Champion of My HeartA real-time memoir about life with a fearful border collie, by Roxanne Hawn

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I suffer certain doubts about how Lilly’s vaccine-induced illness is going and how it might end. I experience real dread at key points in the hills and valleys of our journey — as it stretches now into its second year. At times, I fear that I’m making bad decisions about Lilly’s ongoing treatment. I still cry … a lot. Perhaps that goes without saying.  Read the rest of this entry »

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We’re back. After 12 glorious days “off,” Lilly and I find ourselves nearly ready to begin a new year. We spent 7 of those 12 days home all day in a binge of Silly Lilly Whatever Days. We slept. We walked. We hung out. We were grateful. We’ve seen a few blips since our last regular reports, but all in all … Lilly is steady and doing well 21 weeks since her massive vaccine-induced brain inflammation relapse. 

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In a year when many times it looked like Lilly might not survive to celebrate, I officially declare the start to the HOLIDAY at our house. 12 glorious days of togetherness begins in 3 … 2 … 1

P.S. This photo was taken last year, about a month before Lilly suffered a rare / severe adverse rabies vaccine reaction. 

I’m too tired after a month sprinting to finish work so that I could enjoy the holiday, but Lilly is mostly OK. She has been more tired than normal these last 10 days or so, and she has been a little wobbly the last couple of days, but she had chemo injections again last weekend. Typically, we start seeing a real boost from that any minute now.

We hope to resume a more normal blog post schedule in the new year, but for now … we’re just a couple of grateful girls on a mountain in Colorado.

You have our eternal thanks for your love and support this MOST DIFFICULT year.

Happy holidays!

Roxanne and Lilly Hawn

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This week marks 14 weeks since Lilly’s massive brain inflammation relapse in August. This recovery streak eclipses her previous record of 9 weeks without a setback from earlier in the year. I went into today’s neurology exam expecting we’d continue to wean Lilly’s steroid dose. I was wrong. Here is an update on what we’re keeping, what we’re dropping, and what we’re adding to her treatment plan.

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Exhausted doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of our current state. All the worry, stress, and veterinary activity has caught up with us. These chemo weekends kick our @$$e$.

We also stayed mostly off social media last week out of respect to our friends in the wake of the big storm, including Sam and Marge on Staten Island. We didn’t want to clog anyone’s feed with our day-to-day hoohah.

BUT, it’s Monday (as I write this), and we’re looking for another fresh start. Here is a brief update on Lilly’s cytarabine injection weekend #4.

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