[Dailydrool] Wyatt Update

[stevebarlow4 at verizon.net]

On Wedneday, I was in a mad dash to find someone who could euthenize Wyatt outside or at the house.  I got a guy on Friday... someone Thursday afternoon, and someone Wednesday at 10:30am!  Wow.. that last one was too quick.  I took him to his vet that afternoon to weight him, and he walked in well and stood up on the slippery floor. The techs were impressed with how well he was doing and said they would give him until Monday so my regular mobile vet could come to the house.  I bought enough meds to keep him through the weekend.  I'd hate to schedule a his deptarture like this... The healing begins so much quicker when they're taken quickly. It's painful to watch the decline, and have to make that decision.

I think I've made the right ones so far. There are those that think he should have gone 2 months ago. When we came back from vacation in the first week of august, he had just started prednisone and was not doing well. I made an appointment for 8/11.. but on 8/10, he was doing as well as he had been for 3 weeks(I took him to a park)  So I canceled.  He continued to do well.. I took him to the same park on 8/24, and he did even better than the first time!   on 9/1, Clover knocked him over and hurt his good leg.. so he can't stand up well. It's been sad watching him pee in the floor than pop it up with his butt.   He looks like a seal dragging his rear end.  But he still CAN stand up and does OK if he can get on his feet.  But now, it's all starting to come down on him.  I could keep him going to another month, but this would NOT be for him.  He was diagnosed on 6/15.. this will be 3 months past when he was given 4-8 weeks.. and he will have had 13.   What's more... he started limping 'bad' in early may, and was so down and depressed on 6/14 that I considered putting him down then.  So he's made it 3 months.. 4 months since a visible toll was noticed.. and way back in february.. he had shown a slight limp and had lost 7lbs prior to his teeth cleaning... when he took meloxicam.. his 'stiffness' went away. Granted, this could have been arthritis, but with the weight loss, I think he had early signs in late february.. so... one could argue that he made it through 7-9 months since the cancer first hit him. Not bad for the type of cancer that he had.   

But it's not his time. Even if on Monday.. he has an up day(I'm taking him to the park in the moring and feeding him fried chicken).. and whatever else wants to eat. (he still tries to steal foot off your plate when you're eating it.. dinnertime is a big excitment for him).   The thing is, he still has happiness. I'm going to do this for him before he's miserable.  Some argue he aleady is, but when he's stealing pizza off your plate, or off my sons lap....  it's time to go...  He obviously is not uncomfortable with a full bark. Oh he barks, but it's not that beautiful deep bark that was music.  He's eaten up on the inside. I know he had early signs of lung cancer and a big tumor on his spleen on 6/25! So I can only imagine how far they've come.

No.. Wyatt. we've done well, we've had good times. You've comforted me whenever I needed it. You are the closest bond and friendship I've ever had with any living thing.  You were always happy to seeme and always took away my hurt, my pain, my bad days. Now, i must grieve without you.  Your sister Clover will be there for me, and i know she will enjoy the attention(she was always jealous), but she will miss you so very much as well.  You've truley been a blessing to me.  I love you boy....I don't know what I'll do without you, but I'll make it.  Wait for me at the bridge.  I hope your grandma meets you there.  (she would never come over without chicken thights deboned to feed the dogs) I can see her now... as you run to her with that beautiful bay... restored legs.. and jump up on her to get that big box of chicken!   

Until we meet again...

(I'll write again when it's over)

Steve