COURTESY OF REN�E ALSARRAF

WHEN DID YOULEARN THAT YOU HADCANCER YOURSELF ? Iwas �� . I had actually made a routine gynecology appointment for two months short of a year , and an ultrasound revealed a nodule in the uterus . I had surgery at Memorial Sloan �ettering in New �ork soon after , and the surgeon found a�-milimeter nodule outside the uterus , too , so it was spreading . I needed radiation and chemotherapy . Thank �od Iwent when I did , because there were no clinical signs . I ’ m the poster child for why everyone should get checked every year . It ’ s scary to face your own mortality .

WHATCAN DOGS TEACH HUMANS ABOUTFACING ADVERSITY ? Ican ’ t tell you how many lessons I learned that are in mybook . �ne big lesson for meisthat dogs are never �udgmental . We all �udge ourselves , and the tapes in our heads are sometimes saying things that aren ’ t very kind . Dogs never �udge themselves like that , and we shouldn ’ t either . They ’ re happy every morning the sun comes up . They cherish every moment in the present , don ’ t fret about the past and certainly don ’ t fret about the future . So many patients come in wagging their tail . When I was being treated , my tail would be between my legs , and I had these thoughts cluttering my head : �Will Iget sick ? Will my hair fall out ? � We can lose the beauty of the moment .

Another important lesson is that we ’ re all better together . Dogs are pack animals ; when they descended from wolves , they survived that way . Dogs have evolved to be within our

pack . We , as mankind , are better when we ’ re all together . My life is better for living with a dog ; they love me even when I don ’ t shower that day . We as mankind are better when we ’ re all together and working in con�unction .

I do also believe that dogs are put into our lives at certain times to teach us certain lessons . As sad as it is that their lifespan isn ’ t longer , we at least have that bene�t of being able to have afew or many dogs inour lifetime ful�lling different needs .

WHATCAN READERS E�PECT FROM YOUR BOOK ? �ven though the underlying premise of the C-word is there , it ’ s an uplifting book . So many people come in and say ��h , my wife says I ’ mcrazy to treat my dog ’ scancer�� But this is aliving , breathing creature who loves us unconditionally . �very chapter inthe book is about a different patient and either what the family learned from

that dog or what I learned . We think we ’ re responsible for them , but dogs think they ’ re responsible for us . �or example , Chapter �inthe book is about a beagle who enters with his crabby owner . He always took his cue from his pet parent . When his pet parent wasn ’ t having a good day , the dog lay byhis side . �n agood day , the dog wanted to be out walking with him .

Sometimes a person would come in who didn ’ t even want their cat ; their deceased spouse insisted on it . But now all the widower has left is the cat and he wants to do everything he can for it . �ther times , aclient has cancer and doesn ’ t want to give up on the dog with cancer because it feels like giving up on themselves as well . I ’ m hoping readers are validated , and know more about the humananimal bond .

YOUR OWNDOG , NEWTON , WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER AFTER YOUWERE . WAS HE ILL FOR LONG ? I ’ ve had boxers for the last �� years , and they do get alot of cancer . While I was going through my own battle , Newton was diagnosed with lymphoma . He was �½ years old . Initially , he did very well , but he did not do as well as the average dog . He was never anaverage dog to begin with . That was hard , because I was doing well . Newton became my nursemaid and lay on the sofa with me when I wasn ’ t feeling well , but always showed up for my family , too . We treated him aggressively , and he didn ’ t get sick from it . He lived seven months . Iwas ���� good with the choices I made for him . ■