What a difference two weeks make

Denise Oppenhagen
Published: October 25, 2008

We’ve all heard the saying, “what a difference a day makes.”  Well, in my case, I can only say what a difference a couple of weeks makes and, unfortunately, it’s not a good thing.

Two weeks ago I wrote about two kittens who had been thrown out of a third story window. One of the kittens is still available for adoption and I have been considering adopting her. My hesitation has
come in the form of my dog. I have an eight-year old dog and a year-and-a-half old kitty. I was given this kitty after my cat, 17-years-old, died from cancer. I am admittedly a bit more of a cat person than a
dog person, but I do love my canine companion. 

Anyway — I declined adopting the new kitty because I did not want my older dog to feel that he was being pushed out. I am plenty content with two animals at my home. But now, in an unexpected twist,
my dog has been diagnosed with cancer. We have only a few months longer with him. 

I have always been able to empathize with people who spend thousands of dollars to save a pet.  They are family. Sometimes I enjoy spending time with the dog or cat more than with my son (those
would be the nagging do-your-homework days). I am extremely lucky that I do not have to make my decision based on financial considerations. 

I also empathize with people who decide that a shorter life with lots of love and activity is better than a longer time with a reduced quality of life. In our case, we could put our dog through surgery and
chemotherapy for a possible additional four months. And that’s if the cancer responds at all to chemotherapy. 

We are still trying to decide what to do. Our dog was only diagnosed on Friday. I have supportive friends who know when to ask how I’m doing and how he’s doing and when to change the subject and talk
about something else. Even more important, I have an excellent veterinarian in whom I have full confidence.  We met Dr. Allison Mayo when we first moved down here and got a dog. We were among her
first patients. That dog, Reveille I, was very sick when we first got him. She nursed him back to health and we spent several wonderful years with Reveille. And when Reveille became ill with hemolytic
anemia, Dr. Mayo helped us through the illness and even made a tearful house call when he was in too much pain to be moved to the hospital. 

And about a year and a half ago, my cat was diagnosed with a rare cancer that was a result of a bad reaction to her rabies vaccine. Again, Dr. Mayo helped us through. She, and many of the other
employees at the Dale City Animal Hospital, got us in quickly to be taken care of and consoled me as I cried with each progressively worse visit. When I had to put her to sleep, I was given as much time
as I needed before and after. And Dr. Mayo never forgot to ask about me and my family and how we were doing. 

As I go through this most recent illness, I am confident that Dr. Mayo will continue to keep Reveille (II — a Texas Aggie tradition) — as comfortable as possible. I have complete confidence that she will
keep us fully informed. I am confident that she will be there when I need to talk and she will support my family and I in whatever decision we make.

The next couple of months will be difficult for my family. I am hoping that the saying, “happiness shared is double the happiness; sorrow shared is half the sorrow.” If it is, we should be able to muddle
through with the help of Dr. Mayo.

If there ever comes a time when you need it, I hope that each of you has a Dr. Mayo in your life.

Denise Oppenhagen is a longtime resident of Prince William County and can be reached at .