May 22–23, 2025 – A Conversation That Brought Peace

@haleyandthedane

Today was such a good day 🥹😭 SUPER long two-day update for you today in the link in my bio 🫶🏼🤞🏼 #haleyandthedane #osteosarcoma #dogmomlife #greatdane #dogsoftiktok #dogcancer #caninecancer #cancersucks #fightingcancer @weratedogs

♬ original sound – haley

Yesterday I got ahold of Main Street Vet, just east of our home, and was surprised (and comforted) to find myself speaking directly with Dr. Hunter, the founder and head veterinarian of the clinic.

She’s worked with Ardent, the company behind the immunotherapy trial I’ve mentioned in previous updates, for years—and she had nothing but good things to say. She explained that their clinic offers the full package: amputation, four rounds of carboplatin chemotherapy, and the vaccine made from Dior’s own tumor cells.

What really struck me was how personal our conversation became. Dr. Hunter told me she lost her own dog to osteosarcoma—she wasn’t a candidate for amputation because of prior hip surgeries and arthritis. As she shared her story, we both got emotional. She said she would have done anything to save her girl. And now, even though she’s healing from a broken collarbone and can’t perform Dior’s surgery herself, she told me she’ll oversee it—and that the orthopedic surgeon on staff is someone she’d trust with her own dog. No questions asked.

That gave me peace in a way I didn’t know I needed.

They can’t give us a full itemized quote until Tuesday, but she estimated that the surgery, chemo, immunotherapy, and all appointments would be around $8,500 total.

Considering that just surgery alone at BluePearl and TAMU is estimated at $7–8k, this was shocking in the best way.

Where the Options Stand Now

I still need to update the osteosarcoma treatment guide with what I’ve learned recently—especially the options at CSU, trial site availability for Ardent, and some new clinical angles I hadn’t come across before.

To recap what Ardent offers:

• A clinical trial with two groups:
  1. Group A: surgery + immunotherapy (with booster doses)
  2. Group B: surgery + 4 rounds of chemo
     (If dogs in Group B develop metastasis, they become eligible for the vaccine.)

That part makes my brain buzz with questions: If your dog is placed in the vaccine group… can they receive chemo later if needed? I’m not sure—and I’ll definitely be adding it to my growing list of questions to ask (again 😅).

If we agree to participate in the trial, Ardent provides a stipend toward surgery, and the rest is covered. The catch? It would require us to relocate to Colorado for 90+ days so Dior can attend appointments, receive treatment, and be closely monitored.

Typing that out makes it feel even less realistic, especially with my business based here and everything else that goes into a full relocation. Still… I haven’t ruled it out entirely.

Expense / Donation Tracker

I’m working on a financial transparency spreadsheet to keep track of:

• GoFundMe donations
• Venmo & Zelle
• T-shirt sales
• Out-of-pocket expenses
  Basically everything with a dollar sign is going in one place—for transparency, education, and honestly, my own sanity.

Time Is Blurring

I’ve completely lost track of time since Dior’s diagnosis. Somehow, Memorial Day Weekend is here, and that pushes back the timeline again. We won’t have the definitive Main Street quote until Tuesday, which means we won’t be able to finalize our decision until then—but both TAMU and Main Street think we could still get him scheduled before the end of next week.

When the Realness Sets In

When we first got Dior’s diagnosis, Brandon and I both knew amputation was the only choice. There was no question. But now that it’s real… it’s close… and it could potentially happen any next week… I’m starting to feel the weight of it.

Last night after I posted our update, Dior started “hopping”—that’s the word I’ve been using when he won’t put any weight on his left leg. He was uncomfortable all night, tossing and turning, and I think some of that was my fault—I used his muscle cream that smells like spearmint and he hates that scent. I think he was just trying to get away from it. He’s been hopping most of the day today, too.

But then this afternoon, I ran a few jammie orders to the post office, and he lit up—jumped in the car, ears in the wind, full smile on his face. He still demands pets from whoever’s in the front seat and waits for us with both front paws in the driver seat so he can watch the world go by through the windshield.

He even balanced on his left leg to pee. That alone gives me so much hope.

Today – Friday, May 23

I fell asleep before I finished typing this last night, so I’m wrapping it up now. Dior woke up in good spirits this morning. No limping. He seemed to sleep peacefully (even though I was up all night tossing and turning). He was curled up on his bed in the corner across from my side of the room, and for a little while… things felt normal.

And today? He had one of the best days.
He sat on the couch and watched me and my neighbor’s son do yard work from the front window. He followed me up and down the stairs without hesitation. He sunbathed for most of the morning and greeted every visitor like they were his favorite person in the world. He did do a few ‘hippity-hops,’ favoring his left hind leg, but overall, he’s not missed a beat. 🐾

We are preparing for surgery next week—and I know it’s going to change everything. But for now, he’s happy. He’s here. And he’s still fighting.

Main Street doesn’t offer payment plans, unfortunately. They do accept CareCredit, but Brandon already maxed his out to pay for Dior’s CT scan. And unfortunately, I don’t qualify for much.

Right now, we’re sitting at a little over $1,300 raised (to put towards surgery), with a current goal of $9,000.
That leaves us $7,700 to go—which honestly feels both overwhelming and somehow possible, all at once.

So if you’re reading this and you’ve been following along:

• Please consider sharing Dior’s story
• Buying a t-shirt from our shop
• Or just keeping us in your prayers

We are so incredibly grateful. Truly.

Wishing all of you a peaceful, love-filled Memorial Day Weekend. Hug your dogs extra tight.

With all my love,
Haley, Dior & Family 🖤