The Adventures of Chef Big Dog

Now that our Puppy Up events have winded down for the season, I'm up in CT helping out a friend with her food truck and it's been quite an experience so far.

I've cooked for farmer's markets, festivals, and for hundreds of families and friends I've stayed with throughout our journey but the food truck thing is a whole nother level. 

I'll be sharing my culinary adventures, how and why YBD became CBD, and what's next in 2016 at www.chefbigdog.com   

Cancer for President 2016

I took time out of my crazy busy schedule to watch the debates last nite. I wish I didn't but I'm glad I did.  It's time to face facts folks.  No politician gives a shite that you lost a loved one to cancer or that you yourself have it.  DC has a 'deaf ears' policy towards cancer even though it is the greatest global killer ever.

Check out this graphic

Every scientific and medical organization agrees that cancer is the deadliest and most pervasive pandemic afflicting not only adults but innocent children as well.  It no longer discriminates.  

And yet as we bear witness to a cross species scourge that's killing not only millions of people every year but millions of companion animals as well, what does our president do - a systematical and systemic reduction in funding for the National Cancer Institute.  I wrote previously about this and put forward the facts in my blog #NotMyPresidentDay 

Now I'm not just Obama bashing since the past two administrations are guilty of hamstringing the NCI budget but the most egregious sin Obama committed was funding $6.2 billion in Ebola virus research - almost twice the budget of NCI for a disease that claimed only a few lives in the US.  

Oh and nevermind that he gave out over $20 billion last year to 'renewable energy' concerns that failed so piss that money down the toilet. 

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From all of the death and tragedy I've witnessed on my travels, I'm truly at a loss why cancer is not front and center in any and all national debate and discussion.  

Yes I've heard all of the reasons and rationalizations but my conclusion comes down to this: cowardice and political expediency.    

We used to be a nation of hope and resolve.  Of dreams and ideas.  It took us only 10 years to put a man on the moon defying all odds and previous scientific limitations.  

But now we either relent because big pharma is making so much money from selling blockbuster cancer drugs and politicians are in their pocket or we've given up as a nation and accepted the inevitability of complacency.  

There is no one in this world that has put their life and the lives of their dogs at risk for as long and far as I have for this cause but given the current political environment, every day I ask why?  

We're only a couple of fuzzybutts and yes, we've shown what two dogs can do for the world but it's not enough.  It's time to make cancer a national referendum or else..

#CancerWins2016

Life at 3MPH

The fraternity of extreme adventurers is actually and quite understandably small.  I've reduced the reason down to one simple equation - the glory versus the grind.  If glory>grind no. If grind>glory maybe.  There's grit in there but that's a conversation for another time.  

Most begin with the finish line in mind and forget about the millions of steps it takes to get there and don't realize they're doomed from the very start. 

I've crossed paths with hundreds of would be adventurers who wanted to conquer the AT or the PCT, the vast majority of whom succumbed to the algebra but one, I'm happy to say, did not.  My good friend, John Stalls.  

What I can say about this lad is, other than that he walked from coast to coast, is that as a strapping 6'5 tall and ruggedly gaunt man, he's the poster boy for great adventures.  Even though I've walked many more miles than him, when and if I ever get a Wikipedia page, I hope they put John's picture on it because he looks the part. 

And lives it, too.  Since he completed his cross country journey Johnathan Stalls has built an organization committed to promoting wellness through walking.  Mile by mile his walk to connect has inspired many people in Denver CO and now he wants to expand it to other communities.  John is a man I'd put my money behind and I hope you will support him in his campaign to realize his vision for Life at 3MPH.  

  

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-value-of-walking-together#/story

Puppy Up Foundation Funds Bone Cancer Study

Happy Independence Day all!  

I wish, really really wish I could be announcing our independence from cancer today but the sad sorry leadership in this country at every level doesn't deem it necessary to make the number one killer of pets and people a national priority.  

With cancer research funding levels at a record low at the NIH, that makes what we do at The Puppy Up Foundation increasingly important.  

I'll be brief because I have to go out and be Chef Big Dog today but what I love about this story is three things.  First the folks in Madison WI that continue to raise the bar for our Puppy Up Walks. Second is that Dr. Christensen heard my presentation at the 2010 VCS conference in San Diego.  

Half the audience left since I was the last speaker at a long event so I want to give a shout out to him for that.  And to Dr. Sue cause she stayed, too.  Trail magic, my friends.  Always. 

Third and most importantly is that this $100k study can potentially benefit all kids diagnosed with bone cancer - canine and human.  Even though I was unable to attend the presentation of this rather large and seemingly uncashable check, there are a ton of people throughout the country who made our first grant of 2015 possible. 

So to all of those people, light up a sparkler or hell, man the roman candles - today is your day.  I can't celebrate the leaders of this country but I truly, completely celebrate you.  

From left: Beth Viney, PuppyUp Madison co-chair; Dr. Neil Christensen; Dr. Kai Shiu, PuppyUp Madison co-chair; and Ginger Morgan, Executive Director of the PuppyUp Foundation.

We’re pleased to announce we have awarded our first grant of 2015 to the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM).

Our ability to continue funding such outstanding research is because of the passion and commitment of volunteers, donors, and sponsors all over the country, who organize and join in our PuppyUp Walks, participate in our yearly calendar contests, play in our golf tournaments (one is coming up in August), and contribute their time, energy, and resources to our common goal of eradicating cancer from the lives of those we love, whether two, three, or four-footed.

Thank you for your continued participation and support.

(from the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine web site)

July 2, 2015

Article and photo by Nik Hawkins

Osteosarcoma is a highly aggressive and painful bone cancer that affects both dogs and humans. With thousands of new cases diagnosed in dogs each year, it is the most common form of canine bone tumor, and most dogs succumb to the disease within a year of diagnosis.

Oncologists at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) have been investigating osteosarcoma for some time, looking to uncover its underlying causes and develop more effective therapies. And now, thanks to a $96,000 grant from the PuppyUp Foundation, the school will launch a new study aimed at improving mobility and quality of life for dogs afflicted by the disease.

Under the direction of Dr. Neil Christensen,  clinical instructor in the Department of Surgical Sciences and a member of the UW Veterinary Care (UWVC)  radiation oncology team, researchers will explore the potential benefits of stereotactic radiation therapy for osteosarcoma patients.

“Stereotactic radiation is a newer form of treatment made possible by recent technological advances,” says Christensen. “It allows for larger, more accurate doses of radiation while still sparing healthy tissue, in comparison to traditional palliative radiation, which involves smaller, prolonged doses.”

Specifically, the study will look at how stereotactic radiation performs in terms of pain relief for patients and in stimulating an immune response that helps patients’ bodies fight bone tumors on their own.

UWVC is equipped to deliver this advanced treatment with its TomoTherapy unit, which was originally developed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison using data from SVM clinical trials. TomoTherapy is now used widely in human medicine, but only one other veterinary medical hospital in the nation offers this technology.

“Our hope is to help a lot of dogs affected by this disease in the future,” says Christensen. “And the data we generate should be applicable to treating osteosarcoma in humans as well.”

The Puppy Up grant stems from proceeds from the PuppyUp Madison Walk,  which helped raise more than $213,000 in 2014 and 2015. The PuppyUp Foundation aims to discover the links between canine and human cancers, as well as the causes of these diseases, by supporting comparative oncology research and promoting awareness of the field.

Christensen’s collaborators on the study include Dr. Timothy Stein, assistant professor of medical oncology; Dr. Michelle Turek, assistant professor of radiation oncology; Dr. Lisa Forrest, professor of radiology and radiation oncology; Margaret Henzler, medical physicist; Dr. Jason Bleedorn,  clinical assistant professor of orthopedic surgery; Dr. Peter Muir, professor of orthopedic surgery; and John Kloke, assistant scientist in the UW-Madison Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics.

Puppy Up Golf

We all know the famous line from Apocalypse Now, "Charlie don't surf", but there's a lesser known one from my travels, "Pet parents don't golf".  

Never understood why really since alot of public courses let you take your companion with you. That's actually how Malcolm, my first great Pyrenees, and I became eternal mates.  Golf.  

That's him with Murphy's mum at the Alsatian golf club. He rode shotgun in the cart, never barked in my backswing, and gave me, ahem, a mulligan here and there.  What more could you ask of a mate?  

Well, he did have a bit of difficulty with yardages.  And squirrels. 

I've always wanted to promote golf as another way to spend more time with your companion and coming up in August, we're hosting the first annual 'Puppy Up and Putt it In' golf tournament in San Antonio, TX.  

It's hosted at the beautiful JW Marriott TPC Canyons Course and the proceeds from the event go to funding comparative oncology research and education and awareness about cancer in dogs.  

Come out and play 18 with us for the cause and to learn more about how you can participate as an individual golfer or sponsor, download the PDF or please contact lorraine.rose@marriott.com 

And yes'm we keep the tradition alive.  That's Indiana Jones at a golf course in Atlanta GA.  The question I get most about this pic - was he putting for par?  

That and is Hudsy giving him a read on the break?  

Puppy Up and Putt It In.

Killed By Cancer

Today is Murphy's birthday.  

This photo was taken on our walk from Austin to Boston in McEwen  TN.  We pitched a tent the night before on the grounds of a local church and upon remarking to the pastor about the Bradford pear trees full in fall colors, he recommended stopping at a local farm completely encircled by them just east on Hwy 70.  

It was a magical moment that day perfectly captured in time.  

For whatever cruel twist of fate the Gods graced us with we made it the 2,300 miles to Boston but within only a few weeks of walking the final mile from the Rose Garden at Back Bay Fens to Boston Common, Murphy was diagnosed with nasal adenocarcinoma.

The tumor inside his head must have been growing for many months as evidenced by the CT scan nearby.  

Murphy went down hard and what he did for this cause will never be forgotten. #RememberMurphy #MurphySmiles

Cancer Can't Keep a Good Dog Down 2016

Hard to believe it's 8 years in the making since we started the 'Cancer Can't Keep a Good Dog Down' calendar in honor and memory of our canine heroes touched by cancer.  

Damn I remember our first one when I had to carry my 10 pound clunky Dell laptop for miles in my backpack on the C&O trail to upload the photos for the contest cause Erich was still on a 128k modem. Good times...

Unlike cheerleading tryouts in Texas, it's not really a contest - all are beauties and featured in the calender.  Nearby is the link to the blog about how you can participate http://www.2milliondogs.org/our-8th-annual-cancer-cant-keep-a-good-dog-down-canine-cancer-calendar-contest-has-begun/

Thanks Erich for being the Keeper of the Calendar.  

A Journey Without Tears

I can't recall
a love without fear

Nor a journey
without tears

So don't embark
unless you're clear

On all the costs
across the years

Because love etern
bears a price that burns

A flame forever
astem. astern

Hudson

"With every damn dog I love, I learn something I didn't know."

Since I've been off the road from the West Coast Walk and perhaps what I witnessed while on it, I've been wondering why Hudson has had 3 mast cell tumors in less than 2 years despite favorable path reports and negative genetic indicators.  

Even though we've had two allergy tests on him for some odd reason I never thought to consult an allergist.  Until Tuesday.  We met with Dr. Shanley at Hope Vet Specialists in Malvern PA on our way to the Puppy Up Walk in Madison WI and our conversation confirmed that I'm not alone in my suspicions that there may be a correlation between allergy prone dogs and mast cell tumors.  

That Hudson is my third son with cancer, I always feel I'm so far behind no matter how far I walk.  

  

Old White Dogs

I always wondered why after risking our lives on the Pacific Coast Highway for 7 months and 1,700 miles the media really didn't give a shit and now I know.

Read this article http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-rethinking-muir-20141113-story.html#page=1

Well at least you clarified that for me why we matter so little in your existence.  We're old white dogs.  

The Endless Winter

Can't help but find a bit of irony in that I just left San Diego in December, a city that never snows, to record breaking snowfall in New England.  It's been a long, harsh, unforgiving, and at times perilous winter but it's impossible not to appreciate the absolute beauty of it.  

There are two photos nearby that embody this dichotomy - the first is of while taking the boys out for their evening constitutional, shadowcasting.  Nothing more than a rustic rotted out fence and a distant light but witness the symmetry and the simplicity.  

The other photo is of Hudson trying to take a piss in the several feet deep of spongy soppy messiness that makes it difficult for him postoperative.  I'm sure there's a greater metaphor here but right now it's buried beneath two tons of snow.  It's been so unending here we're about to make Winterfell look like the Sahara.  

He's recuperating super well, we slept on the kitchen floor last night but brother, can you spare some green grass?  

YBD's Notes 1:  Didn't post it here but Hudson had a mast cell tumor removed yesterday.  Off social media sites for a spell to prepare for the upcoming filming for the interview.  To get updates here's the link: Puppy Up Foundation

YBD's Notes 2: Ginger called me up this morning to complain about the 3 inches of snow they got in TN but in all fairness, she has a Doxie and I'm sure his pecker is snowier than Hudson's.  

The Little Flower

Fiorella La Guardia once said.  "If even a sparrow dies in Central Park, I feel responsible".

The Interview.  First Episode.  March 16th.

I'm Badder

I fought you for 4,000 miles. And the fight has only begun. #companionsagainstcancer

Tracing Lines

Sydney didn't make it.  She was due to be discharged this morning but an unexpected cascade of events occurred last night that was unstoppable.

She never made it home but after she was given rest, we got back to Valerie's house and found Hudson on the pile of comforters and pillows

meant for her as though he was awaiting Sydney's return.  And Valerie asked me if I believed Sydney's spirit did make it back.    

Do I believe in that, she asked me.

As a man of both science and faith, I've borne witness to many inexplicable, unresolvable things on my travels. Long ago, I wrote a poem whose opening lines were;

"Cast before a silver sheet,

Tracing lines that never meet."

Reflecting now back on those words I once wrote, I think what I meant was that a life, a love, a mile, a moment in time can be captured photographically but never truly and wholly represented.  

I believe that there is a spiritual connection between loved ones that does and maybe should defy our scientific understanding.  Energy is an expansive thing that is neither created nor destroyed.  And  though the lines never add up and never meet - that connection may change, it is never lost.  

Miles to Go Before I Sleep

Recently my good friend, sous chef (she hates it when I call her that), and the princess of pastries -  Valerie - her dog Sydney went from seemingly happy, healthy, full of life and love to lethargic with loss of appetite. 

An ultrasound Tuesday revealed a 17 cm mass in her spleen with possible liver involvement.  Valerie had to make the heartwrenching decision most of us have had to make but in a fraction of a moment.  Once hemangiosarcoma is suspected, time is of the absolute essence.  

For Sydney, 13 years old though a spirited lass by all accounts, the clock was ticking.  Valerie opted to spare no effort to save her life.  

Her surgeon, Dr. Taylor, successfully performed the splenectomy and a liver lobectomy as well as removing an intestinal tumor that wasn't evident through the ultrasound and I'm happy to report that Sydney has made it to Day 2 of postoperative care.  Though her status still guarded, hopefully Sydney can go home today and be with her mother.  

Three times I've gone through this personally with Malcolm, Murphy, and Hudson and I've been by the side of many friends with dogs with cancer.  That is one of my jobs. I awakened early this morning relieved by the promising news of Sydney's condition but reminded of a poem by Robert Frost.

"Whose woods these are I think I know.   

His house is in the village though;   

He will not see me stopping here   

To watch his woods fill up with snow.   

My little horse must think it queer   

To stop without a farmhouse near   

Between the woods and frozen lake   

The darkest evening of the year.   

He gives his harness bells a shake   

To ask if there is some mistake.   

The only other sound’s the sweep   

Of easy wind and downy flake.   

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,   

But I have promises to keep,   

And miles to go before I sleep,   

And miles to go before I sleep."

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YBD's Notes 1: I want to thank Valerie for her courage in not only fighting to save her girl's life against all odds but for allowing me to share Sydney's story.  She just isn't able to speak about it yet but she knows I must.  

YBD's Notes 2:  Nearby is a pic of Sydney with my Puppy Up neck gaiter I gave her to keep her warm.  Isn't she a beaut?  

YBD's Notes 3: Perhaps the main reason we got Sydney into the vet before her spleen ruptured is by noticing her distended belly which will be added to our list of early warning signs of cancer.  

YBD's Notes 4: BTW Sydney is NOT a boy (inside joke).

#NothingElseMatters

After pitching a tent in a grove of Eucalyptus Trees along the Elkhorn Slough of the Pacific Coast Highway just outside of Moss Landing - there's a video somewhere about it- , a song got caught in my head and like some things on our journey, I didn't understand its significance at that moment.  

Invariably life is reduced down to one step, one song, one mile, one moment, and even just a snuggle, all of which inspire us.  To keep going.  

Nothing Else Matters  

The more ironical thing is - I'm not sure if I ever heard this song before the slough so why did it resound relentlessly in my tent that night?   

Maybe the love of a child never needs a rationalization no matter the kind and that's the message.

Does Anything Else Matter?

#NotMyPresidentDay

It's president's day but I'm in no mood for celebration.  

Oh it's not because I'm not a patriot as I believe in values like freedom and equality - all of the things that we've fought for as a country. That I've walked for.

But we have a fight of a different kind now and we've been abandoned by our leaders.     

This blog is about the funding for the National Cancer Institute (NCI), this government's, our government's, decade long disregardment of, what the World Health Organization called the deadliest disease in 2010 and nothing else.   

Let's take a look at the numbers.  They represent the total budget of NCI in billions of dollars.

2000 $3.3

2001 $3.8

2002 $4.2

2003 $4.6

2004 $4.7

2005 $4.8

2006 $4.8

2007 $4.8

2008 $4.8

2009 $5.0

2010 $5.1

2011 $5.1

2012 $5.1

2013 $4.8  

Let me give you some context.  This past fiscal year, the current administration earmarked $6.3 billion for Ebola virus research, a disease that affected, what, 1 or 2 people in the US and yet 1/2 of all men and 1/3 of women will be diagnosed with cancer. Nevermind the 2-4 million dogs that develop the same types of cancer every year. Why?

But I get it - it's politically expedient. Ebola grabs headlines.  

On my first walk, I met with a few legislators and lobbyists and what they said was, 'Great cause, just get a spokesperson and a celebrity around it and then we'll listen.' And so I walked the entire expanse of the West Coast in search of someone who would stand up. No one did.  

Even though celebrities talk about how devoted they are to animal causes.  

In my little world of walking 4k miles for this cause, you get tired of those that just talk and talk

which is why I've walked the walk. No one has the right to present themselves as a dog lover unless they stand up to the number one killer of dogs. Cancer.  

I return to DC in June without a celebrity or a spokesperson.   I am no longer a naif.  Having witnessed all of the death I have from cancer I will stand up and be heard.

Reflections on 4000 Miles

Divers have to decompress before resurfacing and the greater the depth of the dive the longer the decompression. I've pretty much been unplugged and down and out right disconnected since the completion of the West Coast Walk because I needed to.  

But I haven't just been making angels in the tons of snow that's blanketed CT - tho Hudsy and Nanners (nice snow stache BTW) have - I've been deep in reflection on the enormity my accomplishments but more importantly how to tell it.  The right way.  

The story's the thing.  

Beginning March 16th, the 7th anniversary of the start of the first walk, I'll be posting a seven part interview with Yer Big Dog wherein which I will talk not only about the great and the glory of this grand adventure but the trials and tribulations, too.  From the fantastic people we've met on our path to the fantastical things we've experienced.  

And we're making it interactive.  I've gotten thousands of questions over the expanse of our journey and haven't always been able to answer all of them so also we're opening this up to you.  If you have something you'd like to personally ask YBD, send me an email by Feb 15th.  Not via FB or TW or in a comment here.  Hopefully we can get it and we'll try our best because I have a lot to say.  Over 4,000 miles and 1,044 days, I've walked the walk now it's time to talk the talk.  #4000miles

The Anatomy of Graying

I recently aged 44 and while I've never been one overly preoccupied with age, my chest hair turned gray.  First of all, unlike Geraldo, I spare you a selfie proving it.

But there's a bigger philosophical if not medical question involved here - why does hair gray differently?

I grayed first in my head hair which jokingly I attributed to my first cross county walk.  My beard came next but now it's trickled its way down to my chest which I can only blame the PCH for.

But it's only a few gray hairs which I hope means I still got game.  How and why does hair gray is my question today?