Main Street Animal Services of Hopkinton MASH

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My dog was diagnosed in April 2013 with incurable T-Cell
Lymphoma and given 3-6 weeks to live without treatment. after having a lymph
node on his neck surgically removed and sent to a diagnostic lab to confirm and
stage his level of cancer, I opted to begin immediate 19 week chemo protocol at
NEVOG in Waltham, MA and holistic weekly follow up immune supporting treatments
at MASH each week. It turns out that this is the first time that
and quot;combined protocoland quot; has been performed to completion it seems
Most folks have the chemo treatments done to their pets and then,
and quot;when all else failsand quot; they begin the more and quot;naturaland quot; path.
I decided I wanted all the available tools in my dog's tool chest or in
this case, in our and quot;medicine bag.and quot;
We followed an 18 week (which became 21 weeks) Univ. of Wisconsin chemotherapy protocol
called CHOP at NEVOG and then went to MASH the day after each chemo
treatment every week! At MASH my dog received UVBI (Ultraviolet Light Blood Irradiation IV
treatments), Ozone Therapy-sub cu., and Fecal Transplantation orally. He
even spent an hour in an hyperbaric chamber at MASH (as in what divers go
in to avoid the bends!), breathing pure oxygen to help his little body fight
off the cancer cells. We were given several very informative books by Dr. Roman, to read about
natural and holistic, integrative vet and home care. She educated us.
The supplements we purchased were all of the highest quality
ingredients... no Science Diet made out of chicken parts from slaughter houses
and GMO grains! Everything about the care we received was and quot;top
shelf.and quot; Probably better than most care people get in our hospitals today
actually!
Dr. Roman and her MASH staff were amazing! Between
their commitment to my dog's state of mind and comfort, well-being and health
while also being in chemotherapy at NEVOG at the same time, and their
willingness to be flexible regarding dates of treatments and my time schedules
because of dates having to be changed often, it made what could have been a
nightmare a wonderful experience.
It is now almost 6 months since we all began this journey,
and my dog is at this point just finishing his last chemo treatment. His
body has not been ravaged like so many other dogs that I have seen these past
months because the immune and intestinal systems supporting treatments at MASH,
very cutting edge and even now being researched for people in human hospitals,
enabled his body's natural ability to heal to kick in, while at the same time,
helping him to withstand the poisons contained in the chemo drugs. Dr. Erin
Romansik (funny thing, the similarity of their names!), our chemo doctor
at NEVOG stated that our dog's present health is above average and that he now
appears to be cancer free! Of course, with T-Cell Lymphoma we are not
under any illusions. His remission could be short lived if his immune
system craters. But the two very different modalities, NEVOG's
chemotherapy protocols and Dr. Margo Roman's integrative holistic vet
practices, in my opinion, worked together to allow my dog's own immune system
to fight alongside the chemotherapy treatments, and not be debilitated by them,
which is what kills so many dogs who go into chemotherapy.
Yes, it was a struggle, (of course, after we got over the
initial sticker shock of going to both NEVOG and MASH), to educated the chemo
doctors, as they had no clue what we were doing at MASH with Dr. Roman, and she
is not a chemo doctor, so... I had to learn a great deal about both types of
care in order to keep both doctors abreast of what the other doctor was
prescribing, and our dog's treatments, care, diet and supplements as well.
And it is an expensive road to go down. But considering we had two
human oncologists watching what we are doing with much curiosity, I think there
will be much to be gained in the long run. Our dog is in that place of
and quot;borrowed timeand quot; that so many and quot;incurably illand quot; patients
reside, but it has been well worth the price of admission... the journey is not
over, yet. But isn't this true for all of us each and every day?
Learning to live in the moment is the key!
Truly, if it were not for Dr. Roman's expertise, patience,
generosity of spirit, and her courage to and quot;buck the systemand quot; in
creating a space where alternative care is available to dog owners and
their pets, then my dog, I am sure, would not have survived the chemotherapy
which was essential in wiping out the T-Cell cancer in his lymphatic system.
Dr. Roman's ways are unique... her manner, to the point, some might say
and quot;brusqueand quot;... her office, homey, funky and comfortable.
Welcoming is a word I would use to describe the MASH Vet Hospital. But I
would also say there is a very real professionalism that exists there in that,
it is NOT the owners they are catering to... it is the well-being, comfort and
healing of the animals. If we ever had to wait, it was fine, because we
knew full well, when we needed the extra time Dr. Roman freely gave it.
Dr. Margo Roman and her MASH Vet Services are brilliant.
It is a blessing that we have her as resource and animal health provider
here in Massachusetts. Vets all over the world are watching her
techniques and her vet care breakthroughs, and they are learning from her.
She is always on demand, being asked to mentor vets and practitioners
from as far away as Japan, Egypt and Israel. She has the courage to explore,
try new treatments and give our pets a fighting chance against a world that is
so polluted and unhealthy that over 50% of all dogs and cats in the United
States will get cancer by age 10 if not earlier, while 1 in 5 women will get
breast cancer. The odds are stacked against companion animals, and having
a vet doctor like Dr. Margo Roman, one who will push the limits and find
treatments that provide our furry friends with options not available in
conventional vet practices, is really profound. I wish I could find a
doctor who would fight so courageously and with such expertise and dedication
for my health and healing.
I heartily recommend her. Be prepared to be flexible
and willing to spend the time and money to feed your dog healthy food, and
follow Dr. Roman's recommendations. It is really a lucky dog whose owner
finds Dr. Roman and MASH!!
LINKS: Most important!! The links to MASH in Hopkinton, MA
and lt; http://mashvet.com/ and gt; , and lt; http://mashvet.com/about/about-dr-roman and gt;
and and lt; http://mashvet.com/resources/dr-domore-video and gt;
Other links I would like to share with concerned pet owners willing to go the distance for their companions:
1. http://www.cvm.ncsu.edu/news/2012-05-05-One-Medicine-Dogs-People-and-Cancer.html
2. http://www.caninecancerawareness.org/html/HolisticTherapy.html
3. http://www.wearethecure.org/lymphoma
4. http://www.canceractive.com/cancer-active-page-link.aspx?n=3132
5. http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/26/health/time-chemo/index.html
6. http://dogaware.com/health/cancer.html
7. http://www.caninecancer.com/nutrition.html
8. http://www.dogdoggiedog.com/pwcAuselife.htm
9. http://www.pannaturopathic.com/photox.html
10. http://drplechner.com/learn/autoimmunity-and-cancer/cancer-treatment-for-animals/
11. htt

Overall, we love this vet and drive over 1 hour to take our cats there. They spend as much time with you as you need (as a result, it can be more expensive, but in the end, this is worth it to us). They are careful about using harsh treatments, but will prescribe regular meds when needed. Often they prescribe nutritional supplements or homeopathic treatments. This is not the vet to go to if you want absolute answers. Often, it is not clear what is wrong with our cats and they are patient in trying to get to the bottom of the problem instead of throwing antibiotics or medicine at them. But this can also mean that you don't get the "answers" that you want or as fast as you want. Also, because they take so much time to care for the animals and humans they are with, things do run a bit behind sometimes and things can seem a little scattered sometime. You have to be diligent to call back to get test results, etc. That said, we would not consider taking our cats to traditional vets after seeing the MASH vets. They are patient, caring, and demonstrate that you can treat your animals well without harsh treatments. Our cats are 4, 6, 7, and 8 and all very healthy. They also take care to treat our foster cats well, and deal with many difficult cases, such as our cat with neurological problems. He only lived a year and a half, but I think would have died much sooner if not for the help he got from the MASH vets. They are especially good at treating chronic and potentially life-threatening illnesses and often extend the life of animals much longer than expected. It is different than a regular vet, so be prepared, but I think it is worth it.

They are really truly excellent. The best veterinary service we have used at anytime. They are an alternative care veterinary service--they not only use traditional medicine, but also homeopathic treatments.