My Trusty Companion

“There will never be another dog that will capture our heart or our home, like him.”

Krypto 9/23/05-11/14/18

At 126 lbs and 5′ standing straight up, my companion has been by my side since I was diagnosed with cancer almost 4 years ago. Up until that point, he played with my kids in the back yard. We had adopted him 13 years ago this month, and he blended into our family with ease. Just another one of the kids, it was though he’d been in the family all his life.

In December 2014, I was diagnosed with Stage 3 Multiple Myeloma with Plasma Cell Leukemia, and life became a roller coaster. Transfusions, doctor’s appointments and hospitalizations became more than routine. A routine part of my 2014 life was flying from Kentucky to Mayo Clinic in Minnesota every other month to see a Multiple Myeloma specialist. Needless to say, the changes that came with my being sick was tough on everyone, but especially the little guy we adopted. He seemed to know that I needed him and still senses that to this day. If I go upstairs, he’s following right behind me. If I go outside to plant flowers, he’s right there with me. Wherever I am around the house, he’s not far from me.

In the summer of 2015, I spent the summer at Mayo Clinic to have a stem cell transplant. My absence proved to be the a hard time for him. He refused to eat and seemed depressed. He’d cry waiting for momma to come home. Today, if I were to get out my suitcase, you would instantly see the sorrow on his face.

Have you figured out who my trusty companion is? It’s our family dog, Krypto. Now up in age, he’s 77 in human years. Hip dysplasia is taking its toll, and it’s hard for him to get up and down the stairs. Though my bedroom is upstairs, every night, he sleeps on the floor beside me and will not leave the room until I do. I love my kid with fur! He’s been my trusty companion and, regardless of the pain I’m having or just the discouragement that comes with my ongoing battle with cancer, it never fails that having Krypto beside me always puts a smile on my face.