My Sammie Girl Is Gone, death and dying Options

[Sammie girl'...]

My name is Melanie and I just lost the greatest love of my life. My Sheltie, Sammie "girl" who was 3 1/2 years old died last Saturday morning. I was on vacation and when I left her she was fine and when I got off the cruise ship to call my friend who was taking care of her I found out she was gone. She had a very bad incidence of pancreatitis about 2 years ago and ever since she would have "spells" for a day that she was lethargic, possibly throwing up and weak. The vet and I both thought it was just part of a pancreatitis flair up. I would give her doggie ensure, boil hamburger and rice and nurse her back and it never lasted long and she was running and playing again. All this time we now know it wasn't pancreatitis, it was Addison's Disease. It is a disease most often found in famale dogs around the age of 4. This aweful disease attacks their adrenal glands and their bodies don't produce cortisone and other chemicals. She had what's referred to as an Addison's Crisis where the attack was so bad that it shut down her kidneys, caused her to have seizures and finally her heart stopped. It is hard to diagnose b/c it presents itself in ways related to so many other things. If you are lucky and diagnose it early then you can put your dog on medicine and they can lead a heathly life. I tell you all this so that you will be aware of this and maybe save one of your fur kids. I have had lots of pets buried them, euthanized them and actually watched one get hit by a car but all of them combined haven't hurt like losing Sammie. I can't stop crying. I've cried so hard I actually threw up what little I had eaten. My face is pealing from the salt in my tears. I can't eat without throwing up or running to the bathroom. I can't sleep without waking up crying or screaming. It hurts to breath. I have to concentrate to breath. She was MY dog. My kids loved her and my husband loved her but she was my soulmate. She was everywhere I was. I took her to work everyday the first 6 months of her life. She was in every room I went in. She slept with me. She ran errands with me. We had rituals, we had fun, we shared everything. She was my happy place when all else sucked. She was the greatest joy in my life. I love my family don't get me wrong but I have 3 teenagers that don't necessarily want to be around me and a wonderful husband who is trying to build a new business so .....Sammie was always there for me. That dog understood me and tried to talk, literally would make many different kinds of noises when I talked to her. She woke me up every morning by putting her nose to my nose and staring me down until I would wake up to play with her. She waited for me to get out of the shower. She wouldn't go into my room at night to go to bed until I walked down the hall and she went with me. She was my life and now I don't know how to live. It's day 5 and I can make it about 30 minutes without a major cyring episode. Staying busy at work isn't helping, talking about it isn't helping. I actually wanted to go to sleep and not wake up the first 3 days b/c the pain is unbearable. Nothing in my life makes any sense. I can't keep a straight thought together. I walk into a room in my house for something and forget why I'm there. I couldn't remember how to do the laundry last night. I really thought I had lost my mind until I read other folks reactions to their losses and learned that this is normal. I am playing the could have should have game too. I'm trying to stop it b/c it won't help or bring my girl back to me. I feel guilty b/c I wasn't here for her when she needed me the most but I'm trying to believe that God knew I couldn't handle that part. I feel guilty I was off having fun and she was dying. I hate the world right now. I can't imagine being truly that happy again. I've been through a lot in the past several years: I had cancer twice and a stem cell tranplant, a divorce, my daughter lost a kidney, my mom died of cancer, my dad had cancer twice (he survived), I buried my very loved cat, Lewis, and I went through HELL at work the last 18 months. I'm a financial advisor with a company that changed names, systems and everything else twice. All were hard and I've been strong. I was able to cope and get a grip until now. I feel hopeless. I feel lost. I can't function. I miss her so much, she's all I can think about. I found her collar last night (my kids had hid it from me b/c they knew it would hurt). It smelled like her and I just sat on our couch and smelled it for hours. I put it under my pillow last night so she felt close to me. My husband built her a casket on Monday. I put the quilt from my childhood in there for her with her favorite pillow (she always had to lay her head on a pillow) her favorite toys and our family picture which she was in too. My husband picked her up from the vet hospital and put her in the casket so I didn't have to see her like that. My son used the tractor and dug her grave. Eight of my closest friends came over and we buried her at 6:00 Monday night in our back yard where she loved to play. I go home from work each night and sit by her grave and talk to her. I scream, throw things and cry. I just want to be as close to her as possible. I will keep reading posts as I need you all. My family and friends love me but I don't think they understand the depth of my pain. Thank you so much for taking time to share my grief with me and for the love you have all given to your furry kids.

[patricia]

dear melanie, i wish could be there in person to give you a big hug. i know how you are feeling. everyone here knows how you are feeling. i am so sorry to hear about your sweet sammie. in less than a year, i lost both my fur babies, the second about three months ago. i remember crying non stop and so hard, my eyes were swollen shut and my whole body just ached. i know what its like to wonder how youre ever going to make it and even wondering if you want to or not. most people do not understand when we tell them our furbabies are our soulmates but we do. you certainly have been thru so much and i understand the bond with your little one. she never made your life difficult, she never talked back, she never yelled at you for not getting your work done on time. she, like all of ours was the one constant in our lives. the one who loved us no matter what. the one who consoled us truly when we had a bad day. what a wonderful lesson we can learn from these beautiful creatures as they teach us unconditional love, patience, tolerance and so much more. how blessed you both were to have each other. im sorry she was taken so early from you. that just seems so unfair. but unfortunately we cannot control these things. when i read about you holding the collar, it brought back so many memories. when my first cat passed away suddenly last year, i was so distraught. he died the very same day we were moving to a new apartment. if he had passed away a few days earlier, i wouldnt have moved. the new place didnt hold his memories, his scents , anything at all.. he had visited the place only once two days before he passed, only because i took him first to see his dr. i found myself on all hands and knees looking for any of his fur that i could hold in my hand. i ransacked the moving boxes hoping that he had shed any of his fur in there as he played from one box to another. i found a few strands and to me it was like oxygen. i held them for the longest time. it was all i had left of him. i taped them down and to this day i still go over to feel them. this is a very difficult time for you. try and think of him in a wonderful place full of new friends. its a big open field where the sun always shines and the pain and discomfort is all gone. and when sammie is tired from playing all day she lays down and looks down on you to make sure that you are ok. she is now your little angel.
and please keep writing. write about your grief and your anguish. write about your memories. that is what got me thru the worst days of my life. there will come a day when you will be able to smile again, amidst the tears as you remember the wonderful and happy times you shared with sammie.

you are in my thoughts and prayers.
patricia

[Sammie girl'...]

dear melanie, i wish could be there in person to give you a big hug. i know how you are feeling. everyone here knows how you are feeling. i am so sorry to hear about your sweet sammie. in less than a year, i lost both my fur babies, the second about three months ago. i remember crying non stop and so hard, my eyes were swollen shut and my whole body just ached. i know what its like to wonder how youre ever going to make it and even wondering if you want to or not. most people do not understand when we tell them our furbabies are our soulmates but we do. you certainly have been thru so much and i understand the bond with your little one. she never made your life difficult, she never talked back, she never yelled at you for not getting your work done on time. she, like all of ours was the one constant in our lives. the one who loved us no matter what. the one who consoled us truly when we had a bad day. what a wonderful lesson we can learn from these beautiful creatures as they teach us unconditional love, patience, tolerance and so much more. how blessed you both were to have each other. im sorry she was taken so early from you. that just seems so unfair. but unfortunately we cannot control these things. when i read about you holding the collar, it brought back so many memories. when my first cat passed away suddenly last year, i was so distraught. he died the very same day we were moving to a new apartment. if he had passed away a few days earlier, i wouldnt have moved. the new place didnt hold his memories, his scents , anything at all.. he had visited the place only once two days before he passed, only because i took him first to see his dr. i found myself on all hands and knees looking for any of his fur that i could hold in my hand. i ransacked the moving boxes hoping that he had shed any of his fur in there as he played from one box to another. i found a few strands and to me it was like oxygen. i held them for the longest time. it was all i had left of him. i taped them down and to this day i still go over to feel them. this is a very difficult time for you. try and think of him in a wonderful place full of new friends. its a big open field where the sun always shines and the pain and discomfort is all gone. and when sammie is tired from playing all day she lays down and looks down on you to make sure that you are ok. she is now your little angel.
and please keep writing. write about your grief and your anguish. write about your memories. that is what got me thru the worst days of my life. there will come a day when you will be able to smile again, amidst the tears as you remember the wonderful and happy times you shared with sammie.

you are in my thoughts and prayers.
patricia

Patricia,

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for writing to me. It helps me feel a little less loss. I've combed the house for Sammie's fur too. The hospital where she died sent me some of her fur and they took her footprints with ink on paper for me. It is my oxygen too. I am deeply sorry for both your losses. I can't even imagine going through this twice. Complete despair. Everyone who met her fell in love with her so I'm trying to think of all the new friends that can love her now too. She was just the most loving creature I've ever had the privilege of knowing. I will keep writing and praying. Thank you, Patricia for caring. God bless you.
Melanie

[Sammie girl'...]

I'm really struggling at work right now missing my Sammie. Her pictures are everywhere. No one is going to be home tonight due to all their activities and I don't know how I am going to walk in our house without her being there to greet me. I don't want to go home. In fact, I don't want do anything. It's hard to even shower. I haven't even put makeup on for the past 5 days b/c I would just cry it all off. I try to eat and it makes me sick. I feel like I'm having a heart attack b/c the pain hurts so much. HELP!!!!!!!

[patricia]

melanie, we are here for you. you are not alone. i too remember staying at the office late. i didnt want to go home and when i did, i had the worst stomach ache and i cried all the way home. opening the door was so hard. i just stood there and sobbed. i wanted to see my babies. i put a little memorial (pix, bowl, etc) up by my bed (its now been transferred to the book shelves) but at first i just kept it next to my bed. i bought a special candle that i would always remember fred (and riley) by ifor each of them. and when i was able to step inside my apartment, i just lit the candle, curled up and allowed myself to cry. i screamed into my pillow and just let it out. you would think that one night of that would be enough but it wasnt. there were many many nights like that. but my point is try putting a few of sammies things together and allow yourself to grieve. it ok. i couldnt eat either but thats ok. its ok to not be ok. you have just expereinced a huge loss. you couldnt be ok overnight. its just not possible. the first few weeks you will feel like youre barely alive, just functioning by routine. thats ok. i shut the door to my office and cried and cried. this went on for a very long time. also, i dont know where you live but sometims you can find a group therapy that is offered in some of the shelters. that was also very helpful to me. but like i said, keep on writing, like you are. pour out your heart. we hear you and understand.

patricia

[Jay T]

Hi melanie,May i first say how very sorry i am about sammie it is truly devastating i know how you feel ,when my jeannie passed and i came home that day i cried so hard i feel to the floor ,i didnt eat well or sleep a total mess ,even now not even a month im still so sad about it all ,but this place has a lot of support please give your self time as much time as you need and come here as much as you need ,the people he do understand how this feels ,They really are like our best friends our pets .i hope you do start to feel a bit better ,best thoughts and be well .THANKS JAY

[Hslesgirl]

Dear Melanie,

I am so very sorry for your loss. Sammie sounds like such a sweetheart. I know right now you feel so alone in your grief, but as everyone previously has said - we really do know what you are going through. My 7 year old doberman, my sweet baby boy "Austin" died on April 17th. He had a heart attack while playing ball one night with my husband. Austin loved everyone, but I was his person. we snuggled on the bed every night after dinner and watched TV. He was my constant companion when i was in bed for weeks after my hysterectomy. I fell asleep every night petting him as yes, all 90 lbs of him slept between me and my husband. The shock of his death was horrible enough, but just like you, I was not home. I was not with him when he needed me the most. I was 2 hours away visiting my sister. When my husband had to call and tell me I completely lost it. My sister had to pull the phone from my hand and talk to him because I was hysterical. Even thoug it was almost midnight, my sister packed all my things in my car and drove me home. I got to the emergency hospital alittle after 3:00 in the morning to say goodbye to my baby. the next several weeks passed by in a blur of hysteria, no food, and Xanax prescribed by the doctor to calm me enough to sleep. Sleep was the only reprive I got from the grief. And I can't tell you how many times I said - even in many posts on here - that I hurt so bad I couldn't breathe. Now I know a heart really CAN break. This site was a godsend for me! At first all my friends and family were sympatheic to my grief, but as the days passed I got the impression people started wondering why I wasn't getting over it. Only people who have ever really loved a furkid knows the depth of the anguish we feel when they leave us. The people who come to this site know how we feel, because they've been there. The emotional support and sympathy I got after my first posting was so heart warming. As the days pass and my heart starts to lighten (which I honestyy never thought would happen) I am now finding strength and comfort and healing in being here and supporting people who are new here and their pain is so fresh I wish there was some way I could physically ease your pain or at least give you a hug. All I can really do is offer you emotional support from a distance. And keep you in my prayers. Please keep writing. Believe it or not, it does help to pour out all your feelings - even if it's only 1 line that's says you hurt or a full page tirade. This is the forum to get it all out. But most of all, cherish Sammie's memory and try to remember all the special times you had with her. My baby boy's ashes are in a beautiful wooden urn with a Dobe statue resting on top. The urn is on the firplace mantel in my bedroom and I talk to him every day. And almost 2 months later I still sleep with the stuffed bunny that Austin brought to bed every night. Each of us has to do what is best for us to get through our grief. Write soon. Wishing you peace and comfort.

Carol

[petmum]

Dear Melanie
I am right where you are now, I too find it hard to breath, I didn't throw up but I'm not interested in food. We love our 4 legged companions and it just so SUX when they aren't there, when everything falls apart the first thing I do is to breath out and then in, out again & in again....it's really the only advice I can give right now....{{{HUGS}}}

[Sammie girl'...]

Carol,

Thank you so much for sharing your pain with me. I couldn't get on the site last night because I wasn't even consolable, today I just hurt all over. I know exactly what you mean by people expecting you to be 'over' it by now. My God, Sammie has been gone 6 days, how can I be over it. Just yesterday here are some of the comments said to me....'Are you better now?', 'There will be another dog to love soon', 'Can you imagine if you would have lost a child how you would feel?'. They are all good people who said those things but they do NOT understand my pain. Everyone seems to be going about their normal activities and finding joy. I can't do that. I wish I could but I can't. I wish I had a blanket of Sammie's but she never slept on a blanket. I was her blanket. She slept on the couch with her head propped on a pillow. Or she slept on the floor right beside where I was. I even crawled around the floor this morning trying to smell her where she had laid. I think if my family saw me do that they would lock me up somewhere. I too am glad I found this sight and friends like you because to tell you the truth without it I don't think I could go on. May God continue to ease your pain and heal your heart, Carol. You are a very loving person.

Melanie

[Sammie girl'...]

Petmum,

I am so sorry for you pain also. It is comforting to know that all the emotions we're feeling doesn't mean we needed to be locked up in a straight jacket. I actually had to tell myself outloud this morning to breath and concentrate on the road while driving. My doctor and friend presribed me Ambien to help me sleep. I just with there was a pill to make the pain stop too. I'm going to order her a headstone today. We buried her in the backyard and I am going to try to put stones around it tomorrow and make it nice for her. It will be hard but I want to do that for her. I will be praying for your heart too.

Melanie

[lynette]

So very sorry for your loss.

This is a great website. I wish I had found it last June when I lost my precious baby Lily so suddenly. I found it a few days before we lost Hunny this April 4th though. We had to put Hunny to sleep because she was losing her battle with cancer. That was the hardest decision I've ever had to do, and I hope I never have to do it again. But there were some people here who helped me through it. My babies left too soon, both were only eight when they flew to heaven.

It is extremely hard. And most people just don't understand how deep the pain is. How much it hurts to long for them each day. I cried in the shower when Lily died. I couldn't breathe either. At least with Hunny, we had time before she had to leave. But it all hurts so much. It will be a year June 24th since we lost Lily. I can't believe how the time has flown by. I pretty much cry for both of them every day, usually on the way to work and the way home. I always felt closest to them at home. I hated to go to work. I was angry with the world. My perspective on life has definitely changed. Work is just a pay cheque now. I need to be at home - close to my babies. I'm paranoid all the time, cos we're not sure what exactly happened with Lily. It looked like she was choking, but we couldn't do anything. So, now I'm terrified to give my other babies bones. But every day gets a little easier. It does, it just takes time. And there will always be times when the tears just start flowing. Something will trigger the tears. And you'll always miss them. But it makes me happy to know that my babies are together again, to know that they are both healthy and happy. I stare off into the distance and "see" them walking down the road or across the field. That makes me smile. They loved to go for walks. In heaven they get to do that whenever they want.

Give it time. Six days is nothing. Lily's been gone a year almost and I still bawl my eyes out for her. The hardest part is knowing that you can't hold them when you want to. I still haven't buried Hunny's ashes next to Lily yet. Somehow, I just can't seem to bring myself to do it.

But this is a great place to come. Just writing about what you're feeling helps. Sometimes, people don't reply, but so what, just writing about it helps.

So, please don't be too hard on yourself. Let the tears flow. I check this website every other day at work, and it always makes me cry. The people at work, must think I'm nuts sometimes. But whatever, I don't care. My Hunny and Lily meant the world to me.

And I can't wait to see them again one day. For now, I just need to believe that they are happy and healthy. And your precious baby is out of harms reach and healthy again. And yes, when she's not busy having fun, she's looking down on you.

Take care.

[Sammie girl'...]

Patricia,

What a great idea about collecting some of Sammie's things. I went home at lunch and put one of her toys in all the rooms of my house. I am going to print a lot of pictures of her out of my computer tonight and put one in a frame to place in each room. I put her collar under my pillow so when I wake up crying I can at least hold it. I am also going to get a headstone for her grave but I have to figure out just what to put on it. I went to lunch with my husband and had to leave the restaurant b/c the tears started coming. It really hit unexpectedly. So many people around me (good people) just don't understand. They think I should be fine now, sad yes but certainly not still sobbing. I actually didn't cry this morning at all. I woke up and didn't feel anything. It was like I was a stepford wife just going thru the motions but I wasn't really there. Then on the way to work I started feeling guilty for not crying. I got to work and then lost it. It is hard for me not to have control of my emotions. I like to be able to have control and feel in charge and I'm not. It's been 6 days since she left me and things aren't any better. I know it will take time but right now it sure feels like it will be forever.

Thank you Patricia,
Melanie

[Sammie girl'...]

Lynette,

Thank you so much for sharing your love for Hunny and Lily with me. In some respects it scares me to think that even a year from now I will still hurt. I know it will get better everyday but the true happiness I felt with my Sammie Girl will never be again. It is so difficult to imagine continuing my life without her. I know exactly what you mean about your job. I could care less about it. It is just a paycheck. I won't ever again let it affect me like it has in the past because it just isn't anything compared to the life I lost. One of the hardest things for me today is I don't know where to go or what to do. I don't feel right anywhere. My friends want me to come over but I don't want to. I don't want to be in my house or at my office either. I just have to face the fact that there is no place I can go that Sammie hasn't touched in my life because she was my whole world. That's the devastation as you know too well. I love the visual of seeing your Hunny and Lily running happily. I'm trying so hard to picture Sammie meeting new furry friends and running around everywhere but it's hard b/c I'm being so selfish right now wanting her here. It's Friday and I'm dreading the weekend. I would have spent the weekend playing with Sammie b/c all the kids will be at camp. It will be aweful. May God bless you Lynette and the love in your heart for your babies.

Melanie

[patricia]

melanie, hang in there. its only been six days. in some of my other posts, i recounted how ive lost pets so many many years ago and even now when i see photos, i burst out crying. they will be with us forever and ever and i always think that that little hole in my heart for every one of my fur babies can never ever be repaired. but we move forward and we force ourselves to breathe. yes i know what you mean. its almost like a slap in the face when after a few days people look at us like "what? youre not over it yet?" uh NO. if you lost a child, would you be over it in a week, in a month, in a year? whats strange is something you hit on as well, when you have a good day, you feel guilty about not crying. it made me feel so bad, like i didnt miss him already.
im glad you have some of sammies toys in every room. some days you will smile when you see them and some you will just sob. but thats alright. there will be a day when smiling will take over. yes oure right. it does feel like forever, like we will never get over it and in a morbid way, we dont want too. i think subconsciously we think that by not crying we will also forget our fred, our sammie. but that will never happen. i promise you that.
this weekend take care of yourself. it will be very difficult. i gotta tell you that ive read some of your reponses to other peoples posts and i think thats terrific. i promised my fred and riley that in their honor i would pay all the love that i got from this site, forward. that has been tremendous therapy for me. keep doing it and keep writing for yourself. and if you want to be alone, be alone, if you need to cry, cry. i promise you the days will get better.

take care. im praying for you!
patricia

[lynette]

Melanie.

You will make it through. It'll be tough, but you'll make it through. I know when we lost Hunny, (we let her go on a Saturday), my daughter and I took the Monday off and we stayed home and printed out photos of her. We went for a walk with our other dogs. We made it through, but then we had three months to kinda prepare for it. She got sick last summer, within a week of Lily dying, but had surgery and she was good until Christmas week when the tumour started growing again. And we knew that when it came back there would be nothing more we could do. I think I cried most of my tears for her before she left. Not in front of her, but everywhere else. But when I look back at the photos of her in those final weeks I can see that the spark had gone. Her mind was still good and she was getting around ok, but the tumour was wide open and the cancer had spread. So, I am sure the painkillers were hiding any pain she had. But the photos tell everything. I know she didn't want to leave, but at the same time I think she was ready to go be with Lily.

I know I'm rambling but it helps me to talk about things. Like I said Lily has been gone almost a year. Yeah, I still cry for her, but it is getting easier. I've lost dogs before, but for some reason losing these two was by far the hardest. Maybe it's cos they went so close together or maybe it was because these two were the first ones we ever had in the house (with the exception of one - all the others were outside dogs).

I found going for a walk by myself was a good thing. I took Hunny for a walk the morning of April 4th. Just the two of us. I followed her. I like to go that same way once in a while and just stand and "watch" her. She stood at the end of the road and just looked around for a few minutes. She looked so tired and weary, but at peace. She knew that she was going to be with Lily. This is hard to type without crying.

I have a photo of Lily on my desktop at work. I have both of them on a pet memorial website where I go a couple times a week to leave a little message for them. When Lily died I went there everyday for many many months. Now that Hunny is gone, I find it hard to go there. I'm not sure why.

Anyway, take you're time. Most people don't know what to say, because they have never had pets, but those who have, will usually understand. I found many people said that "they become a huge part of your family". And that's all they say, but sometimes that is enough, because I still can't talk about my babies without shedding a tear. Even though I like to talk about them, I don't particularly want to cry in front of these people.

Life sucks sometimes, especially when they go too young. Hunny and Lily were supposed to live to a ripe old age. I feel like I've let Lily down. She was a rescue and she was supposed to have been with us forever. But the day she died, was the day that Izzy was surrended by a puppy mill. We adopted Izzy 10 days later. So, sometimes, I like to think that Lily gave up her place with us so that another precious baby could have a chance at a good life. She was so unselfish. And Hunny, sent George to watch over Izzy, Barney and Casey. We now have a full house, 4 dogs!!!

But what is weird is that every once in a while I see Izzy just looking around, but high up around the walls. It's almost like she's looking at something. Makes me wonder if Hunny is here watching over them. Lily never knew any of these pups. Crazy eh? But kinda a nice thought I think. I think Hunny stayed as long as she did because of the pups. Hunny helped Izzy come out of her shell.

Anyway, I'm sorry, I'm just rambling on and on. There is nothing wrong in mourning the loss of someone you loved so much. Let the tears come. One day, you'll find you didn't cry as much as usual. Yeah I know - the guilt. Then the longing. But I've lost pets before, so it does get easier. Eventually. You never ever forget them. But hey, I don't care what people think of me. I lost a huge part of my heart with Hunny and Lily and for that I make no apologies. I loved them and I will always love them.

Take care. I'll be thinking of you.

Anyway, I have to go pick up George from the vets. We had him fixed today.

[petmum]

thinking of you sammie girl, and I'm still having to remind myself to breathe too

[nicole'smom]

Melanie
I'm truly sorry about your loss of Sammie girl. Wishing you peace and comfort in these most distressing days.

[Sammie girl'...]

I somehow made it through the first weekend without Sammie. Friday night when I got home from work was really painful knowing that she wasn't going to be there to hang out with all weekend. Sammie loved this house and all the yard she had to run in. She would follow me around the yard while I looked at my flowers and then she would find one of her balls in the yard and we would always end of playing fetch. None of those thing were ever going to happen again and it hit me hard. I sobbed for 3 hours and my poor husband didn't know what to do. Saturday, my friend (who was with her when she died) came to get me Saturday morning to run errands with her and then she came back to my house and helped me get stuff done that I hadn't been able to accomplish this week. She kept me busy which was the plan. It helped a bit. I ordered Sammie's headstone today and it will have a picture of her on it etched in marble. I bought a journal today and I'm writing letters to Sammie. I'm not sure if it is going to help but somehow it makes me feel closer to her. My friends are just trying to help I know but they are trying to talk me into getting another dog. It just makes me mad right now. I can't replace her. She was my greatest love of my life and I want her back not a different one. Does anyone think I should consider this? I honestly don't think I'm capable of thinking straight anymore. Just doing the laundry took every ounce of brain power. Nothing makes sense without Sammie. I love you so much Sammie Girl

[petmum]

for me sammie girl I wouldn't get another dog just yet.....I just couldn't.....I am so with you, I just want MY Buddy. The time isn't right for me & I wld hazard a guess that perhaps a few more buckets of tears are required before thinking of another dog for you too. I think we need to grieve a lot more before making such a big decision. One shld never make big decisions such as this under stress....and we know....this IS stressful......
my husband & kids went shopping on the week end & I had this crazy notion that they might get a little puppy & I found myself getting angry just thinking bout it. they didn't thank goodness...... I know your friends are just trying to help as do you, you gotta let 'em know u cant even think such a thing just yet.....it's just all to damned hard if u ask me.......
{{{HUGS}}}
You are in my thoughts.

[lynette]

Morning.

Everyone is different when it comes to getting another baby. You know in your heart that it will never replace the precious baby that you just lost. A new pup will bring another type of joy. I know it hurts right now, but for me, having another one around the house has helped. You will never forget. Never. But you get busy with loving the new family member and time flies by.

Maybe remember though that the rest of your family is mourning too. In a different way than you, but maybe they need another to love. Each person handles death differently. I took it extremely hard when I lost my two babies, but my husband and daughter handle it very differently. I know they miss them very much, but they don't dwell on it like I do. We have added four new dogs since we lost Lily last June. I love all of them.

When you're ready you'll let another into your heart. I know it hurts so much when they leave us, but I don't think I could ever not have a dog in my life. The love that they give is worth so much to me. I think my life would be so empty without them. If you went to look at pups, I think you'd be surprised just how much your heart would melt.

There's no hurry, so just take it day by day. When you're ready, you'll know. Four months after losing Lily, I found myself longing for another companion. That's when we got Barney. And he is the love of my life now. And so are my other pups.

Take care.