Thank you all for your supportive words....I have been a nurse for 6 years now and I have often said that the dying patients I have cared for have been my most rewarding nursing experiences. Not necessarliy for what I do for the patient but for what I do for the family. I comfort people in knowing that it's ok to let their loved one die and to let them know that a peaceful and dignified death is a gift. I have seen people laying in misery and pain and know that there are things worse than death.
I know it is time to let Phoebe go...the life has gone from her eyes...I feel like she is saying goodbye each time she musters the energy to raise her head and look at me. I'm being selfish in keeping her here because it hurts so much to say goodbye. I keep imagining her trotting through the house with her favorite stuffed animal dangling from her mouth or the feel of her snuggling up against me as I go to sleep at night. Her absence is going to leave a hole in my heart.
I have attached a picture of my doggie family....Phoebe is the beautiful little girl on the right. |