Born
2/1/00 - Died 4/22/09
Born
2/1/00 - Died 4/22/09
Sadly, I lost my girl, Katie on 4/22/09 to bone and lung cancer. Katie was about 9-years-old. Putting Katie to sleep was the hardest thing I've ever experienced. Katie was my backpacking and hiking companion, and she was as loyal and loving to me as any dog with whom I've ever shared my life. I will miss her until the day I die, and then I hope to find her bounding toward me through some great meadow in heaven.
JUMP’N CLEAR TO HEAVEN
I remember when
you brought me home
And my life began
anew
I couldn’t know
what lay ahead
After all that
I’d been though
But I put my trust
in both of you
A family we would
be
Mom and dad, and
Katie, oh, and bro Bentley
My dad would take
me hiking,
Camping in the
woods
I loved our family
Christmases
Tearing at those
gift wrapped goods.
I remember stops
at Starbucks
Lick’n good
whipped cream
Our New Years
hikes in
Along the Virgin
stream
There came a time
when Bentley left
We all felt so
alone
But soon lil’
Bogart joined our clan
I’d swear he was
a clone.
Our RV trips were
awesome
Especially RivrVue
I got to see my
mom again,
And oh, so many
Bouvs.
You quickly
learned I liked to jump
I awed you with my
height
I’d even spin
and bark aloud
I’d leap ‘neer
out of sight.
You couldn’t
know as you made me stop
About my plan back
then
How could you know
I was training
For that final
leap to heaven.
Watch out Bentley,
Rags, Cosby, and Lola
Here I come!
Got Cats???
April 22, 2009
Katie now sleeps in this antique Japanese Sake Jug. The statue looks exactly like my Katie. Her tags lie in the foreground.
Katie and Mike – a LOVE story
Katie left for Heaven the morning of April 22, 2009.
Hong had left for
On Sunday, May 3, 2009, 11 days after Katie’s passing, I went for an easy bike ride, my first ride in 9 days. I stopped on the way home for a Quizno’s sub, which I took with me to Starbucks. I ate my lunch, had a latte, and chatted with an acquaintance. Then I rode home. I packed some things to take to Hong the following week, and I stacked it by the front door. Then I watched the Tour de Romandie from 3 PM to 5 PM. After that, I went to Starbucks, grabbed another latte, which I took with me to Albertsons, where I grocery shopped. I returned home right at 7 PM, just as Ian, my neighbor and friend, arrived home.
I was expecting to watch NCIS at 8 PM, but as it turns out, it did not come on until 9 PM. So, I went into my office to check e-mail, etc. I opened my Cycling Log to log my earlier ride; I made my entries. Then ………
At 1 AM Monday morning, I awoke in the hospital! What the Hell????????
I was soon to learn the following:
I called Hong 2 or 3 times sometime around 8:30 PM. I told her I was confused. Something was wrong. The house was wrong. Where is Katie? She is not here. Why is all that stuff stacked by the front door? And again, Where is Katie? Obviously this scared the heck out of Hong. She did not know what to say or do. I then went next door to Ian’s house. I told Ian that something was wrong at my home. Can you come and help me? Ian went with me to see what was going on.
For the next hour, as Ian describes it, I did the loop-de-loop. I asked the same questions again and again. Just when it appeared I understood Ian’s answers, I would renew the loop. Where is Katie? Why isn’t she here? Why is all that stuff stacked by the door. Why is a Starbucks cup in the sink? My socks and a fleece jacket were on the sofa. I kept saying, those are from the past. Those are from before. Where is Katie? Why isn’t Katie here? I took Ian into my office several times. On my desk were envelopes addressed to the veterinarian and to the cremation services; a grooming certificate from Petco, and an envelope containing Katie’s hair, which I had clipped the night before she went to sleep one last time. The screensaver on my desktop computer was of Katie and me on a hike. My Cycling Log remained open. This indicates clearly that this was the last thing I did before my “incident.”
Ian called the paramedics. They arrived, as did a fire truck and two police cars. The quick diagnosis was a “stroke.”
I had a Cat Scan (I meowed for them) – it showed nothing wrong. I had an MRI including dye – it showed nothing wrong. I had a blood test – hey! – my cholesterol was down to 167 from 190 my last physical. The blood test showed nothing abnormal. I had an ultra sound on my arteries, specifically, my carotid arteries. Pulse and blood flow to the brain, or the hole where the brain should have been, was great. I had a full EKG – it was also excellent, thanks to my cycling, I’m sure. In short, I had a fantastic and really comprehensive physical examination, and it proclaimed me really healthy. So, what had happened?
Grief is a powerful thing. Keeping one’s grief inside is a terrible thing to do. That’s what I had done, not by choice, but by situation. Hong was gone, Katie died, I was house-bound due to the flu (this was the time of the H1N1 - Swine Flu scare) – I had virtually no outlet. The grief grew inside me – I really love Katie, and I missed her terribly. I had rescued Katie at age 2. She had signs of abuse. It even looked as if someone had taped her legs together. Hair never grew fully in those areas again. When I picked her up at the shelter, she latched onto me with all of her strength and love. She had some issues, but they were outweighed by the sweetness within her. I nurtured that with Lin’s help. Katie regained her confidence and trust, lost most of her aggressive tendencies, yet never lost an ounce of her sweetness. I took her backpacking, camping, hiking, RVing, on road trips, to Starbucks for whipped cream treats, three times in the Santa Barbara Big Dog Parade, to ASPCA events, Obedience classes, Rattlesnake Aversion training, to dog parks, and so many other places. She had a full life. She was loved beyond words. I protected her from harm. Almost everyone who met her loved her. Katie looked to me, not as her owner, but as her big brother. So when I had her put to sleep, I felt as if I were betraying her trust. I knew that wasn’t the case. Katie had bone and lung cancer, and the day she went to sleep, she could not stand without collapsing. That had come on suddenly. The night before, I had talked to Katie, and we both agreed that it was time.
Thus, on Sunday, May 3, the grief came pouring out, and it knocked me into La La Land. I was lost and confused. I was alone (sorry, Bogart). I have absolutely no memory of what happened from about 8:30 PM until 1 AM, when I awakened in the hospital.
The nurses and doctors were awesome. When it was realized that I had not had a stroke or any other physical incident, they became listeners and impromptu therapists. I poured out my heart. I allowed the grief to flow. I guess I sort of let Katie go, and finally released her into God’s arms.
A footnote:
I learned from a neighbor that Bogart howled and cried for hours while I was in the hospital. That was unusual for him. At first I surmised that it was because he was afraid that I was never coming back. After all, only eleven days earlier he had been at the veterinarian’s office when Katie left him amidst the smells of medicine. Now, I had been taken from him, also amidst the smells of medicine (paramedics). He was suddenly all alone. His pack, the source of his companionship, protection, direction, and interaction, was suddenly gone.
Then, today I realized that it was even more devastating to
him. Remember, twenty-five days
earlier Hong, had also left him for
PS: It is now
8/8/09, three weeks after I was nearly killed in a bicycle vs. car accident ( a
woman turned left and hit me almost head-on as I was cycling at about 29 miles
per hour at the very end of a 56-mile bike ride.
Not my year, I guess. But
Bogart is doing much better, and has developed his own sense of comfort and
confidence. Over the last few months
I have watched him shed his reliance on Katie and become a more independent
Bouvier. Katie would be proud
of her surrogate son.
Hi! I'm Katie. I'm a Bouvier des Flandres - I was born on or about 2/1/99. No one is certain, because I was rescued from the Animal Control (Pound) in Santa Maria, California by Mike in February 2001. I lived in Riverside, California before that, but I became separated from my prior owner somehow. I bounced around a bit, and after some hard times, found my way into Mike's heart. There I met my old buddy Bentley, another Bouvier des Flandres. We lost Bentley in December of 2004. Bentley taught me a lot of good things, but I kept my "whacko" side, 'cuz that's me.
March 2005....near Zion N.P.
Do I love my dad? You guess.
I love going hiking and backpacking with my dad. I carry my own pack, stuffed with food, booties, brush, a doggie first aid kit, treats, pooper bags, collapsible food/water dish, etc. Dad carries my water, because I'm not supposed to carry more than 10-15 pounds on my back. I've hiked up to twelve miles in a day - two times at that distance - but normally it's five to seven miles.
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