3/24/03 Dear Family and Friends, My heart is heavy as I regretfully write to you, although I knew that this day would eventually come. I made the decision yesterday to assist Idgie in moving on to his next journey. It is my hopes that Scooter, Heidi and Sam have met him at the gates and have welcomed him into a place free of pain, needles and the stresses of fighting illnesses. I find comfort in the visualization that the 4 of them are romping around Moms feet in a grassy meadow. Twelve years ago, I was living downstairs from a vet who had 3 dogs and knew that I had 2 schnauzers. She said that she had found this beautiful studly little schnauzer who had been abandoned on the street for at least a month. He had tested positive for heart worms. She asked if I would take him in if she neutered and cured him of the heart worms. At the time, my grandmother was going to move up here and stay in a house the was owned by Mom. I thought this little guy would be a great companion for her! He was funny, smart, animated and very loving and appreciative. While he was getting treated for heart worms, he had to stay in a cage round-the-clock for a month before he could get released. (As not to chance him getting his heart rate up.) Daily, for a month, I would run to the clinic on my off period at school and would stay with him for 30-40 minutes....and then would return in the afternoons after soccer practice to see him again. After a month, he was cured. After 4 weeks of 2-a-days, I fell in love with him. I brought him home on Feb. 14th and decided to keep him! When I brought him home, he fell head over heels for Heidi! What a beautiful white schnauzer, he told me! He was enamored. He revered Scooter and loved him, as Idgie had never seen a schnauzer with a mohawk and a tail! When we eventually inherited Sam, the cat, from Mom, I had never seen a dog love a cat more than Idgie. What a lover he was! Idgie survived the loss of those 3 companions over the years, although it was devastating for him. After that, he even helped raise Madison and welcome Toby to the family.....2 more mini-schnauzers. In 96, he was diagnosed with diabetes and required 2 injections per day. He never complained. In 97, we got Madison and Idgie had his hands full! She thought he was her big daddy! Within a year after getting Madison, the diabetes affected his vision and he began to go blind. Sensing this, Madison would sometimes grab him by the beard to pull him across the courtyard when going out. She would walk as a barrier between Idgie and the fence - or the curb - while on walks so that he wouldnt run into things. Idgie learned to live with the diabetes and overcame the obstacles associated with blindness. In May of 2001, Idgie had a malignant tumor removed from his anal gland, as well as one gland. Lab tests showed that he had 3-6 months to live. The tumor was only a byproduct of pancreatic cancer. Idgie endured a regiment of meds and meals and rebounded for the next 22 months! Two weeks ago, he became ill and it was found to be an acute case of pancreatitis. His blood work was off of the charts - one of the worst cases she has seen in her career. For a week, he stayed with the vet, Dr. DeWitt, going home with her each evening. My vet is an earth angel and we are lucky to have her as our extended family. She was up with Idgie every 1-2 hours throughout each night checking on vitals and giving him meds. He slept in her bed and sat on her couch with her while she had dinner. Can you believe it? I would visit each day - taking him out into the sunshine and enjoying each others company. Dr. D, as Idgie liked to call her, let him come home with us for the weekend because he was responding so well. He relapsed last Monday and we did daycare IV fluids in the day and he would come home at night. He seemed to be making progress, but it has been a roller coaster ride. Saturday night, I told him he didnt have to fight for me anymore. He was weak and he was not the same ol Idgie. His heart and spirit were there - but there was no tread left on his tires. Today, I took him in to get his fluids in the morning and brought him home for the last time for a family day. We laid on the couch, watched some TV, had a picnic outside in the courtyard, laid in the sun and caught the breeze and spent the entire day loving on him. We took him back in at dusk and assisted him in making a new journey. It was time to let go.........and it was very peaceful - just Idgie, Christina, Dr. D and me. I will miss my little pal, as my life has revolved around injections and meds for over 6 years - and more intensely in the last 22 months. We BEAT heart worms, diabetes, blindness, and cancer - he just couldnt fight off the affects from the pancreatitis. I wanted to thank all of you for your kind words, your healing thoughts and the kindness you gave in always asking about him. Although some may not agree with the amount of time, dedication and money spent on my Idgie, none of you ever said a thing and were very supportive. Thank you for that. I hope that someday I can be as strong, patient, devoted, loving and as unconditional as Idgie. Love, Kathleen