Hey all. I just wanted to apologize for being out of the loop this week.
We lost our big dog, Sasha, quite suddenly on the 4th of July. She was with me for 10+ years and was my confidant, best friend, and protector. Truly the best doggie in the world...
When we got to the ER she was diagnosed with 'bloat', or stomach torsion. Her stomach had literally flipped over on itself. Apparently this is quite common with older, big dogs. This knowledge did not make it any easier to hear...
The diagnosis was very bleak but we opted for surgery anyway to try to save her.
When they got in there, her stomach was more than 50% damaged with additional damage to her esophagus that they could not repair. They also found cancer on her stomach, spleen, and a few other small areas. They estimated less than a 20% chance of making it through surgery with a long recovery that would be followed by her death in a matter of weeks due to the cancer.
She was actually diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer 6 months before from a growth on her front leg. We chose not to put her through radiation treatment that had a very low success rate and instead enjoy the time that we had with her. The funny thing is that after we had the growth removed, she showed absolutely no symptoms of suffering or being in pain. It's amazing how well dogs handle this type of thing.
We chose to let her go - It was the hardest decision I've EVER made.
I am thankful that Dan, his dad, Jordan, Kaitlin, and I were there with her, were able to see her before the surgery, and say good bye.
In an ironic twist, while Sasha was in surgery, a woman brought in a Shitzu mommy who was having puppies and needed assistance with her labor. Just before I went in to get the news about Sasha, they were taking the new mommy into the room to induce labor. While painful to us, this is the full circle of life and it is perfectly normal and should not be feared or resisted by any of us.
One more thing. The night before she died, she came to get me from my daughter room and laid down by my side of the bed. She never did this, and I think deep down I knew that her time was near. I slept on the floor with her that night. The lesson here... Trust your heart and it will tell you what to do. I'm so thankful that I spent that intimate time with her before she left.
--jennifer
P.S. -
I do not believe that death is the end. I believe that she has moved on to her next life and I wish her well.
We hope that you will all join us every 4th of July to celebrate her life and the joy that she brought into our lives.
Sasha
1997-2008