RIP Diesel & Leroy

 

And it's over. 

We are just back home from Atmore Animal Hospital where Daniel and I watched our boys peacefully take their last breaths, lying side by side just like they loved to be. 

Not long after the first of the year, Diesel was diagnosed with lymphoma. He had several tumors removed, and we thought the end would not be far off. But true to his warrior nature, he proved us so wrong and lived almost to his 13th birthday! 

Leroy was bounding along quite well we thought, until several months ago he started shaking a lot, and didn't want to eat his food or chew the tops of Diet Coke bottles, which was his greatest thrill. X-rays revealed his hips had disintegrated, which explained why he was in so much pain. He endured three different kids of pain medication, including twice weekly injections (which I had to learn how to administer) all to basically no avail. He got some relief, but not enough to have good quality of life. He would have turned 12 around the end of this month.

Last week it became apparent that the cancer had spread everywhere in poor Diesel's body; his skin especially was affected and was starting to scab off, leaving painful open sores. After hard conversations, we made the decision we knew was coming, yet somehow could never quite prepare for - to put them both down today, together. Daniel and I spent as much of the day today as we could just being with them, talking, and crying. Once Danielle was home from school, she joined us and said her last goodbyes. We dropped her off at Gene and Karma's on our way to the vet for our 4:00 appointment. Dr. Shirley met us outside and helped get Diesel in the side door; agreeing that he probably would not have even lasted another day. He was so tired and done; hardly able to even make his last walk on his own. They settled us all in the surgery room. Several of the employees came to say their goodbyes and give us their sympathies. First Dr. Shirley gave them each a sedative; he said Leroy's nervous system was so shot he could tell he didn't even flinch or feel the sting. Leroy soon laid his head down and they just peacefully slept on their favorite blanket while we continued to pet them. Diesel got his final injection first; it didn't take long at all before it was obvious that his big brave heart had beat its last beat. Dr. Shirley checked with his stethoscope and agreed that it was over. Then it was Leroy's turn, which went just as peacefully. Kelsey told me someone had left something for us up front and that she would bring it back to us. It was the most gorgeous bouquet from Karma, Tommi, and LeAnn! We picked Danielle up and headed back home to a quiet house. No one to greet us with excited eyes and stumpy wagging tails! These dogs have been part of our lives for so long; they kept me company when Daniel was gone overnights working, they welcomed Danielle home as a baby, they never failed in alerting us to anything that seemed off kilter in their surroundings. They never even tried to sample Danielle's chickens. So, like Jill penned in her drawing, "Somewhere between hello and goodbye, there was LOVE, so much LOVE."