Today I said goodbye to my best friend. If dogs can be sole mates, Beezer was mine.
I will miss him terribly, but I know he is in a better place and feeling no pain.
I love and miss you Beezer!
Friday, September 26, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
How quickly things happen
I have wondered, since finding out that Beezer has cancer, how will I know when the time has come...
Sadly, today, I got that answer. I got up this morning, and fed the dogs as I have every day. Today, Beezer turned his nose up to the food. I went to give him his cheese (which hides his meds) and he looked at me and walked away. I called him back over and set the cheese on the floor, he was so obedient, he ate it... then walked away. My heart sunk as I realised.... He is done.
I called the vet and let him know how things have been the last couple of days and how he has the new lymph nodes and how it is getting tougher for him to get up the stairs. He listened... then told me that only I could make this decision. He did tell me that Beezer could perk up and have a few more good days, but then they would be followed by more bad days and slowly he would fade away. I really don't want to see him go through that. I don't think it is fare to him.
I called and talked to my husband who has agreed to go with me in the morning, as well I called my breeder who cryed with me on the phone. She let me know that she understood and offered some wonderful words of encouragement.
I have now made the appointment. Tonight I will say goodbye to my best friend, the Jack Russell who made me fall in love with the breed. I will miss him dearly, but will be thankful he is no longer suffering.
My hardest part.. I have to tell my kids.
Sadly, today, I got that answer. I got up this morning, and fed the dogs as I have every day. Today, Beezer turned his nose up to the food. I went to give him his cheese (which hides his meds) and he looked at me and walked away. I called him back over and set the cheese on the floor, he was so obedient, he ate it... then walked away. My heart sunk as I realised.... He is done.
I called the vet and let him know how things have been the last couple of days and how he has the new lymph nodes and how it is getting tougher for him to get up the stairs. He listened... then told me that only I could make this decision. He did tell me that Beezer could perk up and have a few more good days, but then they would be followed by more bad days and slowly he would fade away. I really don't want to see him go through that. I don't think it is fare to him.
I called and talked to my husband who has agreed to go with me in the morning, as well I called my breeder who cryed with me on the phone. She let me know that she understood and offered some wonderful words of encouragement.
I have now made the appointment. Tonight I will say goodbye to my best friend, the Jack Russell who made me fall in love with the breed. I will miss him dearly, but will be thankful he is no longer suffering.
My hardest part.. I have to tell my kids.
Monday, September 22, 2008
About Beezer
Today has been kinda quite. I came home and there was not a lot of barking from any of the 3 dogs. I even checked to make sure they were still in their kennel. (they were)
I fed them as I usually do, but I noticed, Beezer still being quiet. He ate, but not everything.
This weekend, his meds were running low and for Saturday night, Sunday morning and Sunday evening he only got 1 pill instead of the 2 he normally gets. I was petting him, and realise that he has 2 new lumps at the bottom of his neck. He also looks a bit bloated. I touched his belly and it feels a bit hard. I will keep an eye on him and check him out in the morning. I got his meds refilled today and he has had his regular dose so maybe by morning he will feel a bit better...
It is hard to swallow, but I realise we are on borrowed time at this point.
I fed them as I usually do, but I noticed, Beezer still being quiet. He ate, but not everything.
This weekend, his meds were running low and for Saturday night, Sunday morning and Sunday evening he only got 1 pill instead of the 2 he normally gets. I was petting him, and realise that he has 2 new lumps at the bottom of his neck. He also looks a bit bloated. I touched his belly and it feels a bit hard. I will keep an eye on him and check him out in the morning. I got his meds refilled today and he has had his regular dose so maybe by morning he will feel a bit better...
It is hard to swallow, but I realise we are on borrowed time at this point.
Cannonballers
These are some crazy folks. I met up with Jerad in Charlottesville and we rode to Whites Ferry to meet and greet the cannonballers coming through DC on their way to their final destination, Ocean City, Maryland.
As we arived we got on the ferry and met 2 cannonballers. Jerad paid for my ride so I paid for theirs. As we met in the parking lot, there were a few others already there. Joel Hamelton, who was so excited to see people and share his story of how he made it to this point alive. We chatted for a bit then decided it was so chilly we were going to find coffee. As we returned we found a few more folks that came in. Oz, looks just like his picture. Pistol Pete introduced himself, as did Glasseye. Jess arived with them, but I gave him a moment to get situated before I hunted him down. :o) It was great meeting them all.
Sadly, I heard Bagle broke down, and I never got to meet him.
I rode with the group to Vespa Washington. As I was pulling in there was this lady standing on the side that pointed me out "Hi" "Hello" "Valerie" "Yeah" I had no idea who she was. Turns out it was Page, Jess' wife. They were so happy to see each other.
Thank you Vespa Washington for the yummy pizza.
There was really not a lot of time for chit-chat there as they has already lost time waiting for riders to come in at Whites Ferry. So to get close to back on track they had about 10/15 minuets to say high, then they were off again. I took a video of their departure.
Everyone seems to have made it safely to Ocean City and some have already made it home. Jess and Glasseye are going to be making their way back to CA via truck with their bikes on a trailer. I wish them the best of traveling time. I am curious though, who gets to drive first. LOL
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
About Beezer
After my last post I thougt I should explaine about Beezer.
Beezer also has Lymphoma.
"Lymphosarcoma (lymphoma) is the third most common cancer diagnosed in dogs. It is a cancer of lymphocytes (a type of blood cell) and lymphoid tissues. Lymphoid tissue is normally present in many places in the body including lymph nodes, spleen, liver, gastrointestinal tract and bone marrow.
The average dog with lymphosarcoma is between 6-9 years although dogs of any age can be affected. Certain breeds (Boxer, German Shepherd, Golden Retrievers, Scotties, Westies and Pointers) may be more likely to develop this type of cancer. Males and females are equally at risk. In most cases, we cannot tell what causes lymphosarcoma."
I came home from work one night a couple of weeks age, to find both of the lymph nodes at the bottom of his neck swollen to the size of golf balls. As well as the lymph nodes a the back of his legs were inflamed. I went on line to see what could cause this and everything I read said cancer. I contacted the emergency vet and after not being able to sleep made an appointment to bring him in at 4:00am. After trying to convince me that he needed testing and biopsies I asked her to give me her opinion to which she stated Cancer. I allowed her to aspirate one of the lymph nodes on his back leg and she sent that out to pathology. In my denial I asked her to send him home with antibiotics just in case it was an infection. I know how silly that sounds now, but hey, I did not want to admit I was loosing my dog.
2 days later the test results came in stating he with out a doubt has lymphoma. At that point my regular vet contacted me and said that I also had 3 options: 1) I could leave it untreated. He would decline quickly and live about 4-6 weeks. 2) I could start a course of prednisone. Dogs treated with this steroid often see a reduction in the lymph nodes and return to a similar lifestyle but still are only given 2-4 months. Or 3) Chemo.
I declined chemo. I did go with the prednisone. We keep in contact with the vet on a regular basis. He told me to watch for signs of him getting tired, not eating, or just not seeming like himself. He stated that they can adjust the dose of prednisone but to remember after time that even the medicine will not be enough to help. From the looks of the pathology report the cancer is bad enough that Beezer is on the 2-3 months rather than the 3-4 months. But I try to keep his daily routine as normal as possible. That only thing that I have really changed is the amount of food he eats. Keeping weight on him is proving to be tough.
Currently Beezer is comfortable and doing ok. He has bounced back to about 80% from the way he was feeling before the prednisone. We take it day by day and wait for him to let me know when his time has come.
He knows he is loved!
Beezer also has Lymphoma.
"Lymphosarcoma (lymphoma) is the third most common cancer diagnosed in dogs. It is a cancer of lymphocytes (a type of blood cell) and lymphoid tissues. Lymphoid tissue is normally present in many places in the body including lymph nodes, spleen, liver, gastrointestinal tract and bone marrow.
The average dog with lymphosarcoma is between 6-9 years although dogs of any age can be affected. Certain breeds (Boxer, German Shepherd, Golden Retrievers, Scotties, Westies and Pointers) may be more likely to develop this type of cancer. Males and females are equally at risk. In most cases, we cannot tell what causes lymphosarcoma."
I came home from work one night a couple of weeks age, to find both of the lymph nodes at the bottom of his neck swollen to the size of golf balls. As well as the lymph nodes a the back of his legs were inflamed. I went on line to see what could cause this and everything I read said cancer. I contacted the emergency vet and after not being able to sleep made an appointment to bring him in at 4:00am. After trying to convince me that he needed testing and biopsies I asked her to give me her opinion to which she stated Cancer. I allowed her to aspirate one of the lymph nodes on his back leg and she sent that out to pathology. In my denial I asked her to send him home with antibiotics just in case it was an infection. I know how silly that sounds now, but hey, I did not want to admit I was loosing my dog.
2 days later the test results came in stating he with out a doubt has lymphoma. At that point my regular vet contacted me and said that I also had 3 options: 1) I could leave it untreated. He would decline quickly and live about 4-6 weeks. 2) I could start a course of prednisone. Dogs treated with this steroid often see a reduction in the lymph nodes and return to a similar lifestyle but still are only given 2-4 months. Or 3) Chemo.
I declined chemo. I did go with the prednisone. We keep in contact with the vet on a regular basis. He told me to watch for signs of him getting tired, not eating, or just not seeming like himself. He stated that they can adjust the dose of prednisone but to remember after time that even the medicine will not be enough to help. From the looks of the pathology report the cancer is bad enough that Beezer is on the 2-3 months rather than the 3-4 months. But I try to keep his daily routine as normal as possible. That only thing that I have really changed is the amount of food he eats. Keeping weight on him is proving to be tough.
Currently Beezer is comfortable and doing ok. He has bounced back to about 80% from the way he was feeling before the prednisone. We take it day by day and wait for him to let me know when his time has come.
He knows he is loved!
Go Cannonballers Go!
They are well on their way to DC.
I can't wait till they get here.
Riders and support trucks/riders.
I can honestly say I am looking forward to the great ride I will get out of just going to meet up with them.
Since finding out Beezer (my Jack Russell) has cancer I have found it hard to commit to staying over night anywhere. So I will be making this a day trip, leaving early in the AM, riding to DC, doing the city tour, then heading home when they leave for Ocean City. I will miss the party, but will look forward to the short opportunity I will have to say hi.
I can't wait till they get here.
Riders and support trucks/riders.
I can honestly say I am looking forward to the great ride I will get out of just going to meet up with them.
Since finding out Beezer (my Jack Russell) has cancer I have found it hard to commit to staying over night anywhere. So I will be making this a day trip, leaving early in the AM, riding to DC, doing the city tour, then heading home when they leave for Ocean City. I will miss the party, but will look forward to the short opportunity I will have to say hi.
This thing called a career
Per Wikipedia - Career: Career is a term defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as an individual's "course or progress through life (or a distinct portion of life)". It usually is considered to pertain to remunerative work (and sometimes also formal education).
A career is traditionally seen as a course of successive situations that make up a person's worklife. One can have a sporting career or a musical career without being a professional athlete or musician, but most frequently "career" in the 20th century referenced the series of jobs or positions by which one earned one's money. It tended to look only at the past.
I have been contimplating this life thing called a career. Currently I am in the real estate field. Working as an admininstrative assistant. I do have my real estate license. I do not have the funds to be a full time agent. I like what I do and the people I do it with.
I have this need, however, to take a turn in life. I have enrolled in college. I start classes in October to earn a diploma in the medical administrative field. But, I want to earn a degree. I was going to transfer this diploma to a 2 year degree as a medical assistant, but everyone I talk to says if you are going to spend the time and money, go to nursing school instead.
Bing, Bing, Bing.... Why didn't I think of that?
Maybe because it is going to take me long enough to earn the MOS diploma!
One day at a time... that is what I keep telling myself. Until then, I have given my boss 3-5 years notice. :o)
A career is traditionally seen as a course of successive situations that make up a person's worklife. One can have a sporting career or a musical career without being a professional athlete or musician, but most frequently "career" in the 20th century referenced the series of jobs or positions by which one earned one's money. It tended to look only at the past.
I have been contimplating this life thing called a career. Currently I am in the real estate field. Working as an admininstrative assistant. I do have my real estate license. I do not have the funds to be a full time agent. I like what I do and the people I do it with.
I have this need, however, to take a turn in life. I have enrolled in college. I start classes in October to earn a diploma in the medical administrative field. But, I want to earn a degree. I was going to transfer this diploma to a 2 year degree as a medical assistant, but everyone I talk to says if you are going to spend the time and money, go to nursing school instead.
Bing, Bing, Bing.... Why didn't I think of that?
Maybe because it is going to take me long enough to earn the MOS diploma!
One day at a time... that is what I keep telling myself. Until then, I have given my boss 3-5 years notice. :o)
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Sept. 11th
Wow, today has so many meanings to me.
First and foremost, I pause for a moment to remember those who have lost loved ones on this day, for those who shared their lives, and for their friends and family.
Second, I want to thank those who spend their days working to keep our country safe.
Third, I pray for my brother Timothy who, because of this day, is currently in Iraq with the National Guard. I pray for the safe return of he and his troop.
On a more up beat note: Today is the first day of the Scooter Cannonball run. A 10 endurance challenge on a scooter from the West Coast to the East Coast. I will be greeting the riders as they pass through Washington DC on their final leg of the challenge on Sept. 20th.
This is also the day that I signed all of my paper work to enroll in college. Yes, I am finally continuing my education. I have started out with a plan to complete a 1 year diploma program. However, my long term goal is to obtain my associates in health care. Wish me luck!!
First and foremost, I pause for a moment to remember those who have lost loved ones on this day, for those who shared their lives, and for their friends and family.
Second, I want to thank those who spend their days working to keep our country safe.
Third, I pray for my brother Timothy who, because of this day, is currently in Iraq with the National Guard. I pray for the safe return of he and his troop.
On a more up beat note: Today is the first day of the Scooter Cannonball run. A 10 endurance challenge on a scooter from the West Coast to the East Coast. I will be greeting the riders as they pass through Washington DC on their final leg of the challenge on Sept. 20th.
This is also the day that I signed all of my paper work to enroll in college. Yes, I am finally continuing my education. I have started out with a plan to complete a 1 year diploma program. However, my long term goal is to obtain my associates in health care. Wish me luck!!
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