Thanks to Colleen for sharing this letter from her furbaby Jimmy Chestnut on how Dogsters helped them through a tough medical time in their lives.
Hi Dogster!
My name is Jimmy Chestnut, and I want to tell you how Dogster has enhanced my life.
On the morning of May 5th, we were overjoyed to learn that I was Dog-of-the-Day. Before I left for a vet appointment that morning, I was enjoying my congratulatory e-mails, and even drafting what would be my first diary entry.
There was a lot of synchronicity in being Dog of the Day. Among the many stars and rosettes, I received a rosette from the Tater Tots, which included Teddi Sue. How ironic that I would hear from Teddi Sue, a beautiful girl I’d never “met,” but for whose safe return we’d been fervently
praying.Being Dog of the Day was certainly exciting, and I very much appreciate the selection. The day was bittersweet, however. I had some follow-up bloodwork at the vet’s office, the results of which necessitated a referral to a specialty clinic in Indianapolis, nearly 100 miles from home.
My typist was too shocked and too bummed to help compose my diary entry, and we spent the next couple of days, absorbing all the info we could in the Dogster forums about my tentative medical results.
On the morning of May 7th, a veterinary technician let it slip that an untreatable form of hemangiosarcoma was suspected to be causing some bloodwork problems. We posted our concerns to our family at Snoop Dog Beagleys, the bestest, most awesome group on Dogster. The Snoops, as well as members of its affiliated Not the Beagle Group, and posters on the Get Well Forum, held our paws and offered words of encouragement over the next weeks of testing. We drew much inspiration from Mike and Fancy, our own Snoops cancer survivors, and prayed for the best.
Through Dogster, we were uplifted with stars, rosettes, pmails and posts, with messages of support and information. Our friend Hayley organized a photo stroll, PawPowerForJimmy, and 50 pups, plus those cool dudes, Jake and Charlie in Catster participated! During the final days of waiting for my biopsy results, Snoops Mike, Toby, Eddie and their packs, as well as others, hosted their main photo as a Paw Power one.
And guess what? The Power of the Paw worked! Thank God, Dog and Cat, that I have no cancer – just some highly-elevated liver enzymes with no known cause!
Participation in Dogster helped make a few painful weeks both uplifting and bearable. The memories of support from our Dogster family will be eternal.
We love Dogster! And we know Dogster loves us! Thanks for all you do in making the Dogster experience such a positive one.
Wags,
Jimmy
