[zugor]

Yesterday I put yet another old black lab to sleep. Boca was 14 and had a good life but it was time to let him go. This followed so closely after sending Sampson over the bridge just 6 weeks ago. He also was 14.

So now there is just Bella, my 13 year old black lab.

For the first time in 28 years I have just one dog in my life.

There will be no more additions since I am 70 years old and battling lung cancer which has me very debilitated. For the past two months I've often had to ask friends for help in caring for my dogs since both Sampson and Boca had trouble controlling both their bowels and bladders and there were many accidents that had to be cleaned up.

Sad as it is I will remember the many, many hours and days of joy and laughter and sweet companionship that each and every one of my adopted seniors brought in to my life for however long they were with me.

[homina12]

I just saw your thread from 2014 when you got the call and were planning to go get boca. Damn but I do admire you and others who adopt senior dogs. I'm going to call the vet in a bit to talk about my little girl dog and what the next step is for her. She's a rescue and anywhere from 15-17, and having had to let my boy dog go about a year ago, I know exactly what the next step is. The call to the vet just let's me process what I know I need to do.

I'll be 63 in a little over a month, and I'll likely work another 5 years. I don't know if I'll feel like I can take on a puppy or even an adult dog who needs time to adjust to a new home while I'm still working. I don't know whether I'll feel like I can get a puppy or even a young adult dog when I'm 68. I hope I'll be able to, but as I think about letting my girl dog go, I too wonder if she'll be my last dog.

I'm sorry for your loss, zugor, and I wish you luck with your own health challenges. Focus on caring for yourself for now and let yourself muse a little about what might happen with some luck and maybe a little bounce back for you. Hope, or prayer if that's your belief, are powerful things.

[Dashdog]

Zugor, I have not been on here as often as I use to be but decided to check things out tonight, I am sorry to see that you have had to let Boca and Sampson go. I know it is not easy but thank you for giving a loving home to senior dogs. I have a friend that adopts the senior and hospice dogs no one else will take in and I have always admired her ability to do so.

I wish you the best in your battle with lung cancer. That alone is not an easy road especially if you are doing chemo. I hope you are able to do some of the newer drugs that are not as exhausting as chemo. Tarceva had just been released when my mom had lung cancer and she had a great response to it so right in the middle of her battle was able to regain some strength and not be so fatigued as she was off Chemo when she was put on it. Now there are several other drugs out there so I hope one of them works for you too. My mom was able to enjoy life for a good amount of high quality time thanks to Tarceva.

[zugor]

Thanks for your good wishes. I am in a phase II clinical trial of some immunotherapy drugs and go for infusions once every three weeks so no chemo or radiation with their awful side effects. My oncologist says they have seen some very good results in the few patients who have been in the program for a while so I remain in good spirits. The many people at Blue Ridge Cancer care center are all angels in scrubs. So kind and supportive.

I'm fortunate enough to have some wonderful supportive friends (no family near by) all members of the humane society of course. They have provided me with rides to appointments, trips to the pharmacy, some grocery store trips, etc.

Last Saturday when I started a new drug one even stayed overnight since I was afraid that I might be one of rare folks who has a severe reaction and needed the rescue squad volunteers to come fetch me. All went fine and she gave a thumbs up to my new deluxe recliner with heat and massage that goes all the way flat back and is good for sleeping in.

Over the spring my housekeeping efforts declined and I first attributed it to be lazy and old, not simply too sick to really keep up. Thanks to them my place has never been in better shape.

Should the time come soon that I lose old Bella dog I know that they will be happy to bring a dog over for visits when I need a fix.

I've only had 2 treatments so far and in a week I'll go in for some cat scans to see if the experimental drug is have any positive effect.

It's taken some time but we finally have a good combination of meds to deal with my pain and I'm able to get better sleep.

Should you have any family, friends, co-workers etc who do smoke encourage them to quit, trying over and over if need be. I would not wish this on even someone I detest.

I think that Bella has finally realized that Boca is gone and she seems to be missing him. No one to harrass her any more.