Indy—our baby, our sunshine, our love—has large cell lymphoma at 3 years old. Our oncologist believes he has the rarer and more aggressive form of lymphoma (T-cell). We will know by Sep. 26. If he has T-cell lymphoma his prognosis is 6-9 months with chemo (prognosis is 1-2 months without chemo). He started chemo yesterday after my husband and I spent hours researching and then getting answers to all of our questions from the oncologist. We have been counseled that lymphoma does not have a clear cause, is not preventable, and is only detectable once lymph nodes are enlarged. Because Indy is so young, we want to do everything to give him the longest and happiest life possible. We’re following Indy’s lead, and will reassess treatment and his quality of life at every juncture. Right now, he is acting like his normal self—perky, cuddly, and hungry. Indy will have a 20 week course of CHOP chemo protocol—the standard treatment for lymphoma. Each week I’ll take him to the vet for a chemo dose and blood work. This is low dose chemo—most dogs do not experience side effects. Indy’s comfort is of the upmost importance to us, so we will monitor any side effects closely. After the 20 week chemo, the hope is he’ll be in remission as long as possible and only need monthly check-ins. Remission is not a cure though, and the lymphoma will likely come back. At that point, we’d utilize “rescue drugs” to extend quality of life. There is also a bone marrow transplant program at North Carolina State University that claims to cure 19% of its patients with T cell lymphoma. We are doing our research on this—a cure would be a miracle, but the transplant process is intense and has risks. Indy, my husband, and I are so grateful for the support of this community. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for keeping Indy in your thoughts and prayers. I will try to post updates as often as I can, but I need to step back from Instagram to spend time with Indy and to ensure he has the best care. I see your messages, and they help us get through each day. Please know, even if I don’t respond, that we are so thankful. Photo Credit: @montyandmiller #smilesforindy #healthupdate