How To Go On... Options

[Meadowlark]

My beloved Gina left us two days ago on Sunday, November 27th, 2011.
There is no words to accurately describe what my husband & I are going through at this time. I feel like my life is empty.

She was 12 years old, and was plagued with medical problems since the day we adopted her from a shelter I worked at in July 2007.
We thought she had a seizure last weekend (she was epileptic), but a few days later she was having trouble getting a deep breath.
It turned out that what she had had was a heart attack, and had developed severe heart disease. We were absolutely shocked.
She had fluid in her lungs. The only treatment for that would have been the extreme opposite of the treatment that she was undergoing for her severe kidney disease.
We had been giving her sub-q fluids every day for a long time now, but in the end it was speeding up the process of her failing heart.
And we had no idea. Her vet had heard a small murmur months ago, but every time we went back (which was sadly very often), she never heard it again.

In the end, there was nothing we could do. Her kidneys were already considered to be in total failure for a long time. Her levels were over triple the normal levels.

She had developed a few behavioral changes in the last few months of her life. Chewing on our arms & crying, like she was trying to tell us something. No vet or animal
behaviorist could explain that other than dementia. It was still so painful to see her so sad & confused at times. She never hurt us though. She just seemed so desperate at times. It broke our hearts.

I feel guilty because I wanted her to pass away in the comfort of our home & I didn't give that to her. She died in an animal hospital. A cold animal hospital with smells of rubbing alcohol & fear, surrounded by sterile metal objects. No warmth. The only thing we could give her in her last moment was our presence & love, and a fleece blanket she loved.

I keep seeing her fade away after they injected the sedative & then the poison. I feel like I failed her somehow, having her put to sleep.
That day we had planned on taking her home & having her euthanized the next day, so that we could have one more night together.
But when they brought her into the room to see us, it seemed she was already partially checked out. She always gave us kisses, she would actually lick our cheeks like a dog might. And she managed on that day to give my husband and I each a kiss on the cheek. And a part of me thought if she could do that we should bring her home.
But deep in my heart, I feel that it was her way of saying that it was okay, that she was tired but still loved us enough to gather the strength to give us one last kiss. But sometimes I feel like we should have had one more night. I'm so confused...

I don't know who I am not having her in my life. Everything reminds me of her.

The windows still have nose smudges from her that I can't bear to wipe away.

She always preferred drinking from a human glass, so we always had one on our living room coffee table.

We always kept a chair in front of our bed so she would have an easier time getting up & down.

Her window perch, where she most loved to sleep, is still up. It's unbearable to think about taking it down, but it's also unbearable to look at.
It still has her fur on it.

I'm still finding fur on the floor & my clothing, and pieces of litter throughout our apartment.

I feel lost without caring for her, giving her meals, and medicines & fluids.

I'm still doing things out of habit like making sure the bedroom door is open enough for her to get in & out of.

When I open the blinds I always make sure the cord is tucked away so that she couldn't hurt herself with it.

Not seeing her food bowls in the entryway, or her litterbox. There is no too much space without all of her stuff.

Everything reminds me of her absence.

I can't stop picturing her last moment. I keep counting the hours, days she's been gone.

My husband and I keep thinking that we see her in the corner of our eyes, but then realize it's only something else. And our hearts break all the more.

She's never coming back & I don't know how handle this. She was my best friend & soul mate.

I wish that I believed in an afterlife so that I know that she would be there waiting for me when I died,
and that she would be free of her problems...no more kidney or heart disease, no more epilepsy, no more anemia, she would no longer be deaf. She would have all of the yummy food that she wanted, as opposed to her strict k/d diet. She wouldn't have to be poked with needles every day. She would just be joyful. And that's what she was here. She was pure joy & unconditional love.

[Cheryl83]

Hi Meadowlark,

I am so very sorry for the physical loss of your beloved Gina -- she's such a beautiful looking girl. I bet her soul is just as pretty!

One thing you said in your post really struck me:

I don't know who I am not having her in my life.

I was just reading over my own thread (called "Just when I thought I was doing well...") that I started a year and a half ago, when I lost my bunny, Daisy - the sweetest bunny that ever lived - and this concern of feeling lost and not knowing who I was any more seemed to be a central theme throughout. I even wrote a poem to try and make sense of what I was feeling and I posted it in that thread. I thought I would share it with you here, just so you know that I understand what it is you're going through, and maybe you will be able to identify with it yourself:

--
I don’t know who I am without you
when you died you took a part of me with you
the better part of me
the happy, complete part
I don’t know what you left behind
all I know is - it isn’t me
not the real me
not the person I want to be
I feel so lost without your love
you were my constant
no matter what was going on in my life
I always had you
and that was enough
now I feel like I could be given the world
and I still wouldn’t be happy
you were my world
I miss you so much
but it’s more than that
I think I know why this is so hard
for I’m not just grieving your loss
I’m grieving the person I was when I had you
you see, the day you died
I didn’t just lose you
... I lost myself too
--

I hope reading it didn't make you too sad. I just remember that when I posted it another forum member said that although it made her cry, it really helped her to make sense of things.

The point that I want to make is that it you won't always feel this way. It might not seem like it now, but with lot's of time and tears, you WILL find yourself again. You will never 'get over' losing your precious Gina, and you will never be the same again, but you will learn to adjust to a kind of 'new you'. This new you does not have to be a you without Gina. She will always be with you; always a part of you. The love and memories are yours to keep forever.

Hope this helps a little. Hang in there, and take care of yourself.
Cheryl x