Hi there folks.
 
Hope your days have been better than mine have been these days.  Josie is
still hanging in there.  She is bright and alert but is physically unable
to get around.  She messes all over herself and I have to hold her to feed
her.  She can eat kibble but can't get to the food bowl and can't stand up
to eat.  Her tummy is very large (she has insulinomas and adrenal disease
from what we can tell) as is her shoulder area (lymphosarcoma) - so much so
that her one leg has become deformed - pointing inward and is not weight
bearing.  She is 7 yr.  old and is not surgery material.  We have her on
medication and keeping her as comfortable as we can.  Because she is so
alert, loves to be cuddled and doesn't appear to be in pain, we have
hesitated to help her cross the bridge but I think the day is soon
arriving.  She has no quality of life, and as much as I would love to, I
have to work and can't cuddle her all day so I wonder if she is lonely.
Buddy, her partner is no help in this area because he too is very sick.
Our 8 year old friend is slowly dying.  Today we found him in the middle of
the floor, with poop coming out of him and he was cold and stiff, as if
dead, but he was still breathing, not comotose but exhausted.  I gave him
some water, which he seemed to appreciate, wrapped him up and held him for
a long time.  He is not a cuddler but let us cuddle him.  He wet himself
and I changed his blankets and held him some more.  Suddenly, he woke up,
at least as awake as he has been lately, which isn't very perky, wanted
down and dragged himself off to bed.  He is very emaciated, I have to keep
cleaning his nose and eyes and force feeding him water and chicken soup.
We know it won't be long but that is what we have been saying for a long
time now.  Being as old as he is, and as stressed out as he gets, we
haven't taken him to the vets (although we have talked with her on the
phone on different occasions - I don't need any flames here - we are doing
the right thing even if you don't think we are - we know Buddy best).  We
have given him Amoxy, Colloidal Silver, Ensure, etc.  etc.  etc.  and doing
the best we can.  We should have helped him cross over but he is Cam's
Buddy and he just can't do it.  He doesn't appear to be in any pain but it
is apparent that he has tummy problems.  Will keep you posted.
 
Oh ya, to top it all off, amongst many other things, I got my "unofficial"
walking papers yesterday :( I will know more by the end of this week or the
end of this month.  I was downsized a few years ago to 3 days a week and
now there will be 0 days per week.  It was difficult enough to make it this
far, we couldn't even keep up with the bills each month, even after we sold
the house and one of our vehicles but now what?  Please keep us and our
aging crew (9 fuzzies and one dog) in your thoughts and prayers.  We sure
could use it.
 
Sorry to be so depressing but I guess that is expected from someone who is
depressed.
 
Take care.  Give your fuzzies an extra hug today.  They are never here long
enough.
 
Tryntje Miller.
[Posted in FML issue 2639]