TR0JAN PUPPY?

MEET TROJAN THE CANCER PUPPY

I went to the emergency room in June 2020 after days of intense fatigue and sudden, and severe, stomach pain. The ER doctor ordered an ultrasound to start off, and the ultrasound technician began by asking me to let her know when she’d put her transducer over where I felt the pain. The tech hit on it pretty quickly, and I let her know that was where it hurt. She then moved it further away, moving it all over my abdomen, and centering it on an entirely different spot.

“It doesn’t really hurt there…” I told her. She seemed focused on that spot, though. “Doesn’t hurt there, either,” I said, as she moved it around and around that one particular area, nowhere near the source of the pain.

“It’s okay, I’ll take it from here,” she finally said. After what seemed like an eternity she was finished probing. She let me know that the doctor would be in to see me in a little bit. “He’s probably going to want a CT scan,” she told me.

Sure enough, a little while later I was being wheeled into radiology, and then there would be more than an hour of waiting before the doctor finally returned. The look on his face said it all…

“They’ve found a mass,” he told me. (A ‘mass’ is a tumor - not sure why they don’t just call it that). “Now, before you worry, we can’t tell yet if it’s cancerous. Only further tests will show that.” (I hadn’t even thought of cancer until that moment).

“The tumor is in your mesentery,” he continued. (I had never heard of that, and couldn’t even spell it when I was trying to look it up. Siri didn’t even seem to be familiar with the term). “You’ll be meeting with a surgeon this week, because this is going to require an operation, and they’re going to want to move on this.”

I would meet with a surgeon, but because of COVID-19 things don’t move as quickly has they might have previously. The ER nurse seemed surprised that they were letting me go home, assuming that I’d be meeting with the surgeon within 24 hours. Instead, the meeting would be the next week. That surgeon I met with told me that, in addition to the mesenteric tumor I’d learned about in the hospital, further review had located what appeared to be a lesion on my liver, as well.

“We need to do a biopsy first and see if the two are related,” he told me. I don’t know how I left the hospital not realizing what he was referring to when he used the word related. When he’d informed me about the liver I remember thinking “Oh great… now something ELSE?” He’d call a few days later with an update from the biopsy, and it was clear that they’d determined what it seemed they’d suspected from the beginning: they were related. The tumor was what was known as a neuroendocrine tumor, and I had a diagnosis of Stage 4 Carcinoid Cancer.

The surgeon explained that he wouldn’t be able to do the surgery, because the tumor was surrounded by blood vessels and in close proximity to an artery - our local hospital just doesn’t have the equipment for that. He referred me to the cancer center in Rochester, where I met with a surgeon a week later. She confirmed the tumor, as well as the cancer in my liver, were neuroendocrine cancer, and she informed me that, in addition to the above, they’d also found it in my small intestine - that’s where she suspected it all began.

Surgery was scheduled for August. The goal of the procedure would be to resect (cut out) the mesenteric tumor, resect the cancerous part of my small intestine, and remove the lesion on my liver.

That would not prove to be the result, unfortunately. Instead, my surgeon determined that the tumor itself was inoperable… it was bigger than they’d thought, and closer to an artery that they’d expected - several surgeons spent hours manipulating it but they found that removing it would cut off the blood supply to my colon, likely requiring the need for a full colectomy. They were able to resect some of the cancer in my small intestine, ensuring that the mass there didn’t continue to grow and block digestion, one of the surgeon’s chief concerns going in. More bad news: they’d found two lesions on my liver - a PET scan had only showed one. And yet more bad news: the cancer had spread to my lymph nodes, meaning surgery on my liver wouldn’t actually stop the spread of the cancer - no surgery would.

The prognosis for carcinoid cancer that can’t be surgically resected isn’t great, especially once it has spread to the liver. But it’s not necessarily ‘terminal’ cancer, either. At one point the prognosis averaged two years following a failed surgery; injections of a drug intended to shrink (or, at least, slow the growth of) carcinoid tumors has been introduced since then, and has so far increased that number to six to eight years. And that number is growing year over year.

My own cancer is fairly advanced - “it’s everywhere,” in the words of my oncologist - so it’s not likely I’ll be on the longer end of that range, but it’s not impossible, either. Depending on where it metastasizes to, I could have a number of years, or - if it spreads to my heart - “as little as two weeks.” And, as of this writing, there’s really no way to know where it will go. “Where it moves to next is anyone’s guess, really” my surgeon says. So we wait, and hope that injections and quarterly scans keep coming back with good news.

I had my first MRI in October. By mid-January, I should have more concrete information.

[UPDATE: doctors/surgeons at Dana-Farber in Boston have had me come for a consult in November, and several weeks later I met with a surgeon in December, a Harvard School of Medicine grad who specializes in a small number of surgeries including Neuroendocrine Tumor (NET) surgery. His opinion was that my surgeons from Strong got it right - that going any further would not only require a colectomy and a feeding tube, but would likely also lead to an untold number of complications, with the only real prediction being a lower quality of life - and no guarantee it would even extend my life.]

My cancer is the same type that former Apple CEO Steve Jobs had. His neuroendocrine cancer was pancreatic in nature, whereas mine is gastrointestinal. Jobs’ cancer journey played out in public, although he was very secretive about it until almost the end of his life. The results are projected to be the same: once neuroendocrine tumors have metastasized to the liver it’s basically a waiting game, with worsening symptoms over time - the length of which is difficult to project with any real accuracy - and, for most patients, the worst symptoms coming at the very end. I take a monthly injection of Sandostatin/Octreotide, and the hope is that it will slow the growth of the tumors and stave off something called ‘Carcinoid Syndrome’. I haven’t been taking it long enough to know for sure if it’s working, but quarterly scans for what will likely be the remainder of my life will give my oncologist regular updates. In the meantime, the prognosis is dependent on where it spreads: it could go on, slowly spreading for years, or it could metastasize to a critical organ and be much, much shorter.

In the meantime, life goes on… and, joining me for the next chapter, is my new ‘cancer puppy’, Trojan.

Trojan is a West Highland White Terrier - otherwise known as a Westie. We picked her out in the weeks before my surgery, and picked her up from the breeder the day before. After a marathon session and night spent with me, she spent some time with my parents and brother during the six days I was hospitalized - sleeping on my backpack for much of that time. She stayed by my side for the two weeks I spent recovering at home, as well - and she’s been by my side, living with me on M/V WIN, ever since.

And yes, Trojan is a she. It probably seems like an odd name for a female puppy, and I can tell when people think I named her after the condom by the look they give me when I tell them her name. She is actually named after the company that manufactured the boat we will be living on. That company, in turn, was named for the famed Trojan horse. It’s fitting, too, because just as the Greeks’ gift horse had a little more than the citizens of Troy had expected, my body also has a surprise inside... and it’s cancer.

In this case, there’s hope that Trojan, my little cancer puppy, could help me in a battle of my own. Either way, I couldn’t ask for a better therapy puppy to join me on my journey, and the fact that she willingly posed for a photo in the oversized puppy life jacket you see here pretty much seals the deal.

Some people might say that the day before a major surgery isn’t the best time to pick up a new puppy. I was one of those people. I think my family thought having little Trojan waiting for me would be a motivator during and after surgery, and speed up my recovery time. It definitely did. Regardless, I’d wanted a dog for a while, and a stint as a chicken foster dad in the spring clinched it.

There was a backup plan for Trojan’s care in place in the event my surgery did not turn out the way it did. (I was somewhat surprised that Trojan’s godparent didn’t head straight to the breeder to bring home one of her sisters, to be honest). But since I learned of my cancer diagnosis my motto has become “wait for nothing.” Seriously... if there’s something you’ve been wanting to do, today is the day to put that plan in action.

In my case, that meant finally welcoming a puppy into the family.

I promise to flood this website (and my social media) with puppy pictures galore as me and Trojan embark on our journey together.

We hope you’ll join us for the ride…

WELCOME HOME, TROJAN!

Our journey began with a visit to the breeder. While we found the puppy on a national website, the breeder happened to be less than 30 minutes from us. That was lucky, we thought, because we were hesitant to commit to a puppy from states away, sight unseen, and with COVID-19 restrictions traveling to most states where Westies are bred was simply out of the question. 

There were three puppies for us to choose from: Roxanne, Rosebud, and Ranger. Rosebud was the oldest, but also the smallest and quietest - the ‘runt’, as they say. I’d already decided that a puppy smaller in size would be best - we’d be spending half the year on a boat, after all. But the fact that Rosebud and I made a connection - she was the only one who wanted to stay in my arms, as opposed to her brother and sister, who couldn’t wait to get back to the opportunity to return to exploring on the grounds. 

‘Rosebud’ would join our family, and her new name would be Trojan. 

My stay in the hospital would last from Tuesday until Sunday. My parents and brother would take turns babysitting the puppy while I recovered from surgery. In order to get Trojan accustomed to my scent, so she’d remember me when I came home, we left a towel that I’d spent a few nights sleeping on in her pen. Not to worry - Trojan spent quite a bit of time sleeping on my backpack while I was gone, as well.

When I returned home to continue my recovery Trojan slept in her crate next to me.

At first we’d set up a system we thought would be foolproof: the crate, seen below, left open, surrounded by a pen.

We didn’t account for what an intelligent little puppy Trojan is… it took her a mere day or two to figure out that she could put her little paws one on top of the other and climb up the pen - and into the bed with me. I was barely able to move, and couldn’t get out of bed without assistance, so there was little I could do than make like a pillow and spend time with my little puppy curled up on top of me.

In September we’d make the transition from land to the boat. I’d been instructed not to lift more than the weight of a jug of milk. Trojan’s little puppy duffel - you’ll see that below - and Trojan herself, combined, weighed just about that amount. I was eager to get her aboard and see if she’d adjust to the idea of living on water. There was a bit of anxiety in those first few days - I was really worried that she’d reject the lake-based lifestyle I love so much…

I needn’t have worried - Trojan took to life on the water like she belonged there. She seemed to love everything about it.

I worried that she’d tire of the long walks up and down the dock, but she curled up in her puppy duffel and enjoyed the view.

I worried that she’d yip and growl at my neighbors, but she craved their attention, and in return treated them to sloppy wet kisses and puppy licks.

The first night we spent on the boat was one of the roughest in my five years on M/V WIN, and I worried that we’d picked a night that was too rough for the puppy - they say that firsts are important. The boat was slammed by the waves, as expected - but Trojan took one look at me and, realizing I wasn’t alarmed, appeared to be reassured. That night she climbed into bed with me and curled up on my pillow - I figured I’d allow that, since it was a raging gale outside. (She, of course, never returned to sleeping anywhere else…)

Trojan was timid about leaving my side, at first. I kept her on her leash frequently, but she rarely went past the exit to the boat’s cockpit. I held on to the life jacket - but she rarely tiptoed up to the edge of the decks. That lasted a few weeks. Then one day I saw a blur of white shoot past the salon windows. Bewildered I turned and looked at the companionway - the least was there, but it wasn’t attached to a puppy. Oh no! Within seconds that same blur shot across the opposite windows - and then Trojan proudly appeared in the doorway, as if she was expecting a treat! I quickly clicked the leash on her collar - but above decks has become her favorite place to be, and scampering around the boat trying to catch a view of everything - and bark at just about anything - is her favorite pastime.

Trojan and I would get to spend about six weeks on the boat before boating season would come to a close. Because I’m extra, and love to pull out the iPhone and take pictures - if you’ve been following this website for boat pictures since 2016 you know what I mean - here’s some of my favorite puppy album photos from 2020 and, now, 2021...

ADVENTURES WITH TROJAN

Trojan is very much a ‘recovery puppy’ - she spends all day every day with me, and is happy to tag along doing whatever it is I am doing that day. (She’s not such a big fan of being left behind, however). She and I have a standing date: Mondays at Lodi Point State Marine Park. Sometimes another dog or a group of children are there to ruin the chill vibe, so we move on to another park.

“A dog in a bag?” people say often, marveling at Trojan curled up in her puppy duffel. “Now I’ve seen everything…”

That typically leads to much barking… and now they’ve heard everything, too. Still, if it’s adventures you seek - even if you have to say “okay… hush… no bark, friends! no bark!” frequently… I can’t recommend a West Highland White Terrier highly enough.

We also spent an afternoon at the cottage, sitting out on the dock at first and, later, seeking refuge from the rain in the boathouse. I suspect we’ll have lots of adventures there in the future…

Sometimes Trojan gets to adventure with my friends - like when Auntie Mermo took her to rocket propel herself through leaf piles. There’s nothing like zooming through leaves to get a puppy riled up!

Having stage 4 neuroendocrine cancer, and the fact that it was unresectable surgically, entitles one to social security disability. This means that I am, for lack of a better word, ‘retired’ in my mid 40s. The illness makes some days ‘up days’ and some days ‘down days’, especially in terms of fatigue. But Trojan and I do our best to keep up with one another, and I’m hopeful that we’ll have many adventures ahead. Check back often, because whenever we do I’ll try to snap a photo and post it here…

One day we made a trip to parks on all four sides of the lake. Or, more accurately, we tried - after walking at a park in Dresden, the Promenade at Village Marina in Watkins Glen, Clute Park, and Lodi Point State Marine Park, we were headed for Seneca Lake State Park for our final walk of the day when Trojan discovered a pricker in her fur. It was like a little explosion in her puppy duffel, and it took me a while to figure out what was wrong. Fearing she would be that energetic at the park, we headed home. Oh well, now we have a goal for another day.

THE TESLA

For my birthday in 2021 my brother gifted me a Tesla. I’d been driving the same 16 year-old Prius for the past 13 years - and loved it - but Jeff felt that it was time for something more reliable - and, apparently, more sporty. [Click here to read more about the car].

Trojan had spent the first six months of her life getting to know the Prius, and becoming adept at escaping her ‘puppy duffel’ - she was a pro at using her little razor-sharp teeth to unzip the bag, and could climb through an opening about the size of a fist. That was fine in the old car - it had seats long-stained with sunscreen from its Florida days, and - truth be told - it hadn’t had a good detailing since around 2011. (When I took the new car to the wash here I was aghast at the prices - it was half that the last time the Prius had a bath…)

The first thing we did to “The Pearl’ was install seat covers - to give the car my signature touch (wine red, apparently, is my color) and to prevent puppy scratches from doing long-term permanent damage to the vegan leather seats the car came with. The second thing we did was figure out how to secure the puppy duffel so Trojan couldn’t squeeze herself out of it anymore.

That wasn’t fun for Trojan, though, who’d basically had the run of the Prius, almost as if it was her own. So I spent a few weeks exploring options on the internet, finding a few different ‘puppy booster seats’ for sale, and researching each. I settled on one from a company named PetSafe, from Amazon.com. It was recommended on Facebook, by someone from one of the Westie groups, and someone from one of the Tesla groups. They had several colors, but I picked plain brown - we want to draw attention to this beautiful little puppy, not a car seat.

More adventures await, and now Trojan can see everything, too!

Want to follow along with more on the Tesla and my upcoming road trip journey? Visit StageIVTesla.com.

VISITS TO NANA & GRAMP’S

Trojan gets to visit my parents nearly every day… some days we go for dinner and catch an episode of Trojan’s favorite show, Heartland - she loves to bark at the animals on the screen. Other days we stop by for lunch, or simply to avail ourselves of that big back yard. There’s no shortage of puppies in the neighborhood to bark at, and once we’ve had all of our shots we’ll even meet some of them!

And Saturdays Trojan gets to spend the night while she gets puppysat! This puppy is s-p-o-i-l-e-d with toys, but nothing beats a paper towel to tear to pieces, or a potty pad to rip to shreds. So once a week she gets to travel across town for some time with the grands, and I spend time picking up piece after piece after piece after piece.

But I’m not complaining. I also get to spend some time working on the MacBook without a puppy furiously tearing across the keys (my emails all end with “Sincerelyyyyyyyqe8r9querqeurqueruqre - “ lately). And being apart from Trojan for the night - or, honestly, just for a few minutes - means an overjoyed display of puppy licks the next time I see her.

Have you ever seen a puppy do ‘zoomies’? It’s adorable! Trojan spends a lot of her time at various state parks - we live in one half the year, after all - and in the backyard at my parents or the cottage. But when she get plopped into her pen… look out!

Some more photos of Trojan’s visits to my parents…

TROJAN’S FAMILY & FRIENDS…

PUPPY PALS

Lest you think all of Trojan’s friends are the two-legged sort, know that she recently had her first-ever puppy playdate, and it was a success! It started off a bit rough, with her new friend, pug puppy Lyndon, and two of her humans, Chris and Justice, joining us on the deck at the cottage. Their pug had already met other dogs - she lives with two of them - but Trojan had only met another canine from a comfortable distance thus far. Would she play nice?

The answer was… yes! Lyndon and Trojan got along very well, and Trojan even shared her donut toy. When it was time for them to leave Trojan was beside herself, insisting on walking them up the hill to their car. Later, when I played back one of the videos of them playing, she heard the other dog and the banging against the portable pen and went absolutely nuts trying to see if she was back on the porch. I predict more playdates in Trojan’s future…

The first playdate went so well Lyndon had his humans bring him back for another a few weeks later! This time we opened up the backyard puppy run to them for a bit… so much fun! Saying goodbye to new friends - the four-legged or two-legged variety - is always hard for Trojan…

Auntie Memo enjoyed spoiling Trojan so much that, for Christmas 2020, she drove the Covidmobile down to Tennessee and brought back her own. Wyatt, who I affectionately call Slobberino, is an XL puppy - and Trojan didn’t know what to make of him when they came for their first visit in March of this year.

Later that week Chris and Justice would return with old pal Lyndon - and someone new - Wanda! Wanda is a Bassett hound a little more Trojan’s size. (The short little legs certainly help). We’d hang in the Puppy Pen as the three sniffed and got acquainted - or, in the case of Trojan and Lyndon, re-acquainted. It was fun, and with a more reliable car we’ll be sure to continue this long-distance love affair back in Syracuse, as well.

Moving back on to the boat in May 2021 was exciting for Trojan - especially since, right up until the end of our first boating season the previous year, she hadn’t been able to socialize with other dogs due to being so little and not having her shots. Over the winter we were pretty much housebound with COVID restrictions and social distancing. So come spring, with me and the rest of my family being vaccinated in March, Trojan was ready to meet even more new friends! Several walks a day through the park where the boat calls home gave her lots of opportunities to sniff and nuzzle other pups - and one day we even had another Westie visit us, when Brody and Bob stopped at the park for a walk, spied us from a distance, and were invited onto the boat for a little puppy playtime (first two photos)!

Picture #3 is from a reunion in 2024!

In the spring Aunt Mermo acquired a new addition to the family, Cheecho. The two visited the boat several times over the summer and fall, and Trojan became attached to her little Mexican friend. Trojan would frantically jump up and down, desperate to be held too whenever Mermo picked Cheecho up for a break from all of the excitement and activity - they both got tired out halfway through each visit.

RIP MERMO

We lost Mermo on March 10, 2022. For a long time afterward I couldn’t even say the word “Mermo” without Trojan getting just as excited as every time we’d had a visit from our Favorite Auntie. Mermo spoiled Trojan rotten, bringing gifts and treats and snuggles every single time she came. I used to tease her, suggesting that she really came to visit Trojan and not me… I’d give anything to have one of those visits again.

During Christmas 2022 the family would take the opportunity to travel to France and visit Europe. Bringing Trojan was a consideration, but she is decidedly not a ‘crate’ dog, and the idea of her in one for a 12-hour flight to Paris seemed problematic, at best. WOOF WOOF! BARK BARK! Instead we decided to leave her with our friends Chris, Heidi, and Justice, where she could become one of the pack, spending a week with old friends Lyndon and Wanda! I got treated to some pictures of Trojan, looking sad because she was surely wondering where her family was! Still, it was nice to know that she was in good hands while we were gone… they even got her a little tag with their address in case she tried to escape to find us!

FOWL FRIENDS…

In spring of 2021 Trojan made her first visit to Geneva Peeps, my brother Jeff’s community chicken coop co-op and community garden. We were preparing her for the move to the boat, where she would lose her fenced-in puppy pen and be forced to spend her days on a leash. Would she take to this fenced-in solar array and chicken run as an alternative?

She would! She proved to be very gentle with the chickens - so much so that we decided to bring her over on the day the baby chicks were introduced to the co-op (they’d previously spent six weeks with families across the area). Trojan enjoyed chasing them very much, under the watchful eyes of all of us - but she didn’t hurt any, and seemed disappointed when they stopped running away from her.

Planning to visit Geneva Peeps anytime soon? You may just make a new puppy friend during your visit…

TROJAN’S FIRST CHRISTMAS!

Behold, the 2020 Christmas card! Thirty of these went out this year, plus an additional twenty photo cards… if you didn’t get one just email me to get on the list for next year, we’re already cooking up ideas for 2021! Special thanks to Erin “Mermo” Farrell who assisted with this photoshoot - it was a lot of fun, and Trojan was amazing, almost like she was a trained canine model! As you can see, this required a lot of takes - and treats!

Trojan’s first Christmas was a successful one. My brother and I saw there was Christmas morning snow/sleet in the forecast, so we all met at my parents and spent the night Christmas Eve. Trojan enjoyed a few holiday specials with us, and then it was time to go to sleep and wait for Santa. Of course, it was a very Westie-themed Christmas, with many of the gifts being for Trojan or revolving around her. Just a few…

Subsequent Christmases have been magical, as well. It’s amazing how many Westie presents are available out there…

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TROJAN!

We make sure to make a big deal about Trojan’s birthday every year. She was born on June 29, 2020, so every year on June 29 we have a little party, complete with cards, presents, and some sort of treat.

In 2021 she “blew out” her own candles!

This year, she paid very close attention to each present as they were unwrapped. Her brand new life jacket - we live on a boat half the year, and she has gone swimming at the cottage exactly once, as well.

Here for more information on Westies On The Waterfront?

Visit trojanyacht.com/westiesonthewaterfront.

trojan does designer

Did I mention that Trojan is spoiled? She loves loves loves to model the latest outfits. From hoodies to hoodlum, Halloween to Christmas - coming soon! - she’s rocked them all. If you’re looking for the perfect spokes puppy, we’ve got you covered… just have your people call her people.

ADIDAS… All Day I Dream About Snausages? Thanks to Auntie Mermo for some of these zany outfits!

ABOUT carcinoid CANCER…

My diagnosis is stage 4 carcinoid neuroendocrine cancer. It’s considered ‘advanced stage’, and there’s hope that the monthly injections I’m taking will slow the growth of tumors when and where they form.

I was surprised that is took a full four months for me to learn that my cancer is in the same family as the cancer that took former Apple CEO Steve Jobs in 2011. Jobs was diagnosed with a rare form of pancreatic cancer, called an islet cell tumor or gasteroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (GEP-NET). My cancer is the same, except it originated in the gastrointestinal tract (carcinoid neuroendocrine tumor) and metastasized to the mesentery and, later, the liver.

When someone wealthy is diagnosed with a disease - especially someone whose loss was felt as deeply as Steve Jobs’ was - the disease typically gets a fair amount of attention. Not so in Jobs’ case; Jobs is said to have chosen natural medicine and a special diet over surgery for nearly a year. He then concealed the surgery, as well as the seriousness of his illness, from his company and others - likely to prevent Apple’s stock price from plummeting.

I’m not able to say whether he or his family donated any portion of his estate for the purposes of cancer research, but it’s not likely - Jobs was notoriously anti-charity, and even canceled many of the philanthropy programs Apple had in place up until he returned as CEO.

You can read more about carcinoid cancer and neuroendocrine cancer online, by visiting Carcinoid.org or the American Cancer Association.

Photo Edit: Eddy Winchester