# My Maya is diagnosed of brain cancer



## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

I'm so sorry for your heartbreak. The unfairness of a diagnosis like Maya's is just breathtaking and unexpected at her age. I am glad you posted, unfortunately there are too many here who know how you're feeling. I wish I had something more to offer. Please know we'd love to see photos of Maya and here some of her best stories when you are able. I'm just so sorry.


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## Peri29 (Aug 5, 2017)

I am deeply sorry...........


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## OscarsDad (Dec 20, 2017)

How terribly sad. Thinking about you during this very difficult time for your family.


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## ruthbe (Apr 23, 2020)

I am so very sorry. That is never an easy diagnosis, but especially hard when the dog is so young.


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## Ffcmm (May 4, 2016)

I'm a so sorry to hear this, take care.


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## Bella’s Mom (Aug 16, 2020)

Stay strong and send you all of the positive thoughts and prayers for your baby. They are so precious ❤❤


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## Dunmar (Apr 15, 2020)

I am so sorry. I also lost my 14.5 year old baby girl in December. She was put down within a week of diagnosis due to how fast she went down hill. I hope you have more time to love and spoil on here. 

Love the time you have. Feed her her favorite foods and let her hog the bed. 
As bad as it sounds, I had a harder time losing Olivia than I did losing a very close human family member that I loved dearly. I think it was partly due to her being with me every single day and in the house. Making it so lonely when she was gone.

Don't ever let anyone tell you how to grieve your dog or how to treat her as she is getting sicker. You two have a bond some will not understand. Spend time doing her favorite things and take lots of pictures. 

After she died it helped me to find a nice urn and urn necklace. My daughter and daughter in law ordered me a Snapfish book of pictures.. and i bought battery operated lightes to go around it all. I would turn them on as I sit in the room and just felt I could include her as I watched TV and stuff.

I am so sorry you are going through all this, especially with a younger dog. There are a lot of us who understand how much it hurts. Lean on us.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

That is such devastatingly sad news. I'm so sorry.


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## Sholt (Jun 20, 2019)

I am so terribly sorry to read of Maya’s devastating diagnosis. It is so heartbreaking. As you said, so many of us have felt the terrible pain of watching one of our beloved Goldens suffer through a debilitating illness at a young age. I am glad you were able to share her story. It does give us a chance to offer words of encouragement and comfort. Maya and your entire family are in my thoughts and prayers.❤


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## Ivyacres (Jun 3, 2011)

That is very sad news. I hope you can shower her with love and attention during whatever time she has left. Keeping you in my thoughts.


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## Deech (Sep 4, 2012)

I understand turning to the forum for comfort; the folks on here are so kind and helpful. Like you I don’t post much but I’ve gleaned a ton of information for which I am so grateful. I am very sorry for your dog’s diagnosis.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

I am so very sorry about Maya.


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## Joanne & Asia (Jul 23, 2007)

I am so very sorry


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## Terra26 (Jul 25, 2020)

I am deeply saddened! My german shepherd Maya passed away 2 months ago right before my eyes. She was diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma. It's the hardest thing! She was my best friend, my conscience, my everything. Give her all your love, spoil her, talk to her......! Again, so sorry that you are going through this!


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## SeaGlass925 (Mar 12, 2020)

I'm so sorry. We lost our nine year old golden to cancer this March, so we understand how painful it is. Please take care of yourself.


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## tammyj (Mar 20, 2020)

mayamaya said:


> Dear GRF family,
> 
> I joined this forum and followed the journey of many goldens since when my first golden baby Maya was one year old back in 2013. I rarely post but I shared laughters and tears with many of you. Today I’m give the most dreadful news and I can think of no other place to turn to for some consolation and perhaps advice.
> 
> ...


I am so sorry there are no words ..... cancer is cruel. Lost my beautiful boy Christmas morning cancer on the heart Not a days goes by without tears


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## sam (May 21, 2005)

Sick at heart for you. We lost MacCloud to a brain tumor. He survived on steroids for just over five weeks after diagnosis. We did our best to make every day count. I agonized over having to make the final decision; however, Mac made it for us. He had a massive seizure one night. Sending you strength and a big hug.


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## mayamaya (Nov 14, 2013)

Dear fellow golden lovers, thank you all so much for your kind words. I will try to reply more when I can actually put myself together. 

Maya has been on steroids since Sunday. We’ve also switched her to the type of fresh food that is soft and yummy, she has been emptying every bowl of food the last few days, which hasn’t happened for a long time. She regained some strength and can walk fine for the most part, took some nice short walks around the neighborhood with us, and even walked down the five steps into the backyard without tripping over. We’ve been showering her with love and attention (which we should have always been doing, but we let busy newborn and toddler be the excuse and failed to do so for Maya), and she has been wagging her tail for her favorite tummy rub. 

She has some minor seizures during sleeping/napping times now, like the ones when she sleep walks but in more extensive movements. (Don’t know how to describe, more like big muscle twitches.

We sent her MRI to a radiation oncologist in NJ for consultation, they are a group called PetCure Oncology, I wonder if anyone has heard of them. Radiation therapy is possible, but due to the location and size of the tumor, hers would be a risky case. They quoted us about $13,000 for the procedure... We honestly don’t know what to do, but our plan is to get some consultation from some other oncologists before making the decision. We do have pet insurance but that max at 10000 and we’ve already spent a good chunk of it so far for the initial diagnosis.

She is currently lying next to my feet as I sit on the couch feeding the baby. Bless my sweet girl Maya, thank you for staying strong for us. Bless all goldens with their golden hearts 💕.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Darn this cancer. Unfortunately most of us have had it in our dogs. 
I'm sorry about this, your girl means so much to you. Horrible choices we have to make.
Whatever you decide will be the right one for you. Don't second guess your decisions, just be at peace that it was the right one for Maya, your family and you.


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## mayamaya (Nov 14, 2013)

nolefan said:


> I'm so sorry for your heartbreak. The unfairness of a diagnosis like Maya's is just breathtaking and unexpected at her age. I am glad you posted, unfortunately there are too many here who know how you're feeling. I wish I had something more to offer. Please know we'd love to see photos of Maya and here some of her best stories when you are able. I'm just so sorry.


Thank you! I will certainly share photos of Maya and her stories


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## mayamaya (Nov 14, 2013)

Dunmar said:


> I am so sorry. I also lost my 14.5 year old baby girl in December. She was put down within a week of diagnosis due to how fast she went down hill. I hope you have more time to love and spoil on here.
> 
> Love the time you have. Feed her her favorite foods and let her hog the bed.
> As bad as it sounds, I had a harder time losing Olivia than I did losing a very close human family member that I loved dearly. I think it was partly due to her being with me every single day and in the house. Making it so lonely when she was gone.
> ...


Thank you for sharing the story of Olivia - I can't imagine, yet I'm starting to know the inevitable... I will certainly lean on you guys through this journey. I really appreciate this loving golden retriever forum, you guys truly understand the love and pain between ourselves and our golden babies.


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## mayamaya (Nov 14, 2013)

Sholt said:


> I am so terribly sorry to read of Maya’s devastating diagnosis. It is so heartbreaking. As you said, so many of us have felt the terrible pain of watching one of our beloved Goldens suffer through a debilitating illness at a young age. I am glad you were able to share her story. It does give us a chance to offer words of encouragement and comfort. Maya and your entire family are in my thoughts and prayers.❤


Thank you! All your words do give me courage and comfort - I will fight on for as long as Maya is willing to fight. Thank for your kind thoughts and prayers. 💕


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## mayamaya (Nov 14, 2013)

Terra26 said:


> I am deeply saddened! My german shepherd Maya passed away 2 months ago right before my eyes. She was diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma. It's the hardest thing! She was my best friend, my conscience, my everything. Give her all your love, spoil her, talk to her......! Again, so sorry that you are going through this!


Oooohh another Maya! I'm so sorry to hear about your Maya! I am indeed showering her with love and spoiling her with all she desires. Thinking of you and your Maya too! 🙏


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## mayamaya (Nov 14, 2013)

SeaGlass925 said:


> I'm so sorry. We lost our nine year old golden to cancer this March, so we understand how painful it is. Please take care of yourself.


Thank you! So sorry for the loss of your golden!


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## mayamaya (Nov 14, 2013)

tammyj said:


> I am so sorry there are no words ..... cancer is cruel. Lost my beautiful boy Christmas morning cancer on the heart Not a days goes by without tears


I'm sorry about your sweet boy... I can't imagine... Cancer is cruel indeed


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## mayamaya (Nov 14, 2013)

sam said:


> Sick at heart for you. We lost MacCloud to a brain tumor. He survived on steroids for just over five weeks after diagnosis. We did our best to make every day count. I agonized over having to make the final decision; however, Mac made it for us. He had a massive seizure one night. Sending you strength and a big hug.


Thank you and I'm so sorry to hear that you lost MacCloud to brain tumor. "Make every day count" is indeed what we are trying to do now. Maya started having minor seizures yesterday when she was taking naps, we can only keep giving her hugs and kisses...


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## mayamaya (Nov 14, 2013)

Alaska7133 said:


> Darn this cancer. Unfortunately most of us have had it in our dogs.
> I'm sorry about this, your girl means so much to you. Horrible choices we have to make.
> Whatever you decide will be the right one for you. Don't second guess your decisions, just be at peace that it was the right one for Maya, your family and you.


Thank you /..\ It's impossible to make this decision, are we going to go down without a fight, or are we going to try to come up with thousands of dollars going through a procedure that might pose risk to her... 
We are trying to get more consultation before deciding.


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## cwag (Apr 25, 2017)

I think getting a few expert opinions and prognosis is wise and may help you decide. How much you are able to spend is not a measure of how much you love her. It's okay to consider the future needs of your family as well as giving Maya more good days than bad. I am so sorry you have to consider these things with such a young dog. It's a little tiny bit easier when they are 12 or 13 years old but devastating to think about no matter the age.


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## lme (Mar 7, 2019)

mayamaya said:


> Dear GRF family,
> 
> I joined this forum and followed the journey of many goldens since when my first golden baby Maya was one year old back in 2013. I rarely post but I shared laughters and tears with many of you. Today I’m give the most dreadful news and I can think of no other place to turn to for some consolation and perhaps advice.
> 
> ...





mayamaya said:


> Dear GRF family,
> 
> I joined this forum and followed the journey of many goldens since when my first golden baby Maya was one year old back in 2013. I rarely post but I shared laughters and tears with many of you. Today I’m give the most dreadful news and I can think of no other place to turn to for some consolation and perhaps advice.
> 
> ...


My heart broke as I read your post. It reminded me of my Charlie who I lost 1.5 year ago to a brain tumor. Like you, I was torn with what to do. I elected to try steriotactic radiation. Less treatments so more time with me than at the oncologist. I was given an expected life expectancy of 18-36 months. Charlie was 8 at time of diagnosis. For him, he flew through the radiation. He felt better, I believe, due to the mannitol they gave him each time to help with brain swelling. Unfortunately, he was never one to tolerate prednisone yet I couldnt wean him off it so I lost him 4 months after starting treatment. Do I regret spending the money for such a short time with him? No because it gave me a chance to accept that I was gonna lose him and he felt so good after each treatment so I don't feel like I was subjecting him to something just for my benefit. But that is what was right for the two of us at that time. At another time, I may have made a different decision. Whether you decide to do everything possible or just spend time with Maya, it will be the right decision because you love her. Many hugs.


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## mayamaya (Nov 14, 2013)

lme said:


> My heart broke as I read your post. It reminded me of my Charlie who I lost 1.5 year ago to a brain tumor. Like you, I was torn with what to do. I elected to try steriotactic radiation. Less treatments so more time with me than at the oncologist. I was given an expected life expectancy of 18-36 months. Charlie was 8 at time of diagnosis. For him, he flew through the radiation. He felt better, I believe, due to the mannitol they gave him each time to help with brain swelling. Unfortunately, he was never one to tolerate prednisone yet I couldnt wean him off it so I lost him 4 months after starting treatment. Do I regret spending the money for such a short time with him? No because it gave me a chance to accept that I was gonna lose him and he felt so good after each treatment so I don't feel like I was subjecting him to something just for my benefit. But that is what was right for the two of us at that time. At another time, I may have made a different decision. Whether you decide to do everything possible or just spend time with Maya, it will be the right decision because you love her. Many hugs.


Thank you and sorry to hear the pass of your sweet Charlie... His story breaks my heart, and we know well that there is no magical treatment for this type of tumor. Anyways, we are looking into steriotactic radiation as well, scheduled two more consultations. Thank you for your word of encouragement, we really need that  Hugs.


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## Terra26 (Jul 25, 2020)

mayamaya said:


> Oooohh another Maya! I'm so sorry to hear about your Maya! I am indeed showering her with love and spoiling her with all she desires. Thinking of you and your Maya too! 🙏


Thanks! You and your sweet girl Maya are in my thoughts. Take care of yourself too!


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## sam (May 21, 2005)

mayamaya said:


> Thank you and I'm so sorry to hear that you lost MacCloud to brain tumor. "Make every day count" is indeed what we are trying to do now. Maya started having minor seizures yesterday when she was taking naps, we can only keep giving her hugs and kisses...


Tears in my eyes with the memories. Every day left is what matters sending you strength and support.


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## Jane (Jan 2, 2013)

I have little to offer but genuine sympathy. My seven-year-old Crispin has just been diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma, so perhaps I'm in a similar state as you are, although I'm not balancing as many family considerations...still, it is a terrible, terrible shock when your dear sweet dog, who has not yet even shown signs of advanced age (because they are still not old!), is given such a terrible diagnosis.

More importantly, I have some experience with brain tumors, as our prior dog, Jasper, died of an inoperable brain tumor at not-quite-13, eight years ago. I got some very good advice from our neurologist then. Jasper was also on steroids, and they hadn't given us the hoped-for temporary reprieve. 

The doctor explained the radiation options and cost, and then told a story of how he and his wife had kept their dog, who had some type of cancer, alive for quite awhile with chemotherapy--and that, in retrospect, he felt that perhaps they had prolonged her suffering toward the end, because of how hard it had been for them to let her go. 

Then he asked me a direct question, though in a kind way: "Is Jasper suffering now?" and without even thinking, I answered "yes." (Jasper could not walk straight, was losing his appetite, and other symptoms that I think I try to forget). 

Then he explained that radiation would not cause him to feel much better, but that it might "freeze" his symptoms at their current state...for awhile. And we would have to travel to the place with the equipment...a dog losing his balance and ability to walk in a straight line, riding long distances in a car...(the tumor was in the part of his brain that controls movement and balance; just looked it up; the cerebellum). 

But, it was our remaining option to try to gain some time.

We went home and agonized about what to do. We could afford radiation (I was retired already, with savings; my husband was still working, and my stepson was through college), so fortunately we were at a stage of our lives where money was not the foremost issue. 

But what kept coming back to me was the neurologist's question "is he suffering _now_?" and my automatic and genuine response. He _was_ suffering. I could drive him two hours one way, and put him through radiation, whatever that would be like, but there was little to no chance that he would be markedly improved by it--just that it might retard his getting worse, and dying so soon. 

He would be miserable, I thought. So with some difficulty, I wrote an email to this very kind neurologist explaining that we would not be pursuing radiation. 

I cried every day for six months after we lost him, but I never felt I'd made the wrong decision: his quality of life was gone, but for little flashes here and there that sometimes happen when you and your dog are mutually expressing love in various silly little ways. But he was clearly terribly ill, and finally I decided that keeping him alive in that state would not have been kind.

And I loved that dog too much to do that to him. (My husband, bless him, deferred to me on this decision, because I was so bonded with that dog. And guess what; with this one, too.)

I hope I can summon the same courage with Crispin, who is not an old dog--he's about Maya's age, born 12/6/12--when it's time to end treatment. It may not be long, though of course I pray...hemangiosarcoma is about as forgiving as an inoperable brain tumor. The difficulty we face is that our dogs are not old...it is heartbreaking. I share your pain. 

Best of luck to you and Maya as you face this difficult time.


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