As many of you know, I have been following the saga of Max’s Mom Pam as she guides him through cancer diagnosis, surgery, treatment and then more of the same. She worries about knowing whether he is willing to go through all this — or how to know when he is ready to cross the Rainbow Bridge. So I wrote this letter to her:
Dear Pam — Although I know the last thing you need to do now is BUY something, I am going to suggest that you do purchase a book written by the Official Oncologist of both my shows, Alice Villalobos, who is one of the most spiritual and caring people you could ever meet. It is a textbook for veterinary colleges but easily understood by us — and why I think you need it is because she has an entire section on “Pawspice” (like hospice) for how to manage the time after all treatments are done — how to maximize the comfort and pleasure of that time. She also has devised a scale on how to evaluate your pet’s condition so you can feel on top of knowing what “downhill” really means for your individual.
Go to my website where there is a page for Dr Alice under “Experts” and her book is linked there with her authors discount. It’s expensive but worth every penny- you can give it to your own vet or another friend later to pass on the wisdom and support and whole idea of Pawspice care. I know it will help because you dread making a decision or knowing how to know — and this will be invaluable.
So I was utterly amazed when Pam replied:
Dear Tracie:
You are so right about this book being invaluable. I bought it — on YOUR recommendation — months ago. I have been reading the chapter on PAWSPICE ever since I got the biopsy results. I was especially interested in Dr. Alice’s view that vets suggest euthanasia much too early and do not respect the parent’s feelings. She writes at length about this and I felt like she was talking to me. Remember what the ER doctor did to us: he said that we “knew what to do” and should have Max put to sleep rather than attempt surgery for the liver cancer? Well, Dr. Villalobos would have been appalled.
This book is only one of many things you suggested to me these past few months that have been invaluable. Your support has been “invaluable.”
Thanks again. Max and Max’s Mom, Pam
So the story spun out even more amazingly when I forwarded the emails above to Kate of Wrapped in Kindness, who privately raises funds to offset the medical costs of pets who need it — which she has been doing for Max ever since she and I met just a few months ago (Kate herself is a cancer survivor, going through chemotherapy at the same time as Max). Kate wrote:
I actually have the book and recommend it to all pet parents confronting cancer. I learned about it from the oncologist who did Maddie’s cancer surgery, Chuck Kuntz — which was the time I was inspired to create Wrapped in Kindness..
So I sent all the correspondence to Dr. Alice, figuring she needed to know how far and wide her book has traveled and made a big difference to pet parents facing cancer. She replied:
Thank you for sharing these wonderful and invigorating comments! It makes the labor of love that it was to write this book worth the sacrifice. Writing is very difficult for me but it is worth the stress and strain to know that my sacrifice (and it was labor of love) is helping pet lovers during the emotional and difficult days of caring for a pet who is at the end of life. It is heartwarming for me to know that my Blackwell book is helping pet owners and their veterinarians as they go down that bumpy road with a pet that is on cancer’s fatal agenda.
Luv-in-pets,
Dr. Alice
Alice Villalobos, DVM, DPNAP
www.pawspice.com
