LOTS OF GOOD NEWS!

Dear Pup Pals,

I NO LONGER HAVE CANCER; MY LYMPHOMA IS GONE! AND I AM OK.

Since my Mom told you I had lymphoma last September, I had to go to Red Bank Hospital every Saturday for 20 weeks. There I met and made friends with many other doggies and kitties who were also sick.

First, the great doctor there took out the enlarged lymph node on my back right leg. Then they took many other tests, and the doc became a bit confused by the results. I had a "stage 1" lymphoma, meaning I just had the one node, no other nodes enlarged, and my blood work showed no cancer.

Soooooo, my mom and pop agreed to send for another biospy report from a doggie expert far away. That report too came back "probably lymphoma" and caused a very odd expression on the doc's face again. "Thelli is unique!" he said to mom and pop. But geeeee, they already knew that, doc! HA!

He told my people that we should do the "Wisconsin Protocol" of chemotherapy " to make really sure Thelli will be ok; and it was lucky we caught it so early!"

Mom and pop didn't want me to have all those nasty chemicals put into my shiny black lab body, but they also didn't want cancer to surprise us later on.

Now, after 20 weeks of treatment, I am a perfect specimen of block-head health!

AND NOW FOR SOME MORE NEWS!

Guess what?!
I passed my Canine Good Citizen test AND the International Therapy Dog Test, all in one day!

WOW my pop was so proud of me, especially since, he told everybody, "Thelli is home-schooled!" (whatever that means :-)

So Pup Pals, after a long time, your Thelli is back.
XO

Heart Breaking News

I don't know how to tell all of our Dogster pals this news.

Thelli had surgery last Tuesday to remove an enlarged lymph node in his back left leg. We picked him up Wed, and he is recovering.

This morning the surgeon called with the biopsy results of the lymph they removed. Thelli has cancer, lymphoma.

There are no words to express how grief-stricken and devastated my husband and I are.

Today we have an appointment to speak with the oncologist.

Thelli is only 5 years old, and he is the love of our lives. Our hearts are broken.

Thelli's mom

OK, It's Not So Bad

Hi Pup Pals,

So, I'm here to report that being an uncle to a human boy-child is not so bad after all.

As you can see from the photo above, my human child understands perfectly the necessity of watering his favorite black lab!

Ahhhhh, it's sooo nice and cool in that sparkly pool. Just keep the water out of my eyes, Jack!

Your Rover-ing Reporter of all things Lab, Thelli

ps. Oh, by the way, this is not the same human infant my brother just "blessed" us with, as I posted in my last diary entry. I will report later on the lab-friendliness of that bundle of joy.

I Am An Uncle!

Hi Pup Pals,

My mom and pop told me that they are now grams and gramps, and I am a proud lab uncle! Yep, my human brother has given us all a squiggly, wiggly, 7 pounds of wailing little person.

Now, I ask you, canine buddies, am I really suppose to be happy about this?!

Mom and Pop have been jibbering jibberish, distracted looney-tunes ever since the "blessed event." YUCK! I think my people have even forgotten how to speak English, and they certainly have forgotten how to speak Dog.

AND they want ME to sit by quietly and NOT be the center of attention anymore! I think NOT.

What's a woe-be-gone, formally deliriously happy, black lab suppose to do?

Your pal, Thelli

FAREWELL BELLA

Dear Pup Pals,

I have sad news to report. My kitty sister, Bella, passed away last night. Mom says that "her time had come" and that "she was 14 years old and lived a good life." So Bella this is for you:

AN ODE TO BELLA

Bella, you were fat but nice,
You only swatted at me twice,
Your hisses were not meant for me,
I loved it when you chased that bee!

Your sharp claws stung
When they scratched my nose,
I bit your tail
I licked your toes.

It makes me sad to say goodbye
Humans cry when felines die,
Adieu, farewell, so-long, and ciao
I'll miss your song, your sweet meow.

Love, your pup brother, Thelli

A Sunday Afternoon In The Yard With Pop

Hi Pup Pals,

Today Pop and I went to Home Depot, came home, and started all our outside spring chores. Whew, what a hard working dog am I!

First, Pop dug up some loose bricks on the walkway leading to the back of our house. I was such a big help! Every time he got a brick up, I jumped right in and started digging and digging, paws flying every which way. He said, "Thelli, what a good boy you are! With you around who needs a back hoe!"

Then, Pop raked up twigs, leaves, and lots of my poop :-), threw some grass seed down and put nice dark top soil over the seeds. And I was such a big help! I jumped right in AGAIN and starting digging and digging, paws flying every which way. This time Pop stood up and yelled towards the house, "Will somebody please get this blankey-blank block-head outta here!"

Now you tell me, pup pals, which is it?! HUH? HUH? Am I a good boy OR am I a block head?! These humans are one mighty confused species!

Mom, of course, saved the day with a nice bowl of cool water and a so-so diet treat (but, I begged for one of her meatballs and got it! Don't tell Pop!).

Love, Thelli

Happy Birthday News

Hi Pup Pals,

Well, yesterday was my 3rd birthday. I had a howling great day! My mom and pop helped me celebrate by forgetting that bleep-ed-y-bleep diet I've been on since my last weigh in at the vets.

Mom made me a pancake in the morning and put a candle in it. She and my pop sang happy birthday to THEEEEELLLLLIIIIi and then they told me to make a wish. I immediately wished for 2 pancakes! heeheeee

Last night mom made me my very favorite chicken gizzard and liver soup (yep, go figure!). Oh that mom of mine! She is soooo clever; she even stuck a candle in a nice plump piece of liver, and my humans all sang happy birthday again to ME!

I spent the rest of my birthday stealing some nice socks and chasing the deer out of my backyard (and nope, I'm not afraid of those scary crazed deer anymore now that I'm a big boy).

I received lots of birthday wishes, but the best greeting I got was from my dogster buddy, Mo. Thanks Mo for remembering my birthday, and thank you and your mommy for the really great diary entry you wrote celebrating my very special day!

love, Thelli

The Art of People Training - Lesson 5

Hey Pup Pals,

Be careful what you wish for, canine buddies!

When you succeed beyond your wildest doggie dreams in training your people well, your success can come back to bite you where it hurts! YOUR STOMACH!

My pop took me to visit our friendly vet today. After saying hi to the 2 felines that "work" there (they look like lazy lounging slackers to me!), my pop and I went over to the scale and he weighed me. OUCH!

"WHAT?! Thelli, you've gained 6 pounds!!! No more chicken gizzard soup for you! What is your mommy thinking?! And no more stealing peanut butter and marshmellow sandwiches from your sister! AND I don't care if you sleep downstairs, you're NOT getting a treat to come up to bed anymore!"

So sadly pup pals, I am reporting that your freind Thelli is offically FAT!
See what you get for training your people well; blubber and diet treats! YUCK!

Love, your pal Thelli, ex-people trainer and one very hungry pup

The Art of People Training - Lesson 4 (A Lesson Gone Bad!)

Hi Pup Pals,

Today's lesson is what NOT to do to train your people to slow down on a walk because you want to make a detour and chase the ducks at the edge of the Delaware River!

1. On a nice visit to a pretty town on a sunny day with your people, DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES do your business (or "poop" as my pop says) at the end of a long foot bridge congested with pedestrians, bikers, baby strollers, wheel chairs, and various other unsuspecting people traffic.

2. YES, your mom and pop WILL stop dead in their tracks, but...

3. NO, they WILL NOT happily make a detour towards those quacking, flapping, waddling, begging-to-be-scattered-by-me, darned ducks!

When I figure this one out, pup pals, I'll let you know.

Love,
Thelli, the people trainer quasi-excellence

The Art of People Training - Lesson 3

Hey there pup pals! Today's people training lesson has to do with something we all love, FOOD!

This is what you have to do to get your human sister to give you half of her peanut butter and marshmellow fluff sandwich.

1. When your person is home all day because she has a cold and could not go to work, make sure you TRAIL her around the house no matter where she goes or how many times she says, "Thelli (insert whatever ridiculous name they gave you), can't you leave me alone for even a second while I go to the bathroom!"

2. When your person sits down to eat the most tempting, yummy, delicious, succulent sandwich you have ever seen in your life, make a MAD DASH directly for her beloved kitty, Mia.

3. CHASE that overweight fur-ball through the family room, into the living room, around the dining room, behind the washing machine in the laundry room, and right up the drapes in the bedroom!

4. Your person WILL follow in hot pursuit!

5. The minute your person climbs up on a chair to try and get that hissing, spitting, clawing feline down, abruptly TURN and make an about-face.

6. RACE back to the kitchen table and GRAB the remaining half of that gourmet delight, the peanut butter and marshmellow fluff sandwich!

7. When your person realizes that she has been tricked, again, GAZE innocently into her eyes and wag your tail gently.

8. IF she threatens to tell your pop when he comes home, find that darned cat, and give it a sweet KISS (yuck!).

bye for now, pup pals,
Thelli, the people trainer par excellence