Christopher
3/1/90 - 8/11/00
Forever loved.......never forgotten.

    August 11, 2000 was one of the hardest days that we ever faced.  This was the day that we helped to send our beloved Weimaraner Chris to the Bridge. It was a day that we knew we would arrive at someday.  We knew it was envitiable.  We had put that thought in the back of our minds since we first got his diagnosis of osteosarcom on 1/4/00.  What a way to start out the new millenium. 
     This all started back in 1994 after the Southern Californian earthquake.  While waiting for neighbors to agree to repair the damaged fences, Chris jumped the barrier to chase a cat.  He never did like them.  He was hit by a car and suffered with two broken legs.  One was repaired with only a cast but the right front leg needed extensive surgery including many metal implants to repair the leg.  We were lucky to have had Dr. Jack Henry as Chris' surgeon.  He would NOT give up on Chris and spent 5 1/2 hours in surgery to repair Chris' legs.  Chris was amazing and was up and walking (gingerly) withing 2 days.  He recurperated very fast and by Thanksgiving of that year was completely released from all medical care.
     We were warned that in rare cases implants have caused problems including infections and cancer necessitating the need for their removal.  We were told by Dr. Henry that was highly unlikely but that is what happend to Chris 5 years later.  After battling a recurring infection in his legs for over a year, our respected vet, Dr. James Sharp, suggested we go back to Dr. Henry and consult with him on the implant removal.  We did just that and he agreed with Dr. Sharp.  After reviewing all of Chris' tests and xrays, he suspected nothing out of the ordinary.  That was even so after the surgery.  What he saw was a severely infected bone and no evidence of tumor which he treated.  To his great surprise and to ours, two days later the standard bone biopsy came back osteosarcoma, cancer.
     We did consult with an oncologist who suggested chemotherapy and amputation.  Cost was not a factor......Chris' quality of life was.  Chris had a very diffuclt time recuperating after this last surgery.  We felt that at 10 1/2 years old it was hard for him to deal with.  Because of that we chose to treat his illness with alternative treatments, homeopathics, vitamins, supplements, Rx's, and acupuncture.  Chris thrived for many months longer than the 1-3 months that the oncologist gave him.  Many professionals including the surgeon and his trusted regular vet, even questioned the diagnosis.  It was a happy time for us all especially Chris.  We were taking him to the dog park and thouroughly enjoyed watching his satiny, silver coat glisten in the sun as he ran.  It was truly joyous.  We felt it was a natural remission.
     That lasted until the middle of June when it happened, a pathological fracture of his weakened bone.  Dr. Sharp had warned us of this as possibility.  From then on his tumor grew, slowly at first but then like wildfire.  We then knew then the roller coster ride of canine cancer was taking us on a downhill drop, fast.