R.I.P.

I'm more distraught than I could have imagined about the death of my dog. She was a 7 year-old lab named Muhammed "Hailey."

Last Wednesday, Hailey was diagnosed with leukemia. The vet told me that that, with treatment, the cancer would likely go into remission and Hailey might live for as long as 1.5 years, or more. Accordingly, I began treating her with chemo and steriods. Her condition immediately worsened. So after 3 days, I stopped the chemo and began carrying her in, out, and around the house so we could be together. I also took the pictures of her below on Saturday.

On Sunday, which was my 7th wedding anniversary, my wife and I decided to keep our previously arranged date, and go out to dinner. I thought Hailey would be fine because when I got home from work, she was wagging her tail, and when the baby sitter arrived, Hailey actually stood up and barked. I was impressed at her new found strength and her continued devotion to protect the family from people coming to the door. About an hour and a half later, she died.