Emotional roller coaster this month

[DJ121]

Hello all. I don't believe I've ever posted anything here before. Or at least not in a very long time. I'm not usually one to get very emotional, but I have to admit, this month has just been kicking my ass.

My wife and I were hosting an exchange student from Germany. She's the fourth student we've had. Our school system puts all exchange students in the system as Seniors, so they can enjoy all the extra stuff Seniors get to do. Prom, Class trip, Graduation and all that. Well with the Covid crap going on and schools being closed, with the shift to online learning, the program she is part of ended everyone's year early. We were going to wait for the program to reach out to us, but her family in Germany decided they wanted her home sooner. She received an email on April 13th that her flight home was Friday the 15th! A full day and a half notice. Needless to say, it happened so fast we were all just emotional wrecks.

As if that wasn't bad enough, a few days ago we noticed our oldest cat who is 12 1/2 years old has a very bloated belly, and not eating normally. Took him to the vet today, and sure enough, his belly is full of fluid. She said she's pretty sure it's a tumor but of course she couldn't see anything in the X-ray. They now want us to bring him to a different vet that can do an ultrasound. Appointment set for Monday afternoon. Part of me is already asking myself why are we going to pay more money to find out what we probably already know. It's just all been too much on top of the stay at home stuff, and waiting in line everywhere you go. Thankfully my wife and I are both still working which helps keep our minds off things short term nyway. I guess what it boils down to is wer'e just over all of this, and can't wait for this month to END.

Thanks for letting me vent.....

 

[VideoViper]

Vent away. We are all going through this situation & without some kind of healthy coping mechanism we would all go a little batty.

 

[Force_Guy]

Thankfully my wife and I are both still working which helps keep our minds off things short term nyway.

It's healthy to let it out, to vent, to articulate life's frustrations. We're human & it's only natural. But the key phrase from your entire post is the fact that both you AND your wife are still working. That's a luxury 20% of Americans do not have right now, and their frustrations are things like, "how am I going to put food on the table" or "how am I going to pay this month's rent?" These are trying times, that's for sure, but chin up!

 

[DJ121]

It's healthy to let it out, to vent, to articulate life's frustrations. We're human & it's only natural. But the key phrase from your entire post is the fact that both you AND your wife are still working. That's a luxury 20% of Americans do not have right now, and their frustrations are things like, "how am I going to put food on the table" or "how am I going to pay this month's rent?" These are trying times, that's for sure, but chin up!

Thank you. And I do agree that my "first world problems" are probably nothing compared to so many out there who don't have a dime to their name right now, just tying to figure out how to survive. Our boy Fuzzball is the first cat I've ever had from kitten to 12 plus years old. While growing up it seemed like we never had any pet more than a couple years before something would happen and we needed to re home them. I did have one cat get hit by a bus when I was younger. I guess after years and years of never really getting to emotional, everything is catching up with me.

 

[GNT]

This year hasn't been the greatest, here we've had bushfires, floods and now covid19. As far as I'm concerned 2020 is a write off.

 

[DJ121]

This year hasn't been the greatest, here we've had bushfires, floods and now covid19. As far as I'm concerned 2020 is a write off.

Yes, I'm very sorry to see and hear about the fires. I don't recall hearing much about the flooding though. Were you affected by either of those?

 

[r2d6kelly]

I know exactly how you feel about the cat. And I'm sure it's a shock to hear that news. But I'm sure you both will make right decision for both your cat and you both too. What ever that choice is, good luck.

 

[DJ121]

Not the best "Star Wars Day" today. We lost our little guy overnight. He was really starting to struggle yesterday, but we were hopeful if they found something during the ultrasound, there was a chance something could be done. At least he was home, and passed without us having to put him down. We brought him to the vet, where they will take care of everything for the cremation, and call us in a few days when we can come pick up the ashes. They will be in a nice wooden box, where we can add a photo of him. We already have a few in mind that show how distinguished and handsome he was.

I will miss his random rampages though the house, which would pretty much be him running from the bedroom down the stairs, through the living room and kitchen, down the basement stairs and back up, attacking toys along the way. I will miss him by my side while eating Cheetos, or expecting a bit of sausage off my slice of breakfast pizza. His standing on hind legs with outstretched front paws against the counter, looking for a saucer of milk or tuna juice as we opened a can. I will miss how he always jumped up and sat on my desk every time I sat there and tried to get something done most of all. I hope we gave him a good life over the 12 1/2 years he was with us. But I can't help but feel the last week we really let him down. I take heed in knowing that at the very least, whatever was wrong with him that brought about his end, he is no longer in pain or suffering in any way. Rest Easy, little guy. You will be missed more than you will ever know.

 

[DEADDACK_33]

What a fine looking individual. Sorry for your loss, @DJ121 He is one with the Force now. I don't think your boy would feel you let him down. If anything he probably wishes for you and your wife to share the love you had for him with another cat, when you're ready. When that time comes go to your local animal shelter and look for a kitten that seems to stand out to you. After all they say our pets choose us, and not the other way around.

 

[DJ121]

What a fine looking individual. Sorry for your loss, @DJ121 He is one with the Force now. I don't think your boy would feel you let him down. If anything he probably wishes for you and your wife to share the love you had for him with another cat, when you're ready. When that time comes go to your local animal shelter and look for a kitten that seems to stand out to you. After all they say our pets choose us, and not the other way around.

We have our girl cat, Lyzza and our dog Leeloo. Honestly not sure if we will be looking for another cat any time soon. Of course I say that, but it doesn't mean I wouldn't do it again. I hope he did truly feel loved because we tried our best to show him how loved he was. Time heals, and time will tell if we do decide to get another. Thank you for your kind words.

 

[r2d6kelly]

And to add on that. Make sure to talk with and show extra time and love to your other pets. I'm sure they miss him too. They feel loss as much as you .

 

[AgentClaret]

I'm really sorry about your cat, dude. That's gotta be so hard, I have one about the same age and I dont know how I'm gonna deal with losing her when the time comes. I'm glad you felt like you could come here to get that off your back, this is generally a pretty cool forum.

 

[DJ121]

And to add on that. Make sure to talk with and show extra time and love to your other pets. I'm sure they miss him too. They feel loss as much as you .

They were both curled up on the couch with us just a couple hours ago. I looked at my wife and said "It feels strange to say this, but this is is our whole family now."

 

[DJ121]

I'm really sorry about your cat, dude. That's gotta be so hard, I have one about the same age and I dont know how I'm gonna deal with losing her when the time comes. I'm glad you felt like you could come here to get that off your back, this is generally a pretty cool forum.

Monday was indeed a hard day. It's a strange feeling walking through the door and knowing he's not here. As long as they are healthy, cats can have a fairly decent lifespan. We will never know what happened, but I can tell you it was QUICK. Probably about two weeks from still running around the house like a kitten to him passing. The vet said that it certainly can happen that fast, too. I hope you get a few more years with your girl. But when that time comes, We'll be here for you just like all of you have been for me. One way or another, we're all brothers in the Force.

 

[MARK2D2]

I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your cat. You didn’t let him down at all. It was just his time to go, sadly. And if am sure he did feel very, very loved. All your little anecdotes about him revealed to me very clearly how much you loved him. And I‘m just a stranger on the internet. So I am certain he felt it, too. Fuzzball looks like he was really a very special cat. There‘s never enough time with any of our pets. So sorry for your loss.

 

[DJ121]

Thank you for your kind words. Even from a "stranger on the internet", it means a lot. We got the call from the vet today, that his remains were ready to be picked up. Currently searching through our photos of him, so we can find the right one to display with him. You are right, there never is enough time with them. One of the cruel realities of life, unfortunately.

 

[Darth_Dork]

I feel your pain.
We lost our 10 year old cat a couple of weeks ago. She went from healthy and full of energy to gone in about a week. It's still odd to not have her around, sitting on the sofa while I watch TV, or sleeping on the bed. I cried like a baby. But we get through the grief, you'll see. And one day, you'll be ready for another kitty. Last time it was about 6 months between cats, and I'm guessing it'll be about the same this time. Pets bring entirely too much joy into our lives to not have them around.

 

[jjawa3]

I send my condolences to you, we had to put one of our Goldens down last year,Sophie, she was Ben's(yes we named him after Obi-Wan)half sister we rescued years ago. she was 12 years. she kept Ben and Luke(our younger dog) in line. she thought she was Lukes mother, and he thought that of her. we had to put her down at midnight at an emergency animal clinic and we bawled! they had a beautiful "mourning room" were we were able to say good by to her. she passed peacefully. we received her ashes,a card from the clinic sending condolences. now we have Luke, he's 8 years old, has had dental surgery, a splenectomy early last year and now extensive knee surgery for a torn ligament and has a metal plate and six screws to hold everything together!UGH!!! THEN... the vets found another tumor in his stomach! fatty tumor! he recovering from the knee surgery now, long incision on the inside of his leg. We love him very much, his registered name would be, WoodCreeks Luke, Flame of the West, he a very red golden and full of the force! we could lose him too if the tumor grows, but I know your pain of loss. weep.

 

[DJ121]

I feel your pain.
We lost our 10 year old cat a couple of weeks ago. She went from healthy and full of energy to gone in about a week. It's still odd to not have her around, sitting on the sofa while I watch TV, or sleeping on the bed. I cried like a baby. But we get through the grief, you'll see. And one day, you'll be ready for another kitty. Last time it was about 6 months between cats, and I'm guessing it'll be about the same this time. Pets bring entirely too much joy into our lives to not have them around.

So very sorry I did not see this sooner. Sorry for your loss as well.
It's such a shock when it happens that quickly. You don't have time to prepare, and it just hits you. It's been a few months, and still feels strange at times to just not have him here. It's getting easier, but I see his ashes every day when I sit in the living room.

 

[DJ121]

I send my condolences to you, we had to put one of our Goldens down last year,Sophie, she was Ben's(yes we named him after Obi-Wan)half sister we rescued years ago. she was 12 years. she kept Ben and Luke(our younger dog) in line. she thought she was Lukes mother, and he thought that of her. we had to put her down at midnight at an emergency animal clinic and we bawled! they had a beautiful "mourning room" were we were able to say good by to her. she passed peacefully. we received her ashes,a card from the clinic sending condolences. now we have Luke, he's 8 years old, has had dental surgery, a splenectomy early last year and now extensive knee surgery for a torn ligament and has a metal plate and six screws to hold everything together!UGH!!! THEN... the vets found another tumor in his stomach! fatty tumor! he recovering from the knee surgery now, long incision on the inside of his leg. We love him very much, his registered name would be, WoodCreeks Luke, Flame of the West, he a very red golden and full of the force! we could lose him too if the tumor grows, but I know your pain of loss. weep.

I wish the best for you and the family with Luke. Please do feel free to post any updates, or if you need to use this space to talk about anything. Our dog gave us a bit of a scare last fall, when she developed a large almost baseball size mass on her chest. We got it checked and thankfully it is just a fatty tissue lump. But it sure had us worried for a few days until we got her checked. I had no idea that only a few months later we would be saying goodbye to one of the cats. Our vet has a candle on their counter, and if you ever go in and it is lit..... Well, let's just say you already know and your eyes start to water. Knowing someone is there, saying goodbye to their furry friend is just heartbreaking.

 

[jjawa3]

We are very worried about our younger dog, Luke again, the Force is not with him! he is going on 10 now and is still recovering from knee ligament surgery. I found a large mass in his abdomen-again! same place as the splenic tumor(surgery last year) and he has, what feels and looks like, an intermuscular "growth" on his right hip! He is trying so hard to be normal but he is in pain. Ben, our oldest, going on 12, is slowing down naturally, he can still do the "froglegs" his hips are good, but I think his time may be near. It's strange that some dogs can be more faithful and loving than humans!

 

[jjawa3]

Luke had to go to the vet the other day for s severe stomach problem! but with examination, medication and "the white diet" he seems to be recovering. he is going on 10! but still looks like a very large puppy(he's 100lbs.-not too fat) when the sun shines on his coat, every shade of red pops out! he's not Irish Setter dark red, but red enough to be a Red Golden retriever. I hope the force will be with him! Also, I wish Pres. Trump prayers and speedy recovery!

 

[Tulgah]

I have four pets. A 1-year-old cat, a 5-year-old dog, and a 6-year-old dog.

But #4 is a ridiculous situation. It’s a 19-year-old cat. We adopted her 8 years ago, when she was 11. She’d been passed around a lot, and finally found a place to settle in. She is the neverending story. For a while we’ve been expecting her day to come, but she doesn’t seem to mind defying the odds. She came out the same year as the Power of the Jedi line! She’s as healthy as anything.

When that day DOES come, at least we’ll know she had a GREAT run, and spent the second half of her life in peace.

I’m sorry for anyone who loses a pet.

 

[jjawa3]

The Force is with that cat! Luke, our red boy, was also diagnosed with hypothyroidism! he's on human grade thyroxin and pain killers for his leg, otherwise he's healthy and has a good attitude! Our neighbor has a 20 year old Jack Russell Terrier, she is tiny, white with a single brown spot on her rump! she trembles when standing still but otherwise has this perky, cute little gait! amazing pup! Ben, our elder(GR) he's going on 13, he can still do the "frog-leg" pose, but he's full of wileyness (darkside!) and would take off as soon as he thinks he could trick me from the leash! after 3 obedience classes when he was a "youngling!"

 

[Tulgah]

I think we all could use some obedience classes! . But I don’t know who we’d get to teach them. I’d show up for mine and the instructor probably would be my boss.

 

[DJ121]

Hello again, everyone. Thankfully, it's been a few years, but these last few months have been another crazy ride.

Black Friday, we found out our second cat, Lyzza had feline oral cancer. It was aggressive. She got to the point of barely even taking in the liquid diet and could barely move. We had her put down Dec. 29th.


January 24th, my wife comes home from work, and tells me they are closing down her office on Jan 31st. Literally a Week notice. A week goes by. The second week, she has interviews scheduled. Car needs a battery. Replace battery, car now has no spark. Long story short, $350 to find it's a bad cable. Luckily, she is only out of work for three weeks, and started a job on Feb 24th.

A few days ago, Leeloo our 13 year old Lab/Shepherd seems off... Getting worse over the weekend. She didn't want to eat today, and couldn't stand on her own. We brought her to the vet today. Lymphoma. Another aggressive type of cancer. Glands all swollen, organs enlarged..... We put her down today.





Losing two pets in three months and an unexpected career change for my wife. It has been a lot to deal with. At least she is working, and both our pets are at peace. Here's hoping the rest of 2025 will be better!

 

[Tulgah]

Here's hoping the rest of 2025 will be better!

Amen.

 

[Echo_Six]

Condolences on Lyzza and Leeloo.

 

[adrian845]

Sorry it’s been so rough lately. Hoping things pick up for you and yours!

 

[DJ121]

Condolences on Lyzza and Leeloo.

Sorry it’s been so rough lately. Hoping things pick up for you and yours!

Thank you both.

 

[DarkArtist]

sadly had to put my 15 year old beagle down 2 weeks ago. just received her ashes on Wednesday of this week along with a card that had her paw print on the inside... needless to say it's been a rough 2 weeks. i still find myself waking up in the morning looking for her. she used to sleep on my side of the bed, and I'd wake up to her sweet snores, but these past weeks it's been sadly quiet.

our other day has become depressed in a way as he misses her.

 

[Tulgah]

Bad deal. My two dogs are my best buddies for sure. They’re 13 and 10. I know all our best days are numbered. Sorry, bro.

 

[jjawa3]

I also haven't been around lately... a lot of sad family episodes occurred, My sister, who will turn 80 later this year, breaks her leg! she is partially "assimilated due to metal plates in her leg! Her husband passed away while she was in the hospital! my cousin had a bad stroke and is very debilitated. Another cousins wife, a very good friend, passed away last week! and I am on the other side of the country! My husband is again, visiting our son in Yuma and has caught a bad cold(he drove down there) I can only hope it doesn't turn into bronchitis while he is there!
Me? I'm Ok but it is distressing for all this to happen within months! As for animals passing away(poor babies!) I know about triple passings also, I give you my condolences-from the heart.

 

[DJ121]

sadly had to put my 15 year old beagle down 2 weeks ago. just received her ashes on Wednesday of this week along with a card that had her paw print on the inside... needless to say it's been a rough 2 weeks. i still find myself waking up in the morning looking for her. she used to sleep on my side of the bed, and I'd wake up to her sweet snores, but these past weeks it's been sadly quiet.

our other day has become depressed in a way as he misses her.

I am so very sorry for your loss. You *almost* just kind of sort of start to feel a little better, then you get the call about picking up the ashes......

It's such an adjustment period. My morning routine used to be getting woken up by a cold nose nudging me to get up and feed her. Then trying to get out of bed while not getting tripped by two dogs clamoring around to be fed. Now I just have one who hasn't quite figured out her own routine yet. We still have a tub of Leeloo's food, because we just bought a new bag a few days before we lost her. I open it when we feed Lilly, and give her a handful of that food so we can use it up. I would pull into the driveway, and see two dogs in the window. Lilly, usually up on her hind legs, and Leeloo, who you could just see her eyes and nose looking out.... We went for a walk the other day. My wife and I would both have a dog. There was only one..... I felt the heart sink a bit, but kept it together for the most part. Until my wife said out loud "This is weird".... That got me pretty choked up. It's going to take a while. I know it gets easier as time goes on, but I don't think the hurt will ever really go away.

 

[DJ121]

I also haven't been around lately... a lot of sad family episodes occurred, My sister, who will turn 80 later this year, breaks her leg! she is partially "assimilated due to metal plates in her leg! Her husband passed away while she was in the hospital! my cousin had a bad stroke and is very debilitated. Another cousins wife, a very good friend, passed away last week! and I am on the other side of the country! My husband is again, visiting our son in Yuma and has caught a bad cold(he drove down there) I can only hope it doesn't turn into bronchitis while he is there!
Me? I'm Ok but it is distressing for all this to happen within months! As for animals passing away(poor babies!) I know about triple passings also, I give you my condolences-from the heart.

Very sorry for all you have gone through as well. I hope those who are sick or healing have speedy recoveries!

 

[jjawa3]

Thank you, sometimes it's hard when lots of things happen close and quickly. I lost 3 dogs in a year, one to old age, 2 to cancer and age. I have their ashes saved.( their names were Ben, Sophie and Luke) we have another red baby now, his name is Indy(like in the Jones type!) he will be our last due to our ages. he is a red Golden Retriever as my Luke was. he is coniving-picks pockets! eats paper and fabric! loves his flock of rubber chickens! and he "talks" a lot! he keeps me sane(he would love to eat up my Star Wars toys!)