Sammie’s Wellness Fund
Donation protected
Hello all,
As many of you know, we received devastating news last Wednesday. Blood work from a routine “senior-checkup” showed that Sammie had severely elevated liver enzymes. Our vet suggested an ultrasound as the next step.
It took but only minutes for the ultrasound to show two large, inoperable tumor growths on Sammie’s liver. One the size of a grapefruit and the other the size of a tangerine.
Her prognosis is just as certain as it is uncertain. The certainty lies in her diagnosis. The uncertainty lies in how long Sammie will continue to enjoy her life surrounded by friends (both fur and human). It is inevitable that her tumors will be her demise. As they grow, they become more and more likely to rupture, which is fatal.
The position that I (we) are in is this: I need help. As someone who has demanded self-sufficiency all her life, it feels awkward to ask for help, especially money. The reality is that I am struggling financially this off-season, as many Vail Valley locals have inevitably experienced living in a heavily tourism-based economy/community.
This was the absolute last thing we expected. After struggling with “what to do” with this new information about Sammie’s health, we have decided that it is up to her. Over the past several days we have told her repeatedly how much we love her... and we have told her that when she is ready it will be okay- to let us know when her physical experience of life is no longer a happy one.
We have had lots of ups and downs in a short amount of time. And I believe that she’s still got some life left in her to live. We have had some beautiful days lying in the grass and dipping in the river. She is more tired than usual but she is happy.
I want to be able to offer her the best while she is still here. I plan to get her in with a local holistic vet who can walk us through dietary changes specific to Sammie’s needs. I will try all of the “hippie dippie” herbs, acupuncture, and Reiki (now that she’s letting me treat her!) as I would do if the diagnosis was my own. No time is guaranteed and that is painfully obvious. But it doesn’t mean I’m not going to try.
If she is in pain when she is ready to transition we will need to have her “put to sleep” and cremated. It has felt so heavy to plan for this and the reality is that I want to be focused on spending time with my girl rather than worry about how I’m going to cover the cost of her care.
If you are able to help us with this it would mean the world to us. Every dollar counts.
I acknowledge those of you who have already offered to help. Thank you all so much for the outpouring of love, prayers, belly rubs and extra treats for our girl. We are overwhelmed with gratitude in the midst of our grief. It is such an honor to be surrounded by so much love.
As many of you know, we received devastating news last Wednesday. Blood work from a routine “senior-checkup” showed that Sammie had severely elevated liver enzymes. Our vet suggested an ultrasound as the next step.
It took but only minutes for the ultrasound to show two large, inoperable tumor growths on Sammie’s liver. One the size of a grapefruit and the other the size of a tangerine.
Her prognosis is just as certain as it is uncertain. The certainty lies in her diagnosis. The uncertainty lies in how long Sammie will continue to enjoy her life surrounded by friends (both fur and human). It is inevitable that her tumors will be her demise. As they grow, they become more and more likely to rupture, which is fatal.
The position that I (we) are in is this: I need help. As someone who has demanded self-sufficiency all her life, it feels awkward to ask for help, especially money. The reality is that I am struggling financially this off-season, as many Vail Valley locals have inevitably experienced living in a heavily tourism-based economy/community.
This was the absolute last thing we expected. After struggling with “what to do” with this new information about Sammie’s health, we have decided that it is up to her. Over the past several days we have told her repeatedly how much we love her... and we have told her that when she is ready it will be okay- to let us know when her physical experience of life is no longer a happy one.
We have had lots of ups and downs in a short amount of time. And I believe that she’s still got some life left in her to live. We have had some beautiful days lying in the grass and dipping in the river. She is more tired than usual but she is happy.
I want to be able to offer her the best while she is still here. I plan to get her in with a local holistic vet who can walk us through dietary changes specific to Sammie’s needs. I will try all of the “hippie dippie” herbs, acupuncture, and Reiki (now that she’s letting me treat her!) as I would do if the diagnosis was my own. No time is guaranteed and that is painfully obvious. But it doesn’t mean I’m not going to try.
If she is in pain when she is ready to transition we will need to have her “put to sleep” and cremated. It has felt so heavy to plan for this and the reality is that I want to be focused on spending time with my girl rather than worry about how I’m going to cover the cost of her care.
If you are able to help us with this it would mean the world to us. Every dollar counts.
I acknowledge those of you who have already offered to help. Thank you all so much for the outpouring of love, prayers, belly rubs and extra treats for our girl. We are overwhelmed with gratitude in the midst of our grief. It is such an honor to be surrounded by so much love.
Organizer
Mary Christine
Organizer
Eagle, CO
