Posted by catherine on 4/2/2008, 11:11 am, in reply to "Re: Loss of my dog Tasha- Books to help"
204.82.247.240
I've been following these postings and thought I'd offer some support as well. My dog was put down due to cancer on October 19, 2007, and I had a very difficult time dealing with it all. This board meant everything in the world to me and really helped me get through it.
One of the most difficult things for me was going to work. After a week of exhausting tears, I got really angry and this had a negative impact on my job performance. I teach high school and was doing a terrible job of it for a few weeks. I found myself ignoring my work responsibilites and staring out the window many times throughout the day. I wanted to think about my dog, Sam, and do nothing else. Mitch, I found that this eventually passed in time.
Another problem that I had was with guilt, which came in waves as I was starting to get on with life. I'd find myself laughing about something one minute and crying the next. It was almost as though I was disrespecting Sam by starting to live again. This stayed with me for a longer time than the anger.
Now, I'm living well again. I'm thinking of a new puppy, but I'm just not 100% certain that I'd be able to love him/her like I did Sam. I'm worried that I'll be comparing the dogs too much and this would be really unfair to a new pup. I know that I'll eventually get one...I'm just wondering if maybe I should let him find me instead.
All in all, the stages of grief were long and hard. Throughout the entire process, I never once believed that things would be good again. I wanted my dog back and that's all there was to it. I still do! But, I'm living again and enjoying some wonderful memories of Sam. It's still a bit of an obsession with me, but life is okay again as well.
I wish you well in what you're going through. It's so difficult, but it will get better.
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