[ihc] Cancer has struck...Update

[John Fleck <john@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Well Gang,

As alot of you know my dog Larp was diagnosed with Cancer Last week.
Alot of you wrote me privatley to tell your personel stories and views, and
share your thoughts with me. I thanked some of you, but was not able to get
back to all of you. To thoes of you i did not get back to thank you.

I am sad to tell you that Larp was Laid to rest Sunday afternoon. As I sit
here crying at the lost of my best friend, I know it was best for him. I
miss him so very much and as some said would have given anything to fix him
and have him around for 6 or so more years.

I decided not to do Chemo and was going to get some predazone(one of the
cheap drugs used in chemo) to open up the Lymphnoids. Friday was my 30th
birthday and I celebrated it with 20 some friends and family at my house
with a BBQ. I was told by the vet to give him anything he wanted to eat
except raw meat. I cooked him a Tri Tip Steak, and he had some rib meat, as
well as lots of handout from thoes attending the party. My Aunt got him a
10 pound cow femer bone from the Butcher that he loved dearley. He chewed
for hours on that. He even growled at me for the firstb time ever when i
reached for it to throw it around for him. He let me hve it though. It was
so cute to here him growl. Well that night his belly was big. It seemed he
was happy.

The next day i noticed he had not drank alot of water all day and his belly
was getting bigger. Gas I thought from him meal. Well at 7pm I took him to
the vet after consulting them on the phone. They took some X-rays and found
a larger than normal spleen and a huge pocket of fluid in his abdomen. It
was decided the Lymphnodes were not open and pushing the fluid in there. So
they started to drain it and it came out blood! It was tested and yes it
was not from the spleen, it was internal bleeding. It was decided after
long talkes with the vet that it was the cancer causing the bleeding. My
family who i had called down there was there to support me as well as my
girlfriend Lau'ren. After more talking with the vet and me crying it was
decided that i was not ready for this and i chose to take him home one last
night before coming in the next day to put him to sleep to end the
suffering. They called the nightime vet hospital to warn them I may come in
at night if it took a bad turn.
I figured he could sleep with me on the bed one last night. Well at about
midnight i called him and he went to his dog bed, so i went over and saw
him. His belly was getting really huge and it was pressing up on his lungs
to the point that he was panting and having a hard time getting air. I
called my sister and Mom to come over asap. When they arrived my sis called
the clinic and arranged for us to come in.
I took him one last time down the back road to smell the cows and farm
smells on the way to the clinic in the International(the only trucks he
ever loved). I let him reliev himself one last time as well as try and find
a cat i had just seen, then took him inside. Man it was the hardest thing i
had to do to sign the papers on him. I was in tears the whole time. He went
in my arms while I was telling him I Loved him and he was the best buddy
ever. I then carried him in my arms outside to the truck. He sleep in peace
in the back till morning when i went up to the shop and welded up a sign
for him. I cranked up the wire speed and down the voltage to make raised
letters. It said "LARP" with a smily face after it as he always made people
smile, even saying his name made people smile. Then under that it said The
Best Buddy EVER. Then on the upright it said RIP. I did not put dates on it
as he still lives in my mind and is with me. It sticks up from his grave
3-4 feet up by my old shop in the woods where he has a view of the woods
and hills. I am going back up there and planting some flowers for him.  He
also has his big bone under his leg and his KONG chew toy there for him.
His collor will hang up where he can always look over me. Its the best way
to honor him i could think about. 

I miss him so very much it brings tears just writting this, but i thought
you all should know and it was theraputic for me to write this. He will be
missed by many he touched. His legacy lives on in that when i get
another(have To) he will be named Otis as that was larps name when i got
him at 7 months old at WSU in 1998
Its been a very emotional and somber weekend/week for me. Sorry if i have
been unavailable but my mind is elsewhere.
Thanks all for listing to me, and know that he is free to run and chase
cats and stuff now till I see him again some day.

John
John Fleck
3351 Northlake Way NW
Bremerton, WA. 98312
e-mail jfleck@domain.elided

                    R.I.P. "LARP"
        
           Washington State University Alumni
            ("\-''-/").___..--''"'-._
               'o_ o  )   '-.  (     ).'-.__.') 
   GO COUGS    (_Y_.)'  ._   )  '._ '. ''-..-'  
              ..'--'_..-_/  /--'_.' ,'
            (!!),-'' (!!) ,'  ((!!-'
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