Sunday, June 08, 2008

We lost our Missy last week.....

Last week was full of ups and downs. On the up side, I have been clipping hedges, tree limbs and lots of over growth in our back yard. Last year I didn’t do much clipping and the yard was beginning to look like a jungle out there. I decided to hire a young boy from our church to pick up all the chippings. He is trying to earn money for his scout camp and I decided he would be the perfect fit for this job. He came over in the mornings, while it was still coolish, to do the work. Well, last Thursday, he came with his younger brother and they started to work. I opened the gate so that the boys could come and go as they pleased. Missy, our dog, came out to keep the boys company. I usually don’t worry about her because she stays near the house and does not wonder. She played with the boys for a while and then went back into the yard.

I came into the house for a quick break and decided to wash the dishes, then I sat down to read the paper. TF got a call and he had to leave go do his job. He waved good buy and went outside. Within a few minutes, I heard Missy screech out in pain. I ran to the back door and TF was running in shouting that he had run over Missy. I looked outside and Missy was pulling herself thru the gate and to the back door. She wasn’t crying, but you could tell she was hurt. I ran for the front door and called Alec to come quickly. In the mean time TF grabbed a towel and gently placed her on it. He and Alec lifted Missy into my car and the boys and I took her immediately to the vets. All of this time, Missy never utter a sound of pain. I prayed that she was only slightly hurt, but it was not to be.

I vet put her on an examination table and had me pat her while she examined her. Missy is 13 years old and has been incontinent for the last year. The vet said that she was hard of hearing, which TF and I had suspected, and she had cataracts on both of her eyes. Her leg was fractured in several places and would need surgery. The vet gave me this look that I knew was no good. She said that with Missy’s age that the surgery would be tough and it might not take if she has soft bones. With being incontinent, hard of hearing, and almost blind the doctor said it would be better to put her to sleep. Tears were rolling down my cheeks and I could hardly see, but I called my husband and had the doctor tell him what she thought was the right thing to do. I know that I didn’t want “puppy”, which is what we called her, to suffer any more pain. Deep down inside I knew it was the right thing to do, we both knew that we had to let her go.

Dr. Marshall, consoled me and did what she had to do. Missy was gone in a matter of minutes. I went out to take care of my bill and had to tell the boys what had happened. Alec understood right away but his brother Joseph, kept asking when we were going to take Missy home. I had to explain that Missy was going to a different home where she would feel no more pain. It was hard walking out of that clinic without my dog….I cried all the way home. TF has really had a hard time with this because he is the one that ran over her….He hated to put her thru so much pain.

This is how a day can go from the top of the roller coaster to the bottom in a matter of minutes…..On the way home I explained to Alec, thru my tears, that life is like a roller coaster. We have lots of ups and downs and it doesn’t matter how many we have that counts, what matters is how we handle them…….end of story.

Sorry, no frugal news this post. Have a great week everyone. Check out TF’s blog, here to see a picture of our Missy.

19 Comments:

At 3:29 PM, Blogger OldLady Of The Hills said...

Oh Lucy...I'm so sorry about Missy. I know how hard and deeply painful it is to lose a beloved pet-friend....My my my, she had a good long life, didn't she? And you certainly did the right thing, my dear, for her. I know that doesn't make the loss easier, though. And you are so right, Life Is A Roller Coaster!

 
At 6:34 PM, Blogger Susie said...

Dear Lucy,
I'm so very sorry about the loss of your Missy. I can tell from your words that she was a beloved member of your family.
You gave her a precious final gift and she is absolutely pain free now.
((hugs))

 
At 7:18 PM, Blogger Big Dave T said...

Condolences on the lost of a dear pet. That's such a nice picture you have to remember her by. We had a dog named Missy too. It's tough to make that decision to put them to sleep but our Missy like your's lived a long time and was very much part of the family.

 
At 7:57 PM, Blogger Rachel said...

Oh Lucy, I was so sad to read this. Poor Missy, but you made the right choice, and unfortunately, these things do happen. I'll certainly be thinking of you. Our pets are so close to us.

 
At 10:03 PM, Blogger Jess said...

I'm so sorry to hear about Missy. I know you loved her dearly having her for so long. But also i know that you draw peace from knowing that she is in a better place. Hope this week isn't so much of a rollercoaster for you... Lots of love and prayer.

 
At 11:06 PM, Blogger Diane@Diane's Place said...

I'm sitting here crying for the loss of your sweet dog, Lucy. I am so sorry, but if there's any comfort at all, at least she had a good, long, full life with your family and she was dearly loved. There's not much more any of us can ask for, is there?

My love and sympathies to you and your family, my friend.

Love and big hugs,

Diane

 
At 3:51 AM, Blogger Merle said...

Dear Lucy ~~ I am so sorry to hear of your lost Missy. How sad for you and especially for TF. You did the right thing for her and have many years of happy memories with her.
I hope your yard work continues and the boys help you.
Thank you so much for your Birthday
wishes for my son John, 54 and I am
74. We had a lovely trip yesterday.
Take care, my friend, and don't be
too sad for too long. Love, Merle.

 
At 5:30 AM, Blogger Cliff said...

Nice tribute on TF's blog. Loyal friends are hard to lose even if they're from the animal kingdom. She'll be missed I know. I told TF that old dogs who are hard of hearing get careless and start laying around about any where. I know I'm that way already.
I've done something similar here (accidentally set a shed down on our dog) on the farm and it makes one ill. Thanks for being a friend to Missy for so long. I'm sorry this had to happen.

 
At 8:00 AM, Blogger Jim said...

Hi Lucy. I am sorry for your loss also. It is a terrible feeling and I can relate to how TF will feel badly even so much more. To this day I feel responsible for the death of my dog Von.

Our dogs generally are much like a part of the family, I remember the death of every one of the dogs I have had.

I did go see TF's tribute and left a note. I hope it can help some, I am not sure. It dealt with the stewardship of the earth duty the Lord has given us. We want to do the best we can and all of us sometimes wish afterwards we had done things differently.
..

 
At 8:59 AM, Blogger Ca... said...

I'm very sorry to hear about Missy leaving you. It is almost like losing a child. We lost our oldest daughter then our oldest son to cancer. Each loss was devastating to both of us.
We also lost Baby, our first little girl Chihuahua, Skeeter, our little girl yellow eyed burmese cat and Chico the Wonder Dog, our little boy Chihuahua and constant companion for 17 years.
Consciences are fickle. It may take a while for you to really understand you did the right thing. Our pets are so precious to us. Chico the Wonder Dog was Donna's baby. He was deaf and having a lot of trouble getting around. He came to me and scratched on my leg, wanting me to pick him up for the first time in his life the day before he went to Doggie Heaven.I knew what he wanted. Donna held him when he went to sleep for the last time. Regards...

 
At 10:09 AM, Blogger Putz said...

sorry

 
At 12:45 PM, Blogger Lucy Stern said...

Naomi - yes, life is a roller coaster!!! I know that it was the right thing to do, it is just hard the way it happened. We will miss our Missy.

Susie - Just knowing the she is out of pain makes me feel better.

Big Dave - It is like loosing a part of the family. I went out in the back yard this morning and half way expected her to come out of the garage and bark for her food.

Rachel - thanks for your sweet comments. I know that you lost your kittie a while back.

Jessica - I do draw peace knowing that she is in a better place. Thanks

Diane - Thanks for your sweet thoughts and I do know that she is better off now.

merle - Glad that you had a fun day with John....The yard work is completed now and I think the boys and I have a special bond after Missy's accident.

Cliff - I am sorry it happened too but accidents do happen, I just wish it didn't hurt so much.

Jim - our pets do become part of the family and it is hard loosing them. I know that you would feel horrible if anything like that happened to ADI. Thanks for your kind thoughts.

ca - we have also lost several animals over the years and each time it is hard, but this time it was especially hard because we were the ones that hurt her....I know that it was an accident but it still hurts inside.

Putz - Thanks!

 
At 2:27 PM, Blogger Granny Annie said...

Bless your hearts -- expecially TF's! You did the right thing and you can bet if Missy could have had a living will she would have wanted you to help her become pain free. If only your pain was as quick to heal. It will take a while. I am sad for all of you.

 
At 11:01 PM, Blogger butterflygirl said...

So sorry about Missy. And poor TF. She was absolutely beautiful.

 
At 4:48 PM, Blogger Fred said...

So sorry, Lucy. We're pretty attached to our pets around here, and I know how difficult it is to lose a pet. We recently had to put down our 20-year old cat, Chloe, becasue she could no longer control her bowels, but it was still a very tough decision.

It's not the same, but we have 6-month old Colby to remind us of Chloe when she was a kitty.

 
At 8:15 PM, Blogger Mountain Mama said...

I am so very sorry. God bless you and yours and give you peace.
I had to have my 13 year old dog put down a few years ago and I sure understand your pain.
My heart goes out to you.

 
At 8:50 AM, Blogger Oh great One said...

Oh Lucy, your news brought me to tears. I can empathize having just lost my Simon kitty. I too cried all the way home and then some. Not a day goes by that I don't think fondly of him. It's amazing to me how attached we become.

Take care.

 
At 1:07 PM, Blogger Jamie Dawn said...

Oh, how very sad to lose your dear dog. It is doubly sad because your hubby feels so badly about running over Missy.
It was traumatic for you, your hubby, and those boys.
I will go now and see the picture of Missy.

 
At 8:44 PM, Blogger Lucy Stern said...

grannie annie - I know you are right, thanks.

butterfly girl - thanks to much.

fred - no more dogs for a while. We still have our "Bubba" kittie and she thinks she owns this house.

mountain mama - it is hard, isn't it!

oh great one - I remember when that happened...You do understand.

jamie dawn - the pain is starting to ease but it will take a while. She sure was a sweet dog.

 

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