Self-Realization and Other Awakenings

four times its normal size, misshapen, and lumpy.
That is, it is riddled with cancer.
The vet, the Amazing Dr. Reimer at Adler's VCA in
the Valley, got a second opinion by Craig Adler, DVM
who shares the practice.
It appears my instincts were right five weeks ago to
begin treating Little Red for cancer assuming it was
the same kind that Lakshmi had. But unlike Lakshmi's
G.I. lymphoma, Red's cancer is systemic and certainly
has metasticized already, and is causing multiple organ
failure to begin. He is in pain, but not exceptional
pain at this point.
There is really nothing that can be done. Reimer
said we bought Red an extra five weeks by beginning
the chemotherapy on August 4, but systemic cancers
usually get around chemotherapy in short order.
The options were to do a bone marrow aspiration,
followed by an ultrasound of the kidney, then an
aspiration of the kidney to stage and type the cancer,
and choose alternative chemotherapies. But he said
he doubted that would even buy Red an extra two
months.
So, he gave Red a big (4mg) shot of
Dexamethasone, a steroid used to fight cancer, and to
give him a little time before we have him put to sleep.