Note: This post has a happy ending. Humiliating, but happy.
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Did you know that they are training dogs to help in the fight against cancer?
It’s true – scientists are working to harness the olfactory power of our canine friends whose sense of smell is 10,000 to 100,000 times better ours. Since cancers cells emit a tiny bit of chemicals that are different than normal cells, researchers are training dogs to recognize the difference.
The Lancet (a British medical journal) first reported on this in 1989 when they told about a Border Collie who persistently smelled a mole on his owner’s leg. Because of this unusual behavior, the woman went to the doctor to have it checked out and they diagnosed Malignant Melanoma (the worse kind of skin cancer).
Thanks to her pooch, the cancer was caught early enough for successful treatment.
YEAH FIDO!
Now researchers are training dogs to detect the markers of breast, lung and ovarian cancer in the breath of patients, and the results have been remarkable – Integrative Cancer Therapies reports a success rate of 88 to 99 percent.
WELL DONE LASSIE!
What a huge breakthrough this could be in the early detection of cancers (and it sure beats a mammogram!).
And now a confession: it was this little bit of cancer detecting information that popped into my head the other day when I was making dinner.
There I was, standing at the counter, chopping and prepping, and doing my domestic things with the Little Man playing at my feet.
Several times he brushed against my leg and I thought nothing of it.
He would walk by, touch my leg, pick up something off the floor and try to eat it, brush my leg, play with the pots and pans, brush my leg…
You know the drill.
And then suddenly I realized, he keeps touching my leg in the same spot.
Each time, again and again, he placed his tiny little finger right on the same spot on the back of my leg.
My brain went like this….
Huh? Uhh? I wonder….? Cancer-sniffing-dogs? Ahh?! Can-my-son-be-telling-me-something?!!?
Amazing how fast the mind works.
And you know what? He was telling me something. Something very important.
He was telling me that I had a big hole in the back of my pants.
The same pants that I had worn all day, all around town, strutting my stuff, and shamelessly flaunting my panties to everyone who might take a look.
I guess God thought I needed a good dose of humble.
And now I wonder, can I train my dog to detect fashion emergencies?
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Found you on SITS. What a fun story, especially because it didn't end with cancer! I was getting worried there for a minute.
Cancer sniffing dogs, though… that's super cool!
If you happen to be a knitter, you can find my knit blog here: http://permissiontounwind.blogspot.com
You do amuse me!
That is a miraculous discovery that dogs can be trained to do that. And yes, I think fashion dogs should be next.
Hahaha. That is awesome!!! I love it – you have such good stories! Thanks for making me smile!
That's so cute!
Maybe that was a blessing in disguise! You did not find out while you were running around town then KNOWING you had a hole and being self conscious the rest of the day!
My daughters cancer had spread to her brain and her cat would lay on her head at night while she was sleeping. The cat new before the doctors did. Animals have an amazing sense of smell and knowing.
bahahahahaha that's hilarious.
And I say that in the deepest boonds of bloggy love. 
Sharon, I'm sorry to hear you lost your tomatoes and potatoes.
I read about the blight up there. A few got hit by it here, but I was lucky I did not.
What seems strange, is that my daughter passed of cancer four years ago and the cat just recently had to be put to sleep due to cancer.
lololol!
I'll bet you were strolling around town feeling pretty good about how great you looked because you were getting a "second glance" from so many folks!
Happened to me once, but in NYC and I was "revealing" a bit more than you. Didn't know my wraparound skirt was flipped OPEN until some kind lady in Grand Central Station gave me the heads up. Of course that was after I had navigated the MTA system all the way from uptown to midtown! I got fired from my first job that day too! Not a good day, ya think?!
PS: At least that was in the day when we still wore half-slips!
How funny!