Nykoda Lynn

WE HELD HER AS SHE WAS BORN, AND WE HELD HER AS SHE WENT TO SLEEP. SHE WAS A BLESSING IN OUR LIVES.

IN LATE OCTOBER 2000, SHE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH LYMPHO-SARCOMA. WE WERE TOLD OF AN ONCOLOGIST FOR ANIMALS. SHE WENT THROUGH THE SAME TREATMENTS AS A HUMAN PATIENT. THE DOSES HAD TO BE GIVEN FOR HER SIZE. THEY MADE HER SO SICK THAT EACH TIME I SAID, I COULDN'T PUT HER THROUGH IT AGAIN. WE TRIED EVERYTHING BUT, SHE WAS VERY DRUG RESISTANT. SHE WAS GIVEN EVERY DRUG THAT THERE IS AVAILABLE. HER LAST APPOINTMENT WAS 01-10-01. WE, TOGET -HER WITH THE DOCTOR, DECIDED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE THAT COULD BE DONE.

THE DOCTOR WAS A BLESSING TO US, SHE HURT AS WE HURT. DR. UPTON SAID THAT IT WAS JUST A MATTER OF TIME. WE ALL CRIED, I SAID, BUT SHE STILL RESPONDS TO CERTAIN THINGS. DR. UPTON SAID SHE HAS SEEN WHERE A DOG WAS IN A COMA AND STILL RESPONDED TO HIS OWNERS VOICE. TO SEE HER STILL MOVING AROUND WAS TORTURE, BECAUSE WE STILL HAD TO THINK OF WHAT WAS BEST FOR HER. THAT NIGHT SHE COULD HARDLY SLEEP BECAUSE HER LYMPHNODES WERE SO SWOLLEN. HER OXYGEN WAS BEING CUT OFF, WE COULD NOT LET HER SUFFER ANY LONGER.

WE HAD THE VET COME TO OUR HOUSE SO IT WOULD BE EASIER BECAUSE SHE HAD BEEN THROUGH SO MUCH THAT SHE WOULD SHAKE WHEN WE PULLED UP AT THE DOCT

OR'S OFFICE. HER DADDY AND MOMMY HELD HER AS SHE DRIFTED OFF TO MEET JESUS. WE WERE SO BLESSED THAT WE HAD JUST BEEN IN OUR NEW HOUSE FOR A SHORT TIME WHEN WE FOUND OUT SHE WAS ILL. I SAY BLESSED BECAUSE SHE HAS HER OWN BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF LAND TO REST. SHE IS BURIED IN A CASKET, JUST LIKE A HUMAN. SHE WAS OUR BABY GIRL.

WE ADOPTED ANOTHER BABY GIRL FROM THE DOG POUND, WE COULD NOT SAVE NYKODA BUT WE COULD SAVE ANOTHER IN HER NAME. HER NAME IS SARAH LYNN AND SHE HAS TAKEN ON SOME OF NYKODA'S TRAITS. I TELL PEOPLE, NYKODA'S SOUL IS IN HEAVEN, HER BODY IS IN HER GRAVE IN OUR YARD, BUT HER SPIRIT IS IN OUR HEARTS AND IN SARAH LYNN.

TO NYKODA MOMMY, DADDY, AND GIZMO HAVE LOVED YOU ALWAYS AND WILL LOVE YOU ALWAYS. WE'LL MISS YOU, UNTIL WE MEET ON RAINBOW BRIDGE.

OUR ANGEL 12-14-96

GOD'S ANGEL 01-11-01