It starts with a cough

Beauregard had a cough. It's been going on about 10 days. He had swallowed a chicken leg whole and I was hoping that was the root of the problem. Then every morning he would hack a little. Then I noticed that he wasn't as active and yesterday, Saturday, his breathing was rapid. I thought it was congestive heart failure or lung cancer. I even told a friend on Friday night that I was afraid to take him in because I didn't want him to be sick. Stupid, I know, but functional at the moment. I waited too long and had to take him to Contra Costa Emergency. The Doctor immediately heard the murmur. They took him in the back and took X-Rays. I filled up the tank in the truck at Costco. $67 for truck gas. When I returned the news was not good. The heart didn't look that bad, but there was something else on the X-Ray. Spots. Lots of them. He wanted to keep Beau until the radiologist got in to read them at 8pm. I agreed. 8:20 the phone rings and it's not good news. The spots are lung cancer. It can't be treated it's all through the lobes. All I can do is make him comfortable. So begins my quest to make him comfortable.