1993-2012: Rest in peace, my sweet and naughty princess

On Friday, July 20th, Elise, my darling and much beloved 'daughter', developed multifocal neurologic disease while Andrew and i were on vacation with my parents at Glacier National Park. We had to make the horrible decision to euthanize her that night.

It was brutal and agonizing to not be able to hold my darling Princess in my arms as she set off on her last adventure. Her aunt Patti cuddled her close while her aunt Dianne helped her slip free of her mortal coil. I hear could interference over the line each time Elise rubbed her head on the phone while I told her again and again how much she was loved and would be missed.

My heart is shattered and Andrew and I dread returning home to a truly empty house, but we will always be unutterably grateful for Elise's truly happy death in the arms of loving family and friends.

Your thoughts and written support are very welcome, though I would humbly beg that no one speak to me about this loss. It is far, far too soon and the pain too searing.

and the votes are in

yesterday, Andrew had an appointment for his six month post-transplant PET scan. 

we have both been really, really freaked out - probably for about a month. this PET, after all, is about as high stakes as post-cancer surveillance can get. 

we have tried as best we could to keep it together. there have been plenty of other things - some awesome, some heartrending - to fill the days. 

yesterday had to come eventually though... we got up early to skirt traffic, waited an hour while the radioactive glucose made its tour of Andrew's body, and then we got to wait some more. after 6 nerve-wracking hours, we got the official word. 

the look of a clean PET scan

on the drive home to Knoxville today, Andrew seemed a bit pekid so i asked him what he was thinking. Andrew said the most wonderful thing to me, so wonderful that i feel the whole world should get to enjoy it. he said:

It's good to be healthy.