For those of you who are unaware of the significance of the "Dare" part of Sophie's website, www.dare2care4sophie.com, I am putting a request out to the universe for people to challenge me to do the silliest, wackiest, weirdest thing they can think of, determine what it's worth to them, and make a donation in that amount (upon completion of said dare, of course).
Well, yesterday I received my first official DARE! It came from none other than our oncologist, Dr. Karen Oberthaler of NYC Veterinary Specialists. Dr. O and I were having a consultation yesterday about bone marrow transplants (thank you, Kristie Sullens and Save An Angel for opening my eyes to this possiblility). After our chat, Dr. O said she had something for me and pulled out a shopping bag. She told me she'd seen our website and that she had a dare for me! So what was in the shopping bag, you ask? It's a BRIGHT pink wig and I have been dared to wear it all day long this Valentine's Day (Monday), post photographic evidence to our website, and in return I will receive FREE pre-exams at each of Sophie's remaining chemo visits!! (Financial aspects of pet cancer care can be a sensitive issue among pet parents, so I will not post the exact monetary worth of this dare. But trust me, it is quite a significant impact!)
I never expected that Dr. O would take an interest in the website, as she has done so much for Sophie and me already. Part of our initial kick-off grant from Frankie's Friends included personal contributions from her, in addition to taking the time to fill out paperwork for our other financial aid applications, not to mention the time she and her staff have taken to consult with me over these last few months. So you can imagine that I was very touched by her gesture. In fact I smiled all the way home, tried on the wig, and loved it! Monday's dare will be a cinch, so bring on your crazy dares, people!
In medical news, Sophie had her thirteenth dose of chemotherapy yesterday. This week's drug was vincristine, which always hits her a little hard. She takes it with an injection of cerenia, a strong anti-nausea medication, to counteract some problems she had with her first dose of the drug in October. She was tired last night and this morning, as can be expected.
Although I'm the leader of our "pack of two," it is times like these when I have to let Sophie take the lead, and trust her to show me when I'm asking too much of her. So when she stepped outside for a quick tinkle this morning and promptly took a u-turn back inside, I didn't push things. She is resting at home while I'm at work, and will really enjoy the pampering she'll receive when my roommates and I return home. I am fortunate to live within walking distance of where I work, so that anxious period between business time and Sophie time is blessedly kept to a minimum.
My last thing to share today is a celebration of the new support Sophie and I have received as a result of our relationships with The Riedel & Cody Fund and Save-An-Angel. Thanks to their generous efforts to share our story with others, Sophie and I have received a total of $240 from 6 new contributors in less than five days. It is simply unbelievable to me that people we've never met can read our story, feel a connection and deem us worthy of their donations. We've also received an unexpected shout-out from Georgia's Legacy, a major resource of information and support for families dealing with cancer in their pets. I am in awe of what organizations like these have been able to achieve, and now Sophie and I are part of their amazing machine!
I was just confiding in a friend recently that the only person to whom I felt I could say "We're in this together" was my therapist. Now I feel I can say it to all of you.
xoxoxoxo
Jenny & Sophie
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