Callie the Highland Cow Part Two

Hey there guys! Callie the highland cow here!

I just want to say thank you for all the support that my human companion got in her last article. She cried writing it and then cried even harder when she saw the comments. Happy tears of course. Felt like I had to clarify.

Her sister Kasey had gotten me for my human companion Jessie at Christmas (see my introduction here). Treatment started in January and ended in May. Six treatments. We had some ups and downs. Jessie almost broke her ankle one time from passing out on a set of stairs. That was scary. She held me so tight.

At times Jessie would get really sick, in the middle of the night, or while she was resting. She would get sick, and I had to sit there and watch her until she was done. My human companion didn’t want me to get dirty or smelly. But after each sickness, she would snuggle me, sobbing. Her heart was so broken.

After her last treatment, she told me that they’ll be doing something called surgery. She told me that there were a lot of risks. Jessie wanted to let me know in case she had to stay at the hospital. The night before the surgery she packed me in her to-go bag, just in case.

It had been a few hours since I had seen her, and I had started to worry. Jessie’s husband got a phone call stating that they were done, and went over aftercare for Jessie. When he got off the phone he started crying. At the time I didn’t know what the tears had meant. However, leading up to surgery, Jessie was scared. She cried almost every day prior to this surgery thing.

I remember being carried to go see her. When we got there, Jessie was sobbing. I know that this surgery was a really hard decision for her. Not only physically but mentally too. When I was taken out of the bag, she held on so tightly.

”Let this be it, I can’t handle anymore,” she whispered to me when the room was empty other than us. My heart shattered. She was able to go home that day and rested for the rest of the day in her marriage shed. She put me in my special cubby next to her side of the bed. I watched over her day and night. She had snuggled me so much.

By the second day after surgery, she was up and moving as if nothing happened. Completely doing things that she wasn’t supposed to do, but did anyways. I could hear what sounded like a choir of people telling Jessie to take it easy. Jessie would come back with the best news: “Why? I’m feeling better!! Let me do the thing!” She’d say.

Each day went by and she started strengthening her core, and trying to get up and do things. It was amazing to see her do things as if nothing ever happened. On her stomach though looked like someone had beaten her up. She had six tiny cuts and massive bruising. However they didn’t bother her.

One morning, she had gotten the call from her oncology team. There was a quick back and forth “Good Morning, how are you”. Then Jessie became real quiet.

“So… No radiation? It’s all gone?” I heard her say. I didn’t know what radiation was, but what was gone? Jessie got off the phone and started sobbing hysterically. “Baby, pathology came back. I am CANCER FREE! I don’t have to do radiation!!” She exclaimed through her sobbing. I could have jumped out of my cubby hole and tackled her.

She grabbed me later that day once she was able to talk without crying and thanked me for being there for her through every step of the way. She told me she still has a long way to go for recovery, but I promised her that I’d be there every step of the way. After all, I am her cow companion.

I am thankful to be a part of something so big, and to be able to bring comfort to her. She trusted me with her fears, worries and stresses. Jessie trusted me with the good times and bad. She always leaned on me when she needed it. I cannot wait to see what the future holds for her. For us.

I did it. I saved her. I helped beat the nasty beast cancer.

Again, thank you all for your support!

With forever cow kisses,

Callie the Highland Cow