Lucky has developed an even more shallow breathing pattern and at night has a hitch in her breathing. During the day, her illness is not visible. She has lost weight but her fur is still shiny. She has a bounce to her walk and loves to go to the park for our daily walks by the river. While Indie runs amuck, she stays close by our side and ambles along with us.
January 13, 2003
Her back legs have gotten weaker and we are helping her more to get up the stairs. Her vital signs are still good, and there is still pinkness in her ears and gums. She does not appear to in pain and she continues to wag her tail and be very affectionate and responsive to us.
January 15, 2003
We took our walk in the snow dusted woods by the river this morning and Lucky was in a very mellow mood. Indie ran and chased his ball like a maniac while she stayed next to us. Sometimes it is bittersweet watching Indie have so much fun because we start reminiscing on how Lucky used to love to play in water and race like the wind after her tennis balls.
January 17, 2003
Lucky chased snowballs, ate snow, and watched geese float by in the ice-encrusted river today. Every now and then she would turn and face the wind and just stand there while the wind blew through her fur. The cancer for now is not affecting her quality of life.
January 20, 2003
Lucky was restless last night. She has established another breathing pattern. Vital signs are still good but her back legs shake when she puts any pressure on them.
January 21, 2003
Indie had a play group today romping in the snow. Lucky no longer participates and stays close to me while the others play bumper-puppies. She had a good night.
January 27, 2003
Lucky continues as before. Days are calm and nights seem the hardest. Yet once her breathing settles down, she breathes so shallow that we check her to make sure she is still alive.
January 29, 2003
She's been up at 3:30 the last few nights needing to go outside. And she is gagging after she eats. When we walked by the river this week, she was exploring everywhere that Indiana went and would not be left behind. He went over to her often and nuzzled her head before taking off to sniff the river scents in the cold frozen grasses.
February 4, 2003
It is with wonder that I write this today. We walked in the sun, with cold breezes swirling around us, and a flock of at least 32 robins came flying through looking for worms and announcing to all that Spring is around the corner. Wow. Just in November when the leaves were falling I thought we were losing her in a few weeks. I have a terminally ill dog, with cancer ridden lungs, who has the biggest will to live, and who has totally fooled her vets by still sharing life with me.
February 5, 2003
Lucky is still on prednisone and her antioxident foods diet. She continues to get weaker - little things will tell us. She can no longer jump up into the van any more. But at the same time, she is like a little lamb bouncing around when it's time to play ball. Her days are calm - sleeping deeply, bouncing for balls, wagging tail for hugs, ecstatic when it's time to eat. But nights....she's up and down and has trouble breathing. So now I know, when her days are like her nights, it will no longer be a quality of life for her and that is when I will have to say farewell.
February 11, 2003
She is getting frail but still has a happy outlook. She couldn't make it up the stairs last night and today in the park after 15 minutes her paws started bleeding from walking in the snow and ice. It didn't stop her but we were worried so home she came. It was minor bleeding as if the skin were fragile.
February 14, 2003
We took our girl for a walk by the river and wondered at the mystery of life. The river is beginning to overflow just like our hearts are overflowing today that Lucky is still with us. She managed 15 minutes of walking before the snow and ice started working its way through the vaseline we coated her paws with. She bounced like Tigger the whole time while Indie weaved his way around her chasing snowballs.
WOW, another page of Lucky's diary. Click here to continue on. The cancer is moving slowly and the changes that remind us that she is terminal wave over us gently now.
* Links to some wonderful sites
* A poem for Lucky
* Home page