Battling a Health Challenge With a Pet
- “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” alum Camille Grammer, 56, is enjoying life with her two dogs, a black-and-white mini Bernedoodle named Kona and a Havanese named Jacque.
- We’re happy to see Grammer receiving support from her pets after beating endometrial cancer in 2013, going through divorce, remarrying in 2018, and losing her mom Maureen Wilson Donatacci to kidney and bladder cancer in December 2022, and undergoing breast implant removal surgery.
- Following her diagnosis of stage 2 endometrial cancer, a type of uterine cancer, Grammer underwent a radical hysterectomy, surgery that removed her uterus and reproductive organs.
- It’s important to remember that life doesn’t slow down for a cancer diagnosis, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. In fact, our experts say that prioritizing your overall well-being and continuing to do the things you love, like spending time with animals, can be very beneficial.
Grammer took to Instagram this month to share the sweetest compilation of photos, featuring her two dogs, a black-and-white mini Bernedoodle named Kona and a Havanese named Jacque.
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Expert Resources On Pet Therapy
Fans offered Grammer kind words in response to her post, with one saying, “Camille, you are my all time favorite housewife! Thank you for being you! Fur babies are indeed the best ! We don’t deserve doggos ! But thank god for ’em.”
Another fan commented, “Dogs are really the best. Great pictures of all u guys!”
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It’s clear how much Grammer loves her dogs, one of them which was adopted in the wake of the death of her beloved dog Joey, who passed away in January 2024.
In a heartfelt tribute post to her late dog, Grammer wrote, “I’m heartbroken. My dear pup Joey crossed the rainbow bridge this morning. I can’t believe he’s gone. He was the best dog I have ever had.
“We said goodbye to him this morning. He was over 15 years old and always there for me and the kids. He leaves an empty space in our hearts and our home. I will miss him snuggled up next to me.”
However, weeks after Joey’s passing, Grammer shared a photo of her new pup Kona, announcing, “Kona’s is taking over. She has a big personality and very smart. She found her way to an end table so she can be a part of the adult conversation at the dinner table near by.
“I have removed her so she doesn’t fall and hurts herself. We have moved the end table. Jacque still doesn’t know what to make of his new little sis but he’s becoming more comfortable playing with her.”
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Battling Endometrial Cancer, Losing a Love One, & Coping With Divorce
Camille Grammer has survived two cancer diagnoses: endometrial cancer in 2013 and skin cancer in 2017.
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After finding out she had stage 2 endometrial cancer, a type of uterine cancer, Grammer underwent a radical hysterectomy, surgery that removed her uterus and reproductive organs.
How Doctors Recognize and Diagnose Different Types of Endometrial Cancer
Following the procedure, Grammer’s rep told Us Weekly at the time, “The surgery went very well and she is expected to make a complete recovery following a significant recuperation period.”
The rep also explained that Grammer “was at elevated risk due to genetic issues and has been diligent about regular check-ups and monitoring which explains the early detection and rapid treatment.”
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For her skin cancer scare, Grammer was diagnosed with a common type called squamous cell carcinoma, which was thankfully caught relatively early and she was declared in remission after going through surgery.
The “Real Housewife” has certainly been through a lot as she lost her mom Maureen Wilson Donatacci to kidney and bladder cancer in December 2022.
Grammer, also known as Camille Meyer, as she was previously married to actor Kelsey Grammer until 2011, who she shares her two children with. She ultimately divorced her first husband and married lawyer David C. Meyer in 2018, who she has been with ever since.
However, her divorce from Grammer didn’t come easy as she had a multi-million divorce settlement. They finalized their divorce in June 2017, and she received $30million.
Understanding Endometrial Cancer & Treatment Advances For The Disease
Endometrial cancer first forms in the inner lining of the uterus, called the endometrium, according to the American Cancer Society.
“Endometrial cancer starts when cells in the endometrium (the inner lining of the uterus) start to grow out of control. Cells in nearly any part of the body can become cancer, and can spread to other parts of the body,” the ACS explains.
RELATED: Endometrial Cancer: Overview
“The uterus is a hollow organ, normally about the size and shape of a medium-sized pear. The uterus is where a fetus grows and develops when a woman is pregnant.”
During a woman’s menstrual cycle, the hormone estrogen causes the endometrium to thicken and, if there is no pregnancy, the hormone progesterone causes the endometrial lining to shed and become the menstrual flow.
Meanwhile, treatment for this cancer varies depending on the stage of the disease, the patient’s overall health, and other factors. Treatment options could be surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and immunotherapy.
We’re happy to share that there’s new hope for advanced endometrial cancer. The impact of new combination therapies on advanced endometrial cancer is a significant breakthrough for treating the disease. Patients are living longer, healthier lives.
Exciting New Combination Therapy Gives Hope To Women With Advanced Endometrial Cancer
“For a long time, patients with early-stage endometrial cancer generally do very well with a combination of surgery, maybe some radiotherapy,” says Dr. Shannon Westin, a professor in the department of gynecologic oncology and reproductive medicine at the University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX.
According to Westin, the latest treatments combine immunotherapy with standard chemotherapy plus a drug that prevents cancer cells from fixing their own DNA.
The results are encouraging, especially for patients who have late-stage endometrial cancer or their disease has come back.
“However, there’s a population of patients that are diagnosed at a later stage, stage three or four, or that have their cancer come back after initial therapy. And those patients have had a really hard time,” she adds to SurvivorNet.
The new combo involves two drugs:
- Durvalumab (brand name IMFINZI): As an immunotherapy drug, it powers up the body’s immune system so it can better identify and attack cancer cells. Doctors often use durvalumab alongside chemotherapy.
- Olaparib (brand name LYNPARZA): This PARP inhibitor, a type of drug that helps treat some cancers by blocking an enzyme called PARP that helps repair damaged DNA in cells. Olaparib destroys cancer cells, especially cells that already have trouble repairing their DNA. It is often, but not always, used as an add-on to durvalumab.
The combo treatment hits cancer with a double whammy by boosting the body’s immune response against cancer cells while also disrupting the cancer’s DNA repair mechanisms.
“The combination of durvalumab and chemotherapy, with or without olaparib, could redefine the standard care for advanced endometrial cancer, providing new hope for patients who previously had limited options,” Dr. Westin explains.
The Power of Therapy Dogs
Although Grammer’s pets aren’t trained as therapy dogs, they do offer her an immense amount of support through life’s struggles.
Therapy dogs are trained to help people with, with or without cancer, feel better emotionally and physically. A cancer therapy dog helps a person going through cancer treatment by reducing anxiety and lifting a person’s mood. These types of dogs mainly provide comfort and support through cancer.
Studies have shown that spending time with dogs lowers a person’s blood pressure and the stress hormone, cortisol. Therapy dogs may help with pain management, too, as time with dogs can trigger a release of endorphins which mitigate pain and discomfort.
How Can Dogs Help?
Anecdotal evidence from SurvivorNet’s experts says that having a positive mood through cancer can benefit treatment. Also, scientific evidence around depression and cancer shows that treating depression positively impacts cancer treatment. This is where help from cancer therapy dogs can play a tremendous role. However, for more severe cases of anxiety and depression, speak to a psychologist before pursuing treatment or support from a furry friend.
Jane Kopelman, a Certified Professional Dog Trainer and owner of All About Dogs, said during a previous interview that the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s Caring Canine Program was hoping to get more pups involved in the program because patients request them so often.
A ‘Plum’ Assignment: Therapy Dog From Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
“What most patients say, and studies have proven, is that the dogs reduce anxiety, reduce depression, and they give people a sense of hope they often motivate people,” Kopelman said. “Patients have said that they were so eager to have the dogs come that it motivated them to get up.”
The dogs can visit patients who are in the hospital after undergoing surgery and also visit outpatient locations where patients may be undergoing treatment like chemotherapy.
If you’re interested in pursuing a cancer therapy dog, speak with your doctor about the following steps, or an oncological social worker or organizations to connect with that train these types of dogs. Note that waiting lists for service dogs are often long and their training period is a lengthy process, as well, so time is of the essence if you wish to get a service dog.
Animals and Healing
It is often said that animals improve our quality of life, and that can especially be true for people battling cancer or for those who have a higher risk of cancer.
What Are the Benefits of Pet Therapy?
We often need to keep going, and there have been studies showing the power of passion of positivity affecting the outcome of your disease. What still brings you joy? It’s important to do things to feed your emotional health just as much as your physical.
It’s important to remember that life doesn’t slow down for a cancer diagnosis, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. In fact, our experts say that prioritizing your overall wellbeing and continuing to do the things you love, like spending time with animals, can be very beneficial.
RELATED: Pet Therapy Can Really Help During Cancer Treatment: “It Takes Me Out of My World”
For those without dogs at home, more and more often we are seeing chemotherapy centers and hospitals bringing dogs in to meet with patients and to brighten their day with a wagging tail and a slobbery kiss.
For instance, at New York’s Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the Caring Canine teams make regularly scheduled bedside and lounge visits, even turning up on holidays, which can be the loneliest times for patients.
Separately, Alison Snow, who works in cancer support services at Mount Sinai, previously told SurvivorNet that there’s research to show that animal visits to hospitals can be extremely beneficial to people battling cancer, as well as other ailments.
“You can hear the excitement in the air when the dog is around and there is research to show that having animal-assisted visits is helpful to patients going through cancer in terms of lowering blood pressure, reducing anxiety, decreasing depression, and overall, helping patients feel less isolated,” said Snow.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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