My Sweet Lucy

This is a hard post to start. I was absent last week. I just couldn't even read any of the blogs from my blog list until last night.
Y'all know my Lucy, the Springer has been going downhill for awhile now.

The last round of seizures about 2 months ago started the trek to getting no better. We tried a new medicine that had been very expensive until just recently. It has not been commonly used for dogs. I am happy for future dog owners that it will be available now, because it is a far better drug. It really seemed to be working, but the ravages of the side effects of the other drugs plus the damage done by the seizures were to much for her.

I won't go into too many details,  but the need for water was beyond crazy and it was hard to withhold water from her. It just drove her nuts, but drinking too much caused its own problems. On Monday evening last week, I had to spend the night with my mother because she was sick. I knew Lucy had been real lethargic and hated leaving her. I got up and headed home at 4:15 AM Tuesday morning to see about her, because she was getting up around 4:30 each day. I got home to Jeff having been up with her since 3:00.

I just can't write much more and most wouldn't want to even read it, but we lost her on Thursday. The whole family has been a mess.

I just cried all day Thursday and Friday. I tried to control myself on Saturday and Sunday, but it has been so hard.

I know that cancer had just ruined those organs.

We have had three English Springer Spaniels over the course of our marriage. Each one was so special and so loved. We have never been without a Springer for more than 10 months. They are definitely the breed for our family. Lemony, the Golden arrived in our lives 8 years ago. She has watched Lucy be sick for some time. I think dogs are very intuitive, so I know she knows. Lucy has spent the night with the vet a couple of times recently, so I don't think she thought anything of coming home without her on Thursday, but I had to run to the store on Friday morning. She didn't handle me coming in without her. I know she thought I had gone to get her. She has been mopey as well.

I found out that my neighbor down the street had lost his beagle on Easter Sunday morning. She was really old. The gentleman that owned her was a single older man. I know he is lost without her. I was passing by his house on Saturday morning and he was outside. I stopped and rolled down the window to let him know how sorry I was. He had heard about Lucy, so there we are -both tears rolling down our faces.

Lucy was the dog that a great book could be written about. My family all read Marley and really connected with the book from the first chapter when the author describes he should have known how wild Marley would be because of the daddy. That was so true of Lucy. Her daddy was the wildest thing we had ever seen.

My son is on the left. My house has always been full of boys. Paul Allen sent me this one. I had taken this picture.  I walked outside to see her sitting with them just like she was one of the guys. He still had it on his phone. I know it is in our albums. I plan to put the kids a book of photos with her and each one of them.

I remember trying to pick out the one for us. We noticed a roly poly little one and commented at how he was like our second one, Murphy. It was then I noticed a little girl sitting over by herself so quiet and what seemed to be like posing. It was if she were saying, "Look at me, I am so pretty, and I am so calm." We selected her. Jeff had said, "Yep, she seems like the calmest one of the bunch. Let's get her."

CALM has never been a word used to describe her. Energetic, undisciplined, stubborn, and yet the absolutely most loving. She was determined to make everyone like her.

I will stop for now. I will share some lighter things about the weekend later, but I will let that be my post for today.

Dogs touch our hearts and yes, I know they are not humans.

I miss her so badly. She was a big part of our family for a long time. It is always hard to say goodbye.

Sandy