Where Things Are, an update from Tristan

Colten and I decided to take the entire summer off from traveling, public appearances, and events. We had the rare opportunity to spend a lot of time at home, entertaining house guests, doing home projects, and gardening. We also spent a lot of time with our wonderful three dogs Reggie Love, Jordan and Harley. This summer, it became clear to Colten and I that Jordan, our Boston Terrier, is not doing well. Let's back up for a minute and bring everyone up to speed.

After having several seizures in January of 2008, Jordan had an MRI and was diagnosed with a benign, non-operable meningioma brain tumor and put on phenobarbitol. It was pretty devastating news for us, but we knew right away that we wanted her to have the best possible care and we wanted to treat the tumor aggressively. I took a writing job that I was on the fence about in order to pay for her care. We went to the Veterinary Cancer Center in Culver City, California (where Colten's family lives) where she received 4 1/2 weeks of daily radiation treatment under the care of Dr. Jared Lyons. The staff at the center was amazing, and we even made friends with another couple whose dog Honey was being treated for a nasal tumor. Jordan was a real trooper—she had to be sedated every day in order to receive radiation; she was cheery, had few side effects, and didn't even lose her hair. She has remained symptom-free since then. Under the care of our vet here at home, we have even decreased her phenobarbitol significantly (by half), and she still has no seizures.

This summer, she began to exhibit new symptoms, including disorientation and repetitive circling, which are "classic" signs of a brain tumor. So we believe the tumor has grown back. We can have another MRI done (which requires sedation and has a hefty price tag, about $2500), to confirm the tumor has returned. But, then what? Well, we've consulted Dr. Lyons, who says that he can re-radiate the area, do just a few high doses of radiation, or do palliative radiation (which he believes in, but has not been proven or disproven to work—it's fairly new). She has one eye, is blind, and has lived for 14 years—we're not sure that we want to put her through another round of radiation. In August, he said if we do nothing, he estimated that she had a maximum of two months to live. It's now October.

We consider our dogs members of our family; they are very, very important to us. Anyone who knows us knows that we are devoted to them. I am especially connected to Jordan, who I got when she was nine months old. She was bred to be a show dog and was retired because she was winning second place at all the dog shows. I don't think I have spent more time with another living creature. Until her brain tumor, she traveled everywhere with us, and when I am home, she sits by my side (literally, in my favorite chair) as I work all day. She and I saw the Grand Canyon for the first time together, she has driven across the country five times, and she has flown over 100,000 miles. She used to love to swim, and swam in rivers, ponds, and lakes around the country as well as in the Pacific Ocean. She has survived dog fights, being hit by a car (when she lost her eye), an operation with a bone graft for her jaw, and partial then complete blindness.

She does not appear to be in any pain. She sleeps a lot. When she goes out in the yard, she gets lost, and someone has to fetch her and bring her back inside.

In September, we decided to cancel or reschedule nearly all our travel through the end of 2010 in order to be here for her. I turned down things I really wanted to do. This isn't the best decision for our finances or my career, but it's the best one for our family.