Hi, folks.

My name is Bruiser. I'm a little dachshund. I weigh in at five pounds soaking wet. I'm two years old. I'm adorable and playful.

But enough about me. This story is about my human Mommy and Daddy.

I was just sitting there eavesdropping under the coffee table as my humans had a conversation about my human Mommy and her doctor's appointment yesterday. Her doctor wanted her to go see an oncologist. I wondered what that was? Shrugs. I would have to listen closely to see what kind of doctor that was. I knew was not a heart doctor or a bone doctor. My human Daddy goes to those kinds of doctors.

Oh, they just said it was a cancer doctor. They think my mommy has breast cancer. She is sick and needs to see him soon so she can get all better.

I climbed out from under the coffee table and climbed into her lap and snuggled.

Sitting on her lap she told me how the doctor would make her all better and that I'd need to be a good doggie. She said it would take some time but the doctor would make all cancer go away with a special medicine called chemotherapy. That seemed like a very, very long time in dog time.

Oh, she was making a special dinner since her kids and grandkids were coming for dinner so the adults could all hear the same thing without it being repeated a gazillion times.

Yay. Hiding under the dining room table near the youngest would guarantee me people's food. That is a big no-no. The youngest feeds me her carrots since she thinks they are yucky.

Everyone showed up at once and settled down at the table for dinner.

They talked about everything but the important subject.

After dessert, the younger kids and I were sent to the media room to watch a Disney movie while they talked so the kids weren't upset with all the goings-on. They were distracted by the movie but my curiosity was in overdrive and I just had to hear everything. So I crept ever so quietly to the door to the living room to eavesdrop. Listening hard. Darn, they lowered their voices.

The kids were calling for me. Drats almost busted. So I high-tailed it back to where they were. I barked and wagged my tail.

The kids giggled at my antics.

The adults came in the room looking all serious and my human Mommy told the kids they needed to discuss something. Then she told them she was sick but the doctors would make her all better.

The next several weeks were filled with treatments and tests. My mommy lost her hair but she was so brave and strong that she didn't give up or have a pity party about it.

Her friends are so nice. They brought meals to them and always remembered a treat for me.

My mommy let me have my best doggie friend Suzy over for a visit when she felt like company so things seemed a little bit normal.

A very long sixteen weeks later Mommy got the happy news that she was cancer-free. Yay. We knew she was a survivor.

She was planning a fun adventure. Even throughout the treatments, she was taking trips to see family.

I wondered what the adventure would be since I knew the hotel was doggie-friendly that she booked.

I climbed up in Mommy's desk chair and peeked at her calendar and it had two weeks blocked off for a trip to California and the BEACH and it said on a sticky note, "See if we can get Bruiser into DISNEYLAND." I barked in excitement and jumped down quickly when Mommy came into the room;

She shook her head and said, "Sneaky little one, trying to see where we are going?"

I nodded my head and barked softly.

She said it was a surprise but I would love it. The day before the trip she was packing like crazy and I got my own suitcase. It had my special toys and food and a Mickey dog T-shirt. Oh, wow.

I was terribly excited and ran in circles. And we were going by car because she wanted to see lots of places along the way.

We went to bed early that night and got up before the sun rose. I waited patiently on the couch as they loaded the car. Then Mommy came in and picked me up and carried me out to the car and I saw my very special car seat that fastens around the back of the seat and was shaped like a big square basket lifted up so I could see out the window and deep enough where I could take a nap if I felt the need.

We started down the road and I was looking at all the things I could see. This was gonna be so much fun. We were going to meet the kids and grandkids at Disneyland in a few days.

We drove along and, oh, boy, we stopped at McDonald's and Mommy and Daddy got me a pup cup of ice cream. We found a park to have a picnic and I didn't have to be on my leash. Yay.

We enjoyed our lunch then mommy made sure I walked around a little bit and went potty before we got back in the car.

Then we drove a bunch more hours and looked at a big crater called the Grand Canyon and it was a very long way down. We were looking from the railing and it had a see-through bottom and I got scared and yelped.

Mommy decided it was time for us to leave and go to the hotel. My ears perked up and we drove along and I saw the sign for the hotel and my little tail wagged as we pulled into a parking spot. Mommy grabbed my leash and. Daddy grabbed the overnight bag.

I walked obediently on my leash in the lobby. We got the key to the room and rode the elevator up.

I sniffed and looked around till we got to the room and Mommy opened the door and I ran in the room and sniffed every inch and then settled down on the floor.

Mommy said, "How do you like the room?"

I wagged my tail and barked happily.

Mommy put out my food and water bowl and we settled in for the night.

I got to sleep in the bed with Mommy and Daddy since there wasn't a doggie bed.

The next morning we got on the road early and saw all kinds of sights. Then we finally made it to Disneyland. I put my paws on the window and barked and barked.

Mommy told me to hush.

We found our hotel and all the family had checked in. We got to our room and Mommy opened the door and saw a banner that said,
"We knew you are a survivor." It was signed by some Disney characters: Mickey, Minnie, Donald Duck, Goofy, and Winnie the Pooh.

Mommy smiled and cried happy tears.

Mommy made arrangements for a breakfast meeting of few characters and made sure it was pet-friendly so I could meet them too.

Mommy told me I had to be on my best behavior.

We left the hotel to wander around the park and, wow, there was so much to see.

I didn't bark at all. The whole family watched the parade down Main street. It was so much fun.

The next morning the grandkids and I were so excited about meeting Mickey Mouse and his friends. We got pictures and I got petted a lot. And, oh, my goodness, I thought I died and went to doggie heaven when Cinderella said I was the most handsome doggie she had ever met and kissed the top of my head.

Mommy thoroughly enjoyed her celebration with all the kids and grandkids.

We got back home to Arizona and Mommy is thankful every day for people supporting her and for being a cancer survivor.