Hi everyone, my name is Dimetrius. My wife and I are the proud parents of Isis, an 11 year old Siberian Husky.

One morning in April 2010, I awoke @ 4am to Isis vomiting bile and looking very pale. I called her vet and rushed her over as soon as they opened. The news I got was shocking and terrifying, Isis had developed a large mast on her liver and from what they could tell, she was terminally ill. Oh how I cried. I couldn’t believe that my baby was ill. I couldn’t believe that I didn’t see the symptoms earlier. I’d failed her as a parent and she would pay the ultimate price for my failing.

Fast forward a few days, and I’d regained my composure and Isis took a turn for the better, so I started calling surgical specialists and had the good fortune to find the Garden State Veterinary Specialists (GSVS) in Tinton Falls NJ. There we met Dr. Fulcher who after an ultrasound determined that Isis’ cancer was operable and that she was a good surgical candidate. Surgery was scheduled and Isis pulled through like the champ she is. That was 13 months ago.
For the last 13 months Isis had been a pure joy. She’d basically become a puppy all over again. She’d been rambunctious, full of energy, feisty, funny and of course absolutely adorable. Wherever we’d go, people were amazed that she was 10/11 years old. She didn’t look or act the part of an ‘older dog’, in fact, she’d run circles around dogs half her age. At that point she became known as Isis “the Wonderdog” in our house.

Then came Sunday 6/12/2011.

On Sunday, I noticed that Isis seemed a bit off. Slow on her walks, eating a lot of foliage and drinking way too much water. Immediately red flags went up! We scheduled another appointment back at GSVS for another ultrasound and my worst fears were confirmed. The cancer had returned and was now on 90% of her liver and while it wasn’t inoperable, the facts were that they didn’t know if she was healthy enough to survive the surgery and even if she did, her quality of life would be compromised greatly because of the surgery. She’s been given 3 to 4 months to live with the possibility that she could pass away at any minute if the mast ruptures and hemorrhages. At that point I made the decision to let Isis be. She’s been thru so much in her life and especially over the last year that I just don’t want to subject her to the unknown. Right now she seems happy, alert and focused, like always, but just a little slower than usual.

I’m crying as I type this because I feel like I’m betraying her, like I’m betraying the only thing in this world that loves me for me and I know that everyone here knows what I mean. My baby is dying and essentially all I can do is watch her die and try to know when to say when. I feel helpless and hopeless. Every time she looks at me with her big blue eyes I cry. I believe in God and I know that He/She exists because we were granted a wonderful year with Isis that we couldn’t have hoped for or expected, but sometimes I wonder why innocent beings, like my Isis, must suffer in such a way.

Thanks for listening (reading)

Isis' Dad

Dear Dimetrius,

My heart is breaking for you right now. I'm so sorry that you're having to go through this agony. Anticipatory grief can be just as painful, sometimes even more so, then after they have passed. It is so clear from your post that you love your beautiful girl, Isis, with all of your heart and soul. Isis know this, and it is all she's ever asked of you. You have not 'failed' her in any way, so please try to stop thinking this (I know it's easier said then done). Sometimes illnesses can be so difficult to spot, and sometimes they creep up on you so fast, that you don't notice until it's too late. This has happened to so many people (myself included) and we cannot blame ourselves. We do the best we can for our babies, with the best of our knowledge, and that's all that we can do. Unfortunately, we're not psychic, and our babies cannot speak and tell us what's wrong -- oh, if only they could. Losing a beloved companion is one of the hardest things we have to go through, and I so wish that none of us had to go through it.

All you can do now, is continue doing what you do best -- loving your baby girl with all your heart. Keep her comfortable, give her extra cuddles, tell her you love her every day, and enjoy every moment you have left with her. I know you are dreading what is to come, but remember and rest assured that Isis is not. Animals, unlike humans, do not fear death. I do not think of their passing as a death, but as a 'transition'. She will always be with you in the form of love and energy; and you will keep her forever alive through your love and memories of her.

Please know, we are all with you during this painful journey. We are all here to offer an understanding heart. I hope you return and let us know how you're getting on. In the meantime, I will keep you and your beautiful Isis in my thoughts and prayers.

Take care, Cheryl xx

Hi, Demitrius, thank you so very much for sharing your precious Isis with us, and please permit me to add my sincerest sympathies in you Anticipatory Grief journey. Anticipatory Grief is a different journey, for we still are blessed with their precious physical presence, and our hearts ache for "something" to "somehow" make it possible for them to stay with us just one more lifetime. There is no denying that our earthly journey with our beloved companions is never long enough. An eternity with our beloved companions is never long enough.

Our good friend Cheryl has offered you the most comforting words I could ever hope to offer you, so please read her response to you often, for they are also words from my own heart to you.

Demitrius, please know you are not alone in your Anticipatory Grief journey with Isis. Each of us here do understand what you are going through, and we are here for you for as long and as often as you need us. Cherish each moment of every day that you have with your beautiful baby girl, as I know you are already doing, and thank you so very much for sharing your precious Isis with us. Please know you and your precious Isis are in my thoughts and prayers, and look forward to knowing how you both are doing.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Dear Demetrius

Another heart is breaking for you. You are one of the few lucky people who have been blessed by having your soul-dog find you, live with you, teach you, play with you, and most of all love you. When this happens it's like ... well ... a Lightning Strike. No one who hasn't had this gift can understand the bond between a person and his or her soul animal. Aminal souls and people's souls are made of the same 'stuff', they're one and the same. Our spirit animal is part of us and we are a part of them - in a very real way.

It's what is different between us that makes things so hard. Whoever made this universe made our aminals' life spans on this earth much shorter than ours, for one thing. And we cannot exactly speak each other's language. But animals are far smarter and far more understanding than we are. They can see through our souls - all the way to the inside. And they are here to teach us some lessons - lessons that we're never sure of, we can only try to guess as best we can. (They must think we're horrible students!). Spirit dogs do all this just by being present. Their presence is a source of strength and protection against trouble for us.

My Gretta (the kindest chocolate lab) passed into the next world on April 10 so I'm a couple of months ahead of you on this grief road. And, yes, I, too, am crying as I write this - I miss her so much. Like you, I did everything I could to make her last years the best years of her life. And, like you, I couldn't "save" her. But like my vet said, she's in a safe place now. And that's true.

You most certainly have not failed dear Isis in any way. On the contrary, you have given her every bit of love that you have in you - that greates gift possible. Animals recognize that, they feel that. Unlike people they're concerned about more than the "outcome." Every bit of love that you give, her, every head pat, every stroke of her beautiful white fur is a ray of warm sunshine for her. Love know no bounds - especially between species and more especially between soul-mates. Like MoonBeam said, animals do not fear death. In my heart I believe that they and we have lived before and will live again after our journey here. Love has no end. If it's present, it lives on no matter what.

You're going through what the parents of terminally ill children must go through - the agony of helplessness and desperate wish that there was something, anything that would make this torture go away and let us live together on this earth just a little while longer. Please know that every loving look, every head pat, every kind word, every tear, every cuddle has special meaning to Isis now - - and to you, too,=. The only difference is that Isis knows this is just a passage, that you will MOST DEFINITELY be together in body after a time. You will meet again and be able to see, hear and tough each other, just like on this earth.

Demetrius, you've come to the right place (and you know what? Isis guided you here - out of how many zillions of web sites, you found the one that you most needed). We're with you every minute of every day. Alone, each one of us is fragile and breakable. Together we lift each other up and find strength together, strength through our tears. And we understand the thoughts, feelings and actions we specially fortunate humans have when our best half is about to disappear into that perfect world. Isis loves and that's what counts and that CANNOT be destroyed.

Thank you for sharing the beautiful pictures of Isis. Would you mind if I added one of her to my collection of "spirit dogs"?

Rest well, friend, near to beautiful Isis, and know that your friends are all around you.

Regards,

Gretta's mom

Dear Demetrius, I can't really add anything of substance to Cheryl83, Moon-beam and Gretta's mom's insightful comments except to say my heart goes out to you, it must be so hard having escaped the spectre 13 months ago only to have it rear it's head again, I lost my cat to inoperable cancer - but we had her a lot longer than anyone thought we would, I also cared for a little dog with inoperable stomach cancer for 4 years - no way anyone thought we would have him that long, each day from now is a gift, I know how hard it is caring for them when you know what the ultimate outcome will be, it always seems to be there in the back of your mind, enjoy your beautiful Isis (she is one gorgeous dog), love each other as much as you can through the tears, hope life is kind today

Hi, Dimetrius. What a beautiful dog your Isis is! I cried so hard when I read your post because I know how it feels to know you have limited time with your baby. My kitty Ollie, who was seriously pretty much glued to my hip, was diagnosed with chronic renal failure, a terminal disease. He ended up surviving with it much longer than anyone thought he would, but in the last few months especially before I lost him, I felt just the way you have described.

I would cry every time I looked at him and think, "Is this the last time he's going to sleep under my arm/ask me to pick him up/cuddle up in my lap on the couch?" and on and on. I would order his arthritis medication and think, "Is this the last bottle he's going to need?" I totally know what you mean about feeling like your baby is the only one in the world who loves you for you - I have the world's best husband, son, and kitty (Ollie's sister), but Ollie hung out with me more than anyone else (I've always been an insomniac, so my late night hours were always spent with Ollie) and was loving and non-judgmental to a degree just not achievable by humans, even a saint like my husband. : )

I was so worried about losing Ollie that my husband gently pointed out that I wasn't enjoying him at all, which really worried him, because he knew I would regret spending Ollie's last days constantly crying and staring at him to try to figure out how he was doing. I knew he was right, but it was really, really hard for me not to be sad, especially since I am not very good at living in the moment. I tend to get stuck in the past (why didn't I do this? why did I do that?) and fearful about the future, never enjoying the good moments in front of me as a result.

One day while I was freaking out, I came across something someone had written about what he had learned while caring for his terminally ill dog. Basically, he realized that there was no getting around the fact that he would lose his dog someday, but the thing that his dog's disease really wanted to steal was today. So he made up his mind not to let the disease take their todays.

I was so not good at it, but I tried to ponder that thought and apply it to my situation. I tried really hard just to scoop Ollie up, wrap both of us in a blanket, and pet him like crazy while concentrating on how much I loved sitting with him instead of wondering how many more times I would get to sit with him. Just to emphasize, I was so not good at it - a lot of the time I would start bawling, anyway - but trying helped. I know I got many more good moments with him because I tried, and I cherish those moments now that he's no longer here with me.

In the end, none of us knows how much time we actually have left with our babies, so we just need to do our best to love them as much as we can all the time (which I know you already do). I lost my precious dog Dingo rather unexpectedly, and while I had more warning with Ollie, all of my anticipatory grieving still didn't prepare me for the shock of losing him. All I could do was spend as much time with Ollie as possible, take extra good care of him, pray, be hopeful, and try to be grateful for every extra day I was given with him. So that's what I did, and in the end, it was enough. I am still a sobbing, shaking wreck who misses her best friend so, so much, but I am hoping that when my heart starts to heal (whenever that is), I will have few regrets.

My heart hurts so badly for you, Dimetrius. I can tell how much you love Isis. I am so sorry I don't have much helpful advice for you, but I want you to know that we're all thinking of you, and I will keep your family in my thoughts and prayers every day. Please let us know if there's anything we can do.

Love,
Terri

P.S. Please, please do not feel that you failed Isis as a parent...cancer is really, really hard to detect in dogs. Dingo had the best, smartest vets in the world, went in for check-ups and labwork all the time once he became a senior, was stared at pretty much every moment by my husband and me...and he developed cancer in four places before it was discovered. Dogs are experts at hiding their symptoms, and there was no way for you to know Isis was ill before you did.

Hi Demetrius,

Isis is absolutely beautiful! I wish I could do something to help with the pain you are feeling. I know exactly how you feel, my husky was diagnosed with lymphoma almost two years ago, he died when he was 14 years old. I knew he had a short time to live and it was so painful to know that his time was limited. During the next 6 months I spoiled him even more than he had been spoiled for all the years leading up to his diagnosis. It was such a hard time for me but now when I look back I am so thankful that we had that last 6 months together to love each other and say goodbye. I guess what I'm trying to say is, try to enjoy the time you have left with Isis and don't focus on the end of her life, just shower her with love. I'm not trying to lessen the situation in any way, what you are going through is so painful, I just don't want you to miss the precious time you have left with your beautiful Isis.

Please come back here as often as you need to, expressing your feelings is so important right now, and everyone on this site is so supportive.

Sending love and hugs to you and Isis.

Rhapsedy

Hi Demetrius,

I just read your story. Isis is beautiful. My heart goes out to you.

I just had to put my 13 year old Rottweiler down last Thursday and I have been sick and devestated since then. My baby's quality of life was the reason. She has been great and I really don't know what happened. But on 5/30/11 she started having problems getting up, I was just thinking old age. But then her front legs were having problems, I took her to the vet in the morning and they thought she was having a disc problem. The vet gave her a steroid shot and some medication. I had to help her up and down and walk her with a towel under her belly, she started to look better. Her personality was great, she was eating and drinking and looked wonderful. However after 10 days, it happened again and this time it wasn't good. On Thursday 6/9/11 I took her back to the vet and feared for the worst. The vet told me that almost all of her nerves were gone in her back legs and that even thought she looked good and was eating and drinking she needed to be able to get up and down. I had to think of the quality of life and what was best for her. I had to decide what to do and it was the hardest thing I have ever done. I wasn't ready but if I waited what kind of owner would I have been. She gave me 13 WONDERFUL years and now I had to do the right thing. 13 years gong in a couple of hours. I was there the whole time petting and hugging and kissing her. I miss her so much. I have included a picture of my SABLE.

I wanted to share this with you since you may be having to make a choice. I will pray for you and Isis.

kimmy31

My God I am overwhelmed by the words that you all have written... The words and insight you all have given me has helped to give me the strength to smile at my baby and let her know that I love her and will be here for her no matter what.

Cheryl and Moon Beam your words brought tears to my eyes again. Apparently I'm the most emotional 6'3 220 lb man I know LOL.

Kimmy I read the thread about your Rottie, Sable and was deeply touched. Without a doubt this will be the toughest journey I've had to go through in my 40 years. I don't know how I'll fair, but I know that God will give me the strength and wisdom I need to manage.

Rhapsedy, Gretta, Lee and Terri, you've all inspired to to wallow in the Good Times I have still to come with my baby Isis. While time may not be on our side, we still have some time to make some great memories.

So with that being said, I canceled my weekend trip with my parents to stay home with the pup. I've ordered and received a slew of homeopathic remedies to to build her immune system and hopefully strengthen her failing liver. And I've decided to do the things that Isis loves to do, namely, taking long, fast car rides... I look at her in amazement as she lives for the moment, and right now she's back to her normal self (running, jumping, chasing cats and squirrels, barking at the delivery and sanitation people, hating the landscapers, begging for pizza, etc). I believe she's telling me not to worry, such a brave pup. So as her dad I'm resolute to live in the moment with her. Hopefully tomorrow in NJ will be sunny and Isis and the rest of us will go to the beach. If we go, I'll be sure to update you all with some pics.

I'm so happy I found this place, I have a feeling that I'll be leaning on you all heavily thru the ups and downs of my journey with my baby Isis... thank you all so much for your wisdom. kind thoughts and support

Isis' Dad

Hi, Dimetrius, thank you so very much for sharing with us how you and your precious Isis are doing. And thank you for sharing with us another picture of your precious girl. Good thing you don't have to give her the keys!!!

Dimetrius, that's one of the many reasons why we're here: ". . . I have a feeling that I'll be leaning on you all heavily thru the ups and downs of my journey with my baby Isis... " There is no way any of us could ever endure this painful adjustment to our lives on our own. There are no strangers here, Dimetrius. Even though we will probably never meet one another face to face during our earthly journey, we have the foundation of a friendship that surpasses physical / geographical conveniences - - for we are introduced to each other through the enduring love of our beloved companions. When we do meet one another when we are reunited with our beloved companions at our appropriate time in eternal joy there will be no need for formal introductions - - for our hearts will already know each other.

I am so glad you are focusing your time to be with your precious Isis, even if others in your life may not understand or appreciate your devotion to her. You must follow your heart, Dimetrius - - for this will be a comfort to you later on. One website you might want to check out for holistic supplements is Pet Wellbeing.com. When my beautiful baby girl Abbygayle (see Abbygayle's Journey if you'd like) was diagnosed with end stage Fibrosarcoma I found some supplements through them that did help her with her appetite until the cancer overtook her lymph system. And when I contacted them to return the unopened cannister past the 30 day return policy, they were so very helpful and waived the 30 day policy since the cannister was unopened and gave me a full refund. So, from my experience with this company I feel comfortable vouching for them. It's just an option - - if you'd like to look into it.

Dimetrius, I hope you and your precious Isis will have a very peaceful and wonderful weekend. Where in NJ do you live? For about 10 years I lived in the Atlantic City area because my job moved there, but in 1989 I was able to move back to Virginia.

Please know you and your precious Isis are in my thoughts and prayers, Dimetrius, and will look forward to knowing how you both are doing.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hi Dimetrius,

Thank you for the update on how you and Isis are doing. I'm so pleased to hear that Isis is still acting like her normal, active self. She is most certainly teaching us all a lesson here -- "live for the moment" Did the weather permit your trip to the beach? I do hope so, and would love to hear all about it, and see some pics.

Dimetrius, you are most welcome to "lean" on us for as often and as long as you need to. That's why we're here. We are all here for each other, and we all pull each other through this painful journey.

Hope to hear from you again soon.

You and your baby will be in my thoughts.

Take care, Cheryl x

Hi Demetrius

You're doing the bravest thing anyone can do right now - spent every moment you can adding to your Isis's "love bank", all the while pushing the agony of anticipatory grief down deep in your heart. Isis knows this and is sending you even more love every day that she ever did. You'll never regret this, Demetrius. No matter how sad you are one future day, you'll always be able to look in the mirror and say "I gave her every bit of love I had to give." And she'll say to all her friends, even though you won't be able to hear her, "See, that's my DAD!"

Demetrius, you're hero for finding the strength inside yourself to be able to give everything you have to your Isis. It's making her happy, it's making a HUGE difference in her life - just as you always have.

Happy father's day to THE BEST dad in the world.

Gretta's mom

Hi all, sorry for the long pause between updates. Life has been a bit busier than I care for it to be but all in all things are good. Isis continues to astound all of us. She continues to be her old self and seems to be getting stronger with each day.

I’ve totally revamped her diet to a hybrid BARF (Raw) diet where she’s eating semi-cooked meats with decent fat contents. I read that meats that have good fat content (beef, lamb and pork) are beneficial in treating cancer and it just happens that Isis loves beef, lamb and pork! She also receives daily doses of Omega 3 Fish Oil, Super Milk Thistle and Essiac Tea. It appears that this new regimen along with brisk walks have made her a bit healthier and lot happier. She definitely is not the same girl she was just 2 weeks ago and that’s a good thing.

We did make the trip down to the beach and she absolutely LOVED it. I love how childlike she was as she saw the sand, waves and ocean for the 1st time. She was so wary of the oncoming waves that she’d bark and try to bite them at first… sooo funny. Once she settled in she seemed to really love it and the company of the other pups running on the beach. I’m so glad that I got a chance to bring her there and I know that we’ll be back again sometime next week. I also plan on taking her to the Delaware Water Gap for a short hike; I have a feeling that she’ll like that too.
Unfortunately, I had to travel for work early last week to Ft. Lauderdale, such a tough place to go to =) but I was sooo worried about my son and wife keeping her schedule, well they did just fine and when I got home, Isis literally attacked me @ the door by jumping up and down and into my arms, trust me it’s not easy catching a 60lb husky.

I’ve attached some pics of our trip to the beach for you all. And again I want to thank every one of you all for the kind words, thoughts and prayers as they are definitely felt by Isis and our family. God bless you all.

-Isis’ Dad

Hi, Dimetrius, thank you so very much for sharing with us how you and your precious Isis are doing. I am so THRILLED to share your most wonderful news about how well your precious Isis is doing, and the pictures truly do paint a thousand words - - ALL OF THEM WONDERFUL!! Unfortunately words are so inadequate in expressing the true joy that is filling my heart at your news, but I hope you can somehow feel it coming to you across the cyber miles.

I hope today is being a good day for you, your family, and your precious Isis. Please know you and your precious girl are in my thoughts and prayers, and look forward to knowing how things are going for you.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Oh Dimetrius,

Thank you so much for sharing those precious pictures of your trip to the beach. I love them all, but the first picture almost brought tears to my eyes. With her eyes slightly closed, she just looks so content, so happy, so at peace, and so LOVED. Bless your heart for doing everything that you're doing to keep her fit and healthy as best as she can be. You're a wonderful doggy daddy, and it warms my heart.

I look forward to hearing from you again whenever possible. In the meantime, I will continue to keep you and your family in my prayers and thoughts.

Best wishes,
Cheryl x

Dear Dimetrius, Looks like you guys had a fantastic day! The photos are wonderful, I just know that your Isis is trying as hard as you are to stay with you, these furry souls are truly amazing when it comes to courage and resilience (My Mischief cat was much braver than I was) and their fight to stay with us, live and love every minute guys, thinking of you today.

Hello Demetrius

Just a short note to say thanks so much for the wonderful pictures of Isis. They are treasures. I'm SO happy that you have some more earth-time with your beautiful Isis - you already know how much of a gift that is. How are you guys? What are you doing on the 4th? Is Isis afraid of fireworks? Here's some love and good wishes and strength from me and Gretta (in the Perfect World) and the new "younger brother" she sent me, Rufus, the 102# black lab / newfie mix.

Blessings,

Gretta's mom

Dear Demetrius,

Your Isis looks like the most beautiful girl in the world! I am so happy that you are having a wonderful reprieve with her and enjoying every minute together. My sister, Gretta's Mom, suggested that I contact you. We seem to be kindred spirits in the same type of boat. She thinks you would be very good for me.

My Trevor is a 13 year old C-o-c-k-e-r Spaniel whom we rescued a bit over 2 years ago. We didn't know it at the time, but he suffers from very severe hydrocephalus, Chiari malformation and sphyngomyelia; all 3 are severely painful neurlogic problems. When we finally found out what was "wrong" with Trevor there was no way we were going to do anything, but bring him home, give him any and all medicines that would make him feel better, and make every day a Trevor Day. My motto became "What Trevor wants, Trevor gets." Things have slowly deteriorated over time, however, Trevor seems to adapt well and I have a vet that loves Trevor and gives me everything I need to keep him comfortable and happy. I believe there is also a heaven for Vets like this.

This past weekend was particularly horrible as I came face to face with the potential future that is in store for Trevor. It was awful. I was scared, crying all the time and begging for someone to give me the answers I couldn't face by myself. A few wonderful folks on this site gave me tremendous support and God allowed a mini-miracle: Trevor is back to himself (almost completely - that's not necessarily saying a whole lot, though) and is right now, snoring in the bedroom.

I guess my sister feels (and she is right all the time) that we could be great support and encouragement for each other. My little guy has about 6 months to live (according to the experts in Neurology). I don't know about Isis' "time". I know you LOVE Isis and I adore Trevor. I am going to read about Isis' and you journey in the morning. If you'd like, Trevor's story is under "How Do You Know When It's Time?".

Have a peaceful rest of the night and a glorious day tomorrow. Thank you so much for reading this!

Blessins.......
Bobbie

Hi, Dimetrius. Thank you so much for the update and for sharing the gorgeous pictures of Isis - she looks so beautiful and so happy. She just radiates pure bliss and contentment!

Just wanted to let you know I've been thinking of your family - thanks so much for sharing how everything's been going!

Love,
Terri

Good evening all.

First I cannot begin to convey how touched I am by all of you. I honestly think that your positive thoughts, energy and prayers have had an impact on Isis and her condition. You all have no idea how much strength I've drawn from you over the last few weeks. I usually tear up (pretty embarrassing for a 6'3 220lb man) every time I read your posts and threads because I can feel your pain and empathy in every word you've typed.

In the 3 weeks since we received the prognosis, Isis has pulled a Steve Austin on us; she's gotten better, stronger and faster. I wish the bedroom wasn't soo messy or I would've videoed her running laps around the room and under the bed, like a puppy a few minutes ago. She seems to be so happy, which just warms our hearts. My wife, my son and I can't stop smiling at her because she's such a tough girl. Also the most amazing thing is that her belly seems to have retracted from being severely distended. It appears that her new diet and supplements have been doing their jobs and my baby is doing her job of fighting against her cancer; truly remarkable.

I'm hoping to get another beach trip in on Saturday morning and will take some more pics if we go.

Bobbie, I know exactly how you feel with the ups and downs. I freak out over every little sound her stomach makes or if she seems tired or lethargic, it's a roller coaster of emotions, but I'm learning to focus on all of the good things that are going on with her and treating the not so good things as best we can. I think she's sooo tired of being hugged and kissed by my entire family (wife, son, mom, dad, brother, cousins, etc) but she knows that she is LOVED and that's the important thing. I know that Trevor is receiving that same treatment in your home too and he'll love you eternally for that.

-Isis' Dad

Hi, Dimetrius, thank you so very much for sharing with us how you, your precious Isis, and your family are doing. Your post brings great joy to my heart, Dimetrius. I know you are already doing this - - I just want to affirm it - - cherish every moment of every hour of every day you have with your precious Isis. None of us knows what will happen from one moment to the next, and this time you have with your precious Isis is a blessing and a gift.

I hope your trip to the beach this weekend will be another "banner" event for you, your precious Isis, and your family. Please know each of you are in my thoughts and prayers, Dimetrius, and look forward to knowing how things are going.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam