Welcome to Glory's Rainbow Residency

Memories of Glory

I remember the day she was born...first two pups were stillborn. My mom was home alone and freaking out about the first pup born dead. I was at work...tried to get off sooner...called Dr. Richey who talked my mom through stimulating contractions. By the time I got home, another was born dead also. The next three were born alive and well. Glory was the last one born. I stayed up that night with the pups to make sure that Casey would let them nurse and that she didn't squash them. By day three I knew Glory was my baby and I had named her. I had to go back to college after Glory was about 4 weeks old...it was hard to leave her...but every time I came home, she knew that I was her momma and not my mom, who she lived with. I couldn't take her with me because my apartment did not allow dogs under a year of age. I visited often and everytime she would sleep with me and spend all of her time with me. When I moved to the next residence at the start of vet school, I immediately brought Glory to stay with me...she was my comfort through some really tough times. If I was ever upset or sad, Glory would be there wondering what was wrong and could always cheer me up. She was a crazy girl, with never ending energy, and always wiggly when she was happy (which was constant). Glory never knew a sad moment in her life, she was always happy. She was my sunshine....that is gone now. I did some hunt test training with Glory that summer, but she was too crazy and had no obedience training yet. We went and she got to run around, chase birds, and swim...all favorite things of a flat-coat. She was in heaven...things couldn't get better. Glory and I had a special connection, different from other past dogs I have owned. She was my baby and loved me as much as I loved her...completely unconditionally. We have many happy memories of my crazy, high energy girl that will never be forgotten...they will help to get me through this hard time of missing her sooo much that I can't stop crying long enough to do anything. Glory started limping at the end of February on her left rear leg...slight at first then progressing to barely using it. I tried anti-inflammatories, rest, glucosamine, adequan,we sedated her for xrays to find something but we couldn't find any abnormalities. We thought it was her hip but saw no radiographic changes to indicate a limp like hers. No laxity was found in her knee so we didn't think it was there. I tried rest and it never got better. So I made an appointment for her to see a surgeon in Charleston. They immediately thought it was a cruciate tear in her knee. She stayed with them for three days waiting for a plate to come in for her surgery. Thursday, the day she was supposed to have surgery, they took rads of her knee and found bony changes indicating bone cancer in her tibia. This is a very aggressive and painful cancer. I got the phone call at lunch time...knowing immediately how bad this was...I freaked out. I wanted to do anything I could to extend my baby's life more. She was so young just 5 and a half years old...she had at least 6 more good years before this was found. She was so healthy before this was found too. It was so unbelievable...my baby has cancer....No!!! Immediately I knew I needed to amputate and save her the pain of walking on her leg anymore...it's very painful...but she never complained about it...what a trooper. I went and got Glory that night in Charleston...couldn't leave her away one more night knowing it was limited time now. She was still drugged up when I got her...they had done a biospy of her bone and was making her leg hurt more too. She knew momma was there and was very happy that I rescued her. She slept right up next to me that night...not on the pillow with me like she normally did, but practically on top of me. It was a comfort to me to have her there next to me. I cried that night in bed holding her... not believing I had less than a year left with my little girl. The next morning I took her into work with me...my boss was goign to do the amputation that afternoon and we would recover from the surgery this weekend. I worked all day long on getting chemotherapy and planning for her. I was able to get the chemo I needed at a cost I could afford finally and was planning on starting on Tuesday and sitting in a room with her while it was done on my day off. At my lunch break I got her out of the kennel and took her in the backyard to run one last time on four legs. She ran around like a goofball...she loved it. I hadn't let her run in about 6 weeks because I was resting her and didn't want her to hurt herself more. She ran around and would run up to me and look up at me with those eyes...so happy even though her leg was hurting her. Just being outside and around me made my girl happy....and vice versa for me. We went to lunch and she sat in the seat next to me and was a good girl...looking at me so happy. Then we had to go in for surgery. We gave her pain control and let her hang out for a few minutes. She was calmer because she was sitting there with me. Then we put her under anesthesia....I was monitoring her anesthesia at first and thing were great. Her heartrate was steady and at a good rate. Robin started the surgery and since Glory was doing so well, I gloved up to help her so things could move along faster. A while after that her heart rate dropped about 40 beats pretty suddenly...I degloved and tried to breathe for her more....by the time we realized it was serious....we couldn't get her back...no amount of drugs or cpr brought her back. I couldn't believe that my girl had left me....this was not the way it was supposed to go. We had time left to spend together!! I cried over her for about 2 hours before I could finally leave. I still miss her terribly....I expect her to be there when I walk in the door so happy to see me...or to be there sleeping with her head on my pillow at night...or to come running to get food then run around outside with her sister. The toys miss her too...they just sit there and don't get moved around anymore....they lived to be carried around in Glory's mouth. My life is darker right now....I know she has moved on and is in no pain. She is running around on all legs with no pain. She has Grandma to help take care of her until I can join her to run with her someday. I know she is happy again but that doesn't help keep me from missing her so much. Glory was my special baby girl and she is missed soooo much by her momma. I know we will be reunited someday....I look forward to seeing her again that day. I love you, Glory. 5/7/06 Oh, baby girl, I can't believe you have been gone a month...I still miss you so much. I went and visited all the other dogs at home in Texas. It made me so sad because you weren't there to play with them and they all reminded me of you in little ways. I miss you everyday...when I come home you aren't there to greet me and you aren't sharing my pillow at night anymore. I love and miss you soooooo much, Gloriousness, be a good girl...we will be reunited one day. 7/22/06 Happy birthday, my little girl!! You are six years old today. I was thinking about you tons today...very sad day...you should be here celebrating your sixth year of life, not in ashes on the counter. I miss you every minute of everyday. 4/7/07 I can't believe you have only been gone a year...at times it seems like forever since I have seen your happy brown eyes and you mouth stuffed with a toy. Other times it seems like yesterday you were here. I still miss and think about you everyday...I always will. Thoughts and memories of you have been popping into my head a lot more recently...the closer it has come to today and I wish I could have done something different to help extend your wonderful happy life. I love you my baby girl and can't wait to be reunited with you some day. 4/7/08 Hi my baby....wow, two years have gone by without you...it's hard to believe. I miss you so much still. I tell Izzie all about you all the time and how you two would have loved each other so much. Someday you two will meet. I love you, my little happy bundle of energy, every day forever.

Glory's People Parent(s), Alison, would appreciate knowing you have visited their Baby's Residency. Click here to Email Alison a message, or to send a sympathy card click here. Email this page to a friend.

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