[Dailydrool] My Kai ATB 8/16/2008

[Senior Basset Rescue]

My Kai.  Kai wasn't always my Kai. She had lived with another human before me, not a very good human as this human allowed her to grow an 8 in by 8 in and 5 inches thick tumor between her legs that drug the ground.  BaRNI received notice by email that there was a 10 yr old Basset with a mammary tumor at Downey shelter.  It took me 3 days to get the OK from the shelter for her to be released to rescue as she was scheduled for euthanasia.  On Feb 15, 2007 I drove to Downey to get her. I walked down 2 very long kennel buildings to the medical room, where a small Basset was in a cage above my head and I am 5'2", the attendant opened the cage door and out fell a Basset into my arms. I put the leash on her and those very very short stubby legs went running all the way to the parking lot. 
 
This Basset girl came to live at the kennel.  I named her Kai a couple of days later. On Feb 22/ 07 she had surgery to remove the growth between her front legs, the surgery lasted 4 hours, leaving no time for the second mammory tumor near her rear area to be removed. It was sent out for biopsy. It came back cancer.  The Dr gave Kai 6 to 9 months to live.  Kai came back to the house to recoup and was supposed to go back to the kennel. Well Kai never made it back there.  Kai was just a little thing, red and white, short short legs maybe between 4 or 5 inches tall, but with a big heart and attitude.  Kai had a habit of looking into your eyes, those big Basset eyes, get the picture here. I fell for her hard and couldn’t let her go, so she became My Kai and my Kai she was.  Kai was nosey, she had to know what was always going on around her, I loved watching her run OMG what a waddle.  She loved running the ranch. LOL and talk the whole time until
 she got where she was heading. Whatever Kai wanted she was sure to tell you. Kai felt she must always walk right in front of Mom, looking back at me to make sure I was right behind her, coaxing me the whole way.  I was Kai trust me about 2 inches behind you. With Kai’s needing to make sure I was behind her, it took me a lot longer to get where I was going.  Kai’s butt was planted in front of me, next to, by me weather I was mopping or sweeping she would not move so I had to go around her as she looked in my eyes. We developed a ritual that went on daily, Kai wanted to sit with Mom on the couch and it was always after I sat down and put the recliner footing out. Well Kai learned to climb onto the footer as I lowered it  and then onto my lap to lay or go to sleep.  The same scenario happened when she wanted down. Kai was a talker.  Kai was also a happy little girl, she was always close by Mom, unless food was involved or a run on the property,
 but she would always come to check with me.  I knew I had limited time with her, I was hoping to have this precious girl for many many more years.  Somewhere in the last year and a half I buried pretty deeply the time limit the Dr had given Kai, call it denial or hope.  
 
Jump start to 1 ½ yrs after Kai arrived here.  Aug 16, 2008 reality hit hard this day. On Aug 4th I took Kai to the vet he thought  a back problem as she could not put weight on her right rear leg I was told confinement with medication for 10 days, I also noticed funny breathing, but it was attributed to pain, I only wished it was true. I took Kai back today as the breathing had not gotten better, she had refused to eat most of the last 5 days, I was able to coax her with baked potato or liverwurst , but she stopped eating this also. Well her X-rays showed a mass that was wrapping around the upper part of her body which included her lungs.  I actually stopping breathing for a minute, because I knew when I saw the x-rays my worst fears had come true I was losing Kai.  This little Basset took my heart and life and ran with it, we had a deep bond.  While I held Kai she stared into my eyes, I knew she was in terrible pain, but she still had that
 loving and gentle look she always gave me. I knew she was telling me let me go I know how much you loved me and I you. I held her very tight as she was slipping away trying to hold it together but failed.  In seconds Kai was gone from this earthly plane but not from my mind and heart. Kai went through 2 large tumor surgeries as well as pyrometra surgery a couple of months ago. I would have given anything for a different outcome.  Everyday has been rough to get through.  To say I loved her very much would be an understatement.  
 
I Have posted pictures of Kai on my webshots page.  

 
http://community.webshots.com/user/carolsd21



      
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