<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]>
<style>
v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Tahoma;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:JanieHmkBold;
panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:Arial;
color:navy;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
</head>
<body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple id="role_body" bottomMargin=7
leftmargin=7 topmargin=7 rightMargin=7>
<div class=Section1>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>My thoughts are, have a talk with the Vet
and see if there’s anything that can be done to keep the dog comfortable
for a couple of days. If the vet’s answer is no, then call your
friend. It’s not a decision you should have to make. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face=JanieHmkBold><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:JanieHmkBold;color:navy'>Anita Woodrum</span></font><font
color=navy><span style='color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><a href="mailto:a.woodrum@sbcglobal.net">a.woodrum@sbcglobal.net</a></span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>
<hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1>
</span></font></div>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>
dailydrool-bounces@dailydrool.org [mailto:dailydrool-bounces@dailydrool.org] <b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Hinchliffe@aol.com<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Wednesday, September 16,
2009 8:42 PM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> dailydrool@dailydrool.org<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> [Dailydrool] Urgently
need advice</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>I'd really, really appreciate it if
anyone could give me some perspective on what to do -- I'm so exhausted and
stressed and confused and worried that I know I'm just not thinking clearly.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>One of my closest friends has a dog I
adore, who has spent much of her life at my house (I work at home, so she comes
here most days while my friend is gone). Karen (my friend) is away on
vacation this week, so Emma (the dog) is staying with me. I'd really been
looking forward to this, because Emma helped me through losing my Blueberry
last year, and I yearned to have a little furry one to snuggle up to.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Karen left Saturday. She left
instructions that she didn't want her vacation interrupted by calls with any
bad news about Emma. She told me that if Emma got sick (she wasn't sick
and there wasn't any reason to anticipate that she would be -- this was
just covering the bases, along with what to do if her house caught on fire), to
use my own best judgment about what to do, tests to have, etc.
She even said that if Emma died, not to tell her (Karen), just ask the vet to
put her in the freezer till she got home.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Well, on Sunday Emma suddenly collapsed
on the floor. I raced to pick her up, and she was so limp that I thought
she was dead. Then her bladder emptied all over me. It's been
getting worse every day, now she's not eating or drinking, her stomach is twice
the size with fluid, I won't go into all the symptoms, but it's clear that her systems
are all shutting down.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>The vet, who is wonderful (she's known
Emma since the day she was born, and took care of my Blueberry her whole life),
has spent a lot of time with Emma and with me this week. Today, after the
third visit, she said that if it were her dog, she would put her to
sleep. The x-rays show that she's full of something, and the vet thinks
it's cancer (she can't be sure without an ultrasound, but an ultrasound would
only confirm tumors, and with Emma's other health problems she's not a candidate
for surgery, so it doesn't really make sense to have one). She said she
doesn't think she's suffering pain, but is just feeling really sick.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>I need help from dog people to know what
to do. Do I keep her going, either hoping that somehow she might rally
but mostly just wanting Karen to be here to say goodbye and hold her? Do
I call Karen -- even though she'd said not to (of course, this particular idea
didn't come up specifically) and ask her what to do? I don't want to ruin
her vacation (Emma is like her daughter, and she absolutely dotes on her) by
knowing the bad news (she works really, really, really hard and has had lots of
difficulties in her life this past year and really needs this one week away,
she's been saving for it all year -- and she's almost the entire way
across the country, with non-changeable airline tickets, so she can't just fly
home).<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>If Emma were in pain, I would call
her. But should I keep her going, feeling sick but not suffering, until
Karen comes home (Saturday midnight)? Should I call Karen and tell her
all the details and ask? My mind aches with spinning, I've been
up all night holding her head up to help her breathe. (The vet did a
procedure today to remove some of the fluid, so she's breathing better right
now, and she won't need me to hold her up tonight.)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>I'm sorry for rambling, I'm just so tired
and scared and grieving and overwhelmed by the responsibility that I can't see
straight. And I feel like I'm right back in the anguish of Blueberry's
last days, too.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>I just want to do what's right for
everyone -- sweet, dear little Emma, who with a few more days wait could go to
the bridge in her mom's arms; and Karen, who needs the chance to say goodbye,
and who also needs the peace of this vacation.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>(I'm also worried that if I do call Karen
and she says for me to make the decision, I will just crumble. I'll
always think that I made the wrong decision and robbed Emma and her Mom of the
chance to say goodbye. Or, if it's the other choice, that I made the
wrong decision and made her continue being sick for a few more days.)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>If you can make any sense out of this and
could give me guidance on what you would do in this situation, I'd really
appreciate it. I'm just so deeply trapped inside the middle of it that I
can't see the forest for the trees, and I'm finding it hard to even take a deep
breath.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Thank you so much. Please pray for
Emma.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Fondly,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Beth H. (Duchess ATB and Blueberry ATB)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
</div>
</body>
</html>