Category Archives: Living with lung cancer

I suddenly find myself in a committed relationship, and nobody could be more surprised than me.

Although there are certain things I’ve missed about having a partner, I have relished living alone. Going to bed at all hours of the night and sleeping in as well, with nobody in that bloody bed but me. Playing loud music, keeping my own schedule, eating what, when and if I feel like it. Staying inside all day long, wearing anything I want or nothing at all–a beautiful way to become more comfortable in one’s own skin. It’s been a long, blessed vacation of sorts.

But then I met somebody. Or rather, my friend Brian did, wandering around out by the train tracks.

This somebody was a wee white dog and he seemed to be lost–a bit disoriented and clearly frantic. It was cold and dark outside–no place for a lost pup–and Brian asked me if I would help corral the little fellow.

That turned out to be easier said than done as our new friend was not about to let us get close to him. So Brian and I spent thirty minutes running around and chasing this wild little dog back and forth, doing our best to corner him so that one of us could grab his collar.

The situation looked hopeless until our neighbor Howie came outside with his great Pyrenees, Appa, whom the little stranger took a great interest in. Then Marianna joined us with her two pups and between the four humans and three dogs we were able to lure the stray close enough that Howie was able to grab his (tagless) collar.

Marianna provided a crate and Brian said our guest could spend the night in his loft. The next morning Brian texted me that he had some previous commitments and so I agreed to walk our little friend. When I let him out of the crate the first thing he did was grab a cat toy and start tossing it in the air. I was charmed and ended up hanging out for two hours until he trusted me enough to approach. And then I took him back to my loft along with the crate.

Several days passed with no word from Animal Control. We decided to take the dog to a local vet to see if he might be microchipped but he was not. By this point I’d given my guest a flea bath and he was sleeping in my bed rather than the crate. And, of course, I was growing fond of him.

But then, on day five, his family called. We learned that our visitor’s name was Kumo (Japanese for white cloud–I’d been calling him ghost). And I said I’d be happy to bring him to them the next day.

That last night together was bittersweet but then again I imagined how happy both Kumo and his family would be at his return.

The reality was slightly different–although they had a teenage son, there were also lots of people in and out of what appeared to be a very chaotic household. Most troubling, Kumo had run away on a Friday evening but they hadn’t even noticed he was gone until the next day. The woman asked me if I loved Kumo (yes, I did). She told me that her husband was ill and that she wasn’t really sure if she could handle the care of a dog–and that she was considering tying him up inside the house to make sure he didn’t escape.

I left her with my name and number but my heart was heavy as I closed the door. However, the reality was that Kumo belonged to this family, not to me.

One week passed and the woman called. She told me that Kumo had run away several more times and Animal Control had warned the family that they would begin incurring fines. She asked if I wanted Kumo. I told her I would call right back–I needed a moment to think.

But of course the answer was obvious.

Kumo

My free dog has turned out to be quite expensive between some gastric upset, all his shots and neutering (something you get a certificate of bravery for–who knew). He has severe separation anxiety and clearly has had some mistreatment in the past–he ducks when petted, gets frightened easily, and absolutely will not come when called. In other words, in need of some tender loving care.

And I have realized just how much I missed the act of nurturing as well as having a companion.