Hairdresser says chihuahua saved her life after dog detected stage three cancer

A woman has hailed her pet chihuahua as a hero after the dog jumped on her stomach, causing a lump to appear, which led to her being diagnosed with cancer.

Tess Robison, 41, had been experiencing bloating and back pain but thought the cause was down to a food intolerance.

She had no idea that ovarian cancer was the real culprit, and that a tumour was growing inside her.

It was only when her dog Lola – who’d been acting strangely for weeks – jumped onto her stomach that a lump appeared, prompting Tess to go to a doctor.

This led to her life-saving diagnosis, with the hairdresser needing to undergo chemotherapy and a full hysterectomy.

Tess, who is now in recovery, said: ‘For weeks, she had been
just sat there staring at me.

‘I know dogs can be intuitive and it was freaking me out a bit.

‘Then one day when I was suffering from particularly bad bowel pain, she
jumped heavily onto my stomach.

‘The pain was like something else and a big lump came up, and so I went to get checked out.

‘I was devastated by the diagnosis, but most importantly I was able to get
the treatment I needed.

‘If I’d left it any longer it would have been too late.

‘I honestly believe Lola saved my life.’

Tess, of South Shields, South Tyneside, has undergone six gruelling
rounds of chemo as well as surgery since her diagnosis in January, and is now waiting for a follow-up appointment on September 23 to see if she has got the all-clear.

Tess, who has had four-year-old Lola since she was a puppy, added: ‘They said you’ve got ovarian cancer so I said: “What do we do now?”

‘They were taken aback because I was so calm and collected.

‘The tumour was 12cm, it was quite big, and I looked four months pregnant. With being slim it stuck out quite far.

‘I’ve never been a doom and gloom person and I never will be. I’m going to fight it all the way because I’ve got so much I want to do. I want to go to New York and Las Vegas.

‘I’m not the kind of person to cry about it.

‘I’ve learned so much. I never used to go out because I get anxiety. It’s
made me think your life is for living, do what you can because time is precious, don’t waste it.

‘If you’ve got dreams and hopes, go for it. I’m aiming to get a little
salon. I’m not letting life slip away anymore.’

Tess and her husband Paul, 34, a plasterer, don’t have children but are considering adopting.

And she’ll continue to shower Lola with love, affection, and gratitude.

‘I feel quite positive for the future,’ said Tess.

‘I am feeling well in myself, and so much better now the treatment’s over.

‘I can’t describe how grateful I am to Lola. Without her, I might not be
here.’

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