! And I don't mean her "before the surgery" old self, I mean "before the tumor" old self! She made it clear she was no longer in pain, she was so happy and so grateful. We cuddled on the couch and she burrowed her head into my chest and was so thankful.
I feel like we finally stepped over that final hurdle and this crappy adventure is OVER! I can't thank you all enough for saving her life. You are all amazing people, and you are the reason this was possible. We would never be here right now if I had to do this on my own, because it simply just would not have happened. You saved her life and gave me so much hope that there is definitely still good in this world.
This was a long, bumpy, windy, emotional and let's face it.... shitty... road. But it's over and it feels so good. Thank you all for giving me my Annie back! We'll be going on our first post-surgery hike tomorrow. Pictures will not be far behind!
Thank you again. I love you all! HAPPY FRIDAY!
Love, Ali and Annie
[email protected]
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Pupdate: Annie has been doing so well! We had a relaxing weekend catching up on OITNB and snuggling on the couch. We ended up getting the pin pulled out of her jaw once it broke through her skin. I was told it wasn't painful for her, which I believe. She was so excited to see her surgeon when we went back to the vet - she must have been treated so well while in their care.
And a friendly reminded that there IS good in the world - and we need highlight it way more than we do: I got a call from our receptionist today. There was an older women waiting in the lobby to see me. She had read the article published about us last week in The Newtown Bee. She gave me a card and told me her dog was recently treated by the same vet that Annie saw. She told me how wonderfully they treated her dog. Then she wished me luck and left. When I opened the card, she had written a short note and gave me $100. She didn't sign her name. I have no idea who this generous woman was!
My eyes teared up at how big her heart was, with no need for recognition. I'm continually amazed at how this whole situation has shown me an outpouring of love from friends, family and even strangers. It reminds me of the quote I used in my senior yearbook (which no one but me seemed to understand) but I'll repeat it here with hopes of getting the message across:
"The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not intend to sit."
I'm continually in awe. Thank you all again. Please continue to share so we can continue working towards funds for chemo.
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We made it home!!!!!!! The surgery went so well! She is missing half her jaw but even more shocking to me is how skinny her shaved leg looks where the IV was! She was disappointed to not be able to stick her head out the window while we were driving - I think the cone is going to make her insane. I hand fed her a few meatballs which she scarfed down (one of her vet techs told me she hadn't been eating and I suspect that's because she only eats when I'm around anyway - since she certainly had no trouble eating the meatballs I just gave her.) She also figured out how to drink water with her cone on..... and now she's sleeping and snoring on the kitchen floor. Feels so good to have my girl home. This place was empty without her. I can't say thank you enough for all the donations, thoughts, prayers, well wishes, etc. You all gave given her a chance that I was unable to give her on my own. We're so grateful. We also talked to the local newspaper and there should be a story about her next week. Hopefully that will help us reach the surgery goal and also cover the chemo costs. The chemo should be less intense than originally expected due to how isolated the cancer was. But I'd hate to not do the chemo and have put her through all this for nothing. Thank you again!
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Good news, and more good news!!
Good news: I've raised enough money to feel confident that I can move forward with my plan of action, so I have scheduled Annie's surgery. I will be dropping her off tomorrow (Thursday) morning at 8am for her surgery and she'll most likely stay over until Friday to make sure all is well before I take her home.
More good news: A local newspaper wants to cover out story!(I won't mention names yet in case it doesn't not happen.) I think this could be wonderful though..... because I think there is a much larger story here than just a girl and her dog. The kindness of complete strangers, and the compassion that radiates from animal lovers everywhere is just so encouraging! This isn't a story about a dog anymore - it's a story about a community that rallied for her! I've been in awe of all the sharing and re-posting! I'm excited to talk to the newspaper about Danbury Animal Welfare Society (www.daws.org) and the amazing people I volunteered there with and all the efforts they have put into sharing Annie's story.
We're not in the final homestretch yet. They are still strongly recommending chemo. I will continue to try to raise funds and still keep my promise to share my excess proceeds with DAWS. Hopefully having the story in the paper will give an opportunity for people to donate directly to DAWS as well, in Annie's name. Thank you again for all you have done and all you continue to do!
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