How To Savor The Time With A Dying Pet?, It's hard... Options

[ladywolf]

Hi All--

Darnnit, every time I look at Ladywolf now, I'm thinking, "she's dying, I wonder how much more time she has...?" I keep staring at her swollen back leg and wondering if it hurts her, if it's growing or shrinking, if, if, if. When I take her for a walk, I watch her movements constantly to see how much she's being affected by the tumors as she walks. I wonder how much she is missing Poppers. I feel as if I am not doing enough for her, when in fact, I am more or less dedicating my LIFE to her right now.

But there's little pleasure left in my interactions with her, because I am spending all my time with her WORRYING now! All this has happened since the vet confirmed that she has cancer--everything changed, somehow. I'm moving through all the stages of grief constantly, and don't know how to be with her in a "normal" way anymore. Does any of this make sense to you folks? I hate this. I don't want to look at my beloved beauty and see only "dying wolf." It's all making me a little insane, and very very sad.

Help, please! Thanks!

Margi and Ladywolf

[goliath]

Hi Margi................Just wanted to let you know I have kept you and ladywolf in my heart and prayers. You can count on my support as you struggle thru this sad time of your life. It's such a hardship when one reaches a time such as this, but then again, what would we ever have done without the endless love they brought into our lives that enriched ourselves so much when they were well and soooooooooooo happy?

I miss my Goliath more than words could ever express. But, despite the agonizing pain and depression I carried for so long after he passed away, I am sooooooooooo glad that he left me with the greatest treasure of all. Ten years and 8 months of the greatest times of my life were spent with him. HE left me with that gift! He was not my loss, but the greatest blessing I have ever been given and I will always be thankful that he spent his life with me. I feel his spirit walking right beside me each and every day..............and his warm loving spirit has helped carry me thru the heart breaking times we are now going thru with Gidget.

May you and Laywolf be blessed, comforted, and enjoy the love you have with each other now and forver!

Huggers,
Beth

[ladywolf]

Hi Margi................Just wanted to let you know I have kept you and ladywolf in my heart and prayers. You can count on my support as you struggle thru this sad time of your life. It's such a hardship when one reaches a time such as this, but then again, what would we ever have done without the endless love they brought into our lives that enriched ourselves so much when they were well and soooooooooooo happy?

I miss my Goliath more than words could ever express. But, despite the agonizing pain and depression I carried for so long after he passed away, I am sooooooooooo glad that he left me with the greatest treasure of all. Ten years and 8 months of the greatest times of my life were spent with him. HE left me with that gift! He was not my loss, but the greatest blessing I have ever been given and I will always be thankful that he spent his life with me. I feel his spirit walking right beside me each and every day..............and his warm loving spirit has helped carry me thru the heart breaking times we are now going thru with Gidget.

May you and Laywolf be blessed, comforted, and enjoy the love you have with each other now and forver!

Huggers,
Beth

Darnnit, I just wrote a long post and lost it! A LONG one!

Thanks, Beth, for the reminder that Goliath CHOSE to spend his life with you--and you with him. What a gift! Ladywolf picked me...ME, of all scatter-brained disorganized artist kind of people she could have chosen. We lived on the road a lot, it was chaotic, but she loved it.

I've changed her diet radically, and it is such a pleasure to see her truly ENJOYING every meal. Tonight, for example, was: brown rice, sweet potato, cottage cheese, tuna fish, fish oil, lots of supplements, and a chunk of raw beef. Lucky girl! (I get the leftovers.) She practically gets a wedgie every morning and night now just waiting to see what the food bowl will have to offer, and I am getting so much pleasure out of this. I am very poor, but I will somehow figure out how to keep this going as long as necessary. I have become a quasi-expert on canine cancer nutrition in the past couple of weeks...

I'm a bit bummed by losing my last post, so I'll say good night. But thanks again for all the great support. Lady is comfortable tonight, and so am I...

Hugs to everyone--Margi