As some of you may remember, Bear had an eye injury a few months ago. Things seemed to be clearing up for a while, but then everything changed.
Ophthalmology.
On July 3rd, I took him to MedVet in Manassas to see his ophthalmologist, Dr. Bianca Hartrum — she is wonderful and has been so kind. That day, she discovered a mass in Bear’s right eye. The worst news: his eye would have to be removed. She recommended we see an internist to run more tests before surgery.
Internal Medicine.
How could this be happening to him?! After crying for about an hour, I pulled myself together and started planning our next steps. A few days later, Bear saw Dr. Kilrain, who was also amazing with him. He had X-rays and an ultrasound done to make sure there were no masses hiding in his chest or abdomen. Thankfully, all those tests came back normal — one huge sigh of relief in all of this.
Surgery.
We moved forward with the surgery. Bear had his enucleation done last Thursday by Dr. Sardinas, who did a fantastic job. The procedure went well, and Bear is now home resting and healing. Some people may find the sutures on his eye a little unsettling, so I covered them up with an eye patch emoji in his photo — but don’t worry, he’s rocking his pirate look! In fact, I’m going to get him a kick-ass pirate patch and come up with a fun pirate story for him, because he deserves a cool tale for his brave battle.
Recovering from surgery.
The first few nights, I woke up multiple times just to check on him (so I’m running on fumes!), but Bear slept like a baby. His surgery site is healing nicely, and in about two weeks, he’ll get the sutures removed. He’s in great spirits — wagging his tail, eating like a champ (maybe too well — he’s put on a few extra pounds, but I don’t mind one bit).
Pathology results.
Then came the hardest news yet.
I wanted to share an update about Bear’s pathology results. We found out his tumor was ocular hemangiosarcoma — a rare and aggressive cancer in the eye. It wasn’t the news we were hoping for.
When I got the call, it felt like my heart stopped. For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. I cried so much and felt so angry — how can something so cruel happen to animals like Bear? Our beloved companions have the purest souls — they shouldn’t have to suffer pain like this. I didn’t share the news that day because I was simply too heartbroken and overwhelmed.
The last few days have been filled with tears and very little sleep, but today I’m holding onto hope — and that hope is what’s keeping me going, one day at a time.
Next step- chemotherapy.
We’re working closely with Bear’s amazing care team on the next steps. Bear will start chemotherapy soon — five sessions, one every two weeks. We’re taking this measure just in case there are any hidden cancer cells elsewhere in his body. We don’t know if the cancer spread — the hope is that it was completely removed with the eye.
Bear is doing well so far.
For now, Bear is acting happy and healthy — no signs of illness at all. He’s still my joyful, tail-wagging boy who lives for treats and mealtime (seriously, he’d eat the whole pantry if I let him).
Emotional support human.
So now it’s my turn to be Bear’s emotional support human. He’s been my calm, my comfort, and my joy for so many years. Now, I’ll be strong and brave for him — I’ll hold him up the way he’s always held me.
I’ll keep sharing updates as we go through this next chapter together. Thank you for every kind word, every positive thought, and every bit of love you’ve sent our way — it all helps us feel a little braver.
Share a kind word to help us stay positive.
If you have a moment, please share a good thought or a kind word for Bear — every bit of love lifts us up and reminds us we’re not alone.
💜🐾 If you’d like to follow along on Bear’s journey, you can stay updated here — your kind words, thoughts, and support mean the world to us.
If you’d like to help us a little more, you can buy them a treat. Every bit helps and your donation goes towards Bear’s medical care.
💜🐾 Thank you for loving Bear with me.
Thank you for being part of our village. 🐾💜