My Sweet Sweet Daisy

There is no other way to say this....so... approximately 2 weeks ago on May 3rd .......I  let Daisy go.  She lived a happy and adventurous life until the very end.....and I mean the very VERY end.   There are no words to describe the loss I feel.   Daisy was my best friend, my companion, my true nature buddy.  I knew this day was coming and even though I'd gone through this before with my other dogs.......each loss feels VERY different.

I started this blog because I wanted to share MY own personal experience as it might offer some help to someone else.  I've received several calls and emails from people who have stumbled upon this site who were searching for answers and others who simply wanted to talk to someone they felt could understand what they were going through.

With Daisy gone I can honestly say that throughout this time period I never really thought about the "end" much.  I didn't want to.  I tried to stay focused on the present moment to stay positive so Daisy and I could have as much fun together as possible.

It is true what they say about lymphoma.......it happens fast once it reaches End Stage.  Most of these dogs can appear healthy and function quite well for a period of time with chemotherapy, radiation or other treatments. Then one day they take a turn for the worse.  Then it is a matter of days. Daisy had not been responsive to chemotherapy for the past several months but she was still able to lead a physically active lifestyle and was her usual happy self.  Her lymph nodes however continued to grow .....under her jaw area, between her shoulders blades and upon a recent examination had spread throughout her abdomen (I also saw and felt them).

Over a period of 3 days Daisy very rapidly reached End Stage lymphoma.  She had increasingly become more and more restless at night, was weak, stopped eating, and panted excessively. On the 3rd day she could barely walk.  I consulted with Dr. Lurie, her oncologist, during this time period ........trying to find a way to fix it.  I spoke to Dr. Warry from the B.M.T. (Bone Marrow Transplant) department at NCSU to ask if a blood transfusion would help to "kickstart" her platelets.  It would not. The disease had progressed too rapidly.  I took her in to see Dr. Lurie.  He said that the disease had spread rapidly and that there was nothing more they could do for her.   I let her go upon his recommendation ........but I also had a "knowing" in the pit of my stomach.

I remember on the 2nd day of Daisy's rapid decline going into a canine support chat room at "pawstrong.org"  I kept asking questions like ....how do you really know if they are in pain or not? How do you know when its time to end their suffering? etc.  etc. question after question............ It finally dawned on me that the time to let them go is WHEN YOU BEGIN ASKING THOSE TYPES OF QUESTIONS.  I didn't have a need to ASK all those questions prior to this time.

Both Daisy's oncologist as well as Dr. Warry from the B.M.T at NCSU had reassured me that Daisy was not in "pain" but described it as a moderate level of "discomfort" similar to having a very bad flu... feeling lethargic and very very weak.  Daisy had difficulty getting oxygen into her lungs so it was probably moderate to severe discomfort for her.   I just wanted to fix it.  I wanted to fix HER.   I wanted to find that ONE treatment that I might have overlooked that could possibly save her.

The bottom line is that there is no actual CURE for lymphoma. It is a terminal disease.  The bone marrow transplant still holds the possibility of a cure as there are some dogs who are still alive post B.M.T.  The lymphoma vaccine also provides the hope of a cure......if caught early enough. Chemotherapy and radiation allow you to extend your dogs life......... for a period of time....but there is no actual cure.  I took responsibility as her caretaker to make the decision to release her because she could not make that decision for herself.  It is our responsibility as their caretakers to make that decision.  I think Daisy would have tried to hang on for as long as she could....... just for ME regardless of how much discomfort she experienced.

                                                                       ~

Yesterday was Mothers day........  I decided it was the perfect day to take a drive up the coast to scatter her ashes along her favorite beach spots (Haulover Beach, Hollywood Beach and Jupiter Beach).  Her spirit will always be there "frolicking" about... and that is where I will go to visit her.