Cancer, Grief, and a Hard No

Cancer, Grief, and a Hard No

🌼 Date: Thursday, January 15, 2026

⚡ Energy: Empty tank. Sharp edges.

💔 Status: Heartbroken, irritated, and deeply unimpressed with humanity.

😠 Outlook: Still standing. Still not getting played.

Today took what little energy I had and asked for more.

I spent part of the day messaging the man about meeting this weekend so Gidget could meet Lola. I was excited. Hopeful. Letting myself imagine something good after a hard stretch.

And then the red flags started waving.

He told me he needed $150 before we met — for “ownership paperwork.”

Funny, because the Facebook ad said the puppy was free.
Also funny, because we’ve never had “ownership paperwork” for any of our other pets. Ever.

I explained that we had just paid $550 to have Momo privately cremated so we could bring his ashes home. I reminded him I’m not working right now and I’m actively going through chemo. Things are tight.

He didn’t care.

When I told him I wasn’t comfortable sending money ahead of time, he asked what I could afford. I said honestly: $20–$25.

He then demanded I send that.

I told him no — we do cash on delivery only. We’ve been burned before. I said he could email the paperwork if it mattered so much.

That was “not an option.”

So, I told him the truth: the whole thing wasn’t sitting right with me. That he didn’t get to bully me. That my terms were cash on delivery, no paperwork required, and the deal was still contingent on whether Gidget even liked Lola.

If he didn’t like those terms, then I was sorry — it wasn’t meant to be.

He called me selfish.
Said he “really wanted me to have the dog.”

That’s when I was done.

After that? Radio silence.

Casey said it perfectly: if the ad had been upfront about the $150, we probably would’ve paid it without issue. But advertising a puppy as free and springing a fee at the last minute — that’s the problem. That, and refusing cash.

Sketchy.

I Googled him and found out he’s a dog breeder, which raised even more questions. Was there ever an aunt? Does she even have cancer? If not, I hope karma finds him quickly, because cancer is not a word you get to toss around for sympathy or money.

It’s not a storyline.
It’s not leverage.
It’s real life.

I’m busy kicking cancer’s ass right now. If he thought I couldn’t also take on a dog-breeding scam artist on a low-energy Thursday, he was wrong.

Watch me.

It’s sad there are people willing to take advantage of others — especially when they’re vulnerable. And the worst part is knowing some people probably did send him money and lost it.

So today I fought cancer.
And grief.
And a scam.

Not bad for a Thursday with zero gas in the tank.

💗 Tina –
One Badass Day at a Time