As promised, I’d like
to share with you the story of Kobi, a tri-colored Collie that participated in
one of our clinical trials in 2009. There have been many more stories just like
his since then. My decision to share Kobi instead of a more recent patient was
not without thought. Several months after Kobi’s passing, the Masilamani family
was asked to share their story for the ACI (Animal Clinical Investigations)
website as a success story. They were generous with their time, honesty and
emotions by writing this wonderful story that walks you through from the time of
Kobi’s diagnosis all the way until the end. While it would be wonderful if the
last paragraph of Kobi’s story read, “He was cured and will be with us for
another 5 years!”. Unfortunately, we know that is not how most of these stories
end. The GREAT NEWS is that, as you read this, you will see that Kobi’s story
doesn’t actually end in sadness. In fact, Kobi’s story hasn’t ended! The
clinical trial that he participated in will likely result in approval of a new
cancer drug for use in dogs! His story is still up on the website for all to
read and now you are getting to meet Kobi! The more you share his story or
repost, the more his story gets to continue… In my next blog, you will meet
Frida, an amazing dog with unbelievable owners that flew her from their home in
Cancun, Mexico all the way to us in Connecticut to participate in a clinical
trial. Frida’s story has unlikely (happy) ending to her clinical trial journey
and the start of a new chapter in her life and you won’t want to miss it!
Kobi was a 3-year old, tri-colored collie I got from a
rescue. He was our first family dog, and a wonderful addition to our family. He
stayed true to the collie temperament and we had the most memorable 7 years with
Kobi. A few days before Thanksgiving 2009, I had noticed a swelling on his
mouth, and had taken him to get it checked out. After a week of antibiotics the
swelling had not gone down, so the veterinarian ran a test. He soon informed me
it was cancer. Kobi was diagnosed with a mast cell tumor, and was given 3 months
to live. I did not have many options; it was either treatment in NY, which would
cost thousands of dollars, or enjoy him for the next few months and provide him
with a life of love and comfort. Although it was a hard decision, I chose not to
seek medical treatment, knowing that any treatment would only prolong the
inevitable. That Thanksgiving was a very difficult time, knowing he wouldn’t be
with us the next year. That said, we were grateful for the
time.
A week later I received a call from my vet, telling me
about a clinical trial that was testing a new treatment for cancer for dogs.
They were curious as to whether I would be willing to talk to the folks at the
oncology and hematology center (The VCC) in Norwalk, to see if I would want to
participate. As soon as I was off the phone with my vet, I called the office in
Norwalk and set up an appointment to meet with their team of vets and staff.
While I know that no cure for cancer has been found, I wanted to know if this
trial would help to understand and treat this illness, and maybe someday help to
eradicate cancer from the world.
After meeting with the folks at The VCC, I was happy to
enroll Kobi into this trial. As much as Kobi was doing his part in the
treatment, our family was also involved in documenting his progress through the
series of treatments for the next 4 months. These four months were difficult for
all of us, including some of Kobi’s reactions to the medication, but through the
care provided by The VCC and love from everyone involved we kept on, knowing our
experience would someday help toward the cure for cancer for
dogs.
After the 4-month trial, Kobi’s cancer “burden” was
greatly reduced, and I knew that this trial had extended Kobi’s life. For the
next 18 months, Kobi lived a full and fun life; we cherished every moment we had
with him. Sadly one weekend, it came to a sudden end. Just a day before, he was
out in the backyard running around with me and my kids, and the next morning, he
was all worn-out. He wouldn’t eat and just laid down breathing heavily. The next
day I took him to the vet’s office and they did an x-ray on his stomach, which
showed a large gray mass. Knowing his previous condition, the veterinarian was
sure it was cancer. He gave me some medication to ease the pain that Kobi could
be experiencing, and told me it was a matter of time before the end. That night,
as Kobi lay on his favorite bed, each of us prayed with him and said our
goodbyes. I pulled a sleeping bag next to him, and prepared to spend the night
with him. I knew he was not going to make it through the night – his breathing
got shallower as the night progressed, and around 2am I could not hear his
breathing anymore. I reached over to him, resting my ear to his chest, and I
knew he had passed on.
We had Kobi cremated, and a print of his paw taken in
clay. My family and I are ever so grateful for the opportunity we were given
through this clinical trial, and for giving us 18 more precious months with
Kobi. Kobi is not with us any longer, but we know that through his life not only
did he give us love, but a chance that someday other dogs may not have to go
through what he did.
- The Masilamani
family
