Dogs and Healing.
This website isn’t called Pink Dog Days for nothing. There are dogs involved, and they supported me with their loyal presence. They patiently stayed by my side in my hazy pink delirium. They were emotional and moral support, but they, too, had to be taken care of, which gave me purpose. I had to let them out, feed them, and walk them. It helped me to stay active and have a routine. I took to talking to them and telling them everything. The dogs didn’t see my bald head or my emaciated body; they saw me. They understood, and we formed a bond that is stronger today than any I have had with any other living creature. And mostly, they make me laugh. I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to laugh, just over something silly, like Angel molesting her stuffed pig, or Calvin yodeling for attention, and my little Polly giving me morning snuggles. And the dogs want to comfort you, it’s like they have to. This was so important for me because it’s really hard to find anything funny about cancer or its treatment, and I would take any comfort extended my way.
It is well known that animals, especially emotional support animals, like dogs, can provide significant moral and emotional support for those suffering from illnesses and mental health issues. An emotional support animal can be anything that brings you comfort, but dogs were mine. During my cancer days, I had three dogs, Calvin, Polly, and Angel. My boyfriend at the time had six dogs, and he brought them with him every night, so we had a total of nine. It was chaotic, but I loved them, and they were a welcome distraction. I was always left with my three when Brian left.
My dogs kept me from being lonely. When I was very sick from the chemo, I didn’t want to be around anyone. I felt terrible, I was bald, and I didn’t recognize myself. I lost sixty pounds, and having people see me that way was horrifying to me. Everyone told me I had a nicely shaped head and that baldness looked good on me. Oh, great, I look good bald, that makes me feel loads better. I lived in a green felt hat, and sometimes I wore my wig, but I hated it. Dogs don’t care what you look like. They give you unconditional love and constant non-judgmental presence. I was lucky to have them, and they knew I was sick. They didn’t pester me for walks when I felt bad; they just lay next to me and loved me. Some dogs are trained to be emotional support animals, but mine just knew. They gave me a sense of security and comfort that my boyfriend couldn’t. They saved me. Without my dogs, I might have died of a broken heart.
