00:00Hi, I am Tucker's mom if you don't already know and before you freak out because you're seeing
00:05this weird type of video that we don't usually post, I need you to know that Tucker right now
00:09is doing well. But unfortunately I have some bad news. Two weeks ago Tucker was diagnosed with
00:18lymphoma. But before you allow your heart to break into a million pieces like mine did when I heard
00:26that news. I need you to know that Tucker has already started treatment and is already considered to be
00:32in a partial remission after just one week. So it's really bad news but also good news at the same
00:38time. I don't know. I don't know how this happened because I feel like I've done everything that I
00:46possibly could to prevent cancer. Tucker has eaten a fresh balance diet since he was little. He's
00:52gotten filtered water with added minerals. I don't spray my lawn with chemicals. I don't use cleaning
00:58chemicals in the house that are toxic. I don't even use scented candles. I don't wear perfume. He gets
01:03plenty of exercise and so much love. I've given him all the best supplements there is and somehow this
01:10still happened. I wish I knew why. I don't know why. I've always said this about Goldens and I think
01:17part of me was in denial that it's not a matter of if they get cancer it's when. And when
01:24is now.
01:25Tucker is eight and a half. So even though Tucker's prognosis is statistically not great there have
01:31been miracles. There have been a very small percentage of dogs who have lived several years
01:36after battling T cell lymphoma. And if and if there's one thing I know about Tucker is that he's
01:43been my one in a million boy ever since I got him. He has defied the odds in so many
01:49ways
01:49and I'm confident he's gonna do it again. I promise you that I am getting him the absolute best care
01:57that money can buy. Tucker is working with Dr. Erin Banik who is a very very special oncologist. Dr. Banik
02:04is a board certified veterinary oncologist. What makes her extra unique is that she's only one of three
02:11throughout the entire United States who also has a degree in Chinese herbal medicine. Dr. Banik has
02:16used integrative oncology for several several years and has seen amazing results from using Chinese
02:22herbs along with Western medicine. Now you guys know I am a purist. I am a naturalist. I do not
02:27like
02:27drugs. I do not like messing around with that stuff. However there is a time that you need both and
02:35this is
02:35one of those times. Without chemotherapy Tucker probably would only last another six weeks.
02:40However with the CHOP therapy protocol and adding herbal therapies Tucker could see another year or
02:47two or three. We don't know. It's really important that you know that chemotherapy is tolerated
02:52significantly better in dogs than it is humans. A lot of dogs go through this protocol and they have
02:57zero side effects at all. I want you to know that I am going to make the best decisions for
03:02Tucker's
03:02quality of life. I'm never going to push him through something just to get a longer lifespan out of him
03:07that's going to make him miserable. I refuse to do that. I will not do that. As I stated earlier
03:12Tucker
03:12has already started the CHOP therapy protocol and he's doing great. All of his lymph nodes besides two
03:18have gone down to normal and the two that are left over have decreased by over 50%. So far Tucker
03:23is
03:23definitely dumpier than his normal self but he's still swimming, going to parks, going on walks.
03:29There's a quote that people often say that if love could have saved you then you would have lived
03:33forever. And if there's one thing that I know is that Tucker is probably one of the most loved dogs
03:39in the entire world. And part of me wonders that if we could all just send him all of that
03:43love
03:44that maybe that might work. Maybe that might be true. Going forward I want this to be the last sad
03:50video that I make. I'm not going to get on here crying my eyes out anymore because I am a
03:55heavy believer
03:56that Tucker can feel literally every single emotion that I have. And I want him to feel
04:01the emotion of hope and of happiness every single day. Making my own little rule that I don't cry in
04:08front of him anymore. And that's why he's not sitting next to me. It's not because I don't want
04:12you to see him. I know this is going to be really hard for a lot of you because a
04:16lot of you have been
04:17here since the beginning. You've watched Tucker grow up. He's like your dog. But I don't want you to lose
04:23hope. I wanted to say thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for always being there with
04:28us, supporting us, for being along on Tucker's journey. It is not over yet. I refuse. It is not
04:36over yet. And even though I'm scared to death, I am confident he's going to make full remission.
04:42I don't know how long he'll stay there. But we're going to hope and pray that it's for many,
04:47many years. And that once again, he's going to be our one in a million miracle boy.
04:52Thank you guys.
