abigail414's diaryland diary
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chelsea
This week I saw Chelsea, an 11 year old Schnauzer I met a year ago when she came in critically ill with untreated diabetes and pancreatitis and hyperadrenocorticism. In school they cautioned us to focus on one disease at a time, but did mention that Schnauzers were exempt from that rule. Chelsea's owners were a couple in their 80's - Mitch, a former athlete and still tall and handsome, and Arlene, a petite attractive woman who sat holding his hand. They were in shock that their Chelsea had never been sick, and now she could die?
Well, she pulled through and over this past year, we all got to know each other during her regular checkups. Mitch wrote as a hobby and brought me stories from Chelsea's perspective, they asked what I did outside of work, they talked about their sons and what Mitch did during the war - always coming together, always holding hands. Because of their fixed income, I never charged for these office calls, just the tests and medications. After awhile, Chelsea was doing as well as a deaf, blind, chronically ill dog could do.
A few months ago, Mitch started talking about how hard it was to take care of her. He had to get up early to give her food, then insulin, then pills, then two kinds of eye medication 10 minutes apart. Truth was, he and Arlene were beginning to feel frail. He was recently diagnosed with diabetes, and Irene had hip problems. Chelsea would go for short walks, but was mosly lying around and not the little girl they knew.
Monday, Mitch called and said he thought it was time. He brought Chelsea in without Arlene because she was 'at home crying her eyes out'. It was the first time I had not seen them together. My assistant said Mitch asked if I knew Chelsea's history - and I'm the only vet he's seen there. When we talked, he said it was getting harder to remember her medications and was terrified that he would either give her twice her insulin dose or forget entirely.
Chelsea stood on the exam table with her usual calm demeanor, waiting for whatever poke or prod we were going to do to her. She got a tranquilizer, I dimmed the lights, and sat with Mitch as we waited 10 minutes for her to doze off before giving the fatal injection. It was the end of the day, and he looked thin and tired and in need of company. He said that as much as they loved her, they needed to let her go so they could try to take care of themelves.
She passed peacefully, and I can still see Mitch walking out into the bright lobby alone without Arlene or Chelsea. I have thought of them often these past few days, perhaps sitting quietly at home holding hands and missing their little invalid dog. And, perhaps feeling their own mortality that much closer than a year ago.
9:22 p.m. - 2007-09-13
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
other diaries: |
