While writing the series of blogs for an APDT contest, I went into great detail about Little Star and her time having dental and eye surgery. She had a very hard time recovering and in fact she got worse.
We have received devastating news about Little Star White Dog. Star is our oldest dog and the reason I’m a dog trainer. She is also one of the main reasons that I smile on a daily basis.
Little Star has a very advanced stage of Lymphoma. We have some very challenging times ahead. We have little time left with her, weeks, hopefully a few months.
I can’t be a dog trainer or an author right now, but I can be a dog mom who has been through this before.
I worried when Star turned ten, it’s a scary dog age for me and I am a little superstitious (well actually I’m a lot superstitious). I also hoped Star was different, healthy and it wasn’t going to happen again just because it happened before. Ten years ago we received very similar news about our ten-year-old Beagle, Kona. Little Star is ten and now it’s happening again. It was a shock, same as with Kona. It was not expected nor was it negotiable. And time was limited in both cases. We were told Kona had 3—4 days to live, she gave us 10 weeks. We were told Star had 2 weeks, she is now in her 6th. Kona never made it to 11. We hope with all our hearts Star will turn eleven in mid-April.
All I can offer is this:
Our family will be with her in retreat while she goes through this transition.
We will do our best to stay calm and alert and aware of her needs.
We will make our best effort to comfort her and we will keep her safe and free from pain.
I never wrote about Kona when it happened. I still ten years later have written very little and shared even less. I want to write about Star. I don’t know if I will. This is my first attempt.
May I say that your first attempt is a huge success, and I hope you will keep writing about your journey with Star as you are able. Not only will it become a treasured chronicle of your last, sacred days with a loved one, it also may be a helpful way to navigate through your grief.
You are all in our hearts — thank you for sharing.
Laura, the journey you are taking with Star is clearly steeped in love and respect for your beautiful girl. It is so hard — and so easy — to give one’s heart to such a wonderful being, knowing that someday you will go down this path with her. The joy and sorrow of it all are worthy of sharing, if only to give your feelings form and her memory solidity. You have taken the first step. Keep going, if you can. Gentle thoughts and prayers go with you and Star.
Laura, my heart goes out to you. You write so beautifully about such a difficult topic. Hugs and scratches to all.
Thank you for opening your heart to us all. Little Star is blessed to be so loved and respected. What a beautiful piece of writing Laura. Thank you.