Tuesday, September 18, 2007

hi.

my name is josh...
& my dog 'sway' is deep in the trenches against a devastating disease known as AIHA (auto-immune hemolytic anemia).


i have watched her go from an energy bundled 6 year old pit bull, to a frail and fragile being that needs consistent medical support to stay alive...& in a matter of months.

this is a treatable condition, striking hundreds of dogs a year, yet has layers of complications and can be extremely dangerous in certain situations...
unfortunately, there is very little out there from the perspective of someone that has went thru it.
i know because when she was initially diagnosed, i did, and still do, spend hours online searching for any new piece of information that i havent already read multiple times.

luckily the internet isnt stark empty on resources, and there is great spots like meisha's hope & the vetnet community, which has a message board soley dedicated to the pets & owners who are going thru this.

there you will find great people who are willing to share there stories...
those who are, as we speak, in the same battle as us,
some who have pets in remission,
and those who have unfortunately lost there pets to this terrible disease.

there will no doubt be thousands more dogs that fall victim to this, and at that point i would hope that there owners will fight for them.
alot of that fight needs to be built up thru hope, thru information, & thru proof that a better day can be had.
that is why i make this blog now.
to begin, 3 months in, with documenting the trials and tribulations of what this disease does, and how it can be beat.
because i dont plan on losing my girl to this. and we will fight it till the very end.
sway's eyes tell me that she has tons of fight left, ...tons of LIFE left.
& we plan on living it.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Josh, I am so sorry to hear of your struggle. You and I have been in contact and I feel your pain. I give nothing but hugs and kisses your way and wish for a speedy recovery for Sway.

Unknown said...

Hi Josh,
Just stopped by to read all about Sway and this terrible disease
Lynne and Ben