As promised, here’s the continuation of my previous post. If you’re just joining us, Lisa and I were supposed to leave for Tashkent, Uzbekistan (or, as I like to call it, the UZ) just a day shy of two weeks ago. For some unknown reason, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had not yet issued our travel visas. While stuck in DC, we stayed with friends (Thanks, Erin and Rob!) until Lisa’s per diem got reset, then moved into a hotel while Lisa went to work at Main State on the Uzbekistan desk. Well, on Friday our visas came through!! That means we’re about to hop on a plane, right? Not so fast.
See, while we were making plans, Hermes was laughing. I know the quote is usually about “God” laughing but Hermes is the Greek god of travel so this seems more up his alley. On Tuesday August 2nd, the day we were supposed to leave for our two year tour, we couldn’t wait for those visas to be issued. Aside from having to find a new place to live, every day was costing us money because our dogs were in boarding, waiting for us to leave so they could fly to the UZ. Further complicating this issue is the fact that the only flight they can take in the heat of the summer is on Uzbek Air every Sunday out of New York. Since the USDA certificate that allows one to export pets into the UZ has to be issued with ten days of their arrival and the paperwork takes several days in transit, that means we need a new vet exam and USDA certificate every week. Basically, in addition to wanted to get to post ourselves, we were anxious because dog logistics were costing us a lot of cash.
Then we got the news that the little growth that had recently surfaced on Kirby’s ear – the one the vet sent out for biopsy during his first USDA exam – is potentially cancerous. We immediately checked with post and learned that veterinary care in the UZ is not capable of dealing with cancer. Just removing the tumor and getting a prognosis would be beyond the basic vet care in Tashkent. Suddenly we went from hoping we could get on a plane immediately to hoping things would take a while so that we could make sure Kirby is healthy.
They say attitude is everything when one lives a Foreign Service lifestyle. Lisa and I knew to expect things might not go as planned, so even though we were frustrated by our delayed departure, we were determined to make the best of it. Finding out Kirby may be very sick was upsetting, of course, but we also saw a silver lining. If we had travelled as originally planned, we’d already have been in Tashkent when we learned about the growth’s potential health risks. We would’ve been watching it for two years, hoping for the best with no way of knowing if Kirby would survive our two years at post. Now at least we have time to take care of him before leaving.
Knowing that it would take a while for Kirby to be ready to travel, I rented an SUV and went and picked up Tyra and Kirby from boarding. The hotel is very pet friendly, one of the reasons we chose it. Last Thursday, I took Kirby to the doggie surgeon and had the growth removed. He was a little drugged out that day and at about 30% of his usual frenetic energy. By Friday he was totally back to normal, except for that one shaved ear. It will take him about two weeks to be ready to travel. If the tests reveal that the growth was benign, he’ll be good to go. Also, if the growth was cancerous but didn’t spread into the rest of his body, he’ll be good to go. How will we know if the cancer spread? On the advice of my veterinarian brother in Dallas, we had the doctor aspirate some fluid from Kirby’s lymph node and hold onto it. If the growth is malignant, they’ll test the fluid to see if the cancer spread. If it is cancer that has spread, we’re pretty much screwed. Doggie chemo and radiation isn’t like it is for people. It might give him an extra year or two, but that’s it. Also, it’s expensive and requires visits to the oncology vet every several months: an impossibility in Uzbekistan. We’ll either have to find someone willing to take on a dog with cancer here in the states or take him with us and enjoy our time together as much as we can. The good news is, he’s only three years old so cancer isn’t the most likely outcome. In addition, his lymph node was tiny. A swollen lymph node means it’s fighting something. Now we just cross our fingers and hope for the best. Here’s a pic of him, so happy to be wearing his awesome headgear so that he can’t scratch at his stitches.
The Cone of Shame!
In the meantime, here’s what we do know. Lisa was supposed to leave for Tashkent today but could not, due to the fun of State Dept. red tape and flight availability. Now she’s leaving on Wednesday. I’m here for two weeks while Kirby recovers and then waits for a Sunday ship date.
Unfortunately, with Lisa gone I will lose the benefit of her per diem. That means we’ll pay for the hotel on our own. However, my brother the vet says it’s best that I keep an eye on his recovery myself rather than putting him in a boarding facility. The last thing we need is an infection that keeps him here longer.
On the plus side, as long as Lisa’s already having to make the transition to Tashkent on her own, I’m going to stay in the states a little longer. Once the dogs are safely on their way, I’m going to hop on a plane to Dallas and stay with my brother for a few weeks. That way I can attend my niece’s Bat Mitvah! Originally we were both going to miss the the big family event since we would have just moved halfway around the world. However, given the circumstances, I may as well stick around a little longer so that I can see my whole family one last time and be there for Brooke’s big day!!
Next up is most likely a post about how much I miss Lisa. However, I’m glad to have her for an extra day and a half!