Melanoma
Treatment- Surgery
Lilly came into my life when I adopted her from Desert Labrador Retriever Rescue in January 2016. I had lost my husband, Lee, to cancer in March 2014 and my shepherd/lab mix, Sam, to cancer in October 2015. My dermatologist has four labs, and she told me about DLRR. I applied to adopt, and I saw Lilly on the Dog-a-Log in December. She had been picked up with her “brother” wandering in the desert near Douglas, AZ by local animal control. The shelter called DLRR, and before a volunteer could get there, the other lab had been euthanized. Lilly is a survivor. She was skinny and scared, but when I saw her on the DAL, it was love at first sight. She has filled my life with joy in ways I could never have imagined. Because of Lilly, I began to volunteer with DLRR and have met a wonderful group of dedicated volunteers who know and love Lilly.
My girl is a gentle, sweet yellow lab who loves to go on her morning walks and to hang out with me, wherever I go. She accompanies me to Meet & Greets every month and is always a favorite of children and adults who attend these events because of her easy going and loving nature. Lilly is well known in my neighborhood. When we walk through Canyon Ranch Resort, the guests always stop to say hello and to pet her – and Lilly loves the attention! The staff at Canyon Ranch know her and wave to say hi or stop to give her a treat.
In March 2020, I saw what I thought was a tick on Lilly’s left upper leg/shoulder area. I could not pull it out, so I took her to my vet. They did a biopsy, and the pathology report came back as melanoma. I was devastated! My heart was breaking at the thought of losing her. Lilly had surgery to remove the area around the original lump on March 18. The Zeus Oncology Fund covered the expenses for Lilly’s operation immediately, and I will be forever grateful for the support of this wonderful organization. The additional pathology report showed that they had gotten clean margins and that the melanoma was of a type that most likely will not spread to the lymph nodes and other parts of her body.
Now, Lilly will have routine checks to spot any recurrences of the cancer. Because she is fair-skinned and loves to sunbathe, I need to limit her exposure. But my vet told me about a special “sun suit” with UPF protection that I will be ordering for Lilly. The ZOF truly came to the rescue to support me during a very difficult time and to provide the financial assistance for Lilly’s surgery. We even received a follow-up “care package” from the ZOF that included special chicken jerky treats which Lilly has been enjoying every day. Please consider donating to the Fund as this organization is doing amazing work. Thank you, ZOF!
– Jane H., 2020
