60+ year old thread.

One that sticks by your side and over- looks your faults for 46+ yrs .








Oh you ment machine! The fewer the choices the better, less things to go wrong. My last one I got can be paired to my phone to let me know when it's done. That annoyance isn't being used. Along with with half of the other features. It does have two cycles that allow more water and those are the only 2 used.

 

I wonder if they are as reliable as old VW's. Credit goes to Skinner Classics, a VW Van shop in Vacaville, CA. (aka Cowtown)

 

Good Morning Porch Pals & Sue! Well, no more wrap, and she is "allowed" to drive. Custom splint, a list of exercises she can do on the phone, PT starting soon. Still, she's 80% one handed, and definitely no lifting. Fool OT and Dr. are allowing her to "just hit the ball over the net" with friends....
I have some headlights to treat for another friend on the wife, then going to try and pull plants out of the greenhouse. We're SUPPOSED to get rain starting tomorrow, but the excuses are already starting.

 

So, did you all miss me?

What a horrible month this has been. About 5 weeks ago, our 8 year old Lab, Sunny, suddenly stopped running and jumping. We watched her for a few days and then took her to the Vet. With no other symptoms, she was treated for a possibly muscle strain or pinched nerve in her back. A week later, with no improvement, our Vet shot an x-ray of her back that showed a potential slipped disc. She referred us to a neurologist in Allentown (Dr Tracy at Eastern PA Veterinary Medical Center in Fogelsville). I drove Sunny down the next morning and went through their ER process to get to see the neurologist. He set Sunny up for a CT Scan the following Tuesday with follow-on back surgery, if needed.

Monday night our 13 year old Lab suddenly vomited and had trouble walking/maintaining her balance. The next morning, she refused to eat. I left the house at 6AM to get Sunny to her CT scan. I waited and finally, at about 4 that afternoon the neurologist came out to get me. He took me into a private room - I knew this would not be good news. The CT scan showed a mass surrounding her spinal cord. His diagnosis was the rarest form of a rare spinal tumor along with some form of lymphoma. He had done a spinal tap but needed to wait for the lab results which would take a few days. I took Sunny home, arrived about 9 PM that night and slept with her on the laundry room floor as she struggled to come out of the anesthesia.

We took our 13 year old to the Vet the next day where she was diagnosed with Old Dog Vestibular Syndrome. Fortunately, it generally fixes itself in a period of days to weeks. Duffy would rarely eat anything, sometimes a piece of lunch meat but always knew when I hid any medication in it and would spit it out. So, I had to shove the meds down her throat. She went for almost two weeks eating just a bit of lunchmeat each day, turning her nose up at any type of dog food.

In the meantime, Sunny ate anything I put in front of her - thanks to the steroids and gabapentin she was on. Then both dogs developed explosive diarrhea. I slept on the floor in the laundry room for a week, getting up hourly to take them out. We got new meds and finally stopping (literally) the stream.

The next week we got the test results confirming the tumor and cancer. It had spread to at least one lymph node. I scheduled a phone consult with a radiation oncologist in Malvern for Thursday (of last week). In the meantime, we noticed Sunny slowing down day by day, having more and more trouble with standing up and walking - the results of the tumor pressing on her spine. Still she was happy and eating/drinking - and seemed to be without any pain. The consult was promising but dependent on the size of the tumor, it's actual location and how far the cancer spread. We set up a new CT scan for today with 5 follow-on radiation treatments along with a chemo consult. Sunny got to the point where I could set an alarm for 3 to 4 hours during the night and then take her out for a walk. She got good sleep, I didn't.

The day after the consult, we noticed Sunny's eyes were different, one pupil opened completely. Again, she showed no signs of pain but would rub her muzzle as if that side of her head itched. Over the next two days she lost more and more control of her back legs and stopped walking except when she had to go out. She slept, ate and went to the bathroom. That is not a good life for any dog and so we knew we needed to let her go. On Sunday night before we let her go, my wife and I along with Sunny and Duffy slept on the laundry room floor. We spread out blankets and dog beds and had a potato chip[ and dip party. Both our dogs love(d) chips.

On Monday morning we took her to our Vet and helped her cross the Rainbow Bridge, stroking her ears and looking into her eyes as she went.

In one month Sunny went from a happy, running and jumping 8 year old lab to a plodding, unsteady terminally ill girl. Crushing. Two days later I'm still shedding some tears. Fortunately, Duffy is doing really well, putting on weight and running more than she has in years.

Hugs your fur babies. Life can change in an instant.

 

I'm so sorry, it hurts so bad when they go.
Take comfort in knowing you did the right thing and she is not suffering any more. We are the ones that continue hurting. Prayers for you.

 

Tough to read, sorry man

 

you did the right thing by Sunny, as always, a loved one is hard to let go.. but you are blessed with all the memories that you shared with her during her life with you and yours....Godspeed

 

I wish there were more options, other than "like"... but you know that anyone "liking" your post is really being supportive of you and your pups. This is why we no longer have pets. It's great having them, but after a lifetime of loving and losing them it's too difficult when they pass. Best wishes...

 

Oh so sad. I had to put my old GSP down two years ago. At 76 I just don’t think I could handle another dog for 15 years. I had a fun dog. My expectations on another would probably not be good for a new dog. We hunted from the Canadian border south to Texas and New Mexico just the two of us traveling in my cabover camper. A great experience! I miss that old dog!

 

Afternoon all:

, sorry to hear about the pup Mark.

Cut up ANOTHER tree that came down by the pond this morning and have ANOTHER mess to clean up in a clearing behind a small shed , the gypsy moths and emerald ash borers are making a lot of work for me on top of any storm damage.
I was down to one large maple tree to clean up, but apparently mother nature has other plans, there will be more in the future!

 

Yes, we have, and it's not fair making people cry about it. So sorry Colonel. Hugs all around for eveyone.

 

Can't like that post @Devious6 . You did everything possible. Sunny had a great life.

 

Mark so sorry to hear about Sunny !!

 

Mark, so sorry for your loss. We did miss you...

 

Swamped few days ahead. work 12 hrs tommorow,skin cancer doc appt.Fri,then put blinds up at my parents house. Chicken BBQ at church Sat. start at 4am. doing @350 halves.gotta finish Kubota service. mowing coming soon here.a few yellow labels here and there to get work done. line up (Thumper) my 45-70 carbine ported guide gun,got new glass for it. 2x-7x compact Leupold ,but still upright so we go on.

 

Evening all:

Nice looking lever action you got there Dwayne, THUMPER is a good name for a 45-70!

 

Mark I know the hurt and I know the pain of the passing of our fur babies. They are our 4 legged children, a part of our families. They are always in our hearts. Im so so sorry Mark.

 

So sorry Mark. RIP Sunny. Seems I remember when you brought her home when she was a little bundle of fluff.

The universe doesn't want you to let grass grow under your feet. Be safe out there

Sounds like a busy few days. MMM chicken bbq

Spent today running my neighbor around so he could get a rental truck to clean his stuff out of his house. Then got a storage unit and started loading the truck.

 

Words don’t ever seem enough.
But, I am very sorry Sir.