The Joker
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- Joined
- Aug 22, 2014
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When Your Dog Is Dying
It started with a mild but persistent cough. At first I didn't worry, even though she was nearing 14 years old, Lucy had always been a tough little dog despite her delicate features and quickly bounced back from all the ailments she had faced. But when the cough didn't fade by Christmas we took her to the veterinarian and got the bad news that she had a sizable tumor on her lungs. The bad news got worse when we were told that the size and placement of the tumor, as well as her advanced age, meant that surgery was not a good option. The vet didn't give us any timelines but he seemed doubtful she would make it through the winter. I was devastated to know that there was really nothing to be done but to try to make her as comfortable as possible until the inevitable came. I wanted more, more options, and above all else, more time.
The beach out on Fire Island, where my life partner's family has a summer home, is Lucy's most favorite place in the world. She truly is a beach dog. She spent many a summer happily running herself ragged on that beach and I wanted nothing more than for her to get to play in the surf once more. But summer seemed so very far away back then. I am not a religious person but I found myself praying quite often during those cold winter months. We put Lucy on a regimen of Prednisone, a steroid, to boost her appetite (as she had really begun to lose weight) and Hycodan to ease her discomfort from coughing. And I set myself on a daily regimen of hope. Hope against all odds.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wayne...ying_b_7827538.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592
So sad and touching
It started with a mild but persistent cough. At first I didn't worry, even though she was nearing 14 years old, Lucy had always been a tough little dog despite her delicate features and quickly bounced back from all the ailments she had faced. But when the cough didn't fade by Christmas we took her to the veterinarian and got the bad news that she had a sizable tumor on her lungs. The bad news got worse when we were told that the size and placement of the tumor, as well as her advanced age, meant that surgery was not a good option. The vet didn't give us any timelines but he seemed doubtful she would make it through the winter. I was devastated to know that there was really nothing to be done but to try to make her as comfortable as possible until the inevitable came. I wanted more, more options, and above all else, more time.
The beach out on Fire Island, where my life partner's family has a summer home, is Lucy's most favorite place in the world. She truly is a beach dog. She spent many a summer happily running herself ragged on that beach and I wanted nothing more than for her to get to play in the surf once more. But summer seemed so very far away back then. I am not a religious person but I found myself praying quite often during those cold winter months. We put Lucy on a regimen of Prednisone, a steroid, to boost her appetite (as she had really begun to lose weight) and Hycodan to ease her discomfort from coughing. And I set myself on a daily regimen of hope. Hope against all odds.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wayne...ying_b_7827538.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592
So sad and touching