by Amy Greenwood-Dudar
We have all seen and are impacted by the articles of individuals that encounter life-threatening circumstances and, by some good fortune, are able to turn it around and not only live but thrive.
I have seen examples of resilience in businesses and communities that have been hit by nature’ s ravages and have risen from the ashes. I have also seen examples within our breed of individual dogs( that many medical people would have expected to die) pull it together and go on to live great lives with their families. So, what is it about these stories that can teach us some principals that we can take away for our own lives or circumstance?
We have a great example of resilience in my own family. My three year old great-nephew was diagnosed with stage four neuroblastoma. A child of this age with stage four of this cancer had about a 5 % chance of survival, even with the most aggressive treatment. His medical plan was for a two-year course of radiation, chemotherapy, surgery, and then immunotherapy if the child survived through the treatments and his immune system was up to the challenge of the immunotherapy. His parents were always optimistic, but, being a medical person, I thought seriously about hospice and letting the child live the time he had left pain free, surrounded by his loving family.
Our extended family and community support of this child and his parents was paramount in their journey. Funds were raised to help with medical expenses. The parents kept everyone updated on their child’ s progress and he was always in everyone’ s thoughts and prayers. His parents never gave up and their perseverance at every step of the medical treatment, no matter how difficult, was inspiring. Today, my great-nephew is 21 years old and cancer free! His life is not without challenges, as the side effects of the cancer treatment have taken its toll. But he has a LIFE and is managing that life well.
What was it about this child that enabled him to survive when other children undergoing similar treatments did not? I have to believe that his genetic back ground had something to do with it. Both sides of his family were from Pioneer stock that settled in the Utah Territory. These people were tough, hard-working individuals that survived many hardships. The faith of his parents and willingness to persevere the day-to-day challenges of their family along with the medical treatments and travel that they had to undergo to get treatment for their son was also a big
factor in his recovery. They never gave up and were always positive and optimistic.
The American Pit Bull Terrier is a tough breed. Because of their original purpose, they have a high pain threshold and, many times throughout the years, I have not been able to tell how sick my APBT’ s were because they didn’ t outwardly show it.
I had a heartbreaking experience recently with my APBT Bonnie that can serve as an example of the toughness of the breed and her resilience in battling back from a life threatening illness. Bonnie was our house dog and was prone to getting into things she was not supposed to. I was packing for a trip to New York to visit my husband Alex’ s 90 year-old mother and was packing treats in my carry on bag; M & M’ s, Oreo cookies and the like. The bag was in the spare room on the bed with the door closed( or so I thought). When we checked in at the airport and were at the gate, Alex asked me about treats for the plane and I responded by opening my carry-on and to my surprise, the treats were gone.
I called my dog sitter at home and let her know to check out Bonnie’ s crate( where she takes all of her booty) and there was found the plastic bags, torn open with the treats gone. Chocolate is a poison to dogs, many times destroying their liver. Most animals would have died immediately but Bonnie was resilient. Within two weeks she was on death’ s door. I wanted to have her euthanized but Alex refused, wanting to give her every chance. The next morning Bonnie was on her feet, eating and drinking. Within a few days, she was back to normal. She did this up and down rollercoaster about every two weeks, despite us trying all natural remedies for her toxic liver. Every time she went down, and I thought this was the end, she would battle back and be okay for another week, then she’ d get sick again. I learned NOT to give up on her. After eight weeks, Bonnie died with her family in attendance. It has been a year and we still miss her.
I have had 50 years of experience with dogs of all breeds, and, in my experience, the APBT is an exception to every rule. Don’ t count them out, as they will surprise you. They are a tough breed. They are the best to work with if they are injured or sick, tolerating what you do for them in most situations.
In response to interest from our readers I present a few
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