Coco went to the vet last Thursday (11/21) because I was worried that she was not eating. His diagnosis was lymphoma cancer – blood work was sent out and four nodes were asperated. Friday morning I received a call from the vet that Coco was anemic and only had 22% of her blood supply – I knew it meant she was bleeding internally but the vet didn’t know. Friday afternoon the path results came in, the vet called me in my office stating she has an advanced stage of lymphoma cancer. I asked how long she has to live and he replied less than seven days to live … the wind was knocked out of my sails.
The last days were filled with eating (if she ate at all) whatever she wanted – all those foods the vets told me not to feed her – as long as HRH Coco ate, everyone was happy. I thought the Jewish momma was coming out in me with the lack of appetite HRH Coco had. Tuna fish in oil (yuck), salmon, crab legs, hot dogs, baby food, McDonalds hamburgers with fries, ice cream, apples, bananas, boiled chop meat (sirloin) and chicken with boiled rice and she didn’t eat her favorite eggs or French toast and forget about eating her carrot muffins! She was well hydrated and a few ice cubes in her bowl helped her drink her water. Confusion set in and she had to be walked on a leash in the backyard.
Saturday was filled with a visit with her favorite people (Aunt Hope and Uncle Jay) and at night watching her favorite movie “Annie”. She sat on the couch and watched the movie. Then it was Sunday … time to go to dad. Uncle Harvey came over to say his goodbyes to Coco with his eyes filled with tears. He carried her to the car and HRH Coco let – spoiled brat. She loves the car and is the best traveler but this time she was thirsty more and drank alot of water so I stopped twice to let her pee. A three hour trip took over four hours. How she loves going for a walk and still does – she holds herself regally and never pulled on her leash. The perfect wheaten! She had such a regal air about her besides being beautiful with a wonderful temperment.
Monday I noticed she was walking to the side as if she had a stroke and falling down. I knew her time was short with me so I just hugged and kissed her and got those famous wet wheaten kisses from her. I told her she will be seeing all her friends real soon but for some reason I felt this need to groom her, to comb her and make sure she could see through her eyes once so bright now dulled. On Tuesday I made an appointment with the vet by my dad. Mikey gave her a kiss on her head before we left the house. Then it was really her time … I dreaded this moment and wanted to freeze it in time but it was time. Dad and I wrapped her in her baby blanket and took her to the vet. We got there too fast, if you know what I mean. I sang to her and then the vet gave her the injection.
She went limp in my arms ….
She was given many last minute kisses to last a life time and returned them – I am being selfish because I always wanted more kisses – more time. She turned for a final kiss, and she began her journey towards The Rainbow Bridge. Candles lit the way and her path was bright, filled with sunshine and bright light. She looked back a couple of times and blew kisses to me and continued to walk towards the Bridge. Our songs were playing (You Are My Sunshine and My Way) and tears rolled down my cheeks and hers.
There was a commotion at the Bridge. Those dogs already there were awaiting the arrival of royalty. They formed two lines and Kismet and Muffin, as well as Domino and Sklar, pushed their way towards Fozzie. Kismet leaned over and whispered, “Go meet her Foz and bring your lover home”. Fozzie and Kismet hugged, Fozzie picked one red rose from the garden to give her but the beauty of the rose no way compared to the beauty of Coco, and Fozzie proceeded to the middle of the Bridge to greet his true love.
Coco, with her head held high, saw the love of her life – her soul mate – her prince. The way the sun was shining on him made him appear angelic to her – his fur glistened with silver. He is so handsome – oh Fozzie Bear. She turned to look at me once more, blew a kiss and said, “One day mom, we will all be together. Love you always mom. A new star will be born in the heaven tonight – a bright star – my star!” She then stepped onto the Bridge, walked regally towards Fozzie, where they hugged, he gave her the rose and he told her he will look after her always and forever.
Together they walked, hand in hand, to the other end of the Bridge, where she was greeted by Kismet who hugged her tight, Muffin, Domino, Sklar (her two friends from New Jersey), and all the other wheatens, schnauzers, goldens, poodles and other dogs waiting to meet HRH Coco. My Muffy introduced herself to Coco and the girls kissed and hugged. Mazel waited to hug Coco. The love from those at the Bridge was pouring out to her. She is not alone!
TJ showed Coco his star and she was amazed at the brightness. Coco told TJ that his mom sends him this and she kissed him on his cheek – TJ hugged her. TJ pointed out a star to Coco and told her that star is hers. Fozzie introduced her to Buster. Coco told Buster how much she loves Auntie Melissa and Uncle Stebe. Buster hugged her too. Everyone wanted to meet her and the names became a blur – so many of our darling dogs have crossed over to the Bridge. A beautiful dog, by the name of Charlie, greeted her and welcomed her with open arms. Sidney, Fausie, Casey, Demon, Mosley and Coleen came running over to Coco and told her that Norma was their mom and asked if she knew her. Coco told them that their mom is her Godmudda. Austin came over to Coco and hugged her – no words needed to be spoken – both fur kids endured the same illness. She is happy, pain free and loved!
They all came running up to greet her with hugs and kisses. Minnie, Rex, Nimue, Justin welcomed her and they romped with HRH Coco. The crowd parted and Spanky, Carla and Riley came running over to Coco – hugs and tears were flowing – it looks like the WW Band is forming in heaven. We need this band here with us! She told them all how much their moms and dads miss them. Freeway, shyly, came over to Coco and asked her if she ever met his folks and she told him she did, twice and told him the news. She told him how beautiful Sam is, how handsome Jason is and how much she loved Aunt Connie and Uncle Mark – Freeway was beaming. Freeway thanked her and Coco hugged him. She whispered to Freeway that Aunt Connie keeps everyones toes warm with her socks. The Lonestar wheatens introduced themselves to Coco and Coco told them how much Aunt Wendy and
Uncle Tom mean to her mom.
She was fit, healthy, happy with the love of her life besides her – together at last and forever! She knows that Mikey will get me through the agony of losing her. My sweet little girl, HRH Coco Van da Beard, with the dramatic eyes and tons of wet wheaten kisses was put to sleep on Tuesday, November 26th, 2002 at 5:45 PM – I held her in my arms as she closed her eyes. My beautiful wheaten girl who never won ribbons at any dog shows – instead she won the strings to my heart, was awarded the Attorney Generals Award for Volunteerism four times, who was wonderful at Pet Therapy and who helped get a stroke patient to speak, is sleeping peacefully without pain. My girlie girl who sat on the hospital bed of my mother kissing her after her strokes and mom petting her with her crippled hands. Walk with God my darling girl. In time the hole and emptiness in my heart will heal. My life was filled with happiness with her and I was double blessed when Mikey arrived.
Coco suffered from ear infections, cysts and fatty tumors all her life. The tumors were asperated and I was told not to worry – I worried when they said last Thursday that her lymph nodes are swollen and felt them (my God it felt like two golf balls were in her throat!) and Coco being a petite wheaten. I worried when the vet said that the blood work revealed she is anemic and might be bleeding internally. I worried BIG time when I got the results of the pathology reports back, I broke down BIG time in my office with the vet understanding how I felt. I worried when I asked the question how many days does she have left and was told one to seven!
Barb Peterson helped me get through one terrible operation years ago, before the arrival of Mikey, where the cyst burst inside Coco causing the poison to enter her system, she listened to me cry, offered her support and comforting words – Coco survived that surgery, but it was then that I told Barb that Coco will never suffer. Barb told me that it is hard to let go but is the right thing to do.
Coco was allergic to wheat, corn and yeast so I developed a cookie she could eat and enjoy, thus the birth of my cookie company called Rolling N Dough. Due to my knee surgery, me finding a home, getting the house fenced in, then packing, moving and unpacking, the car accident resulting in shoulder surgery … I’ve let the business slow down but have all intentions on getting it off the ground in loving memory of HRH Coco – her last picture taken Saturday will be posted on the About Us page – Jason will post it for me. It was Coco’s wish that those dogs that were allergic as she was could have a treat – I would not want to disappoint my Coco! Coco would love that come Christmas morning or any other morning there would be treats for her friends
in the wheaten and doggie kingdom!
There are so many close friends to thank – I would be lost without you all and to think this list brought us together: My cousin Bev for giving me Coco after my schnauzer Muffin died, my dad for understanding me wanting another wheaten, Hope and Jay (Coco made us friends, Mikey bound us together and I love you guys), Bobbi (my friend and traveling buddy who has her hands full with her ailing mom – to your family who thought Coco was a mild tempered wheaten – LOL if they only knew), Wendy and Tom (your love, compassion, friendship and guidance that helped me so much), Connie and Mark and Sam and Jason (I don’t know how to thank the Lipset family – they are an extension of my dwindling family), Norma and Ed (you laugh with me, you cry with me and now feel my hurt), Melissa and Steve (Coco brought us together – our babies are now together forever – who would have thought Fozzie would fall head over heels in love with Coco and she with him – lets not cry but rejoice they are together), Peggy (your phone calls and words of support helped so much), Viola (your suggestion about the diapers were devine), Anne, Gin (what can I say with you having gone through this recently yourself), Jody (thank you so much), Gayle (your friendship is so valuable to me), Jackie (our prayers go to Gleason), Joe McDuffie (your love, help and years of guidance has been a blessing to me – welcome back my friend), Lynn and Ray, both Karens in Florida and Karen Mueller (one day dear lady … one day), Lori (you are a wonderful friend), Bev, Cathy, Jacky, Pam, Carol, Stephanie, Rob, Gwen, Barb in Minny Soda (for giving me my second blessing and a wonderful, loving, wheaten who now has received the baton from Coco for Project Pups – if only he would stop levitating when he gets excited. Whether his name be Mike or Mikey, you named him appropriately Wild Rover – thank you), my wheaten picnic group, my wheaten rescue group, my wheaten health group, my senior people, my schnauzer people, my Project Pup group, my groomer Laura and her staff, my vet Dr. Wald and his staff (these people helped me so much with their compassion – unreal – they cried with me and felt my pain) and to Mike S for allowing me to be part of this wonderful group of people on this list that has been real good to me. I am so sorry if I forgot your names but my mind is not working right at this moment. To all the emails and Get Well Cards from your dogs to Coco, I thank you! For the love of everyone, yes everyone, on this list,
I thank you so much.
God bless everyone for their kind notes, friendships, phone calls and the support of the wonderful people of this list. I cried with many of you in the past and now we cry together for the loss of another wheaten – those that know what I am going through and those that offered words to calm me. One day I will join my dogs and our ashes will blow in a field of flowers … until then we live … we love and we miss them! Thank you all. I’m always there for you … just an email or phone call away.
It is my decision that Coco will be cremated. Mikey and I will return home on Saturday and we will wait for the call that the ashes of Coco are ready to be picked up so we can bring her home. I have lit a light tonight that will burn until I go home.
Before you go to bed tonight, please hug and kiss your wheatens or dogs for me. Their lives are so short, so precious, they give so much unconditional love and ask for nothing in return. I thought I would have more time with Coco but it’s not meant to be. My heart might be breaking for my loss, or should I say our loss, but am thankful I gave Coco over eight years of a good life.
Louise and Mikey (Via con Dios me sister Coco. She wuz da only sister dat never bit me butt when I went to da baff room, never got me into trouble and truly lubed me from da ferst day she met me. Coco wanted a brudder and got da best brudder dat lubed her. She taught me about eating ice with ma making small ice fer us, about ice makers and how to get ice out of dem, and ice hockey in da kitchen dat ma wood laff at us. I’ll love and watch over ma fer you – later girlie girl.
I will miss you Cocopuff!)
I'll always love you sweet Coco!
| Coco Van da Beard |
| Louise Gross |