Our plan…

I broke the news to the kids today.  As expected, they were pretty upset.  We had a good cry, and then they made a banner for Spencer.  I’ll have to get a picture of it in the next few days.  We talked about making “Spencer Boxes” where they could put pictures that they draw of Spencer and write him letters.  And we talked about what we are going to do.  We are going to enjoy the time we have left with Spencer and at the same time we are going to try to make sure that we have as much time as possible with him.  I’m going to talk to the oncologist and try to set up an appointment to see the x-rays and talk about all of the possible options.  And this weekend, we are going to take Spencer up to the cabin, we will go on a little hike with him.  While he is still up for it.  So far, he is still full of energy and doesn’t seem to tire too easily.  But I remember how lung cancer went with Baron (my last doberman, he got lung cancer) and I know that things can go down hill fast sometimes.  So, we are going to take Spencer’s lead and do as much as he is up to.  And enjoy every minute with him.

 

Author: justjac

Spencer is our 5.5 year old Doberman. He was diagnosed with an aggressive fibrosarcoma on 8/22. He had his left front leg amputated on 8/24/11. Finished 15 weeks of chemo on 12/22/11 (mytox and vincristine). Lung mets found 12/28/11. Fought hard and lived a full life right up until the end. Went to Heaven 2/28/12.

9 thoughts on “Our plan…”

  1. Sounds like your plan is right on target! Live in and love the moment! There will be time for tears later, but for now it’s all about the love and making great memories.

    Hugs to you and your family,

    Micki and Rio

  2. I am so sorry your family is going through this. As hard as this whole mess has been on Greg and me, I cannot imagine if we had young children to guide through this ordeal. I agree with everyone above – take lots and lots of pictures! Bless you for taking care of your furry child, and I wish you the best of luck!

  3. I hope you have a lot more time with him, but whatever time you have it sounds like you have a great attitude. It’s really all we can do – is make the most of the time we have!

    Kisses from Abby to Spence,
    Jackie, Abby’s mom

  4. I don’t know how old your children are, but if you involve them in making a memory book about Spencer, it will allow them to remember things down the road when their memories fade a little. Take pictures of them with Spencer, let them write or dictate a favorite story about something Spencer did with them, etc. But let them know that Spencer is still very much alive and living in the moment. Maybe it can be an opportunity for them to see how a “handicap” isn’t one. (And you are probably already doing these things and they already know he isn’t handicapped!)

    My son has autism. His best friend is severely bipolar. Our dog has 3 legs. One day the best friend (the human one) looked around in our house and laughed and said something like “I guess there’s no such thing as a disability. Look at all the disabilities in this house and they aren’t causing any problems.” I wish I could have videotaped that moment.

    I will be hoping for many more months for Spencer. I will cross my fingers (and Dakota’s paws) that this stuff will just sort of stop growing and take a little vacation and give you guys a lot more time together.

    Shari

  5. It’s great this site exists to help pvoirde support to newest members of the Tripawd community. After waiting months with the hope a damaged nerve in a front leg would heal, I decided to proceed with an amputation. It would seem to be an easy decision to come to terms with; however, it was still painful (although for the best). Nemo, my apx 3-yr old Lab, is recovering remarkably. I know the decision freed him from carrying around a useless leg that proved to be more of a liability. While we may not fully realize the depth of events and how they impact our lives at the time, there is a reason things happen. Nemo chose us as a family (he was a stray) and he has brought so much sweetness and inspiration into our lives.

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