November 2022 - I apologize for delays in notifications and updates. But want to share what has happened in my life.
My boy Oliver (Chocolate Lab) was having a tough time breathing and could only think it was his allergies getting worse. I begged for an appointment and got one the next day during our Vet's lunch break. He felt a mass on Oliver's belly and went to see if his Ultrasound Tech had left yet. She hadn't finished up. He snuck Oliver in and they came back with a 7" cancerous mass on his spleen with 2 additional ones inside of it. He decided to do X-rays to confirm that the cancer had spread to his lungs.
Somehow, my baby's appointment to change his allergy meds was a diagnosis that I could never see coming or ever grasp... Oliver had maybe "days" to live. Look, I've heard that in movies before... and that's impossible. I have photos and videos from the day before in the yard. Him... being a LAB!
He said the best case was a couple of weeks. At most.
I rushed him home to look for herbal remedies, read and cry over every medical article I could find. How to help him. How to survive without him.
My 50th birthday gift that I requested from my family was a formal picture session with Oliver and Noah (as I have on our About Us with my 3 red Goldens). It's all I wanted. My sister rushed to find a last-minute pet photographer. Saturday... a wonderful kind lady would photograph my boys and myself.
30 hours after our Vet appointment. and 28 hours BEFORE our photography appointment... my boy stopped breathing. I was sleeping in the family room that night. Just a few feet on the recliner. His little brother sleeping on the floor next to him.
When I went to the rest room at 4:30am he lifted his head as if I woke him up. I told him to not worry... "Mama was OK"... I came back by, gave him a kiss. Told him I loved him. And we all fell back asleep. My Dad came by to help me with him and his brother at 6:30 am. He woke me to say that my boy was gone. He was warm but not breathing. In an instant.
This has been my worst loss. And it's been hard to find my footing.
See... I have asthma and since I adopted Oliver, he has been able to know when it would be about to hit and could help me regulate my breathing. I stopped taking my asthma meds... I didn't need them!
Then I got really ill a few years ago. He knew months before I dragged myself to the Dr. My 3rd brain tumor, among other issues I'm not ready to share. He curled up with me every night until the night I lost him.
To say I cannot breathe without him, is as literal as it is figurative. This is not a woe-is-me moment. This is an explanation that I am in a total state of shock still. His brother Noah is depressed and lonely, causing us both distress when our evenings were just about the 3 of us together.
I'm doing everything I can to refocus. And this shop was my dream to help us save enough for a used minivan to do some road trips plus start a pet transport service that we could volunteer for since I'm home with the online shop and can be able to help. I had already test driven several ones in the last few months. This was the year I would take them to the snow! So many plans. Gone. The shop is still my dream and I now need to restructure my plans.
Thank you for the support and I apologize for not being at my absolute BEST for you, our clients and ultimately for myself and my family. I miss Oliver Maxwell. Terribly. I'm so thankful I have Noah Jake and will OVER-'Mother' him from now on. :-)
Best regards,
Ivette and my Noah Jake