Boodha by Todd and Joedie / Mommy and Daddy

With tears in my eyes and an aching heart, where to begin my son, where to begin?

This story began in Sept. 1996 when you entered our life and thus began the saga of Boodha. It was a beautiful fall day when we received the call that the adoption contract was accepted and that you were officially our son. I went to pick you up from the local humane society, and the excitement was overwhelming for both of us. The ride home where I kept looking in my rearview mirror and telling myself I can’t believe you’re now the boy we were wanting, needing,
and you were going
to your new forever home.

Years of loyalty, and of unconditional love were to follow. You were our calm port during the stormy seas known as life. When Grandma passed away in 1999, you were there for me and I can tell you buddy, I’m so glad you were by my side. You helped to ease the sadness and to be honest, I don’t think I could have made it through those tough times that followed without your help, and for that I’m appreciative. Whenever Mom and I would have rough day, you were by our side to bring a smile to our face with one of your goofy expressions or one of your vocalization and
for that we thank you.

After all those healthy years, this past fall brought a new chapter to your life. We had just returned from our annual beach trip when Mom noticed your belly looking distended and we scheduled a trip to the doctor. Having not had faith in your previous doctors, we made an appt. with a new clinic and sure enough, they were the right people at the right time. We came to find that you had a heart murmur, and that you possibly had fluid buildup in your belly for which we were referred to a cardiologist. Sure enough the scheduled appt. was moved up because your condition started
to worsen between the visits.

Unfortunately I was unable to get out of work for that visit and Mom was calling to give me the play by play. When all was said and done that day, they had drained several liters of fluid from your belly, and Mom mentioned that it was like the difference between night and day when the doctor had finished, and said you were trim again and seemed to be feeling much better even though you were diagnosed with congestive heart failure. It seemed we dodged a bullet, as we thought that might be the day we would have to make a tough choice, due mostly to your seeming to go downhill the night before, and not ever having you be that sick in the previous 10 years, we thought the worst.

In the weeks that followed we had several vet visits, and three weeks ago the doctor diagnosed you with diabetes after a rough couple of days, and we figured we dodged yet another bullet when the vetsulin seemed to do the job and make you feel soo much better. This past Saturday you had your last visit to our general doctor to check your glucose and later that afternoon your breathing became more labored but not enough so to not accept some treats from me when I returned hom from work. During the course of the evening, you developed a cough and Mom and I figured it was just “one of those days” and you’d surely get over it. Unfortunately my beautiful son, we were wrong.

Mom decided it best that she take you to the emergency vet and I didn’t go thinking that surely it wouldn’t be the last time I’d see you, but rather thinking it would just be another pill or another procedure from which you’d bounce right back like you did the two times previously. Sadly I was wrong, and Mom called with options presented to us given your condition, which was fluid buildup in your belly, and sadly your lungs to the point that the x-ray showed quite a bit. One was to have you admitted for up to three days and have you spend the time in an oxygen tank, while having Lasix given via IV, and even then the doctor claimed we would very likely be faced with the same situation in several days. Along with this option we were told we’d need
to let the doctor know
if we wanted extreme measures taken
if you were to need them.

The second option was the one we never wanted to take, and that we talked about several times prior, and that was to do the unselfish thing, and let you leave us because you were ready. Mom called me and we cried for several minutes actually thinking about the first option, but then she got more upset when you were brought into the smaller room and she said you were having a real tough time catching breath, and that you had coughed up some blood because the constant coughing broke blood vessels in your lungs. The decision was then made that we would help you on your way to the rainbow bridge, and believe me sweetheart, it was hands down the single hardest decision we’ve had
to make in our lives.

I’ll regret till my passing day that I wasn’t there with you and that your Mom had to go it alone, and that I wasn’t there for you like you were for me so many time before, and for that my beautiful son, I’m so very sorry and I hope you forgive me. Had I thought for a minute that it would be the last time we’d see each other on this earth, I would have been there for you, regardless of how scared I’d have been.
You were the best thing that happened to us Boodha, and for that we thank you. I never thought in a million years I’d be writing this memorial to your wonderful life and passing on to others what a joy you were, but if this is the least I can do to pass along the story of your life, I’ll do through the tears streaming down my cheeks, and with the aching in my heart where the hole is, because I owe you that much. We were truly blessed to have had such a wonderful son, and you were the brightest part of our day, every day and you’ll be sorely missed by all that knew and loved you, which was pretty much everyone lucky enough to have met you.

In closing the chapter of your physical life, I want to thank you for being our son, and for providing the comfort, the love and the companionship you did, it’s so empty here without you and Mom and I will be grieving for a long time, because your life was so special to us, and please know that you’ll never be forgotten and that the impact
you had on us was quite profound.

 

RIP Beautiful Boodha, you'll be missed by all that knew you, especially your Mommy and Daddy,
and we'll see you soon buddy.