Tag: MS and Dogs

One post a day… APAD Day 9 Gone but never forgotten

~ msgracefulnot ~ 3 Comments

Remembering Snuff and D.O.G.

We purchased D.O.G in 2008. I was very depressed. My step daughter that I had been raising for the last 5 years decided to move across the country to live with her biological mother. I was in and out of the hospital having MS exacerbations every couple of months. I was in A. Bad. Place. Adding D.O.G. to our family was just what I needed. She was my constant companion or copilot. The MS exacerbations continued to occur every two or three months finally landing me in a wheelchair almost full time and having to use a Foley catheter. Again, I. was. DEPRESSED. I was put in a rehabilitation center for 3 months to learn how to walk again. (That is another story though) D.O.G. also became very depressed. She would not eat unless she could visit me or hear my voice on the phone. Did I mention co-dependent? My ex-husband and I decided to get a dog for D.O.G.

Buying a dog for your dog

Yes I bought a dog for my dog. I have always loved German Shepherds. They are hands down my favorite breed. A friend of the family’s German Shepherd had puppies and she said I could take my pick for $300.00. If you have ever purchased a purebred dog, you know that $300.00 is a hell of a deal. (more on that later) Thing One, Thing Two and I went to meet the puppies. Out of 12 of them we were all able to agree that Snuff was the one. The fact that we were all able to agree, MADE her the one. That and she kind of picked us.

Getting two dogs was one of the few Good Decisions that I have made in my life. Over the next few years I learned the importance of training your dogs to be “Good Citizens” or in Layman’s terms “not to be assholes”. Again that’s another story though.

Losing a pet is devastating

Snuff died in June of 2019

Time of Death 10:30 pm 06/15/2019

and I lost D.O.G. in January of 2021

I didn’t write a post about losing D.O.G. I COULDN’T write. I couldn’t sleep. I just couldn’t…well anything.

Both of these girls will always be in my heart!

A post a Day APAD Day Four Are you Ready?

~ msgracefulnot ~ 6 Comments

Are you ever REALLY ready?

Honestly, I don’t think I am ever “ready”. What the hell does being ready even mean? I get an idea, (like writing a post a day), TRY to do some planning to make my chances of success better, and then I just jump into it. If I waited for things to be perfect, or allowed myself to listen to the list of things that COULD go wrong that is always swimming in my Brain I would be never get anything done.

I am dying to share pictures of my German Shepherds. I had this great plan to write a post introducing them to you. Every day they make me laugh, play, move, and sometimes want to scream. As I started writing though I was consumed with Guilt. I felt guilty that I never told you that D.O.G died. I wrote about the loss of Snuff, but I never wrote about losing D.O.G. Then I felt like I was betraying her memory because I have allowed myself to care so much about my current German Shepherds.

I spent the rest of the day convincing myself that I shouldn’t feel guilty. I did love D.O.G., so much that the pain I felt when she passed paralyzed me. I didn’t get out of bed for days. I couldn’t get another dog because I FELT like I would be trying to replace her. There is no replacing D.O.G. I know that in my heart. I will try to write about Kitt and Lady (my current shepherds) this week, but not until I have written a Tribute to D.O.G.

Best laid plans huh?