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When his beloved Labrador was diagnosed with terminal kidney cancer last year, Simon O'Brien, from the UK, was crushed.
Then, just months later, Simon was diagnosed with the same disease.
Simon (48) says Bella was a typical Lab, always happy and playing. But that changed last May when he noticed she was always tired, had lost weight, was sleeping more and was constantly thirsty.
After going to the vet Bella was referred to a specialist animal hospital, where doctors confirmed her kidney cancer diagnosis.
“The vet said there was nothing they could do, and she only had months to live. We were told to enjoy our time left with her and make memories,” Simon says.
It was a devastating time for Simon and his family as they came to terms with the news, and they were dealt another blow five months later when Simon was diagnosed with the same cancer.
Simon, an avid half marathon runner, says he couldn't understand why he suddenly started feeling tired after routine training.
“I was struggling to finish a training session with the guys and thought I must've really let myself go during the pandemic,” he says.
When he started losing weight and experienced extreme fatigue and thirst, Simon knew he needed to get checked out.
After being referred to a specialist, a CT scan revealed a tumour on his right kidney.
“It was like a bolt out of the blue. Having two cancers in the family at the same time has been awful,” he says.
Dr Laura Chapman of the Marie Curie Liverpool Hospice says it's the first time she's heard about a dog and its owner suffering the same disease. “The chances of a dog getting this relatively unusual cancer at the same time as her owner are around a million to one. It's heartbreaking for the family,” she says.
Kidney cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the kidneys.
More than 400 000 new kidney cancer cases are diagnosed annually, which is about 2,2% of all newly diagnosed cancers worldwide.
Possible symptoms include fatigue, loss of appetite, blood in the urine, a mass on the side or lower back, weight loss (not caused by dieting) and anaemia, says the Cancer Association of South Africa (Cansa).
Surgery is the most common treatment for kidney cancer patients.
“The type of surgery depends on the size and stage of the cancer, whether the patient has two kidneys, and whether cancer was found in both kidneys,” Cansa says.
Breaking the news of his cancer to his three kids – Ivy, Callum and Niamh – was one of the hardest things he and his wife Ruth have had to do, Simon says.
"I could see the devastation on their faces."
READ MORE | ‘My dog sniffed out a one-in-22 million kidney donor when I’d been given 5 years to live’
In preparation for the worst, he even planned his funeral and wrote letters to his kids for all the milestones to come.
But Simon got another chance at life in December when he underwent a seven-hour operation that removed the kidney with the cancerous mass. “Seeing the sense of relief on family and friends' faces was very emotional – a real good feeling,” he says.
The relief was short-lived when he learned that Bella is unable to undergo the same type of operation. While the medication she's on has given her more time, surgery would be too risky for the dog.
That’s why Simon says he’s making the most of their time left with Bella.
The family has been taking her to the beach because she loves the waves and forgets about her pain for a few minutes – something they will continue to do for as long as they can.
“She’s my best friend. She's so much more than a dog to us, she’s family.”
SOURCES: METRO.CO.UK, MIRROR.CO.UK, INDEPENDENT.CO.UK, NDTV.COM, FACEBOOK.COM, CANSA.ORG.ZA
