Skip to main content

Guilt, sadness today. Grief, loss on the horizon.

Cooper, when we first adopted him

Three and a half months ago I took my dog, Cooper, to the vet for some tests because he was behaving strangely. At the end of that visit we discovered that he had a tumor in his bladder and an enlarged spleen. But they felt it was operable. So, three months ago my dog had surgery to remove his spleen and a large portion of his bladder. The surgery went well. He recovered quickly. And was doing well. Until about a month ago, when he started acting strangely once again. I talked to the vet, they did a urinalysis, and everything came back normal. So she gave him some extra pain meds to get him through the holidays and we decided to just go ahead with our already scheduled 3 month follow-up ultrasound in January.

Which was yesterday.

It did not go well.

The cancer is back. Another tumor in his bladder. It's pressing on his prostate and colon. One of his nearby lymph nodes is very enlarged, likely the cancer has spread there. Some levels in his kidneys are elevated...not in a good way. The cancer is an aggressive one. The prognosis is grim. So, medication to help keep him comfortable. One month, maybe two before it gets really bad.

Flash back five years and one month ago. My dog, Jack,...my first baby, who I'd gotten right out of college and was my constant companion for twelve years and who had been very sick for a very long time...had gotten really, really bad. I had to make the decision that his quality of life had gotten so poor and that he was in so much pain, that it was time to help him cross over.

Fast forward five years and one month to last Sunday when I sat on the steps to our basement cleaning dog pee from the carpet and crying because even before yesterday's vet visit, I knew things were bad. I am crying because my dog is sick and dying. And I'm crying because I still carry guilt for Jack's death. I was crushed when he left and I never felt right with the decision I made to help him go. He was my sun and moon before my kids came along. For almost ten years he was my only companion and confidante. And he was a amazing soul.

And now there's another sweet companion staring up into my eyes waiting for another scratch on the head, likely not knowing what lies ahead for both of us. But I have a pretty good idea. Because I've been there before. And if you've had a beloved pet, then you've been there before too. And I just don't know how I'm going to do it again. Make the decision. Say goodbye. Carry the guilt.

I have a lot of thoughts swimming through my head right now... I really thought I'd have a lot more than five years before I had to go through this again. I really thought I'd have more than five years with Cooper, even though he was already about five when we rescued him. I feel terrible for Cooper. I feel terrible for me. I feel terrible for the kids who will be losing their first pet. (I have very vivid, painful, sad memories of losing my first dog, Susie, when I was eleven.) I feel guilt for not always being the best caretaker for Cooper. I feel guilt for it taking so long for me to really bond with him because he joined our family at a time of babies and small children (my own fault, of course). I am already mourning the loss of our evening walks in the warmer months...who will I walk with under star-filled skies this Spring and Summer?? Who will keep me company at night when my husband is traveling for work??

But I know it's not time to go there yet. He is still here. He is still constantly by my side, usually with some part of his body touching some part of mine...his back leaning against my leg, his butt on my foot. He is still begging for food and needing to go out (a lot) and always, always waiting for attention and love.

And so, instead of mourning the loss that is to come, I have resolved to give him the life of a doggie prince in his remaining days. A life filled with pets and scratches and cuddles. A life filled with treats and food and ham bombs (I wraps meds in ham to make them treats...he now freaks out with doggie joy whenever I open the meat drawer in our fridge.). A life filled with unhurried walks with lots of time for sniffing. A life filled with as much time being close to his people-pack as possible. Because that's all he really wants.

It's so simple.

How could I ever have gotten it wrong?

Like so many things in life.

Until next time, friends, go give someone who needs it a cuddle or scratch or pet. It's so simple. Don't get it wrong.

Me and Coop at his obedience school graduation






Comments

Popular Posts

Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad…I am so in love!

Here's a great little summer dish. A perfect side for whatever you've thrown on the grill. A great dish to pass for that neighborhood BBQ. A lovely salad to just make up and leave in the fridge for easy lunches on a hot day. It's Ramen Noodle Salad. Now, I'm not sure this dish actually qualifies as clean eating, despite the word "salad" in it's name…what with the ramen noodles and the seasoning packet. But it is so seriously good that I could have eaten the ENTIRE giant bowl of it. Seriously. When I made it last week I could not stop eating it. It might actually be a little addictive. So, don't say I didn't warn you... Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad 2 pkg uncooked ramen noodles 2.5 oz sliced almonds (or just a big handful) 3/4 c. sunflower seeds 1/2 c. finely chopped onion (whatever kind you have) 1 bag broccoli slaw 2 ramen noodle seasoning packets 3/4 c. oil (use what you like; I used canola oil) 1/2 c. white vinegar 1/3 c. sugar

OMG Honey Mustard Pretzel-Crusted Chicken...So Good!

I made this chicken last weekend when we had family in visiting...this drives my husband nuts when I try out new recipes when we have guests...just because one little time dinner turned out awful! (Seriously, it was barely edible. Oops!) I say, this is the occasional price we pay for wonderful food exploration! And this Honey Mustard Pretzel-Crusted Chicken is a fantastic example of just that! It. Was. Delish.  So here you have it...tasty AND company-worthy! (My 4 year old loved it too...I mean, who doesn't love pretzels and honey mustard!) Honey Mustard Pretzel-Crusted Chicken   (from cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com) 4 c. hard sourdough pretzels, coarsely crushed 1/2 c. olive oil 1/2 c. Dijon mustard 1/3 c. honey 1/4 c. water 3 tbsp red wine vinegar (or other mild vinegar...I used white wine because it's what I had on hand) coarse salt and black pepper 1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Set wire rack (like oven-safe coo

30 Days to a New Me: Danette May's 30 Day New You Challenge Review

 A little more than 30 days ago I was in despair. If you read my last post, you already know that I found myself in a post holiday/start of a new year funk. And I knew that a big part of that funk had to do with how I was (or in this case, wasn't) taking care of myself. I had let the holiday season take over my life and my better judgment. I had given up good eating and exercise habits. I had stopped writing. I hadn't had a moment to myself. It was not good. But one part of where I was mentally, emotionally and physically wasn't just holiday backlash. It was part of a bigger problem. Since we moved to our current home over three years ago, I had gained weight. A lot of weight, for me. (As of January 1, I weighed the most I had ever weighed outside of pregnancy.) I had tried many, many times to lose that weight, as I was gaining it, over the last few years. I used the same methods I had always successfully used to lose/maintain weight or increase fitness--stepping