Guest greymom1997 Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 Hi everyone... I've had greys since 1997... I got my first, Hammer, for my birthday in July '97, then my 2nd Skip in October '99... They both passed in August '05 just 11 days apart... It was the most difficult experience of my life... Hammer was my soulmate and Skip was soooo bonded to Hammer 1st and then me 2nd... Hammer was a very outgoing, gentle, quiet gentleman and Skip was beaten by his trainer (it was actually witnessed) so he was afraid of everything and everyone!!! Hammer developed a very aggressive form of osteosarcoma that grew in two weeks. It started as a limp and swelling of his hind leg. We went to the vet, he had a complete physical... the vet thought it was a recurrence of his Lyme (both my boys had Lyme disease even though both had been vaccinated against it... We treated it for that but he did not respond... I noticed that his inside thigh was growing, getting larger and hard...but it had been hard to see b/c I had been wrapping his leg to force the edema up... after two weeks of no change and trying many different options the cancer was found through an x-ray... It had grown so fast that there was nothing I could do...most likely the cancer had already spread elsewhere, so I had to end my sweet boy's misery... It was like cutting off my own air supply.... At the same time, Skip was being treated for glomerulonephritis (a result of the Lyme, we believe) and was doing pretty well... Until Hammer didn't come home... The following morning after Hammer passed Skip quit eating... He had been stealing Hammer's food and treats the day before and jumping over Hammer on the floor to get to the kitchen. He then spent the next 11 days searching for Hammer and getting weaker and weaker all the while battling his kidney issues... It was blatantly obvious that he did not want to be in a world without Hammer... I kept praying that he would just hold on and get past it... As soon as I could get a handle on his illness I wanted to get another friend for him... He was the kind of grey that needs that companionship to feel validated... The only other person he really trusted was me and I couldn't help him... It was another blow.. I had just watched my Hammer pass and the last week of his life he was in so much pain... and now.... and now... I'm again watching my beloved grey pass right before my eyes... He began having seizures and finally the morning he threw up blood, I knew he had enough... I was keeping him alive for myself and it wasn't right.. so I let him go to Hammer... My "boys" were always together and now they were together again... I was there when they took their last breath.. I held them in my arms until they were gone... And in a lot of ways I was gone too... I still am... but now I have Phillie who I got the next day and my foster flunkie AJ (his race name was JA Hamertime) who came a 15 months later...with a name like "Hammer" he was going nowhere... Life and love renews itself and someday I will be there with them in the final moments.. that's what we do... because we know the love of a grey... it is like no other.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bowiebears Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 Welcome! What a sad story, but so full of love and concern. --Isaac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest gretzky Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 (edited) Welcome Donna, so sorry for the losses you suffered. Phillie and AJ are lucky to have you and hopefully they fill some of the empty spaces. Also, thanks for all you do for Pharaoh. Did you and Amber decide during one of the stakeouts that it was time to introduce yourselves outside of Team Pharaoh? Edited May 25, 2007 by gretzky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest greymom1997 Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 Welcome! What a sad story, but so full of love and concern. --Isaac Thank you... I got involved with Greytalk b/c I am one of the volunteers searching for the lost grey "Pharo" in Worcester Ma... I have +suddenly become very emotional about this guy... I am starting to fear the worst and I just am at a loss.... I've been really positive and somewhat businesslike in my thought process about helping with this search. Plus taking cues from the volunteers that have done this repeatedly... what an amazing group they all are... I guess I need to develop a thicker skin, but I don't want to... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest greymom1997 Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 Welcome Donna, so sorry for the losses you suffered. Phillie and AJ are lucky to have you and hopefully they fill some of the empty spaces. Also, thanks for all you do for Pharaoh. Did you and Amber decide during one of the stakeouts that it was time to introduce yourselves outside of Team Pharaoh? I just want to tell everyone that has been involved in helping to find pharo that they are my heroes... every single one of you.. in whatever capacity it has been that they have searched... I have felt guilty b/c there were a lot of things I couldn't do b/c I always have my 5 yr old and I have to think of her safety first, but I still felt guilty... Plus, I am a stay-at-home mom without much income coming in... and so it has been tough on me financially in just the littlest I have done. It astounds me that everyone has their own "issues", but yet this search just keeps going and everyone is pitching in what they can and I am truly amazed... Especially since none of us know him or his family... Amazing!!! Good will like this doesn't happen very often... People don't do things that they don't get anything in return and greyhound people are a unique group....I am humbled to be included among you... I am so attached to this boy Pharo... Is this what happens on your first search??... Is the first one always the hardest on you?... Please don't tell me it'll be like this for me every time... I think I'll have a nervous breakdown... Haha I decided to introduce myself b/c I needed to focus on other things on GT besides Pharo's search.... It seems like I read and reread pharo's thread and everyone has become sort of my extended family... I can't wait to meet everyone at Pharo's welcome home party!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xan Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 Welcome to GT Donna, and to Phillie and AJ. I'm typing through tears, here. What a sad story, but full of the love you three shared, and softened by the new loves in your life. As you say, life and love goes on. Quote My Inspirations: Grey Pogo, borzoi Katie, Meep the cat, AND MY BELOVED DH!!!Missing Rowdy, Coco, Brilly, Happy and Wabi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest greymom1997 Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 Welcome to GT Donna, and to Phillie and AJ. I'm typing through tears, here. What a sad story, but full of the love you three shared, and softened by the new loves in your life. As you say, life and love goes on. Yes, I loved them more than my own life... If I could have taken either one of their places and spared them the pain they went through... they knew I loved them beyond words.... still love them... I talk to Ham every night about Pharo... My pic is of Hammer (brindle) and Skip (fawn)... I still can't get Phillie and AJ on there for some reason... Yes, my new loves... they are so different from Ham and Skip and yet the same... Phillie is so outgoing (he does meet and greets with Soulsmom and Soul) and poor AJ is a little spooked about a lot of things, but we're working on that... slowly.. at his own pace... and he is so darn handsome... Phillie too... and again Phillie is fawn and AJ is brindle... Donna B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest robingrey Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 Welcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greypuppyluv Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 Welcome Donna! Quote Paula & her pups--Paneer (WW Outlook Ladd), Kira & Rhett (the whippets)Forever in my heart...Tinsel (Born's Bounder - 11/9/90-12/18/01), Piper, Chevy, Keno, Zuma, Little One, Phaelin & WinnieGreyhound Adoption Center ~ So Cal rep for Whippet Rescue And Placement For beautiful beaded collars, check out my Facebook page: The Swanky Hound Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest K9_Lady Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 "Life and love renews itself" It is very very hard but I loved what you said..Beautiful... Welcome Donna to you and your new doggies! BTW~Any help you gave no matter how small, I'm sure was very much appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neighsayer Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 Welcome from NJ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aroundthehound Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 Welcome to GT Donna...Tears here as well. "Life and love renews itself" These definitely are words to live by, beautifully spoken. "because we know the love of a grey... it is like no other" oh so true! I commend you for all you do, no matter how small, for lost greys. I myself have such a hard time even visiting the amber alert foruim, as it is so hard not to emotionally attach and to feel helpless Quote AROUND the HOUNDS Charly Blair Designs Around the Hounds/Charly Blair Blog Char, Isabelle, Chester and new IG guy Sid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ziggyzoe Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 Welcome Donna.... your story has moved me to tears. You and your hounds sound very special Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest IrskasMom Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 I am in Tears too and typing . Donna ...Welcome to GT. Thank you for sharing your Story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2hounds Posted May 29, 2007 Share Posted May 29, 2007 Thank you for working so hard for Pharo! Quote 2 Hounds Design Martingale Collars | 2 Hounds Design Facebook PageAlisha, Bob, Livvie (the 2.5 year old!) plus Mia Bella, Tippy, + Wahoo and Diesel the crazy kitties (and missing sweet Iceman, Paradise, Bandit, Cujo & Sebastian) in Indian Trail, NC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest crazy4greys Posted May 29, 2007 Share Posted May 29, 2007 from CT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest greymom1997 Posted May 29, 2007 Share Posted May 29, 2007 It's wonderful how welcoming everyone is and how much love is felt.. it jumps out at me through the computer screen... Thank you, Donna B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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