12/18/2024
To Dr. Wood and her INCREDIBLE Staff,
Yesterday as I sat in my chair, I glanced outside of our back patio door to see one of the most incredible and purest of moments. Our beautiful dog Echo lay in the grass basking in the sun, her eyes half closed, and her nose raised slightly as she sniffed the cool afternoon air. As I sat and watched her, my eyes welled with tears because I recognized her expression…it was one of gratitude that most never truly experience. In that moment as I watched her take it all in, I knew without a doubt that she knew she was recently near her end. But now, she was a survivor who has battled and endured for another chance at life. I watched her for quite some time before she stretched out and enjoyed her nap in the warm winter sun.
Echo, a Belgian Malinois/Boxer mix, has quite literally saved my life on more than one occasion as I fought my own battles over the years. The bond that we share is simply indescribable, and certainly irreplaceable. In November 2023 we noticed that Echo was having some difficulty breathing and abnormal snoring sounds while sleeping, so we took her to the emergency room for evaluation. It was there that we first learned that Echo likely had Cancer with a very poor prognosis. To say that our family was devastated would be an understatement of a lifetime. Dogs certainly don’t live long enough as it is, but the thought of it being cut short by such a terrible disease hurt in ways that are indescribable.
We were referred to Southwest Veterinary Oncology for follow up and diagnosis confirmation. Just when we thought all hope had been lost and we would have to say goodbye to our beautiful Echo, we met Dr. Caroline Wood and her amazing staff. The care and compassion that we received was beyond anything we could have imagined as we navigated this incredibly difficult time. Dr. Wood explained Echo’s condition in terms we could understand, as well as all the options we had available for treatment, or for supportive care. She made it clear that because of the type of cancer Echo had, if we decided to treat it, it would have to be done aggressively and immediately. More importantly, she told us that with aggressive treatment, there was a significant chance that Echo’s cancer could in fact be successfully treated.
We were in absolute shock at the notion that there was legitimate hope that Echo could survive this disease. We had a few questions, but Dr. Wood was very patient and took the time to answer them all. What I appreciated most was her honesty and compassion. She explained all the possible outcomes, including the risks of a negative one.
We quickly made the decision to begin treatment immediately. We were amazed to be able to see positive changes in her condition after just a few treatments. Echo responded very well to the treatment and care she received from Dr. Wood and her staff. They were very thorough with her continued monitoring as she continued her treatments, and Echo actually enjoyed her visits with all her new friends.
Today, Echo is in remission and living her best life. The time we’ve shared with her this past year simply would not have been possible without the team at Southwest Veterinary Oncology.
We have shed many tears this past year as we navigated the roller coaster of emotions, but we’ve also had the opportunity to celebrate many victories and special occasions with your team, including Echo’s birthday! You saved Echo’s life, and have given us the opportunity to continue to love her and make more memories. We know that someday she will have to walk across the Rainbow Bridge…..but not today.
THANK YOU just doesn’t seem like it’s enough, but the words we need to express how truly grateful we are simply don’t exist. So, on behalf of our family and on behalf of Echo…. THANK YOU!!!!!!!
