Marshawn Maykin

Meet my new puppy Marshawn. He is a lean, mean three pound barking machine. Van and I got him from a breeder in Nebraska just 2 weeks ago (10/3). It's hard to believe I've only had him for 16 days. It feels much longer because I spend all of my time with him. This puppy has had a very eventful October. He flew on a plane, went to the vet to get his last round of shots, got his hair did at the groomers, met over 80 people, slept in 3 different houses, had a puppy party to meet all of our friends, had 2 puppy playdates, and attended 2 puppy training classes. He is a great addition to our family.

During my last round of chemo, I made up my mind that I was ready to take on a puppy. I've been wanting a yorkshire terrier since college and I figured that now would be a good time to get one since I have some time off until I start working again. Hopefully by January Marshawn will be a well trained gentledog. I am proud to say that we already taught him how to sit, lie down, shake hands and roll over.

I'm sure some people out there think I'm foolish for not waiting until I'm completely "cured." I thought a lot about this and I realized that I can't put my life on pause until I'm clinically "cured" of cancer. I could relapse at any given moment so there will never be a perfect time to get a puppy. I also picked a yorkie because they are more hypo-allergenic than other dogs and they don't shed hair. I am making sure that this puppy is germ-free and clean at all times so my health is not compromised. I think my best friend Mabel put it best when I asked her if she thought I was being irresponsible for getting a dog. She said, "Dude, it's a dog. If it doesn't work out, you can always find it a good home." Ahh Mabes, always the voice of reason. Yorkies are the #2 most popular dog in the nation. Plus some of my friends have already fallen in love with Marshawn, so I know if something were to happen (knock on wood) Marshawn will be well taken cared of.