Sandie was my yellow lab/beagle mix. She was knee hight, had a pink nose and a personality that everyone loved and looked forward to. She loved to swim, hike, camp, go bye-bye in the car, go to the farm and also loved long walks. She was seven and would be turning eight next week (11/99). After having a discharge for a while, it was diagnosed that she had an infection and the doctor treated her with an antibiotic shot and a mild tranquilizer to keep her inactive. The next morning, she awoke with a softball size tumor on her neck/shoulder. She was filled with blood and her left limb was swollen. I took her back to the vet and we were sent to the emergency clinic. There, she had a diagnosis of a mass cell tumor/that was very aggressive and cancerous. It was the worst day of my life and I felt helpless. It all didn't sit well with me so I took her for a second opinion and the second doctor believed she had fallen and a hematoma had developed (she didn't not see any mass cells). What a relief. My life with Sandie would continue. Over the next two months of the summer, Sandie went camping, hiking, swimming, fishing, many walks and even on our yearly car ride, down south. She even made it back to my parent's farm. One day, she began to favor her left limb and was limping. A few friends made the comment that her lump was growing. I did not want to believe it. They were right! The tumor had grown and was growing in- side of her and had attached to her respiratory wall. The weekend arrived and Sandie was in excruciating pain. I took her to the emergency clinic were it was again diagnosed as a mass cell tumor and it was only a matter of time. They gave her pain meds and told me to keep her as comfortable as I could. She didn't find any peace with the medication and she had lost her leg, it was dragging. I cried, weaped and tried to help the pain go away, but I couldn't. I comforted Sandie for the night and took her the next morning to our regular vet. The tumor was pushing on her nerves and she lost all functions of her leg. She was in pain and it would only continue to get worse. My options were, surgery to amputate her leg/shoulder, but the doctors told me that their fear was the cancer would spread as soon as they began to open her for surgery (for it was so aggressive). Sandie became very arthritic over her early years and I don't think she would have the strength to become a three legged dog. The surgery would only prolong her being with me and it would be a terrible, devastating, painful road for Sandie to take. The doctors felt, the surgery would not be successful and if the tumor had attached to her respiratory wall, she would pass away on the surgery table. I had to make a big decision and possibly say "goodbye" to the most important thing in my life." I knew as much as I wanted to bring her back home, I just couldn't do that to Sandie. That moment I began to say my goodbyes, last hugs/kisses, held her tight, until her last breath. She is now at Rainbows Bridge, looking for me as she always did. The day will come when we shall again, be together and live a happy life. I miss her something terrible. I love that d