May 9th, 2023
Layla will be featured, prominently, on NatGeo Wild, this Saturday night, May 13, 2023 at 9PM EDT/6PM PDT on the Critter Fixers veterinarian show, the 15-second commercial is attached. The episode is called “We Fix ‘Em All!”, animals, and humans. The tag line for their practice is, “We Treat ‘Em All,” and the National Geographic family, that I am a very small part of, rallied together to create this incredible special moment especially for this wonderful child. Note, NatGeo Wild channel is a slightly different channel than National Geographic, so be sure to look it up and WATCH IT LIVE! You can record it, to watch it again later, but cancel those plans and watch this kid go, LIVE!
She is in two parts of the show. First half, from April 7, 2022, virtually, on her birthday here in San Diego. They gave her a virtual tour of their clinic and the plan was to work that into a show for her. But we ended the call with, if they are ever here, or we are ever there, let’s connect. So two months later, there we were living in Georgia, where they are based, on this clinical trial that we are still on. So, we went to their farm and, well, Layla did a thing. You will just have to tune in to see what that is!
When we found out her cancer was back, all of the world’s top oncologists told us to stay in San Diego do the metronomic chemo protocol. NO ONE said to go to Augusta. The data in the trial was not published and none of our team had seen it, not even a single person from the Cancer Revengers.
I’ve always said follow the science. But talking to the Georgia team, Drs of human patients, I smelled something, a possibility. But I also say, follow the signs. Layla would not lose her hair on the first leg of the trial, she would get to do “the thing,” she’s always wanted to do. So off we went and this was almost a year ago, mind you.
I kept it completely under wraps until this last Saturday when, while watching last week’s new episode of Critter Fixers, nearly asleep, I heard from the kitchen Layla screaming “I’m on tv! I’m on tv!!!!” It was hilarious.
I have seen the show and it was fan-freaking-tastic. Classy, tasteful, and so much heart. You can FEEL the love. Our approach has always been, we are not going to treat the disease, we are going to treat Layla, and this is very much a part of her therapeutic regimen.
Please do me a favor so I can share them with her, record your live reactions to “the cow scene.” Start recording when they start to prepare her to examine the cow. Send me a message back on here and I’ll reply back with where to send it to, or just send me a Dropbox or google drive link, or if you have my #, just text me. With your permission, I’ll even post the best ones.
This is going to be fun! Layla is doing great. As of last Monday, May 1st, we have officially weaned her off all interventional drugs, besides her core study and supporting drugs, mainly dexamethasone, a steroid that is 500% more potent than what you or I would take for foot or back pain. She did have some withdrawals from it from last weds to Sunday, mainly extreme tiredness and needing two naps a day, but yesterday she perked up, is back to school today, all her labs from yesterday came back normal, and she informed me that I am not allowed to attend her class field trip on Thursday, and that she wants to sleep alone from now on. That was all this morning before 7am.
And look at that, the weather is warming up, FINALLY, after the coolest spring I’ve had here since moving here in 2008. It’s been so cool that we don’t have a single caterpillar because the butterflies haven’t shown up. Normally we’d have 300-400 by now. Right now? Zero. Time for some scuba soon and to put that gear Cressi sent us to use.
Thank you all! Be sure to watch this Saturday on NatGeo Wild at 9ET/6PT and be sure to enjoy a glass of wine or something while you do.
Thank you to the National Geographic family, Dr Hodges, Dr Ferguson, Andrea, Brianne, Janet, Jessie, everyone at Hit and Run Productions, and the whole Critter Fixers family.