Me & the Chemo Kitty Wrigley at Best Friends Sanctuary

[v-ness]

hi -

a couple weeks ago i went to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in kanab, UT for a week of R&R as a gift to myself after chemo and before radiation. i've worked as a volunteer 2x a year for a week at a time for many years in a building called Kitty Motel for special needs cats. my favorites are the incontinents and the FIV+ boys. one of 'my' boys, Wrigley, was diagnosed with lymphoma around the same time i was diagnosed with breast cancer. he and i went through the same 4 months of chemo, right down to thursdays - the same day of the week. he was declared in remission within one week of me being told i am considered 'disease free'. he had a big mane of fur that he lost (plus most of his whiskers) and i had a long mane of hair. now he faces a year of less frequent chemo as i face a year of herceptin every 3 weeks. i like to think we walk 'hand in paw' through this cancer fight.

they interviewed me for an article for their magazine and a professional photographer came to my cabin the evening i had wrigs for a sleepover. wrigs has a Guardian Angel progress journal on their website and here is the journal entry this week by the woman who works in the clinic he lives in. my journal entry will come next week with the photos i took. i am not sure when the magazine comes out next but will post when it does. :)

after a really lousy night last night full of uncertainty and anger and fear about cancer, it did my heart good to see this today. the cats of Kitty Motel face all kinds of huge challenges and they adapt and live their lives never obsessing about what they have to face, which is why they've always been an inspiration to me. here's to living like a Kitty Motel cat.

here is the URL to see me and Wrigs in all our post-chemo 'glory', glad to have a night out and together!

http://www.bestfriends.org/guardianangel/index.cfm?csid=4896&csii=4900&csit=Set&entry=E3484FF8-C459-792C-9A73D6DBE27E4969

valerie

[dchips1]

What a beautiful pict on the web site. To see the peace and joy in you both. Take care God bless you and your new friend

Darita

[vlcarr]

Oh Valerie, that is so exciting and I'm so envious. Dogtown is one of my fav shows. I love cats and had them all my life but am the owner of 3 rescued dogs now.

Before I got cancer I was a foster parent for about 8 homeless dogs (one at a time!). Right after I was diagnosed, I brought home little Peanut (jack russell, chic mix) to foster and knew within an hour she would become part of the family.

So, now I have Chloe, the bulldog, who's had cancer twice and is the elder and boss of house. She's about 9 years old. She was used as a breeder and discarded when she was still full of milk from giving birth. She didn't even know how to play.

Then I adopted Zeus, the dreaded pit bull breed, who is the best behaved of all my dogs. They tried to make him fight, he had heartworms and was afraid of everything. After some training classes, he is much better but still has to have tranquilizers during thunderstorms.

I don't know what I would do without my 3 babies. They truly make this cancer battle more bearable and make me laugh all the time. At least 2 of them are usually piled in the bed with me when I feel bad.

Animals truly can teach us how to live in the moment and they are such great therapy for me.

I admire what you did so much and truly understand what a rewarding experience that must have been. I enjoyed the pics and article very much. Maybe I could do that one day:)

Getting ready to start radiation soon.

[suzan w]

What a wonderful post!!! We have 3 kitties, all rescued, and 2 dogs...rescued. Everywhere we go there are so many animals in need...good to hear about the Kitty Motel, and your wonderful experiences. Sign me, sitting up late with insomnia! xo Suzan

[MJo]

I love this. I have a serious cat allergy (asthma attack) so I've never been able to enjoy cats (I love them) Shots, medication...nothing works so I enjoy them from afar. I hope to do some work with dog rescue someday. Right now I'm overwhelmed with "people rescue"

[Jackie07]

I love the peaceful/content look in both of you. Thanks for sharing.

[Mary Anne in TX]

I have one dog and a cat (who adopted me). But since my granddaughter and I moved to San Antonio, 3 or 4 other cats seem to be adopting us! I love watching them. I keep food out for them and they stop by for a meal and a visit each day. One we call Tux sits in the sun with our Angel in the backyard. She's never let another cat stay near our home. Something different is happening. Most of all, it's a pleasure to watch the "goings on" that occur around all of them. They have such different personalities and habits. They are a good reminder to me to accept people and "critters" just as they are....much more interesting that way! ma

[tricia keegan]

Valerie, what a gorgous pic and I'm so glad you posted about it and these special kittys. My friend runs a cat sanctuary and turns no one away no matter what the problem and does wonderful work .
I just lost my little Harry last week to effusive FIP, as you know there's no treatment or cure and kills within weeks:(
Your pic made me smile, thank you and well done for all you do. xx

[schoolteacher]

Valerie,

You are a special person for helping these animals. I hope you receive many, many blessings.

Where I live, people have been abandoning their kittens and cats, so my mom tries to feed them.

Amelia

[Patb]

Wonderful story. It just made my heart sing. The
rescue of animals is a wonderous thing and they
know and appreciate it. You have a pal and share
everything with you kitty, just great.
Take care and good luck to you both.
patb

[v-ness]

thank you very much. :) the release of that Guardian Angel page was just in the nick of time to help me feel better because this first week of radiation has been a really stressful time, add to it my first 3 week herceptin dose and 2 unsuccessful doc visits to stop my eye twitch. it feels like forever since i was at Best Friends. i'm pleased that the photo they took came out nice, it was scary to go so hugely public bald. the shirt says LIVESTRONG on the front, but you can't see it. however, i'm glad it was pink for breast cancer and the yellow ring around one wrist represents the yellow cancer bracelets people wear. i'll let you know when the journal i wrote is released. being with those animals was truly the best medicine. i spent 2 nights with one named Tiger whose intestinal cancer is terminal and all i can hope is that he can remember how happy those nights we spent together. he is the one in my avatar photo looking like he is smiling.

it helps me smile to see that because today i did a lot of crying. to reach radiation i have to go past the Endoscopy room where the first discovered bob's tumor and i had to tell him he had cancer. the rad doc and nurse today told me i have PTSD and that's why i am suddenly overwhelmed with a hard time. i have to figure out some way to help myself because short of going to live in that animal sanctuary.... something's gotta give.

valerie

[alicem]

Valerie,

I am so sorry to hear that things have been so stressful for you. Your journey has not been an easy one. I cannot even begin to put myself in your shoes. I do hope you are doing better today.

Thank you for sharing Wrigley & Tiger with us. I have bookmarked the Guardian angel page so that I can go back and check on any updates. I transformed from a dog lover to a cat lover when we adopted our daughter's rescue cat Franklin. Then a couple of years later we adopted Benjamin. I truly believe that my 2 boys (as I call them) were instrumental in helping me through my treatment. Whenever I was feeling down all it took was a snuggle with one of them to lift my spirits. That was especially fun when I had to sleep in a recliner after my reconstruction, somehow by morning, both cats ended up in the recliner with me!!

You are a beautiful woman even bald! Thanks for being such an inspiration to so many people. Bob would be proud!!!

[v-ness]

since i last posted, Best Friends put another story up about me & Wrigley written by their professional writer and they also asked me to write a journal entry on Wrigley's Guardian Angel page about our sleepover. They sure did go nuts on the photographs! here is the story David Dickson wrote in their Top News of the sanctuary:
http://news.bestfriends.org/index.cfm?page=news&mode=entry&entry=1AB562F6-FDA6-7843-C61F620C43295C5A

and here is my funny little journal entry:
https://www.bestfriends.org/guardianangel/index.cfm?csid=4896&csii=4900&csit=Set&entry=E3332506-9AC4-6912-7B9AA47F15F91D18

i thought everybody here could use some more uplifting stories. :)

meow. valerie

[vlcarr]

Thanks for sharing Valerie. I really enjoyed reading both. What a special lady you are and what a special cat you have in Wrigley!

[Adriana Mangus]

Valerie,

What a beautiful woman you are!!

I love the shape of your face..and those eyebrows!!! Perfect.

My 2 y/o maltesse Gino is a great companion, he follows me around the house, sleeps with me and my husband, we shower together( he loves the water and enjoys the blow dryer treatment he gets afterwards).

After my husband suffered a stroke I was lonely and depressed.. I found him in the local newspapers. Right after meeting Gino-- he was only 8 weeks old, I said: "he's coming home!"

Much love to you and HUGS!

Adriana

[BonnieR]

Thank you so much for sharing that wonderful story and the links. Really special.

[Bill]

Thanks for sharing, Valerie. What an amazing story and beautiful pictures.

[Karen Wheel]

Thank you for sharing! Very sweet! And... I love the animals - have been trying to get my Dog Argentino, Ally pregnant for two cycles now --- but she hasn't taken. I figured I can't have kids (too late and after chemo its really too late!) but I can still have PUPPIES! :-) I keep telling Ally she needs to help me have my puppies I so want! Hoping for a good breeding in July or August when she comes back in heat.
:-) Karen

[v-ness]

thank you! i just got a beautiful card from Kitty Motel at Best Friends, where wrigley lived before he got cancer, telling me how much they and the cats missed me. needless to say i cried, but happy tears. adriana - i drew those eyebrows on and worried that they were too dark! i have to thank Look Good Feel Better for teaching me to draw them. phew... cuz they're next to invisible at this point. so far the cat in my avatar, Tiger, is still holding his own against intestinal cancer. those animals taught me so much about adapting to what life throws at you. i am glad you all enjoyed the stories. valerie