Dogs Enririch and Stengthen Our Lives…

by Elizabeth
(Jacksonville, Texas)

I wanted to relate to all my story. I am a 39 yr. old mother of a wonderful 11 yr. old son and a wife to an amazing man of 16 yrs.

I am a housewife amoung many things and I am disabled with a terminal illness as of July 1999.

I seemed to have it all as they say, a good job, a caring and loving marriage, I was always carefree and healthy and I never thought that my life would change within the blink of an eye.

In January of 1999, our son was born after 32 hrs. of complicated labor and an emergency c-section. That was the easy part and I would go through it all again to have him with us.

In July of that year, while driving home to pick up our son from my Aunt’s house, I became increasingly numb on the rt. side of my body and my vision was becoming worse.

By the time I had reached her home, I was practically crawling up her porch steps, slurring my words, unable to move or see out of my left eye.

After some time I regained my sight, etc. back but this was only the begining for me. This same thing continued to happen periodically so I went to see a specialist who diagnosed me with having T.I.A’S (Transient Inschemic Attacks) or “mini strokes”.

He discovered a very rare blood clotting disorder that had laid dormant until I had had the hard labor and c-section.

I was born with this disorder but I had no idea, I had been healthy my entire life. I was informed that I could have suffered a massive stroke or worse and was fortunate.

Due to the amt. of “mini strokes” that I had had/was having, by 2001, I was left with left-sided brain deterioration and as a result, epileptic seizures which by now I am a status epileptic.

I was forced to give up my job, driving and life as I knew it. As a young mother and wife, it was not and is not so simple but with alot of prayer and keeping your mind focused, you would be surprised what you can get through daily.

My Daddy had picked up this dog from a person whom he knew well that worked at a group home for the mentally challenged. The dog was a salt n’ pepper Mini Schnauzer who was used as a Theraputetic Pet.

One of the patients would not take his meds and would become abusive to this dog. Eventually the staff found out and so knew that my Daddy would take him and he did and gave the dog to me.

I grew to love this dog with each passing day.

“Skippy” was more than a dog, he was my best friend, my companion and he never left my side.

We bought him Christmas gifts, Valentine’s gifts, he was spoiled but no gift could ever take the place of the true gift that he gave to me (and to my family).

This dog helped me to not be so sad sometimes. He liked to dance when my son and I would play music and he loved running after his millions of toys.

These were our “good days”. So many thoughts can race through your mind sometimes. Trully over time it becomes easier to laugh and not cry but the pain I feel even still from loosing him will remain with me a lifetime.

He became sick quite suddenly on March 2, 2009. Our morning began as any other. By the time I had got our son off to school on the bus, I let “Skippy” out to go potty. He seemed fine. When he came through the door, he simply feel over.

I took care of him as best I could all day. I placed him on our couch with a blanket and remained with him.

He would not eat nor drink. Eventually he got up and made it to our kitchen where he again laid down. I covered him with a blanket and began calling every Vet I could find in the book.

Everyone said the same thing “you need to get him in” but I couldn’t. My husband was at work (an hour’s drive) and I have no family left (my Daddy had passed from unexpected cancer in December 2008, 2 mo. prior).

I did call my husband and he said that we would get him to our Vet first thing in the morning and assured me that all would be fine. I wanted to remain with him all night but due to my seizures, I just couldn’t.

He came to my side of the bed and I assured him that God had him. Around 5AM the next morning, my husband had got up to check on him but he was nowhere which that in itself is highly unusual because he never left my side, he stayed on his bed in our room.

We searched everywhere. Finally I heard my husband say that he had found him and I asked “where was he” and he simply made the “death sign” (across the neck) as to not wake our son or let him hear.

“Skippy” went behind our recliner in the computer room and he passed away. I had 3 seizures back to back. I could not believe that this bright little bit of happiness had just left this world. So much of me went with him.

Now, I know that he waited…he waited for all 3 of us to be home together, to go to bed and then he simply let go and went home.

I always said that “someday” when something happened to him that I’d bury him in our front yard underneath the big cedar tree where my chimes and bird feeders are, it’s so peaceful there.

I bought him some artificial flowers and I never fail to keep the area tidy. I know that he appreciates that but he really isn’t there.

May 2009 would have been 11 yrs. that we were together and in those 11 yrs. he gave so much love, strength and happiness to me.

I trully believe that some people and animals come into our lives for a very short time and then leave and other times we are fortunate to have them stay longer but either way our lives were blessed just by having them in it.

We always want more time, just a little more time but we should embrace each moment that we do have with the people we love and our pets because nothing is ever promised for tomorrow.

Hold onto the things that last.

This coming March 3 will be 1 yr. and this Friday we are bringing a Yorkie Poo into our lives.

I believe that although our hearts have healed and the pain is not so unbearable now, we can love once again.

Please, to all out there, for your pets that have passed on, in their memory, love again because they would not want you to hurt forever because they know how much you loved them when they took their last breath.

Let your love fill the heart(s) of yet another pet.

Thank you.

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