WWQP Bulletin Board Chat

Not quite so early Thursday morning

This past week has been a difficult one; in fact, the past five weeks have been so. On April 21, my beloved Australian Shepherd, Ceilidh, who has touched my heart in ways that having dogs all my life never have before, was diagnosed with cancer (hemangiosarcoma). She was rushed to our teaching university veterinary hospital an hour away and not expected to last through the night. But, she did and once the fluid had been removed from around her heart, where the tumours were growing, and placed on intravenous, she was up and wiggling her bum, which is somethine Aussies are famous for, the next morning at the cardiologist. She came home the following day, late, and for the next five weeks, she was never apart from me.

Himself had cut some lovely paths through the fields around the house, ones that wouldn't stress her by taking her uphill and all three dogs, plus my pockets filled with Jean's Mill Bay dog bisquits, we made our way through the fields several times each day. Ceilidh kept up quite nicely, did her Aussie 'leaps' through the tall field grasses and spent many happy hours barking from the windows at passersby when we were parked in town...a black SUV with RoseyP plates...and two black Aussie heads popping out the windows yattering away at people. Most people smiled, a few, were startled. But early last Monday she began to collapse and her body began to fill with her own fluids and by that evening, our vet was called and came to our home to put her to sleep on our picnic table outside.

Like many people who give their hearts and love to their pets, it's always hard loving and letting go but I'm very grateful to have had ten years plue a few months to experience the love and devotion from this very special Australian Shepherd girl. Ceilidh was truly a party all unto herself; a very joyful, goofy, loving dog.

And, throughout this past week, I have been enjoying and finding comfort in reading a book many might have read for it was on the best seller list some time ago. It it "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. If you haven't read it, do so. I have had the book sitting here in my reading basket for a year, feeling that I did not want to read a book based entirely on letters. How wrong I was. It is a delightful book. I'm not through it yet.

Sara, I'm curious to know what Proton treatment is about, can you explain it, please. And, yes, the oceon, water and air have such healing and relaxing qualities. The moment I even see the oceon I begin to feel healthier.

Rosey

posted by RoseyP @ 7:50 AM