Welcome, delsina. I am sorry about your mother’s passing - when my dad died it hit me harder than I expected. It’s tough. Please don’t feel responsible for her death, because you’re not.
I hope Ollie will be happy and content for a long time to come. Many of us have been there with aging or ailing pets, it never gets easier. Let us know what the vet says and remember to get a second opinion if you are not comfortable with what the vet recommends today.
Depending on the news you recieve about Ollie, maybe visit a shelter and see what happens?
Thank you everyone for your support, I am overwhelmed by all the positive and supportive people on here. I am very suprised how nice everyone is. I am not used to it.
Just a quick update on Ollie. I brought him to a different hospital today for x-rays to see how bad he is. This hospital is so much better than the one I took him to Friday night. They really seem to care.
They are going to call me when they are done. They are very busy today, but will definitely get to him today, but maybe not until this afternoon. I am going to try to keep myself busy at work.
For those of you who worry about me, I will be o.k. I have a very good therapist that I go to, and can call her anytime. I have always been a little crazy.:o
And it is true, I have yet to grieve for my Mom. I had to stay strong to clean out her apartment, and be strong for two of my sisters (who are even crazier than me). I also have two girls I have to be strong for.
As for another doggie, I already have one. A little dauchsund. She loves, loves, loves having Ollie living with us. Ollie is old, so he is quite grumpy, and Bella is pretty young, and loves to play. The two of them together make quite a team.
Sorry for rambling, I am pretty old, and when I was young you always had to know how to type fast for jobs. So when I start typing, I never realize how much text I am sending out.
Have a good day everyone, keep Ollie in your thoughts. I will keep you all updated on his condition.
Just one suggestion: even though your Mom (on whom be peace) is deceased, you might try hunting down an Alzheimer’s/dementia caregivers’ support group. While you no longer fit their target demographic, you may well find someone who can give you some insight and/or perspective on what taking care of her did to you.
Overall, it sounds like you don’t have much of a support structure. If that’s the case, you’ve come to a very good place: [DEL]Dumbledore’s[/DEL] Cecil’s Army can be pretty damn rough on whiners, but when someone is genuinely hurtin’ the floodgates open wide.
Pax.
Thanks for the positive report. Glad you have another pet to be around Ollie.
Don’t be sorry for rambling … your innocence is entertaining and welcome around here.
You can’t be that old with two daughters 12 and 13 … my granddaughter will be 14 next month. I started typing in high school back in 1959 and I was the only boy in the class. My mother thought it might come in handy someday due to she was an insurance clerk for many years.
Anyway I started on an old manual typewriter at 45wpm … so you can’t possibly be older than that lol
Good luck God bless you delsina363
You had your mother-in-law put down? :eek:
+1, delsina363
Shhh! Statute o Limitations…
Sorry about Ollie; that’s the toughest part about having a dog, no doubt.
Welcome to The SDMB.
You sound very grounded actually.
I always thought if I were to get a small dog it would be a dachshund, they are lovely, smart, spirited little dogs.
Hope you get good news about Ollie.
PS- I second, third & fifth that you are still grieving. Ollie is just bringing to the surface part of your Mom’s grief. You did Nothing Wrong. You are Not to blame. Pets who lose masters sometimes pine for them and pass because they miss them.
I repeat: you are not at fault at all. I’m sure Ollie loves you just like Bella does.
Grieving for a parent can be hard & can come out in a lot of ways over a long time. It may hurt and make you cry but its natural and its OK to let it out. I’ve lost both parents now & I kinda sorta know how this can hurt.
Please take time out to let out your grief. Its better out than in. Honest.
Good Morning Kind Posters:
Just an update on Ollie. I went to pick him up from the vet yesterday, and had a really good talk with his doctor. The x-rays showed an enlarged heart, and he has all the symptoms of chronic heart failure. He also has an enlarged liver.
There could be any number of medical problems going on with Ollie, along with the chronic heart failure. Thankfully, the lungs looked pretty good, so he is not struggling for air, as I thought. However, he would need to have blood workup, go to a specialist at a different hospital, and have a sonogram (or something like that) to even diagnosis all his problems. Even if they could treat everything, he still has the heart problem that he will eventually succumb to.
Actually, I am pretty happy with this diagnosis. I thougth they would have to put him down yesterday. We went over the medicines for his heart, and I was able to take him home. She could not predict when he will go, but it will probably be pretty soon. Until then, I can keep him home with me, my girls, and Bella.
I am so glad that I can spend quality time with him. Also, because he is so ill, he can eat whatever he wants. So when I got home yesterday with him, I gave him some of his favorite foods (chicken, doggie treats, etc). Then he wanted his tummy rubbed, so I indulged him. I know my time with him is limited, but at least I can show him how much he is loved, and how much he means to me before he goes. This is really important to me, as I was denied that time with my Mom.
I really love this site, so I am going to stick around and learn some things. I love all the funny questions on the home page. I think I have found a really nice place, with a whole lot of smart and caring people to converse with.
Thank you all for making me feel so welcomed. I have to go now, and process some expense reports for the doctors, where I work. I swear, I should have been a doctor -
I’m happy to hear you will have some more time with Ollie, even if it’s not as much as you would like. Give him another tummy rub from us.
And glad you are sticking with us. Sometimes, this board just makes my day go right.
There are indeed a whole lot of smart and caring people here; there are also some who like to score points off of other posters - don’t be too surprised when you run into some of them.
I’m glad you’re able to have some good time with Ollie to say good-bye.
Glad to have you here. You’ll be contacted about various forms we’ll want you to fill out. Nothing special; medical insurance information, next of kin, allergies, blood type. Then we can have your Welcome To The Board party. How do you feel about squids?
Okay folks, let’s start setting up the [del]initiation[/del] welcome to the board party for delsina!