Bullit

By Molly Clark

April 14, 2011

On a Colorado blue sky day in September in 2002, I stood outside my little log cabin in Fairplay, CO hanging laundry. That day, my neighbor Genna's momma Rottweiler repeatedly tried to leave her babies with me. While returning the puppies to Genna, I noticed one in particular with bright steel blue eyes. I promptly asked Genna where the babies were going, if they all had homes (there were 9 in the litter!), all in the hopes of finding out if the blue eyed one was still available. He was. The next day I claimed my new baby scooping him up in my arms. At five weeks old, he was tiny, and that first night he slept all snuggled up on my chest. That night our bond was cemented.

What to call my little bundle of joy? I called my dad and described my blue eyed puppy. Dad said "What about Bullit?" to represent Steve McQueen, my dad's favorite actor. Yes, Bullit with an "i" not an "e". Absolutely perfect...

We enjoyed life in Fairplay surrounded by friends and dog playmates for a few years. We became inseparable; my best friend and companion. He saw me through many challenging life changes including moves from Albuquerque to Denver and then to Boulder, relationship heartbreaks and life in general. We have made many fantastic trips to the mountains to camp and hike. He has seen me laugh and cry. He has been my rock, always there when I walk through that door.

Our world changed in December 2009 as I returned home from a visit with family. Bullit stayed with a pet sitter who left me a note saying he was limping on his left front leg. I hadn't noticed the limp before my trip, and I can't believe I did not notice it because on homecoming it was really obvious. Concerned, I took him to Dr. Severson, his veterinarian, in Aurora hoping he had just strained his leg on the ice or something. The vet displayed concern and told me we should take x-rays just to rule out osteosarcoma, a type bone cancer. Having never heard of osteosarcoma, I asked her what it was, what the odds were, etc. She couldn't tell me anything without looking at an x-ray, which was suggestive for the cancer. Dr. Severson sent Bullit and I home with pain medications which helped temporarily. It wasn't enough though.

I originally moved to Colorado to attend CSU's veterinary school, and even though I had changed my mind regarding my career choice, I still remembered their reputation. I searched the ACC's website for answers and I stumbled upon the clinical trials webpage. I was financially challenged, and I thought if there was some way CSU could help us, Bullit and I could help science. I emailed the oncology consult service with all of my questions regarding osteosarcoma and possible clinical trials. Immediately, I received a very heartfelt, kind response and assurance that Dr. Perry would be in touch soon. Our first conversation was over the phone with me crying my eyes out and ending with scheduling Bullit's first oncology appointment right away. He told me that it was very important to take things one step at a time, remain positive for Bullit and not to rule anything out just yet. After our chat I felt a little more peaceful.

On February 5th, 2010, Bullit and I arrived at CSU. I was very nervous and unsure about what would happen next. Bullit, however, was happy and joyful with a big smile on his face. I think he was viewing this as an opportunity to meet new friends! After being assigned a vet student, Andy Law, we met with Dr. Nicole Ehrhart and then Dr. Kelly Carleston. I will never forget Dr. Ehrhart as she sat with me and gave me the news confirming Bullit's cancer diagnosis. She spent a lot of time with me going over every treatment option in detail: amputation only, amputation plus chemo, radiation. I remember her telling me that whatever decision I made for Bullit was the right decision that there was no wrong decision. I expressed my concern about finances, and she assured me that was something to consider and provided me with information about CareCredit, a special medical credit line. She also told me about the support group Bone Cancer Dogs.

After meeting with Dr. Ehrhart, I met with Dr. Carlsten to go over clinical trial information. Dr. Carlsten is my heart connection to the CSU oncology team. From this point forward, Dr. Carlsten always greeted us with hugs and genuine concern. I left Fort Collins that day with heaps of information, overwhelming concern, and wondering how I was going to handle all of this.

I joined Bone Cancer Dogs support group and found a lot of support and resources from so many people that had been through what I was going through. My biggest decisions were related to which treatment option to choose and how to afford it. I posed several questions and got lots of support in return. There were people like Emily, whose baby Angel Newton had osteosarcoma. She gave me her phone number so I could have some to talk to. Her wise words guided my decisions going forward, "If money was not an option, figure out what you would do, make that decision regardless of money and then go from there."

I decided I wanted more time, as much as possible with Bullit. That meant amputation. But how was I going to afford this surgery? Again a Bone Cancer Dogs support group member helped by sending a message with information about the Magic Bullet Fund (MBF). The MBF is a non-profit organization helping people who are financially challenged afford treatments for their dogs with cancer. It just seemed unreal for me to believe there was a chance I could receive financial help for Bullit's treatment. With Nicole's prompting, I proceeded to fill out their application with about twenty pictures begging for help.

Laurie, the organization's founder, called me shortly after I submitted the application with great news – they would help us. I sobbed tears of joy. She encouraged me to act quickly as the cancer could spread like wildfire. Like everyone else, Laurie was so compassionate and understanding. We also have a common connection—her dog's name was also Bullet but spelled with an "e." Bullet lived to be twelve years old after being diagnosed with lymphoma. Laurie offered supporting words and it was a blessing to have her just a phone call away while I was getting ready for Bullit's surgery. The paperwork was processed; the MBF contacted CSU, and we scheduled Bullit's surgery four days later.

Bullit recovered from the surgery like a champion. He rebounded onto three legs incredibly. I think it was harder on me than Bullit. I gradually increased his walking time and let him tell me when he was tired. I nursed his incision very carefully and followed instructions precisely. Spring was a time of recovery, and summer became everything I wanted it to be for Bullit and I. We continued with our hiking and camping adventures. He definitely slowed down a little with three legs, but his spirit continued. As I write this in May of 2011, he still loves being out on the trails with me, taking breaks to soak up the sun.

Right before Bullit's surgery, I was still unsure what was in store, but I knew I was doing the right thing. I wanted Bullit to have a fighting chance for a longer life – and we celebrate that every day. Everyone at CSU, from the kind staff, the oncologists, the nurses, the vet students, Gail and Erin at The Argus Institute, Dr. Worley, Bullit's surgeon, and especially Dr. James Perry, Dr. Nicole Ehrhart, and Dr. Kelly Carlsten, allowed Bullit to have that fighting chance.

Thank you!

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