Jespah
05-20-2007, 06:07 PM
Riley has been very much on my mind this last week as it was a year ago that she started to get sick. I’ve wanted to get her on the site and haven’t had time, but am making the time so she can “be” here with us now.
Riley was my first dog and my first Corgi. I waited a long time to get a dog to make sure that he or she would fit in my lifestyle – working single gal. After a friend did it, I realized my life could only be better with a dog. I have loved Corgi’s since I met one in 1979 when I lived in Australia for a year. Friends had one, and although I grew up with St. Bernard’s, I thought this little dog was terrific – they stuck in my mind for all that time and when in 2000 I decided to “get off the pot” and get a dog, I researched Corgi characteristics and knew they were the breed for me.
It took weeks to find a breeder that would sell a pup to a single working gal living in an apartment, then the disappointment of a false pregnancy, then the 9 weeks after they were finally born from a different dog – I thought I’d burst with anticipation and excitement and finally she was mine.
We went through puppy kindergarten, and two levels of obedience and she was a great little learner – coming in first in all of her classes and winning the love of others she met along the way. She was my girl though – she would not stand for even having someone else taking her leash when we were out. When she was a year and a half old, I brought Rupert home for her to have a companion – she never really bonded with the cats. I’m not sure she was thrilled at first, as suddenly he got all the attention. They soon became close and we did everything together – our favourite thing was going to the water. Any water she could get into and chase rock splashes made her happy. I don’t know how many times I had to wade into freezing Lake Ontario to snap on her leash to get her out. Sometimes she even fell asleep standing waiting for me to throw rocks.
Last spring when Riley was five, she started being sick occasionally – which was not like her at all. I thought she had picked up a bug from the creek. After blood tests, x-rays, barium x-rays and finally surgery, we found out she had lymphoma of the bowel. It is incurable, but had the potential for remission with chemotherapy – as she was young and her spirit was very much still her own, I chose to try the chemo. I didn’t have a lot of time to make the decision and I did the best I could with the information I had at the time.
Unfortunately, after 2 treatments all of her white blood cells were destroyed and she was near death and I chose to stop treatment. I found out a week after she died that she had T cell cancer and that she never had a chance for remission. Had I known this upfront I would not have done the chemo – but you do what you have to with what you know and I don’t regret anything I did in those short weeks she was sick.
Her last month was spent between being at my friend’s cottage, the lake, the creek and the river at every opportunity I could give her. She did what she loved with Rupert and I right up until the end and that’s the best you could do for any friend.
A friend of mine, during the time Riley was ill, sent me these words from an old tv show and they became my mantra:
“Be brave, stay calm and watch for the signs”
If it wasn’t for Riley, I wouldn’t have Rupert and Jemma and I wouldn’t be here at C2bC with a great group of people who share their love for these wonderful little dogs. A number of people here saw me through losing Riley last year – and if it wasn’t for that support and kindness I would truly have been lost.
Riley, intensely waiting for me to throw a rock, Lake Ontario May 2006
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u70/Jespah_corgis/RileyLake.jpg
Riley was my first dog and my first Corgi. I waited a long time to get a dog to make sure that he or she would fit in my lifestyle – working single gal. After a friend did it, I realized my life could only be better with a dog. I have loved Corgi’s since I met one in 1979 when I lived in Australia for a year. Friends had one, and although I grew up with St. Bernard’s, I thought this little dog was terrific – they stuck in my mind for all that time and when in 2000 I decided to “get off the pot” and get a dog, I researched Corgi characteristics and knew they were the breed for me.
It took weeks to find a breeder that would sell a pup to a single working gal living in an apartment, then the disappointment of a false pregnancy, then the 9 weeks after they were finally born from a different dog – I thought I’d burst with anticipation and excitement and finally she was mine.
We went through puppy kindergarten, and two levels of obedience and she was a great little learner – coming in first in all of her classes and winning the love of others she met along the way. She was my girl though – she would not stand for even having someone else taking her leash when we were out. When she was a year and a half old, I brought Rupert home for her to have a companion – she never really bonded with the cats. I’m not sure she was thrilled at first, as suddenly he got all the attention. They soon became close and we did everything together – our favourite thing was going to the water. Any water she could get into and chase rock splashes made her happy. I don’t know how many times I had to wade into freezing Lake Ontario to snap on her leash to get her out. Sometimes she even fell asleep standing waiting for me to throw rocks.
Last spring when Riley was five, she started being sick occasionally – which was not like her at all. I thought she had picked up a bug from the creek. After blood tests, x-rays, barium x-rays and finally surgery, we found out she had lymphoma of the bowel. It is incurable, but had the potential for remission with chemotherapy – as she was young and her spirit was very much still her own, I chose to try the chemo. I didn’t have a lot of time to make the decision and I did the best I could with the information I had at the time.
Unfortunately, after 2 treatments all of her white blood cells were destroyed and she was near death and I chose to stop treatment. I found out a week after she died that she had T cell cancer and that she never had a chance for remission. Had I known this upfront I would not have done the chemo – but you do what you have to with what you know and I don’t regret anything I did in those short weeks she was sick.
Her last month was spent between being at my friend’s cottage, the lake, the creek and the river at every opportunity I could give her. She did what she loved with Rupert and I right up until the end and that’s the best you could do for any friend.
A friend of mine, during the time Riley was ill, sent me these words from an old tv show and they became my mantra:
“Be brave, stay calm and watch for the signs”
If it wasn’t for Riley, I wouldn’t have Rupert and Jemma and I wouldn’t be here at C2bC with a great group of people who share their love for these wonderful little dogs. A number of people here saw me through losing Riley last year – and if it wasn’t for that support and kindness I would truly have been lost.
Riley, intensely waiting for me to throw a rock, Lake Ontario May 2006
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u70/Jespah_corgis/RileyLake.jpg