2 Dogs 2,000 Miles

Amor Vincit Omnia

2012-02-02T09:51:00.010-05:00

St. Valentine's Day is rounding the corner and rather than flowers or confectionery, why not give your loved one a custom designed bracelet made by Yer Big Dog himself?

And for the first time, each bracelet comes with a matching pair of earrings.

I've made bracelets in pink crystals, blue crystals, Lapis, malachite, gold and silver, amethyst, Turquoise and nearby are just a few examples modeled by the lovely Caitlin. Click on photos for larger image.

Some of them I've included heart and cross charms as well, pretty much anything your heart desires for your Valentine's

We're building out an e-commerce store but it won't be ready in time for the 14th so I think the best way to go about this and ensure delivery in time is send me an email at 2dogs2000miles@gmail.com with a basic idea of what you want with your contact info and I will call within a few hours of receiving your email.

The price for the bracelet and earrings is $125 and once we agree on the design, I'll send you a PayPal link.

To ensure delivery date by the 14th, I'll need to have all orders in no later than Sunday the 5th.

Thanks to Dana for the beautiful photography.

EMC Square

2012-01-15T08:52:00.000-05:00

The intersection of Stockton Street and Bayard Lane

On a cold day December 2009, Hudson and Murphy and I trudged into Princeton NJ. We stopped for repast and repose at an unknown, unmarked park like hundreds of times before on our travels.

But at the far corner of this one stood the bust of Albert Einstein. The statue is de-refined to the point of raw, unmitigated emotion: to portray a mathematically imprecise-world weariness none of us will ever know, was the artist's intent I suppose.

Murphy was always known as the smart one with a shock of white hair similar to Einstein so we had a fun time taking photos at the square back then. Some of you remember this.

Returning to Princeton this past week was bittersweet. Although it was without Murphy, we met with the scientists so passionate about this research that we funded and full of hope about its potential. It was a good day.

Still, I had to stop by the EMC Square and say a silent prayer for my boy who gave his life for this cause.

Savage Mountain

2012-01-11T19:16:00.000-05:00

Six years ago to this day I lost my boy Malcolm to metastatic cancer and on this anniversary, it is with tremendous honor I announce the funding of The 2 Million Dogs Foundation's first research initiative: A breast cancer study benefiting both humans and canines.

The 2 Million Dogs Foundation presented a check for $50,000 to Princeton University today to help fund the school’s Molecular Study of Canine Mammary Tumor Development and Progression: from Genome To Clinical Outcome.

Mammary tumors are the most common tumors in intact female dogs, and in humans, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women - approximately one in eight women develop breast cancer during their lifetime. Mammary tumors in dogs and breast cancer in women have many similarities, both in terms of risk factors and biology.

The 2 Million Dogs Foundation chose this study for the following reasons. First and foremost it's translational in that people stand to significantly benefit as well as our canine companions.

Second, it's collaborative. The Canine Mammary Tumor program began at The University of Pennsylvania with Dr. Karin Sorenmo whom we met while walking through Philadelphia. Collaboration, we feel, is key if we plan to make significant strides in cancer research.

Third, the tissue samples were collected from shelter dogs diagnosed with breast cancer and they were all treated at no expense by UPenn as part of their program.

And finally, we feel that the approach of this study is novel not incremental and could potentially yield critical insights into metastatic breast cancer.

While we have donated $50,000, 2 Million Dogs has pledged to raise an additional $30,000 this year to study more tissue samples. Click here to help us raise the additional funds needed or contact ginger@2milliondogs.org for other ways you can help.

I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the many, many people who made this day possible. My family back in Texas, our supporters, fans, and friends both new and old, the hundreds of strangers that helped Hudson, Murphy and me get from Austin to Boston safely, the folks at 2 Million Dogs, and to Ginger Morgan, the Executive Director who has believed in my vision since the day we walked through Memphis.

And finally to those who had the courage to always believe. God bless you. Keep the faith and puppy up!

Postcripts

I remember standing atop Savage Mountain, the highest peak on the Rails-Trails from Pittsburgh to DC in August of 2009. It was a glorious afternoon - a crystalline sky colored in an indescribable blue like the Frio River that cuts through the Texas hill country. I wrote a poem about Malcolm entitled Savage Heart and I thought it incredibly ironic that this mountain was our highest hurdle.

As I sat perched upon a rock, reflecting on our journey I could see for hundreds of miles.

Three Days Til Dawn

2011-12-28T16:22:00.000-05:00

I turned 41 today. Out of the hundreds of FB posts and emails I got, the most asked question was 'what do you wish for on your birthday'?

A few of my instinctive answers were that the Kardashian family go away for good in a reality show called KTHNXBYE; Season 2 of Game of Thrones gets here earlier than April; and Ricky Gervais and Louis CK win the election next year in some strange power sharing constitutional thing I don't even know about and Anthony Bourdain becomes the First Lady.

Those are all noble and global wishes but the truth is I just want to feel something, anything on my birthday. The 18 day fast I took after losing Murphy was one of the hardest things I've ever done physically but I didn't have the emotional reconciliation and release I had hoped for in the solitude of Tennessee's sweltering forests. And I really tried to give up the pain.

Then Buddy died from Congestive Heart Failure secondary to lung cancer metastisis shortly after I returned from the fast. Since then I have felt nothing and that's a very sad lonely place for a person of great vision and passion to be.

So my 41st birthday wish was to feel something again until I realized the world wasn't built on wishes. It was built by dreamers who defied the absolute odds against them.

I haven't finished Book 1 of our story yet because the sadness of our tale consumed me and I just lost sight of it.

But I made a promise to you to have it out in December 2011. That leaves me with three days...

Dear Santa

2011-12-25T19:39:00.000-05:00

I want Murphy back

2012 Cancer Can't Keep a Good Dog Down Calendars

2011-11-30T10:53:00.000-05:00

I want to thank everyone again who voted for Murphy to be the 2012 cover boy and Ginger for being a big part of that as I was unable to. I still can't look at his picture without my heart breaking and spiralling down into absolute sadness.

This year is slighty different in that you can choose from two different covers. The first is of Murphy's last trip to Bowling Green - a pic in which I called him 'C'oeur de Lion'. The second is the controversial photo of me carrying Murphy the last few steps of our journey together.

It's a strange feeling that the calendar I started in 2009 to honor the great undaunted spirits of our companions with cancer that my own would one day adorn it's cover. Murphy gave his life for this cause and this calendar is a lovely tribute to him and all the other canine kids in it. To purchase a 2012 calendar and help continue our fight, please follow this LINK or you can learn more about the calendars at 2 Million Dogs website.

Keep the Faith & Puppy UP!

Hudson, Indiana & Luke

Holiday Event with The Fuzzybutts

2011-11-23T10:35:00.001-05:00

As we're holed up in Winthrop MA for the winter, the three wize guys have been invited to Plymouth Saturday December 3rd for Santa photos(pic nearby from last year). Afterwards, we'll spend the evening singing Christmas carols, a tradition that began in 2009 in Bryant Park when Hudson, Murphy and I walked through Manhattan.

We hope you can come out and join us for a very special holiday event with the me and the fuzzybutts. The information is nearby.

------------------

On December 3rd Pawz Doggie Daycare and An Unconditional Love with our Special guest the Founder of 2 Million Dogs, Luke Robinson will be hosting Pet Photos with Santa.

Saturday December 3rd 12:30pm- 4:30pm

At PAWZ Doggie Daycare - 50 Independence Road Kingston MA.

Photos are a $10 donation, ALL proceeds will be donated on Christmas Eve to 2 Million Dogs. We will be collecting pet supplies that Mr. Robinson will personally deliver to the Kingston Animal Shelter in his sleigh.

Followed by an evening of Christmas Caroling at Plymouth's Colony Place 174 Colony Place Road Plymouth, MA. Come join us for a day of holiday cheer for an important cause and meet the man that started this incredible journey!.

RSVP at the Facebook Event page

The Rock The Ripple and The River

2011-10-31T21:03:00.004-04:00

It hasn't been the year we all thought it would be. I had big, big plans after we reached Boston last June and immediately afterwards drove out to Colorado to work with my editor on the book about our mission. I was only there for a few weeks before Murphy was diagnosed with nasal cancer.

When I learned of his diagnosis I told her, "I don't know how to tell this story anymore".

One year later, it came to me how.

Our story can't be told in one book, but three.

"The Rock, The Ripple, and The River"

It's Malcolm's birthday today and he's where the trilogy begins. As a dogless, self centered Texas boy in his late twenties who wasn't raised with any sense of respect for companion animals, Malcolm became the rock that broke me. Of my upbringings and my preconceptions. He fundamentally changed me as a human being and my love and devotion to him set off a sequence of events that has touched thousands and thousands of lives. Book two is about that Ripple Effect that has sent shockwaves through time.

In the third book of the trilogy I'll talk about the spiritual aspects of our journey. Of a man who lacked the faith to take even the first step... of the grace and glory given to a once godless man who, though his travels, has learned the cost of eternal love and price of being so blessed.

The whole story will begin being told December 2011...

The book poster was designed and expertly crafted after hours and hours of collaboration with Jamie Dennis.

Raising Indiana

2011-10-06T19:22:00.001-04:00

Being a pet parent again for the first time in 5 years I realize I have a lot to learn. So I started a series of podcasts to tap into the expertise of the network of people we’ve built along our travels.

From training to nutrition, veterinarian care and psychology, ‘Raising Indiana’ will explore all aspects of puppyhood. The good, the bad, the puppy…

And since the story of Indy started in Bowling Green, KY, the first episode is a conversation with the Executive Director of the Humane Society there, Lorri Hare, a dear friend and long time supporter. But you have to go to the Finding Fuzzybutt Four blog to download the audiocast. Every Thursday at 7pm EST a new episode will be posted there.

The Puppy's Name Is....

2011-09-23T20:24:00.000-04:00

When Hudson came into my life there was never any doubt his name would be an homage to the girl who blessed me with Malcolm. Great gifts should be honored thus.

By that time she was living in Manhattan and I didn’t have to scan my memory of the city long before I reached its west river. And while only five years has past, it feels like eons and I wasn’t really certain how I wanted to go about naming our new BFF (Baby Fuzzybutt Four).

Given the giant pawprints before him I decided to travel with him for a stretch and get to know the lil fell’r first.

As everyone who has met him can attest to, he is absolutely fearless. Alone in Patty and Pascal’s Cincinnati backyard with five Bernese Mountain dogs piling on top of him, he never cowered, never whined and indeed set about to attack each one systematically. And of the dozen or so laps he’s ridden in on our daisy chain to Maine, he slept sweetly and soundly.

Okay. So far, he’s adventurous, fearless, and travels well but we had lots of really cool names put up on facebook that could apply and nothing was really standing out.

Some of the ones suggested that appealed to me were Miles, Rio, Montana, Lash (I came up with that one), Huck, Jackson, Aspen, Link, Austin, Bond, Dallas, Hume, Finn, Tucker, Drake, and Kelvin among others… And yet…

I felt no connection to those names. He could be any one of them.

The easy obvious choice was Miles. I liked it as it had a southern, bluesy feel and from a marketing perspective it’s pure genius. But I’m not a man given to gimmicks so I returned to the tradition I started with Malcolm’s successor, Hudson, and that was no easy thing.

The woman who brought Murphy into my life was also one of the unfortunate few who felt I was making him suffer in his last months so I regrettably cut ties with her after a twenty something year friendship.

But that doesn’t mean the tradition shouldn’t carry on…

So uncork your champagne, do a little jig, the national crisis is over… I christen him ‘Indiana’ after the fearless, albeit fictitious, rakishly handsome adventurer who also shares the same last name with said woman.

Cheers to everyone for your creative and at times kooky suggestions and to Ms. Jones for Murphy.

Keep the Faith and Puppy Up!

Hudson, Indy, & Luke

2012 Cancer Can't Keep A Good Dog Down Calendar

2011-09-18T08:17:00.001-04:00

Back in 2009 while walking cross country I wanted a way to honor all off the cancer dogs we met on our travels and I came up with the 'Cancer Can't Keep a Good Dog Down' Calendar.

This year marks our fourth and I didn't know then that Murphy would one day be a part of it....

If you have a dog or even a cat in a dog suit as we had in our first year that's been touched by this dreadful disease, join Murphy and show that while cancer can take lives it'll never keep them down and their memory will always live on within us.

Click this LINK to go to the calendar page and if you have any questions or would like more information, please direct them to Erich, at 2MDcalendar@gmail.com

Charm Bracelets

2011-09-09T12:36:00.001-04:00

Growing up in a small Texan town my mother used to own a jewelry and antique store called Mrs. Robinson's Neighborhood where my three brothers and I worked at various stages in our youth. I'm the smallest of my siblings so we're pretty big guys and mostly my mom used us to move heavy 100 year old oak tables and such but for some curious cosmic reason I developed an eye for designing jewelry and sold lots of pieces at her store.

I'm older now, my eyesights changed and my fingers not as nimble but aside from writing and speaking engagements both of which were put on hold after Murphy's cancer spread, there aren't a lot of ways to make money on the road and living in a tent. So I've made the decision to revisit my previous skill and make jewelry.

I'm starting out with charm bracelets since they're really quite lovely and don't require as much inventory to travel with. I've designed two styles: a Puppy Up! charm bracelet and a Custom one with your pet's name.

As it has been decades since the last piece I strung and I have no idea what people are buying these days I've come up with six starting designs though I have more in my head. All charm bracelets are designed and hand made by me and consist of Sterling silver 5.5mm letters and semi-precious gemstones and other spacers and artistic beads. Bracelet sizes are available in 7 and 7 1/2 inches but if you need something special you can email me your request (see below).

Amethyst

In this bracelet I've used amethyst chips with silver antique beads and Rose quartz rounds but as they're each custom made according to the name of your pet, the number, size, and type may vary. Silver lobster clasps are used in all bracelet styles.

The Puppy Up! charm only incorporates Amethyst chips but also may vary according to what's available or my particular mood at the moment but the end product will be comparable.

Crystal

In this design I've incorporated both Aquamarine and clear brilliant crystals as well as light blue glass spaces between the letters. Solid silver rounded beads are used, too.

The Puppy Up! charm is similar to the custom bracelet except I used a solid aqua round bead to separate the words.

Gold and Silver

In this style I've used a mixture of gold filled rounds and rondelle spacers as well as silver twists as an accent in both charm bracelets.

Lapis Lazuli

Lapis has always been one of my favorite stones with its flecks of gold brilliant colors. Ovals and rounds of lapis along with silver spacers complement this charm bracelet.

Malachite

I've always thought something magical about Malachite with the black striations in the stone. In this design you'll find a mix of Malachite chips and hand carved rounded beads with silver.

Turquoise

Black onyx, curiously shaped and styled silver beads, as well as two porcerlain beads perfectly complement the Turquoise stones in this charm bracelet.

Ordering

There are lots of changing going on with my website so I'm using Click and Pledge for now and it confuses some folks including me. This LINK takes you to their secure check out page where you can choose the style: Amethyst, Crystal etc and type: Puppy up or Custom in either 7 or 7 1/2 inches. If you select Custom there will be a place for you to type in the name of your pet on the next page.

I've priced the Puppy Up Charm Bracelets at $99.00 and the Custom Pet Name ones at a flat rate of $109 no matter how long their name unless it's 'Joey Joe Joe Junion Shabadoo' - a nickname might be better. I've looked at comparable charms that weren't as nice and I think this is reasonable. Plus the price includes shipping.

Since each bracelet is handmade by me allow two weeks for delivery. We'll be travelling for the next couple of months I'm going to have to have the supplies sent to each city. If you're purchasing it as a gift and need it by a specific date put that in the space for Custom names or email me at 2dogs2000miles@gmail.com

Also if you have a special request send me an email and I'll see if I can accomodate you.

Purchase a Charm Bracelet

Keep the faith

Puppy up!

Support your local animal shelter and rescue

To learn more about cancer in companion animals go to http://2milliondogs.org/

Join the Fuzzybutt Fight Club http://facebook.com/fuzzybuttfightclub.com

Hudson, Luke, and our new BFF (Baby Fuzzybutt Four)

Circle of Life

2011-09-08T11:02:00.000-04:00

After I picked up our new BFF (Baby Fuzzybutt Four) last Friday outside of Nashville, I took him to the Bradford Pear Farm outside of McKewn TN where that special photo of Murphy was taken on our walk.

The City of White Squirrels

2011-09-03T00:13:00.000-04:00

We’ve traveled through some pretty magical places but there’s always been something a little different about Bowling Green, KY, that I’ve never been able to quite define. Even though it's a smallish town of less than a 100,000 people I suspect it is home to more dog lovers per capita than anywhere else we’ve been.

But then, during our most recent trip to Bowling Green, it became apparent why it's so special. I was on an early morning walk with Hudson when I began to think about Buddy. The Crestmoor suburb we were staying in was loaded with squirrels and seeing all those insolent rodents running amok and unchecked reminded me of just how much I missed him.

You see, if the Bud Man was there with us he would tree every single one of them but he had passed away a few weeks earlier from end stage lung cancer and congestive heart failure. But even in his final days squirrels remained his singular obsession. He never met one he didn’t want to chase making him the anti-Will Rogers of squirrels I suppose.

He was much on my mind that morning when Hudson and I rounded the next corner and I saw something that sent chills down my spine: a white one. The short span of time between thinking about Buddy and then seeing an albino squirrel was spooky and surreal, but we are no strangers to seemingly impossible coincidences. Trail magic has always followed us on our travels and I wasn't surprised to feel Buddy's presence.

Shortly after our morning constitutional, I put Hudson up at our host home and headed to Lost River Cave to help the BG Humane Society setup for an event later that day. Arriving early, I walked the grounds studying the geology and history of the place and then I spotted another white squirrel. WTF?

I didn’t have my iPhone with me for my first sighting but I did this time. Though hard to see in the photo nearby it’s high left on the main tree trunk. I had never seen one before so twice in a few hours seemed particularly peculiar. Once Lorri Hare, the head of the Humane Society, got to the Cave I asked her about this strange occurrence and she said for some odd reason albino squirrels were common in that part of Kentucky.

And then it all made sense.

Bowling Green, the City of White Squirrels, is to dogs what Mecca is to Muslims. It's a Holy place that Hudson, Murphy, and I were drawn to on our walk back in the winter of 2008 while on our own pilgrimage.

And though the reason was not apparent to me back then, today as I adopted a Great Pyrenees puppy from them, I finally understood why.

The circle is now complete. One journey has ended and another has begun.

Behold, Hudson’s new Brudda….

Puppy up! Song Live on iTunes

2011-08-29T22:20:00.002-04:00

Long distance adventurers need the patience of an executioner and the hide of a battleship. And so do songwriters who want to publish their work on iTunes. It took four excruciating months to get the puppy up! song up since Apple has cornered the market on music downloads but baby, we're live!

What started out as a simple phrase that I came up with before Hudson and Murphy and I set out on our 2,300 mile journey to keep us motivated and remindful of Malcolm's spirit and that of all those touched by cancer became a battle cry for people all over. I get 'Puppy ups' every week from all over the world... Africa, Croatia, Australia, Israel, Canada and it's amazing that this grass roots movement that began with just me and two fuzzybutts has touched the hearts of so many.

While walking through New Jersey I met a veterinarian oncologist named Joshua Louis who in addition to devoting his life to companion animal cancer is a singer and songwriter, too. It was trail magic when our paths crossed and we began collaborating on a 'Puppy up!' song to share the inspiration from our travels. Dr. Joshua, as he's known, is a gifted pianist, soulful singer, and helped capture the spirit of our mission. He wasn't able to walk the final mile in Boston so I took his place on the stage and gave er all I got.

How You Can Listen

It's available on iTunes for 99 cents to download and having never owned an i-Pod myself and only recently an i-Phone user I was totally unfamiliar with the process of even downloading an i-Tunes song until now. For those of you who know how to do it just search 'Joshua Louis' and the song is at the top of his recordings or you can follow this Link. For those like me who don't, you'll have to get the iTunes app first on your desktop or PDA if you don't have it and you'll be able to download it then.

Supporting the Cause

Dr. Joshua and I jointly own the copyright to the puppy up! song and I am donating 50% of my half to 2 Million Dogs in their mission to eradicate cancer in people and pets and he has agreed to donate a percentage of what he makes from the song, too.

The Music Video

If you love the song and are anywhere near Manhattan September 16th, come be a part of the filming of the music video. Dr. Joshua will be performing the puppy up! song live at The Delancy Friday at 8pm and god willing, I'll be there. Hudson, too and perhaps a new puppy to put the puppy in 'Puppy Up!'

Silpada Rep Supports 2 Million Dogs

2011-08-23T10:44:00.000-04:00

August 1st through September 2nd purchase any of Silpada’s extraordinary, handcrafted .925 sterling silver pieces from http://www.mysilpada.com/lisa.stark and Mrs. Stark will donate 100% of the sale profits from the 2MD Hostess site to 2 Million Dogs! Millions of customers love Silpada’s products because of the individual artisan details that make each piece a one-of-a-kind, all backed by a lifetime guarantee!
To view Silpada’s latest looks in jewelry please visit http://www.mysilpada.com/lisa.stark

Ordering is an easy, simple process:

1) Visit http://www.mysilpada.com/lisa.stark
2) Click “Shop Now”
3) Select your .925 sterling silver jewelry pieces from the Virtual Jewelry Box and add to shopping bag
4) Checkout & create an account (easy & quick)
5) Select hostess “2 MILLION DOGS”

2 Million Dogs Foundation is committed to discovering the common links between canine and human cancers and the causes of these cancers through comparative oncology research. Our organization will accomplish that mission through Education and Awareness, Empowerment and Mobilization, and finally Investment in Research.

For more information on 2 Million Dogs, upcoming events and ways to get involved please visit http://www.2milliondogs.org/

Why did Mrs. Stark want to share her love of Silpada with the 2 Million Dogs family?

“Our three furkids, Harley, Mojo, and Fielding (all adopted from shelters) passed away in 2010 within a 7 month time period. Mojo was thought to have had hemangosarcoma but was misdiagnosed. Sweet Fielding had a tumor around his aeorta. Harley had kidney disease, but was also thought to have had some possible GI cancer that they were not able to confirm. Giving back to the animals is a way that I can keep my furbabies memories alive.”

Four

2011-08-16T17:33:00.000-04:00

The new blog for finding a mate (My fourth fuzzybutt) for Hudson is live and already there are 70 or so dogs up there – Finding Fuzzybutt Four

All of these beautiful puppies need a good home and if you find one you fall in love with, please contact the shelter or rescue about adopting them. This is not a competition and we want all of them to find the right family. We are adding new ones as they come to us so check back often.

This week I’m going to take Hudson to meet a few and will post videos of the experience there.

Email Sheila Rinks with any questions...

puppy up!

Hudson & Luke

Finding Fuzzybutt Four

2011-08-04T20:10:00.000-04:00

Hudson turned 5 today and now that I’ve laid Murphy to rest and had my time alone to reconcile his loss, it’s time to find Hudson a brother.

I am starting a separate blog entitled Finding Fuzzybutt Four to chronicle the experience and open it up to the public and anyone who would like to be a part of the process.

We’re still working through how all of this is going to work but I’ve made a few decisions:

(1) I’m going with another Great Pyrenees. Meeting so many awesome mixed breeds on the road I thought back then my next one will be a plain ole American mutt, just as long as I always have one Pyr in my pack. But after losing Murphy I realized I’m 2 for 2. I couldn’t have been blessed with better mates than he and Malcolm - the jury is still out on Hudson. So life is short, get a Great Pyr, I decided.

(2) It’ll be from a rescue or shelter which makes (3) harder but it needs to be a puppy, 2 – 6 months old. I want it to be young enough to grow into our pack and full of puppiness for Hudsy. He hasn’t gotten to play a lot this past year and it’s his time now.

In setting up a separate blog I want to share what I learn throughout the adoption process and enable others to participate in it as well. If you’re a shelter or rescue you can post prospective mates for Hudson here as well as share best practices for a successful adoption, qualities to look for that fit your pack, and best ways to introduce them into their new environment. Other people will be allowed to share success stories with their adoptions as well which we can all learn from.

I am working with Sheila Rinks on this and she’ll be the blog admin. All you have to do is email her at sheila@2dogs2000miles.org what you want to post and as long as it fits the criteria, she’ll invite you on as a guest blogger (I know there are a ton of great dogs out there looking for homes but I’d like to keep the focus here on finding a prospective mate for Hudson).

We’re still working out the kinks in this concept but the process is probably going to take a few months and we want to get started with it now. Let’s find Hudson a brother…. Keep the faith and puppy up!

Happy birthday, my boy

Hudson and Luke

Support your local animal shelter or rescue

To learn more about cancer in pets and people visit http://2milliondogs.org/

Join the Fuzzybutt Fight Club

http://facebook.com/fuzzybuttfightclub

Luke 12:48

2011-07-12T12:34:00.003-04:00

I leave this evening to fast in the forest for 18 days.

I’ve done juice fasting when I lived in Austin because it was hippy and earthy though in hindsight I must’ve sounded like a pretentious boob back then talking about detoxing on milk thistle, wheat grass and organic carrot juice. The longest I could do it was for a mere three days which you’d understand if you ever had pork ribs at Sam’s barbeque.

Yep this is an experience of a whole other order.

First of all, though I’m leaving to setup camp tonight the fast will officially start Wednesday June 13th at 8am ending July 31st 8am. I hope my math is right anyway. At that time the cell phone and computer get shut off and the only line I’ll have is to Ginger to coordinate rendezvous times for water re-supply. She will also be bringing Hudson to see me so he won’t feel as though I, too, have left him.

I’ll be living in a tent near Wolf River the entire 18 days and subsisting only on water although electrolyte powders are needed given the extreme, constant heat I’ll be exposed to.

The first three days are the most grueling when the hunger pains are the worst after that my body will quiet down.

This is the critical stage and why I am fasting… to quiet myself and listen.

I’ll have with me a moleskin to write my sermons in stone and a camera to record them, too.

My relationship with my faith is deep and profound and it’s as much a part of my journey as the fuzzybutts are. It has blessed me with a righteous mission, has guided me throughout our travels, and enriched our lives with so many wonderful people.

Perhaps I will never understand why after the walk Murphy was diagnosed with cancer but I have at least accepted that that part of my journey has ended.

This is the next stretch and this one I must do alone. And when I return the mission will continue...

Post Mortem

2011-06-29T13:46:00.003-04:00

Thank you to everyone who attended Murphy’s virtual wake Saturday evening which ironically I couldn’t participate because we’ve made too many friends on Facebook. Over 2,000 posts of pictures and stories about one for every mile we walked.

I’m going to keep the page open since it reflects just how many hearts Murphy left his pawprints on - here’s the link if you’d like to share your own.

Since I wasn’t available to answer questions I’ll try to do that here.

Why wasn’t Murphy euthanized Monday?

Quite honestly, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. I didn’t want to do it despite all of the tough guy talk in my father’s day blog. But then I got over myself and since I did not want Murphy’s last moments spent indoors, there was a scheduling conflict with the vet on Tuesday.

Where was Murphy given rest?

Bartlett city park at Bartlett blvd & Stage rd next to the pavilion.

Why did you choose cremation over burial?

Personally I do not believe in burial for spiritual, conservation, and scientific reasons. I myself will never be buried.

What are you planning on doing with Murphy’s ashes?

I wish I could say I had that already mapped out but I don’t. They will continue on our travels as long and until…

Why did you post that picture of you carrying Murphy’s lifeless body?

First of all, there’s a lot more to that photograph than anyone knows. But it speaks for itself.

How is Hudson holding up?

He’s gotten fatter than a opossum in a peach tree. After radiation last August Murphy really couldn’t hike very far anymore and we only walked as far as he could. But Hudson’s been well fed on Honest Kitchen and Nature’s Variety throughout and well, he’s a whole lotta biscuits and gravy now. Hudsy’s so fat he’s not Hugsy anymore – he can’t even get up on his hind legs to hug people.

But he’s my butterball and since there isn’t a Biggest Loser Dog Edition, we’ve got a lot of work to do together. Monday we started walking every morning just a mile or so until he regains his fighting weight and then we’ll ramp up from there.

What’s next?

Tuesday or Wednesday next week I am headed to the forest to fast for 18 days. It’s looking like that’s somewhere near Wolf Creek in Memphis though I have to scout it out this weekend. The battle over the past year has exacted a tremendous mental, physical, and spiritual toll on me coming off of an 826 day walk. I’m not sure I can articulate my reasons any more clearly right now other than, it’s what comes next.

Hudson won’t be with me but he will be near enough that Ginger can bring him out every couple of days along with water supply. I’ll post more about it as details finalize. Yes, it’s dangerous but do not fear for me.

What can I do?

Remain steadfast for now. When I return from my fast I will be calling on each and every one of you. There’s a lot going on in the background which I didn’t have the heart to talk about until Murphy was given rest. I’m going to need a few things before I leave next week and will post them here.

puppy up!

Hudson & Luke

Invictus Manet

2011-06-23T10:03:00.003-04:00

You know, when I lost Malcolm I cursed god and was alone. Murphy carried me through that hard sad time in my life. Then god gave me this amazing mission which I could have never undertaken without my beautiful boy by my side. Yesterday I carried Murphy back to god

Sermons in Stone

2011-06-19T10:17:00.002-04:00

"And this our life, exempt from public haunt,
Finds tongues in trees, books in running brooks,
Sermons in stones, and good in everything.”

I love this passage from Will Shakespeare’s As You Like It and for this Father’s Day, I couldn’t find one more appropriate. It speaks to the fascination and beauty found in the simple wonderment of nature. It’s reminiscent of my father who first taught me that and as a dad myself, it’s a lesson my own boys, Hudson and Murphy, always keep me mindful of.

Life is a messy thing but there’s no finer, more effective therapy for it than a good piece of wood in your hand, the path beneath your feet, and your sons at your side.

This Father’s Day for me is a bittersweet celebration. It was one year ago today we walked the final mile into Boston but it’s also Murphy’s last day. Tomorrow he will be given eternal rest.

A few weeks back Murphy’s left eye ruptured and I made the decision to have it surgically removed rather than euthanizing him then. He was still willful, eating healthfully, and in true Murphy tradition, full of piss and vinegar.

It was a controversial decision and one which tore me up internally. I suspected the rupture probably meant the tumor had breached the orbit, a suspicion that was confirmed by the vet during surgery. At most I hoped for a couple of months together and if we were lucky, a few more than that.

Since the surgery, we have seen a deterioration of mobility in his right hind leg which can only mean motor cortex involvement - that the cancer has finally spread to his brain. And though he has had some really good days this week in Eureka Springs and yesterday at 3 Dog Bakery, I know what comes next and that I cannot allow to happen to my boy.

I have no doubt now the decision I made to extricate his eye was medically unsound but it was not an inhumane one. I don’t write this because I feel a need to justify it to anyone. I absolutely don’t give a goddamn what people think about the choices I have made on behalf of Murphy.

I am writing about it because to me this is what being a father means. It means having to make extremely hard decisions often in the absence of any certainty and always in the face of adversity.

A father’s love is the grit and iron will that cannot be ground down even at the end. It’s looking into the eyes of your dying son and finally admitting, “I can’t save you.”

To all of the fathers who have had to say that and to the ones who thankfully haven’t – this is our day.

Reflections in Stone

2011-06-16T23:05:00.002-04:00

Sunday is our one year anniversary for walking the final mile in Boston and not coincidentally, it’s also father’s day.

I got an email a few weeks back that asked simply ‘Whatever happened to that stone business you were writing about?’

My guess is they were referring to the series of blogs I published starting with 61 Stones not my Facebook discussion thread about medical marijuana for dogs.

If you haven’t been with us since last July, shortly after Boston Murphy was diagnosed with nasal adenocarcinoma and given 12 to 15 months to live. I went to a river basin in the Cheeseman valley west of Colorado Springs to collect a series of stones. Each week I resolved to remove one of those stones from a glass jar.

Maybe it was my way of celebrating his life while it remained or maybe I was deconstructing my own in a mathematically dissociative way. It’s hard to say exactly why we do something in the first place but at the time it made sense to me. Perhaps it was the only thing that made sense to me.

I didn’t always post a blog every week as there were many when the cruel irony of his cancer embittered my heart and kept me silent. I think the last one I posted was ‘9 Stones’ after which Murphy’s health spiraled downward, a deep descent that took me with it.

Since then I have made many medically difficult decisions on his behalf that only time will tell whether they were sound or not but I can’t stop fighting for him as long as his spirit tells me he is not ready to leave this place.

Zero stones came and went and Murphy is still here. We just returned from Eureka Springs where we spent many good hours on the swollen banks of Beaver Lake together (photo nearby).

How long Murphy has left is up to God and Murphy.

For me there are no more stones to remove. It’s time to start replacing them.

Dude, Mark it 10

2011-06-06T12:20:00.001-04:00

Murphy officially turned 10 on the 31st and it was a bittersweet birthday. May just wasn’t a good month – twice I came damn close to euthanizing him but in both cases he rebounded. That lasted for a few days, a week if we were lucky and then it was something else.

It’s been such an up and down, side to side month every time I’ve tried to post an update here for everyone that’s not on our Facebook page, things changed so drastically.

First it was pemphigus which sounded to me like a disease caught on Sesame Street but can actually be quite problematic especially in a cancer patient. The scorched furless skin on his snout that radiation permanently branded him with started sloughing off until all that remained was like a bloody pulpy mess.

He stopped eating and consequently stopped taking his meds which is a frikkin nightmare since the only way you can administer pills when that happens is through an oral syringe. Dogs don’t like fluids squirted into their mouths so you have to hold on to their snout but that just tore away more flesh… for now I’ll spare you the graphic details of those fun nights…

Fortunately the pemphigus turned out to be a drug reaction to SMZ TMP and once we discontinued the sulfa drug the mucosal membranes affected began to heal. And the prednisone not only aided that process but it stimulated Murphy’s appetite as well.

We enjoyed almost a week of healing and healthy eating and then his left eye which had wept blood and pus on and off for two months shut for good. Initially, I chalked it up to the pemphigus and hoped steroids + antibiotics would resolve it.

Memorial Day, Murphy wasn’t mostly Murphy so I took him to Dr. Blackburn. The pain was so severe that we couldn’t open his eye so we had to sedate him to get a better look. His eye had ruptured. Probably from a cascade of events but we’ll never know for sure.

The following day the vet removed his left eye…

Bruised, bloodied, and embattled Murphy made it through May and his spirit remains undaunted. His fight is the same as every person and pet diagnosed with this dreadful disease.

puppy up! to all on National Cancer Survivors Day…

continued…

Mommies!

2011-05-08T12:51:00.001-04:00

To All the Mommies We’ve Loved Before

A Duet by Murphy Iglesias and Hudson’s Willie er…. Hudson Nelson

Play the song here to the following lyrics:

To all the mommies we’ve loved before
We’ve travelled in and out their doors
We’re glad they came along
We dedicate this song
To all the mommies we’ve loved before

To all the mommies who have caressed
And may we say we nosed the best
For helping our lil walk
You guys just rock
To all the mommies we’ve loved before

The winds of change are always blowing
And though we would’ve like to stay
The winds of change continue blowing
They just carried us away

To all the mommies who share our story
It’s because of you our glory
We’re glad you came along
We dedicate this song
To all the mommies we’ve loved before

To all the mommies who care for us
Murphy can’t find a rhyme so he wants me to remind he’s a genius
You live within our heart
We’ll always be a part
Of all the mommies we’ve loved before

The winds of change are always blowing
And though we would’ve like to stay
The winds of change continue blowing
They just carried us away

To all the mommies we’ve loved before
We’ve travelled in and out their doors
We’re glad they came along
We dedicate this song
To all the mommies we’ve loved before

To all the mommies we’ve loved before
We’ve travelled in and out their doors
We’re glad they came along
We dedicate this song
To all the mommies we’ve loved before

Thank you to all the wonderful beautiful mommies who are so much a part of lives….

Happy Mother’s Day

Luv u Hudsy & Murphy

Murphy Writes His First Blog

2011-04-23T15:52:00.007-04:00

It began with the camping trip that Papi and I took a few weeks ago. I decided to impersonate a “good” dog just enough that Papi let his guard down. I no longer had to be tied up or held with the white knuckled grip Papi has used all my life.

Freedom at last…

I really wondered like Papi did “what could I do with this new freedom”? However, I think we were looking at it in two different ways. Papi was thinking Murph has cancer, a low energy level, has blood, snot coming from his nose and/or eye… where is he going to go and how fast can he move that I can’t catch him? I on the other hand have been thinking when am I going to bust my move?

Last night, while camping with the “family” I was dozing off by that little puppy Dash when out of the corner of my eye I saw the most regal dog walk by. Her long auburn hair was flowing in the wind as she tossed her head from side to side. I caught a whiff of her scent as she walked by again. I even heard Papi comment on her beauty. Mommy G said something about an Irish Setter. I began thinking French meets Irish… love at long last.

I waited and waited. Finally, Papi began showing Mommy G how to cook outdoors (like she’s gonna do that since she doesn’t even cook indoors). Mommy is listening to him like she may actually try this some time. I continue to wait… once Papi puts the fish on the grill and is focused on cooking I slowly begin to rise. Once up I notice no one is watching so I tip toe out of our camp site unnoticed. Once I hit the road I pick up the scent of that beautiful creature and off I go. I am busting my move!

I made it all the way to her campsite before her owners heard Papi and Mommy G calling my name. They remembered walking past us (I hope that beautiful creature remembered too). I was busted! Papi made me get in the truck with Mommy and he walked back to camp. Mommy told me I was bad, but she understood that I just had to see that beautiful creature again.

Papi called me all kinds of not so nice names and tied me to the pole with Dash. I wonder how long it will be before I fool Papi again?

Murphy (not Mostly Murphy, but All Murphy and then Some)

Murphy Canvases are Ready

2011-04-20T10:29:00.018-04:00

Finally!

And they look amazing...

These are limited edition canvases of three different photographs taken from our walk. Each are printed on canvas, signed and numbered by me with Murphy's pawprint. They come in 8x10 and 11x14 sizes and originally I was going to ship them out as just the canvas until I saw them framed. Absolutely stunning so I decided to have each of them framed as well. The frame nearby is a rustic walnut wood that matches the fencing in the background.

The three photos are:

McKewn TN (pictured above). This photo was taken while resting at a farm lined with Bradford Pear trees in November 2008

Tent (pictured above): Perfectly captures the three knuckleheads waking up after a night sleeping on the banks of the Youghiogheny River

Fuzzybutts (pictured above): In step and in stride this photograph epitomizes our cross country walk for cancer as we headed to the C&O towpath outside Hancock MD

The pricing for 8x10 is $100 and $125 for the 11x14 that includes shipping.

If you ordered yours awhile ago - thank you so much for being patient. They'll be arriving soon.

To purchase a limited edition canvas, click Here

If you have any questions, contact ginger@2dogs2000miles.org

Coeur de Lion

2011-04-18T22:08:00.009-04:00

Prince Geoffrey: My, you chivalric fool... as if the way one fell down mattered.

Prince Richard: When the fall is all there is, it matters.

From The Lion in Winter

Quality of Life

2011-04-14T21:25:00.010-04:00

I'm not entirely certain why I'm posting a sequal to my blog 'Mostly Murphy'. Maybe it's such a visceral issue and one of severe importance that just deserves it.

I doubt I'll shed new light on it for you but some of the responses I've received have caused me to further contemplate.

So I went to the park to ask questions and seek answers I had shelved five years ago when I was first confronted with the issue of euthanization with my dog, Malcolm.

There are people much smarter than me who have tried to quantify quality of life - the Tripawds folks posted a link to an article in the comments section of the previous post that's probably worth looking into though I haven't read it yet.

The two times I came close to euthanizing him this past week were based on 'criteria' like significant debilitation in hind legs, reduction of appetite, and neuralgia from nerve damage. Taken together, it's no stretch I was ready to let him go.

But I didn't because on one of our daily outings - last Thursday - he led me into the woods at Overton Park on his own. And then Sunday he surprised me again.

You see, in a big way I was looking at his symptoms to dictate my decisions. We know even the most advanced diagnostics or keen clinical evaluations cannot communicate the will and desire to live.

Yes I pray for guidance daily and I listen to Murphy as best I think I can but even the generally accepted 'He'll tell you when he's ready' just isn't enough for a father like me.

Honestly can you really tell the distinction between when your dog has tummy upset and malaise from mismedication and infection versus cachexia from cancer? And before you answer that - would you bet their life on it? When you're dealing with cancer there is a complexity and cascade of symptoms that makes a definitive assessment next to impossible.

Throw in the maelstrom of emotions all of us go through and that further complicates decisions. So when I was able to finally reduce the question of quality of life down to two simple words, 'Mostly Murphy', trust me I wasn't trying to be cutesy or soundbitey.

So long as most of the personality traits I've come to know and love as his dad continue to shine through, I cannot take his life. That supposes of course he's able to eat, is ambulatory, and has normal body functions but that assumption can be made for most of the pet parents I know.

What I have reevaluated through all of this though is the conversation we're having which should be about euthanizing too early NOT about suffering. Pain doesn't go with you when you pass so holding on a couple of more days just to be sure is not unusually or unnecessarily cruel.

I'm grateful I didn't let Murphy go yet because he still has so much love in him and quite a lot of pep in his step. In fact, I am taking him to Kentucky this weekend to see some dear friends of ours and I think a road trip can do us some good.

To misquote the late great Davy Crockett, former Senator from Tennessee, "Cancer may go to hell... We're going to Bowling Green".

Mostly Murphy

2011-04-11T15:19:00.006-04:00

This will be my most difficult & perhaps controversial blog but it's a topic that needs to be discussed, debated, cried over, cursed about and maybe even one that we all need an ass-kicking for.

Murphy should be dead by now.

I've come close to euthanizing him twice. But each time he's rebounded and I thought better of it.

True, he's dying. No doubt about that. The tumor has overtaken his left eye and he's tired from the 10 month battle.

But how do we establish a criteria for quality of life?

I've finally realized that it's - is Murphy mostly Murphy?

1 Stone

2011-04-05T19:11:00.004-04:00

It's not likely Murphy will survive the week

'His candle hath burned at both ends.
It may not last night.
But oh our foes and ah our friends.
It hath cast a lovely light.'

variation of one of my favorite poems by edna st vincent millay

11 Stones: Angel

2011-03-24T00:42:00.007-04:00

It's been a frikkin awesome week. Murphy has been mostly smiles since our third anniversary.

The edema in his left eye has improved significantly. Too early to call it trauma unrelated to tumor but it's an improvement nonetheless.

His snout is still snotty but it's not draining as much... could be the spring pollen count in Memphis is plugging him up... dunno.

Another curious development is since late January, Murphy has reeked of decaying flesh from radiation necrosis of his nasal tissue I suppose. Some days it was pretty ripe. That's gone now, too.

I don't know whether taken together these are a new manifestation of the disease but I haven't spent much time chewing on it. We've been too busy.

We had an overindulgent St. Patrick's, picnics at Overton Park just about every day, and we recently had dance nite! I turned on my tunes from the 80s & 90s... Mommy G dressed Murphy up in a tux and top hat (yeah, that didn't last too long) but he really got into it and after a few songs kicked Hudson and Buddy off the dance floor.

Nearby is a video of Ginger and Murphy grooving to Sarah Mclachlan's Angel.

Hell, yeah, Murphy still has a few hoots and a hollerin left in him...

Arc, goddamnit

2011-03-16T00:26:00.005-04:00

“Arc, goddamnit”

The last time I spoke those words, screamed them really, I was naked and dancing wildly about a campfire a few clicks south of Hancock, Maryland on the C & O towpath to DC. I had stopped in that interesting little town earlier in the day to replenish our water supply and pick up a bottle of Lignanore Terrapin White at a packy, or package stores as they call them in that part of the country.

The wine would complement the two ears of sweet corn I picked from a field the boys and I discovered just off the trail that morning. Farmers always plant a little extra for raccoons I had learned and probably wouldn’t mind us helping ourselves to a modest share of the harvest.

Our goal that day was the Little Pool campground right around the 120 mile mark, a primitive site with a pit, picnic table, and flat piece of ground for a tent smack dab on the bank of the Potomac River. Though it was late August the summer season had been kind and gentle to us and most of our three months on the trail system were slight, neither too hot nor too cold.

The breeze off the water, campfire at my back, boys at my side, a good drink, and roasted sweet corn fresh off the stalk, perfection doesn’t get anymore perfect for me. And yet my mind was caught on something and I couldn’t shake it.

Pittsburgh was more than a month behind us but a conversation I had there had crept alongside ever since. Over dinner with my future literary agent we discussed the idea of writing a book about the walk. Of course I had given it some thought prior to that evening but I didn’t want to get weighted down by it.

“One thing a great story needs”, my agent related to me, “Is a good character arc”. Now I knew what she meant despite never having published a book before. One of my favorite movies is Adaptation in which Charlie Kauffman struggles with the issue but I never really put it into a personal context.

Yet there I was 214 miles later, supping on sweet corn and swilling wine and reflecting on her words…

“What if there is no arc at the end of the walk? How does one make oneself arc? To sell a book you need an arc. The public demands that you arc. Arc me. Arc you…”

And so went the inner monologue until it became quite maddening. Stripped from all pretenses by the wine and fueled by the fire beside me, the rage I’d kept inside all those years since I lost Malcolm fulminated into a fury.

I tore off my clothes and danced feverishly around the campfire screaming at myself, “Arc, goddamnit. Arc”. As though the savage in me could some how summon the will of God.

Perhaps it was my own one act, one man rendition of Lord of the Flies. But trust me; it wouldn’t be something you’d pay to see.

Today is the three year anniversary since Hudson, Murphy, and I left Austin and although I have managed to keep my clothes on most of the time since then, that night still burns so brightly in my mind.

Looking back I guess I had hoped and prayed for, even naively believed that the walk would somehow heal my busted heart and crossing the finish line would forever close that chapter in my life. Instead, it’s more shattered now than when I started and if there has been an arc, it’s inverted.

Meteorologists say the second half, the one after the eye of a hurricane is the worst and maybe that’s why Murphy’s cancer has been harder on me than that of Malcolm's.

There’s no great quote, no profound metaphor or life lesson I have today.

Instead, I’m taking Murphy to a local Irish pub appropriately named Murphy’s to toast a pint that we’ve made it this far.

Happy third… cheers to the fuzzybutts. Long live the fuzzybutts!

Lily

2011-03-13T23:30:00.004-04:00

Lydia Best, a long-time supporter of ours and a board member of 2 Million Dogs recently lost her beloved English Bulldog, Lily, after a long battle with chronic seizures.

The boys and I spent several weeks with her and husband, Pat, in Leesburg Virginia and let's just say Lily and Hudson had a, ahem, special relationship. Nearby pic almost says it all. We all know that Hudsy is quite the ladies man and Lily wasted no time in letting him know she was available.

I never got to meet Daisy, Lydia and Pat's first bulldog they lost

to cancer but Lily was really quite something. She had a complex set of emotions and grunts, snorts, huffs, and puffs to vocalize them and before I met her I had no idea dogs could emote so theatrically.

Our hearts go out to their family...

13 Stones: Bucket List

2011-03-11T06:58:00.000-05:00

Two things have happened since my last post:

First Murphy has gone a little gammy in his hind legs. His mobility hasn't been affected yet but getting up and down occasionally gives him fits and starts. This I don't believe is tumor related. It seems more likely to me that it's a progression of the spinal arthritis I first noticed back in Colorado rather than motor cortex involvement.

Second, I discovered a white membrane developing on his left cornea Tuesday. My kneejerk reaction was the cancer had breached the orbital bone and it was threading through Murphy's eye socket like a kudzu vine. I thought to myself, well it's only a matter of time now, but an inconsistency convinced me to consult with Dr. Blackburn, his Memphis vet. Why wasn't there pronounced protrusion of the eye as I have seen in so many cases?

Blackburn diagnosed it as corneal edema secondary to Murphy's nasal cancer. He feels the tumor is commandeering the blood supply around his eye to feed its own growth and that's causing fluid retention. There is an outside, way outside, chance it could be as a result of trauma but regardless the consensus is Murphy isn't in any discomfort for now. We started him on topical steroids and hopefully that will reduce the swelling.

Both of these developments got me thinking with lightening speed and clarity. Time is running out on me and Murphy. What haven't we done together?

So I've started a Bucket List and since then we've checked off two things you should do with your dog before they die.

1. One word. Ragtop. Have you ever taken your pupper for a drive in a convertible? It's the ultimate ride for a dog. Smells coming in from all directions... a smorgasboard of sensations. Belt them in, take down the top, and turn on some badass driving tunes for a righteous experience. Cost: If you get caught giving the middle finger to cancer at any point during your drive you may have to pay a fine subject to the state you're driving in.

2. Art class part I. I should've known there was an artist inside of Murphy. We took he and Buddy to Seize the Clay to ceramictize(?) their pawprint and Murphy had such a whopping good time that his nom de guerre is going to be Murphyangelo. Bringing the clay out on a giant sized plate may have inspired him as he tried to snarf it down. But damn no artist for their indulgences... The nearby pic is his pawprint and the mold I chose. Cost: $10

Budman did good, too but he was restless and I think he had to pee. Perhaps he's more into performance art...

15 Stones: On Suffering

2011-02-22T21:19:00.012-05:00

If the doctors are correct in their estimation of Murphy's prognosis, he will be dead in 15 weeks.

Why not kill him now? Isn't that the question we all ask at some point when we have a loved one with a terminal illness? Spare them the suffering? Spare ourselves the pain and save some money, too? That's certainly the subject of many emails I've been receiving lately.

Because I am a Christian, God's grace and will are something I think of just about every second of every day when it comes to Murphy's cancer. We pray for one yet know so little of the other. How can we presume then to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves?

I think that question will haunt us all til the end of our days.

With Malcolm after he was given rest - for months I replayed his last moments in my mind like being caught in an endless unrelentling video loop. I couldn't turn it off.

So am I keeping Murphy alive to avoid a sequel? Or is it my own arrogant belief that I can somehow fix him, that I can out-think the experts, beat the odds and save him?

I remember reading something someone said sometime ago about when you know you're going down the manner in which you go down is all that matters. How stupid was what I thought at the time...

Maybe not

How do you want to die? Peacefully and painlessly? Yeah that's the way we all want to go but we don't have that option do we?

Whether you believe that suffering is an extension of God's love or proof of his non-existence, personally I would endure just about any suffering to be loved completely. We all go down, surely some harder than others, but Murphy will not die from apathy, societal values, or a resignation of will.

As long as he feels loved I will fight for him against all odds and in defiance of criticism

Famous Memphis Area Pyrenees Dies from Mad Cow Disease

2011-02-13T00:34:00.004-05:00

What Price Life?

2011-02-10T15:13:00.002-05:00

I wonder how much Murphy is worth?

I mean not to me but in the marketplace.

Kim Kardashian gets $10,000 for every tweet she twitters. Two of those would get us to the breakeven point in Murphy's care. The cast of jersey shores make seven figures for acting like frat boys who honestly deserve a beat down.

Is this what we value in our society?

You have no idea how hard it's been for me trying to reconcile the generosity and goodness of the people we met on the road with the inanity, insanity & absolute dissolution of decency I've seen since.

That's why I haven't asked for any more money for Murphy's care. And won't. I want no part of this travesty.

I'll flay myself first and to the bone before I accept this is the best we can do.

17 Stones: Dei Gratia

2011-02-08T18:29:00.000-05:00

If I had to sum up this past month it'd be: heavy hopes, long odds, hard choices, and secondary consequences.

With no evidence of potential therapeutic benefit, I chose to follow up Murphy’s 2nd course of radiation with chemotherapy and then to compound my temerity I decided on a cocktail never tried in canine nasal adenocarcinoma before; carboplatin and gemcitabine a protocol used primarily for osteosarcoma and lung mets.

Wednesday, January 19th, the day Murphy was to receive the first round of chemo his breath was stinkier than normal. We'd tented out the night before on the banks of Lake Somerville and the three of us were all a mite ripe, so I didn't think much of it until I unclamped his maw and noticed an ulcer on the roof of his mouth.

Radiation erosion. Goddamnit.

I knew this was a risk when he went under the Gamma Knife in December at CSU and I knew what it was the second I saw it. It looked like the pink rubber eraser students are required to purchase in grade school only carved out canoe-like.

Not everyone at TAMU was convinced it was erosion – some speculated the tumor was punching through from above, a sort of 'Here's Johnny' from a maniacal, axe wielding Jack Nicholson. Scares the hell outta you either way you look at it.

But I wasn’t particularly thinking about the ulcer that Wednesday. My focus was on stopping the tumor’s growth.

“Start the chemo”, I said simply.

Week one was uneventful and it wasn’t until several days after the second dose of gemcitabine the floor fell out beneath us. Murphy spiked a temperature Monday the 31st and spent two nights in ICU at Texas A&M Vet School. The chemo had wiped out his bone marrow, stripped him of his defenses, and made him susceptible to spontaneously bleeding out from even the slightest laceration.

To make matters worse I had compromised my boy’s immune system at a time when he could ill afford it. The ulcer in his mouth deepened and darkened ominously foreboding a serious infection. Murphy’s body was being thrashed about in a perfect storm, a collision between the maximum effects of both chemotherapy and radiation and we had no way of knowing if the eye was ahead or behind us.

I had convinced myself my aggressiveness, my absolute unwillingness to compromise in saving his life would be his undoing. Try as you may to remove your own ego from making decisions, it’s inextricable.

I picked Murphy up last Wednesday afternoon, late, and drove all night to Memphis not knowing whether he would even survive the drive. He received two days of IV antibiotics and fluids. We brought his WBC and platelets back up to within normal ranges and he’s shown signs of significant improvement.

And while we’re still weathering the storm…. yesterday, when I inspected Murphy’s mouth, the ulcer had almost completely healed. It didn’t perforate nor penetrate and it definitely isn’t tumor.

Go Stillers

2011-02-06T14:47:00.008-05:00

Yes'm that's how Yinzers pronounce their own team (not Steelers like the industry which built Pittsburgh but Stillers as in Ben, the actor). That they butcher just about every part of the English language is one of their many endearing and charming qualities.

First and foremost I must disclose, I'm a Patriots fan but they're "Grrr...." not playing today so I won't go into why. But why I'm pulling for the Stillers has less to do with the team itself and more to do with the people of Pittsburgh.

We spent some time there on our way to Boston... we watched Fourth of July fireworks from the rooftop of the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society; had a police escort to Pup Nite at a Pirates game; and toured the Duquesne Incline. It's filled with hundreds of photographs that I stared at transfixed with tremendous appreciation for how hard life must've have been there only a few decades ago. The industrial parts of Pittsburgh were trapped in a permanent midnight from all of the smoke and soot from the mills. Daylight just wasn't let in and so many workers endured those conditions to make a decent living.

And when steel production got exported, they picked themselves up, dusted the soot off and a new city was reborn. Pittsburgh has lost 50% of their population in the past half century but you'd never sense it because their spirit remains unbroken. It's a city of grinders... it's a place where the average person can do the extraordinary. But most important for me, being born the year of the dog, is their loyalty.

I didn't know much about the Stillers back in summer '09 except that growing up in Cowboy country, many of the NFL's greatest rivalries were between the two teams. It was only when I was invited out to training camp in Latrobe to meet Big Ben (pictured nearby) that I began to understand that they don't have fans they have believers.

They care less about who's quarterbacking than the legacy of the team itself and they're so loyal that the mass exodus from the loss of the steel trade created Stiller bars all across the country like a secret cult. I must confess I've never been to one but being in Memphis today on this historic Super Bowl Sunday I should find my first one, hole up, and drink myself silly.

Go Steelers (Long 'e' guys, long 'e')

Love ya & puppy up! which you Pittsburghers (hah!) definitely know how to do...

NOVA Dog Magazine Blogathon Benefiting 2 Million Dogs

2011-02-05T08:35:00.004-05:00

The folks at NOVA Dog Magazine have begun an 18 hour Blogathon to bring awareness to canine cancer and benefitting 2 Million Dogs. Thanks to Janelle, the driving force behind this & to the contributing bloggers - Chicks Love Beer and our Beloved Blogging Bob who is finally BACK!!!

Join the fun and if you make a donation you'll have a chance to win an Amazon Kindle - how cool is that?

This is the Blog I submitted....

That cancer has become the greatest scourge ever known is without any doubt, our own damn doing. Not so long ago 4 out of every 5 men smoked and almost just as many women.

Over the past century we’ve engineered and manufactured thousands of industrial chemicals, products, and materials that were either directly sold to consumers or otherwise introduced into our society without their full impact on our health and environment ever studied. The byproducts and waste were then discarded into landfills and even dumped into our water supply wreaking havoc on our ecological systems and forever corrupting our gene pool perhaps making cancer the inheritable disease it is today.

It should be of no surprise then that for the first time in history the World Health Organization recently revealed that cancer is now the number one cause of death worldwide beating out all other diseases. In the United States alone one out of every 3 females and one out of every two males will develop cancer in their lifetime. That’s 33% and 50% respectively in case you have a hard time with math like me. Has there ever been a pandemic so far reaching, so catastrophic throughout our recorded history?

And increasingly it is affecting our companion animals. It’s guesstimated that anywhere from 2 to 6 million new cases of cancer naturally occur every year in cats and dogs. Some breeds are harder hit than others. At least half of all Golden Retrievers, it is believed, will die from cancer.

I didn’t know all of this almost three years ago when my two dogs, Hudson and Murphy, and I decided to walk from Austin TX to Boston MA for cancer. Our story started out simple enough; my mother is a breast cancer survivor and my family has been touched by the disease but it wasn’t until my Great Pyrenees, Malcolm, died from metastatic osteosarcoma that cancer became my mission.

I just wanted to walk across the country and share Malcolm’s story and let people know that dogs, too, get cancer. But as I talked to more and more oncologists and scientists I learned that there isn’t a lot, if any, difference. That’s not surprising since dogs drink the same water we do, breathe the same air, and are exposed to the same environmental toxins.

At the tail end of our 2,300 mile walk we formed a foundation devoted to raising awareness, educating, and funding research about the common link between cancer in people and pets and area of science known as comparative oncology.

That foundation, 2 Million Dogs, has an ambitious nationwide effort that was launched this year to have 2 million dogs walk simultaneously throughout the country for cancer. On November 7th 2010 our first such event was held in 12 cities and 2011 will at least double that.

Please join us in our efforts to eradicate cancer in companion pets and people, too. Thank you and… Puppy up!

Hudson, Murphy, & Luke

My Prayer for Murphy

2011-02-01T18:49:00.005-05:00

When I was first blessed with the vision of our walk it blinded me and laden with doubt, I turned away from it. Then you showed me it was your will.

Still I balked. "But the road will be too hard and too long and the risks to Hudson and Murphy too many". Do you remember that conversation?

You answered that you would deliver my boys safely from Austin to Boston. That day I set the date of our departure. You kept your promise. You even kept Murphy's cancer at bay until a week after the completion of the walk when he first showed symptoms but by then the tumor was already advanced and inoperable.

We haven't talked much since then or more truthfully I haven't been in the mood to listen. I've been fighting for Murphy's survival these past six months and making every medical decision to the best of my ability to save your servant, my son. Though tonight he lies alone in an ICU stripped of all defenses, susceptible to the slightest infection that could kill him.

So what do you want from me now god? Have I not given everything that I am?

I don't ask you for forgiveness because I cannot both serve you on my knees and walk righteously for my cause. I won't ask you for mercy for myself or to be spared any emotion or pain.

All I ask is don't take Murphy.... not my other son. He's not done here

Tumor Juices

2011-01-30T20:28:00.004-05:00

It was never my intention to be deliberately or overtly critical of some of our friends on Facebook in my previous post - I was merely making an observation and a curiously funny parallel between a mock reality show and Murphy's tragic circumstances.

In hindsight I suppose it had a kind of twisted desperate hilarity to it like when my brother Mark referred to Murphy's nasal drainage as 'tumor juices', as in "You can stay in our house just don't get tumor juices all over it."

Later on when we were watching a Spurs game downstairs we heard a racket up in the guest bedroom where Hudson and Murphy slumbered. "What's that noise?" he asked anxiously.

I wryly replied, "It's probably those tumor juices congealing, organizing into a humanoid that'll take your kids away". Mark, having clearly watched way too much Sy Fy channel in his lifetime, said without hesitation, "I've seen it happen, man."

Some days I don't know whether it's absolute clarity or madness I see... whether I'm hearing the voice of God or haunted by Marlon Brando talking about a snail crawling on a razor's edge.

But I do try to keep humor about me. I'm starting to understand that it rarely translates unless you've had me in your home, know our entire story, and maybe even call us your own.

While I'll try to do better and be less esoteric, what a great title for a cartoon 'Tumor Juices'. If I could only draw...

Murphy's Dilemma

2011-01-28T14:14:00.002-05:00

Guess I confused some of you recently with cryptic posts on Facebook. It's been no easy thing trying to keep up with the pace of change in Murphy's condition and communicate the bullet points to you throughout.

Coming up with a chemotherapy plan has been considerably complicated. Since we were already in unchartered territories by combining both IMRT and SRT radiation for Murphy's nasal adenocarcinoma, science hasn't been a useful guide for us.

The standard of care for nasal tumors of Murphy's size and location is radiation which we'd maxed out on in December with a double dose. Some of you have asked why would I even consider chemotherapy for Murphy after all he's been through and that's a valid question for which I have no valid answer.

When the first round of radiation failed - not only did it NOT stop the original tumor it somehow resulted in the formation of two new malignant growths. I went into berserk mode. His nasopharynx was rapidly being pinched down to pin sized. Murphy couldn't breath normally, he struggled to eat even though I pureed his food, and he slept only seconds at a time. I doubted Murphy would make it to Christmas but miraculously he did.

SRT seemed to reduce his nasal inflammation enough for marginal respiratory improvement but his prognosis was still rate limited by radiation's ability to regress the tumor (best case scenario) or halt its growth (least worst case scenario) without killing him that is.

All of the doctors with whom I've discussed his situation seem to agree if radiation fails again Murphy will be dead within weeks. But they also agree there is no further course of action. In their opinion, based on the preponderance of evidence, drugs would neither extend his life nor improve it.

This is the miasma in which I've been making life and death decisions on Murphy's behalf. And while I'm flying without radar here if this was the TV show Survivor, I feel like some of you on Facebook would've already voted Murphy off the island.

Perfect for Valentine's Day

2011-01-26T22:34:00.006-05:00

Help Murphy, the love of our life, and give a beautiful gift to the love of your life ...

Thanks to our friend and supporter Roz Abrams Smith. She's donating of sales of her beautifully hand-crafted Swarovski RED crystal earrings to help defray Murphy's cost of care. “These stunning round multifaceted ruby red Swarovski crystals are combined with slightly smaller clear tapered Swarovski crystals. Dangling round ruby red crystals float beneath. Sterling silver ear wires and components, the earrings measure approximately 2 inches from the top of the ear wire. Every item arrives in a magical black organza gift bag! 100% of the sale of these earrings will go directly to Luke to help with Murphy's vet bills. 5 pairs have already been sold. Shipping is free with this item within the continental United States.” Please have a look at these stunning earrings at her web page.

You are also invited to friend her on Facebook. Search "The Wizard Of Roz."

For more of Roz's work, please visit her web page.

The Wizard Of Roz is also listed with Where To Get Engaged

To learn more about Roz and her work, please read the interview featuring "The Wizard Of Roz".

Thank you, Roz, for your generosity!

20 Stones: Unchartered Territories

2011-01-18T11:54:00.008-05:00

I keep forgetting that our new friends and followers might be unfamiliar with the history of the Stone Series… my bad. Here are links to the first two posts; 61 Stones; 61 Stones 2

We’re camping out at Somerville Lake tonite on our way to Texas A&M Vet School where Murphy will receive his first dose of chemotherapy tomorrow.

It wasn’t an easy decision I assure you and it was one that’s bedeviled by my own personal doubts, a deficiency of scientific data, disagreements in treatment approaches, and a limited number of drugs to choose from.

But we’ve been in unchartered territories ever since the first round of IMRT failed, Murphy’s cancer spread, and he underwent a second course of radiation.

I suppose most would’ve given up by now but Murphy and I are no strangers to the unknown or the insurmountable.

22 Stones

2011-01-04T01:27:00.006-05:00

Don't know where I left off last with Murphy's condition but Christmas week we reached critical mass. He was struggling and I wasn't sure if he'd make it.

I didn't think the massive radiation doses administered over three days would alleviate his airways quickly enough for him to breath sufficiently which is why I explored radical ideas like inserting a shunt or stent.

But the radiation did work and it didn't take the two weeks that was speculated. By Christmas day Murphy was playing with Hudson for the first time in weeks and it was a very special day. That's a photo of Murphy taking off with his X-Mas booty that I entitled, "Kthnxbye".

We were blessed with a mostly uneventful week following Christmas during which I turned 40 and then the Earth added another year to the 4.54 billion and change it has under its belt.

I say mostly because Murphy has had nosebleeds and down days but he's still markedly better than two weeks ago. However, that radiation was so effective so quickly suggests serious side effects are in store. Already Murphy's losing fur on his head and around his eyes that never fully re-grew from the first round but we knew that hitting the tumor hard would be risky.

We are due to return to CSU this morning for a clinical evaluation to assess whether he's a candidate for adjunct chemotherapy though my mind's pretty much already made up since the 'wait and see' approach after radiation last August was a complete failure. Had I run parallel courses then we may have been in a different place now.

Which is perhaps the lesson for the week. When it involves cancer always assume the worst and choose the most aggressive form of therapy. I'm listening to The Emperor of All Maladies on CD now (which I highly recommend) and while it's chocked full of interesting metaphors I'm a movie kinda guy.

While writing this blog The Terminator came to mind when Reese is trying to convey the seriousness of the situation to Sarah Connor. "It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity or remorse. And it absolutely will not stop. Ever. Until you are dead."

23 Stones: Murphy's Rain

2010-12-28T00:13:00.012-05:00

There's a Japanese expression, 'Mono no aware' and while it's one of many that are untranslatable into English, it basically means the 'pathos of things'.

It's a phrase I learned long ago, that perhaps I used promiscuously in my youth to impress others, but never truly grasped its gravitas til last Monday.

Immediately after dropping Murphy off at Colorado State University for his second round of radiation I was overwrought. Making life and death decisions about a loved one isn't the way you want to kickstart the week, especially the week of Christmas.

Untreated, mortality is most assured within a matter of months for Murphy but there's also a pretty good chance radiation could take him sooner. I was so torn up inside I almost turned around, picked him back up, and drove into the mountains to live out his final days.

But I made a decision... but I damn well wasn't happy about it.

'Dour' doesn't even come close to describing the mood I was in that morning but I had to keep myself moving. So when I pulled into the parking lot of King Sooper, a local grocery chain whose name still makes no sense to me, it came as no surprise when the rain began pouring down.

Wait a sec, it's sunny outside.

And there it was. Mono no aware.

It's as if God took a blade and severed the sky - to my left was sunshine and my right darkness. And a rainbow bridged the two.

Mono no aware is a feeling of both happiness and sorrow, hope and hopelessness at the same time. The Japanese use the expression to describe witnessing the transient beauty of a Cherry Tree blossom. It embraces belief but resigns itself to reality. It's poetry from pain; discovery in darkness.

It's a human tendency to make life too figurative or too literal so that it suit our purposes and there's no one that hates cramming a metaphor into someone else's morning more than me.

But it was a beautiful thing, Murphy's rain.

Merry Christmas From the Family

2010-12-27T16:44:00.005-05:00

Happy Holidays & Have a puppy up! Christmas

- Hudson, Murphy, Luke, Toomey, & the Pony

Murphy's X-Mas Sammich

2010-12-23T23:42:00.018-05:00

Throughout our walk I volunteered at dozens of shelters and those experiences deeply impacted me. Seems to me we're all displaced in life at one point or another; whether cast out or wandering about.

We look to our faith, family, and friends and even food for comfort when we're lost. Shelter dogs are in need of all of those especially this time of year.

As much as I'd love to rescue them all, I can't travel with more than two in my pack. But I can make sure they have a holiday meal.

A bit of history - Murphy celebrated his 8th birthday in Memphis where Mommy G threw him a party. Murphy's a passionate eater to say the least; if Maslow triangulated his heirarchy of needs it'd be food, poop, and snuggles. Food, of course, being at the top. We'd been on the road for over a year and I really wanted to do something special for him.

Make a Murphy Sammich came to mind, a tribute to his truly spectacular appetite. Thus history was made. People from all parts have their own version of a sandwich. Some start with the meat, some with the bread, spread, or stuffing. Being a Texas boy and in honor of Murphy's gluttony, my starting point was 'Big'.

The biggest commercially available bread for such a sammich (I'm no baker) is Boboli. Murphy's absolute favorite food in the universe is the Honest Kitchen and Lucy, the founder, has been feeding him since before we left Austin in March 2008.

The first layer of the sammich is of course THK, Murphy loves Embark best so re-hydrate a cup or two and spread it out on the bottom crust. This time I topped it with lean hamburger and turkey bacon (I was thinking of my brothers who go to a restaurant and order meat with a side of meat). Note - I use no oils to cook the meats - pancreatitis can kill.

I love the pic on the left - Murphy knows I'm making a sammich and he's gonna be damn certain it's all his. Uh, hello, what part of Murphy Sammich don't you understand? Trying to teach kids today the spirit of Christmas is never an easy thing.

Once the massively awesome meaty goodness layer goes down, it's time for cheese. Although the processed American cheese slices I used was an economic decision, I don't recommend you do the same. More and more I'm convinced processing food is fundamentally harmful but that's a thread for another time.

Boboli crust #2 on top, bake it at 350 for 15 minutes then decorate. Since this is the very first X-Mas Sammich I sprinkled the Cheez Whiz with red and green sugar granules and there you have it. We delivered it to the Larimer Humane Society yesterday and oh, boy were they excited. Coincidentally, Molly, their communications director lost a dog to cancer and her loss set her on a new path. I know all about that...

None of us thought we'd be here this Christmas. I was already planning our next great adventure when we walked the final mile into Boston. But you make the best of it and share the blessings you've been given.

Please, make a Murphy Sammich for your local shelter this holiday...

Two Weeks

2010-12-23T01:21:00.005-05:00

From our 1pm meeting today...

The team at Colorado State University is confident that Murphy will show signs of tumor regression by the two week mark before they consider pursuing some of my whacky ideas like implanting a stent or shunt to alleviate his breathing difficulties.

I said something like, "Okay, but he sleeps for 30 seconds then awakens with an unforgiving version of apnea. It's even effecting his eating."

"He's just going to have to learn how to adjust", was the counterpoint and a good one at that. I had just posted the question last nite about how I could teach Murphy to breath through his mouth not his snout. But big dogs are inherently stubborn SOBs (sumbitches as we say in TX) so we'll see how that works out.

I agreed to wait to implant a device contingent upon Murphy's comfortability and that his clinical symptoms don't worsen. But honestly it feels like a crapshot like those commercials you see, 'Give me a week and we'll take off the weight.' Bet it didn't work for those guys.

Don't get me wrong I have complete respect for and trust in our oncology team but I'm a contrarian and questioning everything is the responsibility you have when making decisions on behalf of a loved one who can't speak for themselves.

So once again, we wait but we do so with benchmarks. I'll meet with the radiologist Dr. Custis again next week for a clinical evaluation and then the following week to discuss chemotherapy.

There has been a plot twist though - we got back the results from the biopsy for the two new tumors and from way outta left field, they're sarcomas not adenocarcinoma. Why? No one seems to know but they're malignant cells and anything beyond that seems to have no therapeutic value. Rougly translated, it doesn't matter what color they are - red, green, or purple they must die.

"You got two weeks"

Far Away From Here

2010-12-22T10:24:00.002-05:00

T.S. Eliot wrote,"And the end of all our exploring. Will be to arrive where we started. And know the place for the first time".

I wish I knew what he was talking about. Five years ago almost to the week Malcolm was stuggling with his last breaths and I find myself back to this same place with Murphy. And I don't know a goddamn thing.

Where ever I thought we'd end up after the walk it wasn't supposed to be here.

Notes on Murphy

2010-12-21T11:20:00.003-05:00

Dictating my thoughts for the oncologists at CSU, others who have dogs with nasal adenocarcinoma, and in the interest of science.

Over the weekend Murphy's ability to breath through his snout has diminished significantly. It seems this new tumor is spreading quickly. We hope the radiation will stop this growth almost immediately. In laymans terms here's how it works:

Cancer cells are referred to as 'immortal' because they divide unabatedly. The first one, not sure what scientists call it; perhaps the parental or originator, has a gene that for some reason is turned on telling it to start dividing. That one cell becomes two which becomes four, etc. into you have a tumor mass consisting of millions of cells. Radiation therapy attempts to interfere with the tumor cells' ability to continue mitotic division thereby stopping growth. The cells that can't divide eventually die off.

Back to Murphy. Even if this massive three day dose of radiation halts tumor growth, it'll still be restricting airflow in the interim. We've already discussed a surgical option in Dr. Withrow's words taking a roto-router and cleaning the tumor out but that presents some serious problems.

That got me thinking this morning. How can we improve breathing through his snout without surgery and how do we do something like this in humans? Well we know that when people have clogged arteries we place a stent in them permitting improved blood flow. Plus, stents are now drug delivery systems so this might be a way to administer chemo directly into the tumor site.

Must discuss this with Dr. Withrow...

Become a Sugar Mommy or Daddy to Murphy

2010-12-20T15:44:00.006-05:00

Murphy's total vet bills are expected to weigh in around $8,000. Ginger & I have already maxed out our care credit so we'd appreciate any help. I've always had a tough time with charity and those who know me intimately know this. That may seem strange but there will be a chapter on that in the book about it...

I'm a firm believer in trading value for value so this time I'm doing limited edition canvases each autographed by me and bearing Hudson & Murphy's actual pawprint. We have three photos to choose from all depicted nearby.

The photos will be transferred to canvas then stretched over a wooden frame. Two sizes are available 8x10 and 11x14. We're asking$75 for the former; $100 for the later.

I'm limiting this run to 50 per photo which should completely cover his medical costs. That way some of you may consider buying one as an investment that'll one day sell for $1 million when Murphy beats his cancer then runs for President.

Some of you wanted my current profile pic on Facebook (which is one of my absolute favorites of Murphy) but that was taken with an i-phone and is only 600kb far too small for photo quality. I might have it converted to a painting in the future.

A couple of considerations. These prices cover the cost of shipping which will take anywhere from 2 weeks to a month. The mom & pop shop we're using does each individually. Ginger has also included our final Memorial shirt and our cause bracelets on the Click and Pledge page for some reason or other.

To purchase a limited edition canvas, click here https://co.clickandpledge.com/advanced/default.aspx?wid=39290

If you have any questions, shoot me an email at 2dogs2000miles@gmail.com

24 Stones

2010-12-19T22:29:00.004-05:00

Murphy's life expectancy got downgraded last week. That pisses me off but like I recently posted on facebook, I don't know whether I have more fight or faith in me but his metastatic cancer is not going to keep us down...

Here's what's in store for us this week:

Monday December 20th

- Drop Murphy off at CSU for first radiation treatment
- Afterwards pick up our good friend John Stalls (http://kivawalk.com ) and his dog Kanoa and head to Eldorado Springs State Park for a nite of camping and knuckleheadedness

Tuesday December 21st

- Sober up by 6am - say see ya to John. He's a good kid...
- Murphy's second treatment
- Gotta grab some gifts for my nieces b/f I go back to TX. Didn't make it to Archie McPhee's when we were in Seattle so I'm sort of at a loss. Educational or irreverance are the only gifts I buy people. There's a family pack of wrestling masks at McPhee's that's out of stock I wish I could get my hands on for me & the boys - Los Perros Loco Lucha Libre...

Wednesday December 22nd

- Third and final dose of radiation
- Denver. My friends here in Fort Collins got tickets to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Don't know if it's YMCA meets Slovenia yet but Murphy's coming with us and we all know how good he looks in a tool belt.
- Afterwards we'll take him to the Buckhorn Exhchange for a beefy treat he's never had before

Thursday December 23rd

- Make Murphy Xmas Sammiches for CSU patients. While Murphy's the greatest lover of (http://thehonestkitchen.com ) even he likes to share during the holiday season. We'll be making a coupla pies for cancer patients today.

Friday December 24th

- Take Murphy on a tour of Xmas lights.
- Leave cookies, coke & cigarettes out hoping Tony Bourdain (http://anthonybourdain.net), my new hero, shows up and doesn't confuse Hudson & Murphy for albino possums and tries to make them into a stew.

Saturday December 25th

- Open House at Claire's. It's a sushi Christmas and our last real day in Colorado. Grab a pair of chopsticks, stop by for the Ginger Grinch, the Murphy Maki, & whatever the hell else I come up with

Sunda... never mind not going to happen. Snuggle Snuggle with Murphy...

Monday December 27th

- Leave 3am for TX. God I need my family now...

Murphy's Treatment Plan

2010-12-17T17:13:00.006-05:00

If you're offended easily, please read no further. Don't know what sort of graphic language will be expressed in this post and I have no intention of editing it.

A lot of you know me from our walk from Austin to Boston ( http://2dogs2000miles.org/ ) some of our new friends don't. Then I was walking in memory of Malcolm whom I lost to cancer. Now I'm just a father who's desperately trying to save his other boy's life from this dreadful disease. I've made the decision to make a documentary of this latest chapter of our lives and I'll post more about this as it develops.

It's already a hard time of year from me since it was this time in 2005 when Malcolm was struggling and the metastatic tumor in his lungs was overtaking him. But this isn't about me so let me bring you up to speed about Murphy.

I posted about his prognosis. We don't understand why the first round of radiation failed... I have a theory but for now it's academic and we can't afford time for talk. The tumor has reached critical mass and if allowed to grow any further, it'll shut off his ability to breath through his snout. If that happens he'll have no quality of life.

The recommendation of the oncology team at CSU is that we have to act immediately and hit it hard with everything they've got. Their radiation plan is 30 grays administered over three days, the maximum tolerable dose.

After that we'll look into chemo as an adjunct therapy. Thanks to everyone who posted to our wall about human cancer drug trials - Erich is compiling a list from your links so I can send emails out to the principal investigators.

The potentially catastrophic downside to this plan is there's a 5% chance Murphy will succumb to massive radiation alone in a few weeks or months.

"What's your decision?" Dr. Withrow asked me Friday.

Having sat through 30 minutes of if, ands, & buts - all I could think about was Star Trek. Strange since I'm not a Trekkie but when he said the first round of radiation merely stunned the tumor, I thought of the phaser and it's two settings: Stun and Vaporize. At least that's how I remembered it since the last time I saw an episode was probably in the 80s. Perhaps we didn't hit it hard enough the first time and the Variant Trilogy machine was on the wrong setting.

I don't know how much time passed after he asked the question - all the options and the probabilities of their outcomes cycled through my head like a centrifuge.

"What are we going to do?" he asked again.

"Let's kill this mother f***er"

Prognosis

2010-12-17T11:34:00.010-05:00

Just met with the team at CSU and based on the PET-CT scan and the scoping this morning they say Murphy has 3 months to live without re-radiation, 6 maybe 8 months with...

@#$!*%($(#

2010-12-17T10:20:00.003-05:00

Murphy's a tough ole boy and it's just like him to have a tumor with serious resolve. In Dr. Withrow's words despite 18 doses of radiation we've only stunned it. He thinks the original mass is 'stable' but I'm not convinced. From the PET scan you can see how it is lysing the bone tissue of the left orbit.

But that's not the bad news. There are two new growths and while we're having them biopsied today there's really no doubt they're malignant. The one that's causing grave concern is growing in his pharynx the slender space that takes oxygen from the snout to the lungs. If you look at the picture nearby the pharynx is the narrow corridor cut between the eyes. That's problematic. Like bottlenecked traffic at some point it'll stop the flow of air through his nasal passages entirely.

We're not at the point yet of discussing euthanasia so don't go there. Dogs don't have quit in them and I'm not about to quit on Murphy. People are the only species on this planet who give up on life.

Aside from bloody discharges and 'pharyngeal gagging' which is like a reverse sneeze, Murphy's doing quite well. It's his strength I'm convinced that'll be our greatest asset in this fight. However, hard decisions are on the horizon.

There's no good model I can look at this in humans as nasal cancer is surprisingly rare. They say re-radiating is the only alternative left but I'll spend the weekend researching every options. I'll exhaust all possibilities and mortgage my soul if I have to.

For those of you who want to help, here's what we need: a comprehensive list of human adenocarcinoma drug trials. They'll probably be gastric or colorectal studies but if there's any therapy that this cancer is responding to in people, we need to know. Rather than email me the results please post everything to my wall on facebook. I want everyone to have access to this research.

Next, I need a near film quality camera. I don't know how much time Murphy has left but I want to document every minute of it. My camera doesn't have the quality so we need a loaner.

Thank you...

PET Scan

2010-12-16T13:57:00.004-05:00

These videos are from my consult with the radiation oncology team at CSU this morning. The news was devastating even though I felt something was wrong a few weeks back. I haven't watched them and don't know if the dialogue is audible. I'll try to post later tonite to let everyone know where we're at but I just don't have the strength for explanation and elaboration right now. All I want is to be with my boy

Preliminary Analysis of PET scan

2010-12-16T09:39:00.002-05:00

It's almost certain Murphy has new tumor growth in two areas one of which is causing breathing problems. Dr. Withrow is still consulting with the radiation team and we're meeting back at CSU at 9am. As of yesterday afternoon we discussed putting a scope up there and biopsying the new tissue just to be sure but the PET scan really wiped Murphy out and I'm unsure about performing the procedure today.

If there is new growth this is where it becomes problematic. From my understanding when we finished up the first round of radiation in September the game plan was let's take a look at it in four months and if the tumor's still there let's hit it again until we shrink it completely or it can be removed surgically.

But re-radiating the tumor can have some potentialy deleterious side effects. Hopefully we'll know more in a few hours...

Murphy Update

2010-12-14T10:14:00.004-05:00

Murphy hasn't had a CT scan yet. Dr Withrow wanted to do a thorough physical first and during the exam he palpated a nodule in his lymph node which they aspirated. It's unlikely this type of cancer spreads to the lymph system but we want to be sure.

He also wanted to biopsy the tissue that Murphy sneezed up Sunday morning which can only be described as fleshy gray matter, pictured nearby (vy sorry for the graphic nature of the photo but welcome to my world). Is this the byproduct from radiation, debris from the destruction the cancer has caused in his nasal passage, or evidence of new tumor growth? We don't know yet.

On the upside, Murphy's blood work came back normal although he's slightly anemic, probably due to his nose bleeds, and his chest films were clear.

A CT scan is scheduled for Wednesday morning while we're awaiting the results of the lymph aspirate and the biopsy.

That's all I got right now...

The Homeless Chef

2010-12-12T11:05:00.005-05:00

Oy everyone. Order is more alluring than chaos to some but it's often illusory. Still I'm trying to better structure the telling of our story. Rather than use this blog as a dump site for all things 'Luke' I've started a separate one specifically for the culinary aspects of our adventures http://thehomelesschef.wordpress.com/

I'm undecided if I'll continue with my 61 Stones blog since I want everyone here updated about Murphy's condition, too, and I'd just copy my posts over anyway. Besides I don't want to end up too subdivided since the sum of me is better than the parts or the parts add up to more than the whole. Err... moving on...

One of my favorite quotes is from Dylan Thomas taken from a forward to a book of his poems, "These (blogs), with all their crudities, doubts, and confusions, are written for the love of man and in praise of (dog). And I'd be a damn fool if they weren't."

Okay, I changed it up a bit but you get the point.

Maybe I should just start a new blog and call it: Eat, Pray, Play, Pet Doggie, and Kick the Crap Outta Cancer. I think that just about covers it...

One Time

2010-12-08T21:43:00.006-05:00

"One time" is a phrase often used by poker players looking to luck out after a series of bad beats.

Meet Buddy and while his aliases read like a veritable list of Vegas wise guys - The Bud Man; Biscuit Head; Frankenbuddy; Buddy Fifteen Toes (Nah, I just made that one up), he's no poker player at all. He's a dog and perhaps the unluckiest dog of all.

There's not a lot known about Buddy before he arrived at the Humane Society of Memphis and Shelby County other than he was a Katrina rescue from New Orleans with buckshot in his butt and a gnarled and withered hind leg. Speculation was it must've gotten caught in barbed wire and he chewed his paw off.

And even though he endeared himself to the staff at the shelter with his big, big heart and the Bud Man dance he does when he gets excited, they couldn't find an adoptive family for him. Nope, life wasn't much kinder in his new town. Time and time again he was adopted out only to be inexplicably and incredulously returned.

Ultimately Ginger, then the head of the Humane Society, took him home. But poor ole Buddy has never caught a break. In December 2008 he was diagnosed with multilobular osteochondrosarcoma when they discovered a tumor in his head. Vets at the University of Missouri excised the mass with clean margins but in the process removed his right eye and a portion of his jaw.

Buddy recovered fine but this Monday 6:30am Seattle time I got a call from Ginger. His lungs are riddled with tumors. After contacting several oncologists there's a ghost of a chance he's a candidate for an experimental drug but we won't know until next week.

And while we hold out hope, Buddy hasn't always been unlucky. He met Mommy G.

So here's for one more time... God, one more time

43 Stones

2010-12-01T11:39:00.007-05:00

Murphy finished his course of antibiotics but he continues to bleed from his left nostril periodically. I've consulted with DVMs & MDs but at the end of the day my instinct tells me something is wrong.

While fish oil is an anticoagulant I began administering 2 grams daily in Louisville back in September but it wasn't until San Francisco two months later that his nosebleeds began. It may be a contributing factor but it isn't the cause.

So what does the nosebleed mean? It could be a positive indication that the tumor cells are lysing or a symptom of tumor growth or even the side effects of radiation.

I talked at length with an ICU doc last night and after running through a scenario analysis, we agreed that it was, in her words, structural. She also pointed out that my insticts have always been spot on with Murphy. True enough as it was nineteen stones ago I awoke Saturday morning and knew something was wrong with Murphy. The following Monday my fears were confirmed that he had nasal cancer.

According to Dr. LaRue his radiation oncolgist that after four months it's more likely than not that some tumor tissue will remain so we're already anticipating surgery or hopefully not more radiation.

We're a week and a half away from his CT scan and while I have many meetings and appearances between now and then I can cancel those and move up our appointment at CSU. The question is, if the tumor is growing again, does a week and a half make a difference?

Back before Malcolm was diagnosed with bone cancer I swore I detected a slight limp and I observed him every day on our walks on the Charles River. But I let his vet convince me I was seeing things. A few weeks later after I finally took him in for an X-ray and got the diagnosis I was racked with guilt for not going with my gut but his oncologist assured me it wouldn't have mattered.

I feel like I have six-shooter pointed at my head with three bullets in it. I'm just so busted up inside.

44 Stones

2010-11-23T12:52:00.014-05:00

There's a difference in life between a path and a way.

Stormbringers

2010-11-10T00:19:00.014-05:00

Half an hour before arriving at Fossil Creek Park in Fort Collins to lead the first of the 2 Million Dog March puppy up walks, gale force winds descended down from the Rocky Mountains at times gusting up to 50mph by my guestimate.

As Hudson, Murphy & I walked up to the pavillion I had already decided to scrap the speech I had prepared opting instead to literally go where the winds took us. The violent gusts drowned out the amplifiers making it hard to even hear myself speak but I'll try as best I can to sum up its essence.

To me, the winds were a sign. Now I know that's partly my romantic interpretation of things but what an appropriate metaphor on an awfully important day.

Growing up in farming country you learn there are only two types of wind - helpin & a'hurtin. It's easy in life to curse the head & crosswinds, but say a prayer of thanks for the tailwind. I myself did that upon occasion on our cross country walk. But the surest timber stands tall and true in the greatest of adversities and those are the people of 2 Million Dogs.

You launched 12 walks in 9 states with only two months of tarmac to plan and prepare these events and the response was nothing short of spectacular. Ginger will post the results here soon but the flags we planted Sunday November 7th 2010 send a strong message about our resolve and the strength of our community of cancer families and supporters & sponsors.

For me personally, what made me most proud was the news coverage and stories - listening and watching the people that hosted us on our travels being on the radio or TV for the first time in their lives... that was so cool. Signe & Patty who held fast the Purple People Bridge in OH; Brock Ketterman a handsome young fell'r and friend of the fuzzybutts in Pittsburgh who now has a day named after him for being the Marshall of the event there; Robin & Kerry who walked twice Sunday - in Poughkeepsie and in New Milford CT alongside one of our best friends, Chief; Our friends at Fetch a Cure in Richmond, and our new friends in Washington State and Colorado who you'll hear more about in the coming months.

I wanna thank Ginger Morgan, the Chief Puppy Officer of 2 Million Dogs, and our Board of Directors for continuing the vision I set forth March 2008 and their commitment to eradicating cancer in both pets and people. And thanks to all of the city leaders, their volunteers and participants, & everyone else involved.

What a great thing we started together and while we're no oak trees yet we're definitely a bunch of nuts blown all over this land standing our ground.

puppy up! y'all

Happy Birthday Malcolm

2010-11-01T19:07:00.019-04:00

Malcolm would've been 13 Sunday. I didn't realize it until now that his birthday comes on the eve of Pet Cancer Awareness Month.

A year or two ago I might have said that was curiously coincidental but I've witnessed way too much in my travels and I know otherwise now.

Last night I was fortunate enough to listen to Dr. Steve Withrow's talk about his lifelong work in comparative oncology. The title of his presentation tells all, "Some Science. Some Stories. Some True." It was both enlightening and invigorating, and I hope everyone of you has the opportunity to hear him speak some day.

One of the most interesting points he made was that despite breakthroughs in understanding and technological developments, "The dumbest cancer cell is smarter than all of us." My father, a nephrologist, used to talk to me at length when I was young about the amazing complexity of the human body and the intricacies of its individual yet interconnected systems. A few months back in a blog about Murphy I described cancer as nature's perfect enemy. It uses that complexity against its victims.

Dr. Withrow also talked about his efforts in convincing the National Institute of Health of the importance of studying cancer in companion pets. In his words, "NIH never questioned the science but the relevance and the ability to extrapolate it into humans." As a consequence, comparative oncology or translational studies are not even a rounding error in the billions of dollars spent on cancer research in the U.S. every year.

Public perception is still another problem and one I can speak about personally. While on our cross country walk I was invited to a number of human cancer rallies and at every one, I was introduced as the 'Dog Cancer Guy' or on a few occasions the 'Dog Cancer Boy' which made me sound a little like a circus act. Don't get me wrong I was grateful for every opportunity we had on the road to share our story but most of my time at those events was spent on, "Yes, dogs get breast cancer, too, and by working together we may find a common link or a key."

It's important this month, Pet Cancer Awareness Month, to keep in mind exactly what we're up against; the greatest epidemic facing companion pets, limited government funding for research, and even public perception.

That's why participating in the 2 Million Dog March this November 7th is so imperative. We've got to send a message to the media that this isn't just an "Aww, puppies" story and to the general public that the only way to eradicate cancer in both pets and people is through partnership.

We're not going to get 2 million dogs to walk in the 12 cities this year or any where close to that but it's the start. You know when Malcolm's cancer spread to his lungs he had hard days and when he struggled, I whispered to him, "We don't give up, we don't give in until the end, my friend." That's where 'puppy up' came from...

I miss you Malcolm. Happy birthday & puppy up!

To participate in a puppy up walk near you, go to http://2milliondogs.org/walks

No Pants

2010-10-21T08:10:00.011-04:00

"Where in the hell are my pants?" I asked. She smiled sweetly and shrugged. She couldn't find them either amidst my pile of clothes. Figures... when you need pants the most, you got none.

Now I've had awkward moments on the road but.... wait a tick, lemme back up just a bit.

We've been in the throes of chaos since we walked the final mile in Boston late June - Within weeks, Murphy's diagnosis came followed by four weeks of radiation therapy and a brief trip to Texas to visit my family.

While there I stopped by my storage unit in San Antonio that has most of my worldly possessions. Not knowing precisely when I'd return, I grabbed everything I might need for the coming months and, more importantly, that'd fit in Mommy G's Miata which I was driving at the time.

Among the things I stuffed into her Mazda; my golf bag which oh, God I missed (I tried ernestly to carry my seven iron cross country but it never made it outta Walter E. Long Park), my kilt ('Ello, 'Ello, 'Ello, luv), as many CDs I could cram into small spaces, my Conan the Barbarian coat (oh, yeah - wait til you see pics), and my suit bag since I planned on attending the APDT awards ceremony.

From TX I picked up the boys in Memphis and went on a goodwill tour that took us from Bowling Green KY, Louisville, Cincinnati, Columbus, Pittsburgh, Buffalo and Vermont then back down to Boston, Jersey City, and then onto Richmond. We were cutting it close and I only had one day in Virginia to get my suits cleaned and move on to Atlanta to receive our APDT award.

Our travels have never been without strife but to the best of my knowledge, they've never been pantless. Er, intentionally anyway. Apparently, I neglected to check my suit bag back in San Antonio and had I did, I would've discovered that it was jackets 4; slacks 0.

"What kinda guy separates the two?" Standing at the cleaner's counter I half chastised myself and half wondered what I did with them. It'd been over two years since I stowed everything in SA and we set out on our adventure so I came up well short on both questions.

"Where does one buy pants in Richmond anyway?", I asked the lady at the counter.

To be continued...

The Dog Chapel

2010-10-11T11:53:00.023-04:00

Making our way up Highway 59 towards Arkansas two months into the walk, we came across something called a Cowboy Church. Even though I grew up in Texas, it was the first I'd ever heard of this. But it wouldn't be the last. I soon discovered they're all over the South and suspected they were part of a franchise, too. Worked for chicken & biscuits, why not churches?

Turned out it's not a chain at all... just people in different places and of differing denominations who live the cowboy lifestyle and worship together. Seemed like a cool concept to me and over many subsequent miles on the road I wondered about building a Dog Church myself.

I don't remember how or when but I later found out about an artist named Stephen Huneck in Vermont who built such a sanctuary. My gut said, 'Gotta go there' so I called Ginger to make it happen. Wasn't on my walking plan she said and went on to spell out a whole host of reasons why it was impossible which I do not recall. I tend to drown out disagreement. Dreamers do that.

While on the Rails-to-Trails to DC I met a Marine who said, "'Impossible' only describes a degree of difficulty". That's true, but it also necessitates the element of time.

Do what you believe long enough and you'll turn the hearts of even your most ardent critics. I felt Mr. Huneck, a fellow romantic, understood a lot of what our travels entailed and hoped our paths would one day cross.

They did yesterday when Hudson Murphy & I visited the Dog Chapel for the first time. It was the annual fall festival at Dog Mountain and wow - what a place!

And while the beauty is indescribable I traveled to the Dog Chapel to pray for mercy for Murphy and everyone touched by cancer and to thank God for blessing my life with this mission and making me a weapon in this war

And to thank you, Stephen, for giving all of us a place to come and worship together.

http://dogmt.com/

Recipe: Brussel Sprouts with With Apples and Toasted Pecans

2010-10-08T02:30:00.000-04:00

Nowadays I spend just as much time in the kitchen as I do on the trail, whether cooking for host families or working on Murphy's diet. I'm no Rachel Ray but occasionally I concoct something good enough to share especially when I'm way outta my comfort zone.

The other night while at Mommy H's house (Murphy's first mommy), all she had in the fridge was rabbit food - some brussel sprouts and such. It's apple harvest time in the North & she'd just bought a busshel of Ginger Golden (oh, the irony). Rarely do I mix sweet and savory but I didn't have much to work with. Here's what I came up with and surprisingly it's one of the tastiest dishes I've ever made and perfectly fitting for fall season.

Saute some brushel sprouts in butter and salt & pepper until al dente, probably 15-20 minutes. Add chopped white or yellow onions and some minced garlic and continue to pan fry until the onions are translucent. Add a 1/4 - 1/2 cup of white whine, turn up the heat, and add apple slices. I used Pinot Grigio as these wines are typically fruitier than Chards.

This is the tricky part or at least it was for me. How long do you cook the apples? You want them soft enough to sop up the butter and wine but not too mushy. One maybe two minutes may be all you need to reduce it down without turning it into apple sauce.

Add some toasted pecans or whatever nut you prefer though I'd stay away from almonds because of their bitterness. The piece de resistance is a dash of nutmeg to tie all the flavors together.

To be honest, I lacked confidence in it from the get go so after sauteing the brussel sprouts, onions & garlic I set aside one-half before adding the wine and apples. I love the simplicity of brussel sprouts bathed in butter but after sampling the finished product, the other half went right back in the pan.

As someone once said about me, "For a homeless guy, this guy can cook!"

Turning 2 Dogs Into 2 Million!

2010-10-02T01:25:00.001-04:00

The Legacy Continues

November 7th 2010 in 12 cities across the nation.... Find out more about the 2 Million Dog March at http://2milliondogs.org/walks

Murphy update

2010-09-19T22:27:00.007-04:00

My apologies for not blogging sooner but after Murphy's treatments, getting the book proposal out and fleshing out the concept for a TV show have been my biggest priorities.

There's another reason, too. My mother's Alzheimers has overtaken her and she's gone. I wasn't prepared for it and though there's nothing I can do it's been breaking my heart. But I must focus on my pack and my mission now.

We're starting to see the effects of the radiation therapy on Murphy now. He's been losing fur around his eyes but just today he lost a big patch on his snout. This was expected but that doesn't make it any easier to witness.

The good news is Murphy's energy level is up & he's playful again. As soon as I arrived in Memphis, last Tuesday whatever 'issues' Hudson had with Murphy were resolved. He hasn't growled at him nor shown the slightest signs of aggresion. Papi put his house in order and I'm pleased our pack is back to normal.

We'll be traveling the next 2 months & have lots of things in store...

puppy up!

Luke & the Notorious Fuzzybutts

2011 Calendar Contest Winners!!

2010-09-13T21:24:00.003-04:00

Congratulations! The following dogs have made it into the 2011 “Cancer Can’t Keep a Good Dog Down” calendar!

Pete Morgan (Ginger Morgan) $2,240.00
Ruger Sowers (Cindy Sowers) $1,500.00
Bill Mann (Janice Mann) $1,460.00
North (Robert Cain) $1,380.00
Roxy (Heather Loflin-Miller) $1,300.00
Cassie Rose (Linda Rose) $1,270.00
Mr. Maxx (Marcia Siemsen) $1,207.00
Meatball and Shilo (Shari Lewis) $1,202.00
Salty (Lonna Coleman) $1,200.00
Maggie Riley (Karen Riley) $1,170.00
Sully Vachon-Lyda (Jennifer Vachon-Lyda) $1,130.00
Pepper Payne (Jonathan Payne) $1,125.00
Boudreaux (Jolie Banks) $1,115.00

We will begin taking pre-orders for the calendar in October and are hoping the calendars will be printed by mid-November. We need to verify pricing with the printer and will let everyone know what pricing will be this year. As in the past, we will be offering a discount on bulk orders.

Below is a list of ALL the dogs and Smokey, the cat, and the total number of votes (in dollars) they received. Please note -- we received a few votes after voting closed and the numbers do not reflect those votes because they did not count. However, the votes received after midnight did not effect the outcome of the contest.

Pete Morgan (Ginger Morgan) $2,240.00
Ruger Sowers (Cindy Sowers) $1,500.00
Bill Mann (Janice Mann) $1,460.00
North (Robert Cain) $1,380.00
Roxy (Heather Loflin-Miller) $1,300.00
Cassie Rose (Linda Rose) $1,270.00
Mr. Maxx (Marcia Siemsen) $1,207.00
Meatball and Shilo (Shari Lewis) $1,202.00
Salty (Lonna Coleman) $1,200.00
Maggie Riley (Karen Riley) $1,170.00
Sully Vachon-Lyda (Jennifer Vachon-Lyda) $1,130.00
Pepper Payne (Jonathan Payne) $1,125.00
Boudreaux (Jolie Banks) $1,115.00
Rudy Scott (Joanne Scott) $1,105.00
Ben Jamin Blues (Oscar Janssen) $1,025.00
Phoenix (Elissa O'Sullivan) $950.00
Max Large (Jodi Large) $860.00
Abigail (Judy Abare) $780.00
Wesley (Roseann Burrets-Baars) $678.00
Karly & Brandy (Deidre Tomkins) $635.00
Sergei (Deb Dolak) $615.00
Mac Duff (Chuck Christy) $610.00
Jagr (Michele Handte) $520.00
Gunner Nelson (Lesa & Dan Nelson) $510.00
Milo (Patty Hartman) $465.00
Murphy (Luke Robinson) $385.00
Luc Narro (Adrianna Narro) $375.00
Daisy & Lily (Hope Lisle) $340.00
Po (Lorraine Garaguso) $335.00
Gradie Mercer (Julie Mercer) $305.00
Sebastian (Angie & Josh Morris) $305.00
Ofi Guttenberg (Marilyn Guttenberg) $295.00
Tara Ling Tzu (Terri Greer) $290.00
Taz (Robin Brinkley) $280.00
Cemil James (Mary James) $275.00
Sunny Osborne (Dawn Osborne) $275.00
Tucker (Dan Bozik) $255.00
Bear McGarvey (Darlene McGarvey) $195.00
Bonham Scarborough (Linda Scarborough) $195.00
Kobe Arthur (Tom Arthur) $190.00
Fortis (Brett Hessenius) $185.00
Shelby Torrente (Melissa Torrente) $185.00
Rudy Birhanzl (Christine Birhanzl) $180.00
Thunder Bucklad (Mark Bucklad) $150.00
Riley (Doreen Buchler) $135.00
Gita (Heidi Oliveri) $130.00
Tyler Blue (Michelle Plourde) $130.00
Windsor Mitchell (Trish Mitchell) $125.00
Storm (Sylvia Griggs) $120.00
Tyson Conner (Megan Conner) $120.00
Buddy Ormsby (Michelle Ormsby) $110.00
Buddy Kelmelis (Shannon Kelmelis) $105.00
Brave (Sheila Rinks) $100.00
Cody Worthy (Tammy Worthy) $100.00
Hudson P. Wupperstein (Amanda Guth) $100.00
Maliboo (Issy Souto) $100.00
Smokey Wood (Bruce Wood) $100.00
Joy (Karen Robison) $90.00
Chance Reeder (Donna Reeder) $75.00
Sassy (Bekye Eckert) $75.00
Tigger (Kathy DeRay) $75.00
Cody Winebrenner (Jane Winebrenner) $70.00
Genie Derf (Neena Derf) $60.00
Grady Bowman (Aviva Bowman) $60.00
Womble Reynolds (Helen Reynolds) $60.00
Kirby (Bobbie Klimkowski Klimkowski) $50.00
Maggie Liles (Beth Liles) $50.00
Mason Eggleston (Kathy Eggleston) $50.00
Solar (Michele Handte) $50.00
Amber Gedek (Terry Gedek) $40.00
Shelby Ryan (Robert Ryan) $35.00
Colby McGinley (Keri McGinley) $30.00
Spanky (Lea Ann Goettsch) $30.00
Rigby (Elizabeth Marino) $25.00
Speedy & Scooter Lynett (Ramzey Rambles) $25.00
Trouper Menard (Gretchen Menard) $25.00
Zoe (Laura Williams) $25.00
Alex (San Mehta) $20.00
Brownie Schmidt (Donna Schmidt) $20.00
Callisto (Catherine Pfent Marrical) $20.00
Rori O'Connell (Jennifer O'Connell) $20.00
Sam Eilenberger (Cindy Eilenberger) $20.00
Skyler Blue & Kiara Jordan Pike (Eileen Pike) $20.00
Stella Feingold (Fonda Feingold) $20.00
Sandy Smith (kevin Smith) $15.00
Camden Rose (Cindy Corell) $10.00
DeePak (Terry Gedek) $10.00
Engorgs Aznar (Maria Aznar) $10.00
Luke Marino (Molly Marino) $10.00
Maggie Hobson (Deann Hobson) $10.00
Maxine Stout (Maureen Stout) $10.00
Missy Lynett (Ramz Rambles) $10.00
Monty Raab (Barbara Raab) $10.00
Riley Forristal (Keli Forristal) $10.00
Yoshi (Connie McCabe) $10.00
Angel Madeja (Lori Madeja) $0.00
Beauty (Nancy Crovetti) $0.00
Bo Fisher (Elaine Fisher) $0.00
Bridgit D'Angelo (Aileen D' Angelo) $0.00
Bucc (Nancy Crovetti) $0.00
Buttons Ottilo (Angela Ottilo) $0.00
Coltrane Cartier (C. C. Cartier) $0.00
Dena Oliver (Debbie Oliver) $0.00
Fabrizio (Rozan Ambrosino) $0.00
Heidi (Heidi Christensen) $0.00
Hendrix Doyi (Sarah Doyi) $0.00
Jada Van Dommelan (Amy Van Dommelan) $0.00
Jake Rae (Rachel Rae) $0.00
Kahlua Crovetti (Nancy Crovetti) $0.00
Kringle (Michael Reed) $0.00
Lady (Nancy Crovetti) $0.00
Loki Ruesch (Emily Ruesch) $0.00
Maggie Jones (Tracy Jones) $0.00
Misty Alba (Beverly Alba) $0.00
Mona Brand (Holly Brand) $0.00
Popeye (K. Tate) $0.00
Raven Rosenberg (Barry Rosenberg) $0.00
Sasha Laing (Sheila Laing) $0.00
Sparky O'Neill (Courtney O'Neill) $0.00
Stella Alba (Beverly Alba) $0.00
Stella Culp (DR Culp) $0.00
Tonka Drawdy (Shandra Drawdy) $0.00
Zachary (Sheila Laing) $0.00

Thank you for helping 2 Million Dogs in our fight against cancer.

Voting Ends SOON!

2010-09-12T10:16:00.005-04:00

Voting for the calendar contest has been phenomenal!

This is just a quick reminder that voting ends for this year’s 2011 “Cancer Can’t Keep a Good Dog Down” calendar contest at 12 midnight Central Daylight Time today, Sunday September 12th. For those of you who have trouble translating Central Time into your time zone, here’s some help:

voting ends in the Eastern time zone (e.g.: New York) at 1:00 AM Monday September 13

voting ends in the Mountain time zone (e.g.: Denver) at 11:00 PM Sunday September 12

voting ends in the Pacific time zone (e.g.: Seattle) at 10:00 PM Sunday September 12

Voting for many contestants is extremely close. Others have had absolutely no votes at all. Not even their own people! Can you imagine? What’s that about?

We had over 120 photos submitted this year for the calendar. In the past, we've devoted 2 pages in the calendar to showcase all the entries. This year we will try our best to do the same. However, we were pretty much at our limit last year with 100 entries. We may have to leave some of the photos out of the gallery if they will not all fit. If it comes down to that, we will base our decision on which photos to leave out based on how many votes the photos have at the end of the contest. The last time I checked there were over 34 photos without votes.

Voting is in real time, so when the voting ends at midnight (Central Time) you will be able to see the top 13 winners by following this link https://2md2m.ejoinme.org/MyEvents/2011Calendar/FundraiserDirectory/tabid/229975/Default.aspx.

All donations are date and time stamped by Greater Giving (the company processing the payments). Greater Giving is on Pacific Time.

Ginger has been verifying off-line donations as she’s received them. Once the contest is over she will re-verify all off-line donations. Once those donations have been verified she will send out an email with the official winners listed early Monday morning. And I will post the winners on the Daily and to Facebook and our 2 blogs.

Good Luck to everyone! Thank you for your enthusiastic participation!

Faithfully

2010-09-05T22:39:00.005-04:00

When I drove up into my parent's semicircular driveway in Temple, TX Friday evening my mom and dad were there to greet me. After all, their son had recently completed a journey of a lifetime.

I hugged my mom and the first thing I said to her was, "I told you I'd be here in a couple of days". It was the fulfillment of a promise I'd been making to her practically every week since we began our walk.

As most of you know mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's before we launched from Austin in 2008 making the decision to leave one of the most difficult I've ever made. Every week I phoned mom and every week she always asked, "When are you coming home?"

"I'll be home in a couple of days", was always my answer which seemed to settle her anxieties and sadness. That same exchange continued for 118 weeks.

More than walking into Boston Common with blocks and blocks of people behind me that final mile to Boston, seeing my mom Friday marked the end of my journey.

"I told you I'd be here in a couple of days."

Voting Has Begun!

2010-08-26T12:43:00.003-04:00

Voting for this year’s “2011 Cancer Can’t Keep a Good Dog Down” calendar has begun. We have another cast of beautiful animals and stories to share with you this year, so please follow this link to get started.

Voting for the Calendar Dogs (and Cat!) works as follows: each U.S. dollar donated equals one vote — if you donate $20.00 for Fluffy then twenty votes will go towards Fluffy. You can vote as often as you like, for as many dogs as you like, in whole dollars please. (For example, if you donate $21.74 only 21 votes will be applied.) Voting starts with a minimum of $5.00.

Voting continues until the deadline, Sunday, Sept. 12, 2010 at midnight EDT.

To keep track of voting check out the Directory Page

The thirteen dogs with the highest number of votes will be the dogs featured in the 2011 Calendar. However – and this is what makes our calendar so special – all of the dogs (and the cat) will appear in the calendar in the gallery! So everyone wins and all the contestants have a place in the calendar.

About the Cancer Can’t Keep a Good Dog Down Calendar:

Our calendar is in honor of and a memorial to our beloved companions touched by cancer, and a tribute to their spirit, undaunted courage, and the unshakable loyalty they have given us.

2 Million Dogs was formed with the singular aim of eradicating cancer in pets and people and it will work towards that end by educating people about and investing in comparative oncology studies. To learn more about us, please visit www.2milliondogs.org.

2 Million Dogs is a 501 C (3) organization that relies on the generosity of individuals and corporations to help us in our mission to eradicate cancer through education and investing in comparative oncology studies.

Thank you for your votes and participating in a great cause!

61 Stones: Postscripts

2010-08-24T19:07:00.008-04:00

"You who pursue righteousness and who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were cut; and to the quarry from which you were dug." Isaiah 51:1-2

We gathered our 61 stones today. As each week passes, I'll remove one of them.

Some of you haven't understood why I'm doing this but when I had Malcolm I worked nonstop usually pulling 14 hrs a day and sleeping in my office most nights. God only knows how much I missed of his life.

I won't make that mistake... not this time and not with Murphy and since he was diagnosed I've thought alot about how. Then I remembered reading about a workaholic years ago who one day counted up the number of weekends he had left in his life and put a marble in a bowl for each one...

I think it's important to have a daily reminder of the transience of life and this is mine. Every stone I remove I hope to counterbalance by a week filled with love and adventures. And when no stone is left, well, we're on borrowed time and I'll cherish every moment I have with Murphy.

The stones hold a much greater significance as well which someday you'll better understand.

61 stones

2010-08-24T00:36:00.007-04:00

Sitting in the waiting room at Colorado State University after I got the news Murphy had nasal cancer, I kept playing and replaying his prognosis in my head like an endless video loop... 15 months to live. 15 months...

That's when you realize immortality becomes mortal... that the life of the one you love is now on a clock. It's an inflection point - the difference between the waxing and waning moon and that the sun that rose with you also sets.

But it's also the realization heaven and earth aren't that far apart. For Murphy and me it's 15 months. Tomorrow I am travelling to Platte River to collect rocks, one for each week they say Murphy has to live.

61 stones.

Murphy's Radiation Treatments Finished

2010-08-23T01:09:00.008-04:00

And CSU gave him a green bandana that says something about hugging him because he just finished radiation there. That's sweet but I thought rather it should say: "I got zapped by lasers & all I got was this lousy bandana."

It's still a little too early to tell how he's doing. Last week was tough on him as the cumulative effects of daily doses and general anesthesia took its toll. He's still a little lethargic but after a week of GI distress, Murphy seems to be improving. I've been regulating his diet with drill sergeant discipline.

So what now? The full impact of radiation therapy isn't fully evident for four months his radiation oncologist says and so now we wait. At that point Murphy will get another CT scan and if the tumor hasn't been completely irradicated we have two choices. Hopefully it'll be small enough and located in an area that the residual tissue can be surgically removed. Otherwise, more radiation. Either way, looks like we'll be spending Christmas in Colorado.

Between now and then, the biggest side effect Murphy faces is damage to the inside of his mouth, more specifically a hole forming on his hard palate. As of Friday, the redness and irritation rated a 1-2 out of a scale of 4 and we'll have to keep a constant watch for more extensive tissue damage.

This is the place to get a thorough update but you can get the abridged version on either Facebook or Twitter.

The cost of Murphy's care at CSU amounted to $5,400 and we raised $4,700 in donations. The bill's been paid in total but if you'd still like to help out just click on the Donations Button nearby.

Thank you to everyone who made contributions and afforded Murphy the best care available.

'AND MURPHY SMILES' shirt

2010-08-19T12:58:00.007-04:00

Thanks for all your advice on the mockup - it was well received and here's the revised shirt. This is the back view. The front has the text 'CANCER CAN'T KEEP A GOOD DOG DOWN'.

Cost is $28 and the proceeds will go towards Murphy's cancer care and veterinary bills. Click on the shirt to order. Thank you for supporting Mr. Murphy in his time of need.

puppy up!

Cancer and Nutrition

2010-08-16T13:27:00.001-04:00

Once you get the Big 'C' diagnosis like Murphy recently did, care becomes the number one concern and traditionally that means Chemotherapy, Radiation, Surgical, or Palliative or some combination thereof.

What's not part of the treatment plan is Nutrition. Surprisingly if not incredulously, there aren't a lot of studies out there about diet and cancer care. I asked my oncology team at CSU to get me all avalaible research and the results were pretty dismal.

But as most of you have encountered there's a whole host of theories, opinions, and more than a few snake oil salesmen selling 'holistic' remedies to the unfortunate desparate souls willing to try anything.

I don't have answers nor do I profess to. But what I want to do is start a serious thread on the prophylactic and therapeutic importance of nutrition for cancer dogs. That's a fancy way of asking that once your dog is diagnosed with cancer, what's the best diet for her?

I don't want this discussion to spiral into a disagreement about particular brands of dog food or kibble versus raw diet.

What it needs to be about is what vitamins, proteins, nutrients, etc. your dog needs given their type of cancer and what therapy they're undergoing.

What began this blog was a burning question I had about Murphy. What effect does the constant exposure to radiation and anesthesia have on his body & how can I offset that with his diet?

For cancer dogs, I cannot think of a more important and immediate question...

where's god now?

2010-08-14T16:38:00.002-04:00

After I lost Malcolm to cancer I wrote a simple poem

"I left this place and head asea
Into the swells, ne'er alee.
No land I seek no shore no more
For me there is no galilee."

Press Release

2010-08-12T17:21:00.007-04:00

Dog Who Walked Cross Country for Cancer Diagnosed with Cancer

August 12 2010 / For Immediate Release

Contact: Luke Robinson
Phone: 901.674.9621. E-mail: 2dogs2000miles@gmail.com

FORT COLLINS, CO ― After completing a two-year, 2,300-mile, cross-country cancer walk from Austin to Boston in June with his two dogs, Luke Robinson recently learned one of them, Murphy, has cancer and is now undergoing treatment at Colorado State University’s (CSU’s) Animal Cancer Center.

The walk, known as 2 Dogs 2,000 Miles (http://www.2dogs2000miles.org/) was inspired by Robinson’s loss of his dog, Malcolm, to metastatic bone cancer in 2006. Sharing Malcolm’s story and educating people about the link between cancer in dogs and humans was the primary purpose of the walk and now that it’s over, their mission isn’t.

“It’s kind of a cruel irony,” Robinson says. “Murphy, who’s nine, walked across the country so he’s in excellent shape for his age and he’s been on the best diet available to dogs. It just goes to show, cancer doesn’t always discriminate and that’s why it’s the greatest epidemic facing dogs ever. What started as a walk for me is now a war.”

This war started with a sniffle and took them to CSU. “At first I thought it was just congestion but when I noticed a trace amount of blood in his nasal discharge that concerned me,” says Robinson. A CT scan and biopsy were performed there and the diagnosis came back as adenocarcinoma, a type of cancer found in the glands of both pets and people. “It was trail magic that the cancer was discovered in Colorado. I came here after the walk to work on the book with my editor and CSU has one of the most advanced veterinary oncology programs in the world.”

Dr. Stephen Withrow, professor at CSU and founder of their Clinical Oncology Program agrees, “We have been proudly watching Luke’s journey with his two dogs, Murphy and Hudson, from afar for almost two years. Little did we know that Murphy would become a patient.”

Murphy’s prognosis is promising according to Dr. Susan LaRue, radiation oncologist at CSU. “We hope with Murphy’s treatment we can exceed the median survival for this tumor which is currently 12 to 15 months.”

Luke Robinson has higher hopes. “Murphy’s a fighter and as Winston Churchill once said, ‘In a fight always bet on the one who’s smiling.’”

And Murphy smiles.

Halfway Through Murphy's Radiation Treatments

2010-08-12T00:14:00.004-04:00

We're more than halfway through the 18 radiation doses now. It's been hard for me to evaluate his condition without reference points. Murphy's continual congestion has been the source of some sleepless nights - I just don't want him to be uncomfortable

But today I met a Collie that received three massive doses of radiation for nasal cancer last November and not only had she lost the hair on her snout, she now has a sizable hole in her palate. By fractioning Murphy's doses over 18, the radiation oncology, Dr. LaRue, feels confident the long-term effects will be less drastic.

Only a few years ago, before IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy) that uses 3D imaging to make precise adjustments to the location and intensity of radiation, in the words of one of the technicians, 'dogs looked like they had a perpetual sunburn'. I filmed Dr. LaRue going over Murphy's radiation plan with my Sony Digicam and had hoped to post it here but I'm having conversion issues. If you want to learn more about the cutting edge technology at CSU called the Varian Trilogy, here's the link.

It's because of advancements to veterinary medicine and generous donors that have made it possible for Murphy to undergo a less intensive treatment plan. Total donations raised through Paypal: $3,700 Checks: $900. Plus one pony & a couple of spare pairs of big girl panties for Mommy G.

Thank you everyone for your generosity and more importantly the emotional and spiritual support.

Postscript - healing prayers for the Collie

Don't know how to entitle this blog

2010-08-07T09:38:00.003-04:00

Recently I received some comments to my blog 'Donations for Murphy' that someone tried to post 'Anonymously'. I rejected them at first but when I got this yesterday, well, it just needed to be dealt with. Here's their comment and my response:

"At this point, our organization is going to have to drop support of your cause - all we asked for was transparency and in return our comments are not being published and it makes the whole thing look shady."

So what is it you want me to be transparent about?

About Murphy's cancer? Well as much as I wish I'm faking his diagnosis you're more than welcome to contact CSU & find out if he's a patient. Not sure if they'll disclose much more than that but I did post a 3D rendering of the tumor in his head and also a photo of blood seeping out of his nose after a radiation treatment. Or maybe you think I photoshoped those?

Reporting of donations? I made a decision to setup a Paypal account only and not use ChipIn or Click and Pledge because I thought that would be sufficient and save time and money. Whether that was the right decision is irrelevant because the transparency you seem so intent on, they cannot provide.

While ChipIn can report the exact amount of donations, What it won't tell you is how I use that money. For all you know I could be spending it on hookers and heroin... or the pony I always wanted as a child. Season tickets to the Patriots wouldn't be bad either.

Or the money could be going towards the care of Murphy.

You need a history lesson - it took me a week to ask for donations in part because I really didn't want to ask all of the wonderful ppl who supported the walk to give more of themselves. It still bothers me but that's my own limitation as a person.

The only thing 'shady' here is people like you who feel they can make accusations and try to impugn one's character without repercussions because you do so behind the veil of anonymity. You could've posted these criticisms on my Facebook page where I have thousands of supporters but that'd mean you'd have to reveal yourself and your organization. What you would've found there is lots of folks who asked and wanted to donate.

You didn't because you're a coward and you lack the courage of your convictions. If'n when you ever have the stones to accuse me to my face - my cell is 901.674.9621. Or we're at CSU every weekday at 7:50AM for the next three weeks.

Or you can contact Ginger Morgan. Though if I was you, I'd give it a week because when I shared your comments with her, her words were, "You broke the last bit of elastic in her big girl panties and now you're going to see some ass". Her words not mine & I'm not sure I really understand what that means but it scares me... It should scare you, too.

Pete: Requiescat in Pace et in Amore

2010-08-03T11:56:00.005-04:00

Pete just passed away. For those of you who never knew him, he was Mommy G's heart dog.

Pete personified simple happiness and my life is richer and fuller having met him.

He had this penchant for pink toys, I mean I watched in amazement as he nosed open his toy box & pulled everything out until he found a pink one. So great was his spirit and I will miss him dearly.

From everyone in the 2 Dogs family - our heart goes out to Ginger today.

Donations for Murphy

2010-08-02T12:25:00.023-04:00

The outpouring of love and support has been heartfelt and helped us get through a few dark nights last week. Lots of you have sent requests to make donations and we're going to need it over the coming weeks. I've held off until we had a better handle on what we're dealing with and now that we got the biopsy results back last Thursday.

The estimated total cost of care for his adenocarcinoma is going to be around $6,000: $1,400 of which was for the initial CT scan and the balance for 18-20 doses of radiation. Any amount you could pitch in would be a tremendous help as this couldn't have come at a worst time (doesn't it always?). Boston was barely more than a month ago and I've been working on things in the background to provide an income for myself but just didn't have enough tarmac to launch them before this all happened.

I've opened a Paypal account which seems to be the most common way to do this but you can also send a check in c/o Ginger Morgan at 1902 Evelyn Ave Memphis 38114

In lieu of using ChipIn (which requires a Paypal account) I'll try to post donations daily so that everyone knows where we're at.

Donations received as of August 3rd: $1,400
Total Donations as of August 4th from 65 people: $2,250

Please Click on the 'Donate' button nearby

Murphy's tumor

2010-07-29T20:07:00.001-04:00

This is an actual scan of Murphy's big ole noggin & the tumor is in red. Thank you Lynn for getting this to us so quickly...

Official Diagnosis: Adenocarcinoma

2010-07-29T16:57:00.008-04:00

Two things of significance happened today: (1) we got the biopsy results back and the news is good in that it could've been worse. Had the cancer been either osteosarcoma or squamous cell the prognosis would be less promising; (2) we had our first consult with the radiology oncologist, Dr. LaRue. She walked me through the radiation plan using their Varian imaging software.

I had previously seen the CT scan but it's difficult to fully appreciate the size of the tumor unless it's rendered in 3-D. I hope to get a pic of it up here soon but I assure you it is massive, occupying the entire left sinus cavity. No one can know for sure how long its been growing in my boy but the damage it has wrought is extensive.

Parts of the septum, the wall between the two spaces, has been eaten away by the cancer and it's spilling into the other side now. All of the bones used for filtering in the left passage have been consumed completely. Thankfully it was detected before it breached the brain barrier and invaded the occipital space.

This monster means business.

No Stephen King or Wes Craven could ever imagine a beast as absolutely sinster as cancer. It takes your own cells and turns them against you. And since the cells still look normal your entire defense system is rendered helpless. It's nature's perfect enemy.

Hell it even fooled me. I was so preoccupied with the tumor in Murphy's neck that turned out benign, the nasal congestion never seemed anything more than a URI. I was looking the other way. While on the walk, I came up with the 5 'L's for early signs of cancer: lumps, lesions, lameness, loss of appetite, and lethargy. There should be a sixth: the opposite of what Luke thinks.

Forgive me for the self-indulgent guilt but unfortunately, it's part of the process of coping. I should have been paying better attention but we are very, very lucky.

Tonight Murphy & I are camping at Horsetooth Reservoir, a basin at the foothills of the Rockies. We're out in god's country where Murphy loves to be with his papi. An evening out here with my boy is all I need.

Radiation Therapy Starts Today

2010-07-28T06:12:00.005-04:00

In a few hours I'll be taking Murphy back up to CSU for his first dose of radiation. While I'm still learning everything I can about it all, the 'Gold Standard' of Care seems to be 18-20 doses of radiation over three to four weeks.

Dr. La Rue will be the radiation oncologist caring for him. The tumor sits atop his hard palate so the biggest concerns from radiation are mouth ulcerations and the outside chance that it'll burn a hole in his sinus.

Things happen so fast in life and my head is swimming in scientific data, informed opinions, and my own hyperemotional state. I think back to one of the lessons we learned on the road.... crude... crass perhaps, but one that not only served us well on our travels but may have saved our lives.

Just outside Buffalo TX there are a series of three bridges which I affectionately referred to as the 'bridges of death' - there's a blog & photo in the archives here. It was the first time I was truly terrified on the walk. Narrow shoulders, supersized semis coming from both directions on a two lane highway, surrounded by mudflat marshes filled with water moccasins preventing any flanking strategies.

After thirty minutes of analzying traffic patterns, running calculations in my head on how to safely cross these bridges, I realized I was petrified. But I knew I had to act so I turned to Hudson & Murphy and said, "Well, boys, we can't stand around all day holding our peckers in our hands"...

Life demands decisions and even though Buffalo TX seems light years away, I find myself back on that bridge again.

After reading extensively and consulting with thought leaders this seems the best course of action. Thank you to everyone who sent us alternative ideas and treatments.

Murphy Has Cancer

2010-07-27T09:31:00.004-04:00

Looking at murphy's blood stained snout from the biopsy that was performed some hours ago, I could ask why. Why give him cancer, my boy who walked across the country for all others who suffer from this horrible disease. It may seem a cruel irony that just over a month after its completion he was diagnosed.

I choose not to ask because the answer is as unknowing as it is extraneous. What I felt when I awakened this morning was truly blessed. God's love for us is so great that he held the cancer at bay until after our mission was completed . He got us from Austin to Boston safely fulfilling his promise.

From what the vets said yesterday, nasal cancer can come in several varieties so we're awaiting the results of the biopsy. While I am still digesting all of the information and articles that were provided to me it seems the 'gold standard' of care is radiation therapy over a three week period. The prognosis of nasal cancer especially caught this early is promising even though the tumor has invaded part of Murphy's bone.

I want to thank the staff at Colorado State University Vet School for taking good care of Mr. Murphy yesterday, especially Drs. Woorley and Venable and Jennifer who's a fourth year student.

I'll post regular updates here... puppy up!

'Way Leads Unto Way'

2010-07-20T18:38:00.016-04:00

Yesterday it became perfectly clear to me what the first cancer study we'll work on is and it's not going to be an easy one.

A little historical context first. After reading an article that pathogenic infections are more and more likely suspects in causing some cancers in humans I talked with several physicians about it. HPV is thought to cause the majority of cervical tumors and it seems now that lung cancer is not caused by the tar and nicotine from smoking but the repeated respiratory infections from diminished lung capacity.

I took this notion to several veterinarians I met on my journey and their response was that dogs are not susceptible to all of the same pathogens humans are. They don't get sick like we do. True but we know dogs have a different threshold of pain and they don't tell us when they have a slight case of the sniffles like the other snowflakes in our lives. Diagnostics in dogs is different than humans.

I think there's something there. Since Boston I've been meditating on what's next - now that the walk is over the work begins - and the correlation between pathogens and cancer has always been one of the possibilities.

Touring Lily's Haven outside of Colorado Springs yesterday convinced me completely. Lily was a gorgeous Italian Greyhound whose unfortunate fate landed her in a puppy mill. Lack of dental care amongst other atrocities later, Lily was rescued but by then she was completely toothless and had suffered countless oral infections.

As I listened to her story it astonished me that Lily was diagnosed with oral cancer which metastisized throughout her jaw bones and surrounding soft tissue. While I don't know all of the facts about her circumstances, it re-awakened my curiosity and confirmed what I had previously suspected.

The road from Austin to Boston to Colorado is more than about the book now. As Robert Frost said in his poem, 'Way leads unto way'. I was lead to Lily's Haven for a reason.

What we're going to study first is the causal relationship between infections, immune response, and cancer. It'll take us a little time to put this together but in the interim, we welcome your feedback, input, and involvement.

repost - Midnight with Malcolm

2010-07-15T18:34:00.004-04:00

*This is something I wrote whilst in the basement of a host family in Bowling Green KY on the 3rd anniversary of Malcolm's passing. I hadn't read it since I originally posted it over a year ago*>

January 11th 2006. I still remember every moment of that day with absolute clarity. The cancer that began in his bones had spread to his lungs and besieged his beautiful body. At the time, he was on both Rimadyl and Tramadol which I had stopped the day before so that I could better assess his quality of life. I'm glad I did because I discovered his mobility in his hind legs was markedly diminished something the meds were concealing.

The tumor had grown so large in his lungs putting him into congestive heart failure which caused a secondary condition known as hypertrophic osteopathy. His body was succumbing and he was tired from the long struggle. But I wasn't ready to let go of my boy.

When his cancer first metastisized I wondered daily how I could possibly establish the criteria to know when it was time to let him go. It's not purely a scientific question unfortunately. How could I let him go? We had this saying that helped get us through the tough days when he wasn't feeling well. "We don't give up, we don't give in until the end, my friend."

I can't recall where or how I came up with that and I'm sure I said it mostly for me... to keep me from breaking down. Not once did I cry in front of him... not when his leg was amputated nor when the cancer spread. To do so, I believed, would've been tantamount to telling him that it had beaten me and I wasn't going to go the distance with him.

You see, Malcolm just didn't have quit in him... it was amazing to see the rugged determination in his eyes and the unwillingness to give up. He was that way about everything and that was apparent from the first day we met.

When he first came into my life, a present from an ex-girlfriend which should've automatically sent off alarm bells in my head, he was a wee lad. I sat him down for the 'father-son' talk. "If you respect my rules in this house and behave yourself then I'll treat you with respect. Oh, and, I don't do baby talk. That's for girls." That's what I told him.

He broke me in less than a fortnight. I started singing him good morning songs, planning my day around him, and looking for excuses to stop by the pet store and buy him yet another toy and more treats. I recently saw a shirt that said, "You had me at Woof". Indeed he did and in retrospect, I'm quite sure that was part of his master plan.

My family had animals all throughout my childhood. Jenny, a beautiful black lab, and a supremely cool cat my brother Jon named Wally are two of the ones I remember most vividly. I've always considered myself a dog lover but up until Malcolm, I had never experienced a deep and profound bond with one. Such a thing just wasn't possible from my upbringing. "Dawgs is dawgs". That's what a nice and well intentioned fellow from Arkansas told me when I was traveling through there. He just couldn't believe I was walking across the country for canine cancer.

Dogs are dogs sure enough but Malcolm was my boy, too. My day rose and set with him and it was three years ago today I knew it was time to let him go and that the sun that had filled my life with so much joy and simple happiness was going down forever. I held him in my arms as he was given rest and he left this world as he lived it with a strong, quiet dignity.

It's because of his strength and courage that I began this walk and some 900 miles and nine months later, there have been times when I've faltered, doubted, and even despaired but I won't give up, I won't give in, until the end my friend. And today, I give thanks to Malcolm for that and toast that spirit which was his. I miss you, mate.

Malcolm would be proud.

2010-07-06T22:24:00.007-04:00

On behalf of the entire Tripawds community – now 1,400+ members strong and growing – we are honored to give Luke and the Boys a big three paws up for completing their epic journey, and embarking on their new challenge to end the scourge of cancer in dogs!

We have been walking by their side in spirit every day since the kickoff barbecue in Austin nearly two and a half years ago. Every step of the way, their courage, passion, and determination never ceased to amaze us.

Words cannot describe the pride we share knowing we played just a tiny role in the 2 Dogs 2000 Miles adventure – except to say we know Malcolm would be proud. We're sure he and Jerry are both smiling down on the entire 2 Dogs crew from the Rainbow Bridge.

And to think, this is just the beginning... Big Dog, you will always have our support. We can't wait to see you again. The Tripawds Colorado contingency will be waiting.

The 2 Dogs - Tripawds Connection

For fuzzybutt fans who may not know, we met Luke after discovering his first first 2 dogs 2000 miles video. We had hit the road in an RV with our dog Jerry when he was diagnosed with bone cancer to enjoy the time we had left together roaming the country as a pack. Sound familiar?

When we learned about Malcolm and this amazing man's mission to keep a promise he made to him – needless to say – we connected immediately. The timing was right, so we planned a party and headed for Texas. Thousands of miles later, Jerry is no longer with us. But inspired by Luke's relentless resolve, we have grown his little three legged dog blog into the largest support community for those faced with a cancer diagnosis or amputation for their dogs.

Find out more about the evolution of Jerry's blog by reading our How do you .com? contest entry, then please vote for Tripawds to help us prove to the world that it's better to hop on three legs than to limp on four.

And don't forget to Puppy Up!

We Made It Malcolm... We Made It

2010-07-05T18:08:00.018-04:00

Two weeks later and I'm still wrestling with how I want to talk about Boston. That may surprise you since it was without doubt a spectacular way to celebrate the final day of this amazing journey.

Just before Boston a reporter asked me if I had accomplished everything I set out to and I still don't know how to answer that question.

The short answser is - I got Hudson & Murphy from Austin to Boston safely which was the single most important part of my mission. Against all odds I did that, defying countless skeptics and disbelievers. Some said we'd never make it 100 miles... others said we'd never make it out of Texas.

But this journey was never about proving myself or my abilities to anyone. I leave that to people like Bear Grylls and Shaun White. So what did I hope to accomplish with the walk?

Sharing Malcolm's story and educating thousands of people about canine can.cer and comparative oncology was a big part of it. It brought together so many from disparate backgrounds and distant lands that I'm only beginning to understand the implications and possibilities. Even still that wasn't why.

I set out from Austin some two and a half years ago with a simple hope - to find out what took my boy from me and until and when I accomplish that there will be no rest. As long as cancer is the greatest scourge known to mankind it can count me as its greatest enemy.

Boston wasn't a victory lap for me. Not by any stretch of the imagination. I suppose some people after an endeavour of this magnitude congratulate themselves. I am not one of them. I was born in the Year of the Dog. Nuf said.

But I do owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to all those who made this walk possible - a debt that can only be repaid by fulfilling Malcolm's legacy.

'Is Eram Meus Filius'

Blessings

2010-06-19T16:48:00.007-04:00

The Blessing of the Animals, officiated by the Reverend Pattie Handloss.

Hudson and Murphy being blessed.

More From Boston

2010-06-19T13:04:00.006-04:00

Here's Angus. He's walking for Rita Cook.

Waiting for the festivities to start.

Twiggy already enjoying the day.

Today’s The Day!

2010-06-19T12:45:00.014-04:00

It’s been 826 days and 2301 miles in the making, but today’s the day Luke, Hudson, and Murphy have walked their final mile into Boston. Earlier this morning the Memorial Service was introduced by our long time friend and supporter, Lydia Best, who lost her own dog, Princess Daisy, to cancer. (Princess Daisy was the cover girl of our first Calendar.) Luke then spoke briefly, welcoming everyone to the Memorial and Final Mile walk, then introducing the Reverend Pattie Handloss. The Reverend, retired associate vicar of the Old North Church in the North End and Animal Rescue League of Boston overseer, gave a moving service, reading the prayer of St. Francis. Later today she will be officiating at the Blessing of the Animals. There’s a nice article about Reverend Handloss here.

After the Memorial Service, Luke and The Boys led the Final Mile to the Boston Common, followed by friends they’ve made from over 20 states. As the Walk progressed more and more people and dogs joined them. What a thrilling accomplishment! As he spoke to the crowd, all spoke of all the Angels who are on the Memorial Shirt. He said they watched over them and inspired him to continue when he thought he couldn't anymore. And he thanked Malcolm: "It's been some grand journey and today we will fulfill Malcolm's legacy. I just wish he was here to welcome us home."

After the Final Mile, people will share an afternoon of fun at the Puppy Up! Festival in the Boston Common. After posing with The Boys for photos, Luke will have the ceremonial cutting of the hair, which will be donated to Locks of Love. He’ll then be whisked off to get a proper haircut and get spiffed up for the Gala. In the meantime Puppy Up! partiers will enjoy a Boston Police K9 Demo, Top Hat and Tails Canine Freestyle Performance, Owner/Dog Look-Alike Contest, Children’s Pet Show, and lots of vendor and sponsor booths. The weather so far is looking good for the whole day!

Check out the special shirts The Boys got for the event!

And then of course in the evening the Puppy Up! Gala gets underway. Dinner, cocktails, the Puppy Up! song sung by Luke, more live music, silent and live auctions, dancing – well, a regular pawrty! Murphy will give a live demonstration of his passion for The Honest Kitchen food, there will be a few speeches and much congratulation, and Luke will tell everyone about 2 Million Dogs, our next project.

It's turning out to be a full and wonderful day for everyone.

Lone Star Pyrs and Paws already set up at the Puppy Up! Festival. All the way from Texas!

On The Way to Boston

2010-06-19T12:24:00.010-04:00

Here is Chief, a tripawd in his special wagon, getting ready to head to Boston and his dad Kerry. Robbin Sneddon writes, "Kerry has been practicing packing early for our Boston trip, just to be sure all the items will fit on the back of and inside the Honda Element! Us with 2 Pyrs inside, with most all our luggage AND the wheelchair AND the yellow wagon, on the outside. I just went out to see how he made out and things are fitting together wonderfully! Check out the special license plate a friend made for the event!!

And here's Lily Lisle, also a tripawd, catching a nap on the way from Colorado to Boston.

Congratulations!

2010-06-16T11:53:00.004-04:00

Luke, Hudson, and Murphy hit the Boston city limits June 16, 2010 at approximately 11 AM EDT! Congratulations, Boys! Well done!