Dear Hero
It's coming to three years since you left us, Hero. There's so much to tell you. Meimei is five now. She's a goofy and funny kid with an infectious laugh. The two of you would have had so much fun together. We adopted a puppy, a stubborn and mischievous bull terrier, with tenuous hope that Wira could replace your snugly warmth.
Cheche and I have not been wandering to far flung uncharted places like yesteryear. The reason we have stopped traveling as much is because parenthood is like a domestic adventure by itself, but truthfully, the wanderlust spirit is never the same without you. Oftentimes, specks of past memories flits into our daily conversations, and in these instances we realize how much we miss you.
But more than anything, we just want you to know that we're thinking about you. We always have and we always will. Rest in peace, Hero.
Epilogue
Today marks the hundredth day since Hero left us. That fateful day is still fresh in our memory... and we miss him every single day.
Hero was admitted to the hospital for observation as he was having diarrhea and also he was feeling lethargic, due to his chronic kidney failure condition. He spent two nights at the veterinary hospital before he came home. He was happy coming home on that day, tail a wagging and excited as ever. We duly gave Hero a warm bath followed by his meal in the evening, and he retired to bed early on that fateful evening.
The clock was about half past ten at night when I went upstairs to check on Hero. He was sound asleep on his bed when I came into the room. As usual, I went about with my nightly routine of finishing some work with my laptop sitting on the sofa, facing Hero as he slumbered peacefully across the room. Not too long after, out of a sudden, I was startled by the sound of someone gasping for air. Hero was having difficulty breathing. As I watched helplessly, he went into a brief convulsion and remained motionless thereafter. In a panic stupor, I rushed over and shook him frantically, hoping to wake him up from his sleep. As I began to realize what happened, I was definitely not ready to accept reality, and reality came biting hard. The realization that Hero has been taken away from us at that very moment. That he had a heart attack in his sleep. We spent the rest of the night with Hero, gently stroking him and gave him hugs before his body was taken away. Hero was cremated the next day.
Since Hero's passing, there were many happenstances that reminded us of his presence. Bird feathers started dropping into our house from the ventilation grill above the roof, his name appearing everywhere we went, chestnuts (his favorite snack) falling onto our path when we were in London, and many more little signs that Hero gave us during the short period after his passing. He wanted us to know that his soul was still with us, looking out for us from above. Our little guardian angel.
Hero making sure we noticed his presence.
Even in faraway London, his presence was felt.
Life is never the same without Hero. We will always be grateful for the indelible journey he took us on over the last seven years where our lives were filled with fun, adventures, loyalty and unconditional love. Hero really left paw prints on our hearts and he will forever be our heart dog. Reminiscing our time together, here is a poem for an angel in Heaven. Rest in peace, Hero.
Paw prints on sandy beaches
Chestnuts and sandwich kisses
Wet licks with murmuring growls
Wagging tail with excited howls
Long walks at faraway park
Joyful rides we duly embark
Up the hills we would go a hiking
Down the streams we go a wading
Colorful rainbow over the mountain
Beautiful sunrise across the ocean
Reflecting on our adventures together
Sweet memories we will keep forever
For now, you may be far away
Until we meet again some day
Together again and never apart
You will be forever in our hearts
For a short video in memory of Hero, please click here.
Rainbow Bridge
Hero the Shar Pei
6th September 2006 - 14th September 2013
Tis evening on the moorland free,
The starlit wave is still:
Home is the sailor from the sea,
The hunter from the hill.
A.E. Houseman: XXII - R.L.S
Thank you for giving us seven amazing years. We will continue with our adventures when we meet again at the rainbow bridge one day. You are the best dog ever.
Love forever,
Koko, cheche and meimei
Kidney Failure
This is koko here writing an entry on this little blog... a blog that has sort of gathered dust over the last couple of months. According to Google Analytics, many returning readers would still drop by occasionally, and for that we thank you for remembering us.
Life has been pretty crazy for cheche and I, especially with a hyperactive toddler and a not-so-well dog constantly requiring our undivided attention. Hero was diagnosed with kidney failure in April, something that is not unexpected ever since we knew he is suffering from FSF, a form of congenital disease in the breed.
It all started when hero had a kerfuffle with a stray while taking a night walk. In the heat of things, he had the misfortune of tearing a tissue on his front leg, at the carpal region. Due to the swelling, hero was on anti-inflammatory medication which resulted in him vomiting and having bloody diarrhea for days. We took him in for a blood test and that was how we found out about his kidney condition. Hero was at stage three of kidney failure.
While we are fully aware of such possibility, we were not prepared for the news. Since then, we have worked out a treatment schedule and made all the necessary arrangement. In addition to conventional medication (Azodyl and Ipakitine), we put hero on special diet and also holistic treatment, such as herbal remedy and acupuncture sessions. The hardest part is the daily fluid therapy, i.e. subcutaneous injection, where he would be most uncomfortable with the poking of needles, but we do give him a treat as a reward for his patience.
Hero sleeping with his favorite toy.
Canine renal disease cannot be reversed and it is slowly taking its toll on hero. We are working hard to keep hero with us as long as possible during this difficult path. Thus far, hero has been admitted to hospital twice, with each visit having to spent a couple of nights on intravenous drips. He seems happily engaged for now and we know he is a trooper although he is losing strength by the day. Taking care of a dog with chronic kidney disease is physically taxing and mentally challenging. The constant worrying and roller coaster emotional feelings can really put a strain on the most upbeat of souls. However, having said that, we would still do it many times over, for the joy he has brought us ever since we had him is priceless.
Hero and meimei staring into the open sea.
In a month’s time, hero will be seven years old. We still have many planned adventures to go, mountains to hike, food to taste, rivers to cross and most of all, meimei is looking forward to hero walking her to her first day of school next summer. With so much yet to be done, it is difficult to imagine hero not being a part of all these. Sometimes, life just seems so unfair.
I guess Dr. Seuss was right when he said "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened".
Our Favorite Beach
Under the clear blue sky, meimei and I had some sandy fun by the beach.
I gave meimei's sandy truck a quick wash when she's not looking.
We're back at the beach later in the evening for more frolicking under the sun.
The next morning, we walked along the beach with cheche whilst the sun rose lazily over the horizon.
I listened attentively to meimei singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, as she saw a waning moon in the morning sky.
It was such a blissful day, we sat down together at the beach and watched the world go by.
Penang
This is the entrance to our hotel room for the night, not the grandest of entrance I would say.
The door says we are closed on Sunday.
Although it's an old heritage building, the interior of the house is nicely decorated and equipped with modern comforts.
Gallivanting around the historical streets of Penang.
It was already late afternoon, so we stopped by a cafe for some nommies.
Hmmm, the tuna burger with fries sounds good to me.
While waiting for our food, meimei and I played a game of skipping using my leash.
Whilst waiting for the rest to finish their meals, I relaxed on the pavement watching the world go by.
We soon continued with our exploration of the many heritage sites. Penang was in-scripted as a UNESCO's World Heritage Site in July 2008.
Behind meimei is a mural by Ernest Zacharevic, a young Lithuania-born artist, called Reaching Up.
This is another famous wall painting by Ernest, called Little Children on a Bicycle.
At the background is one of the many temples in the area that was built by Chinese migrants to the island, which was a bustling port in the 19th century.
The next morning, meimei and I were getting impatient waiting for the sleepy heads to get up.
Meimei and I tried to open the doors and go for a walkie by ourselves but that was too tricky for her.
We could only peeped through the door gap...
... and smell the morning air outside from the narrow opening.
Meimei peeking curiously through the slit between the doors.
Finally, we got to go out and we had breakfast at a cafe nearby.
Getting some bread snacks from meimei...
... followed by some TLC hugging.
Later, we went for a leisure walk up a hill where we could see the panoramic view of the town below.
But nothing is better than having fun with meimei on our little adventures together.
Happy 6th Birthday!
Happy Birthday, Hero! Thank you for the six wonderful years and may we have many more to come.
Love always,
koko, cheche + meimei
Let the Day Begins
Every morning when the sun rises,
at the door I wait for meimei's voices.
Her wake up cries I long to hear,
when a night seems like a year.
Ro... Ro... I hear her say,
as she greets me a good day.
A bath she takes under the sunlight,
with me waiting patiently in sheer delight.
For a new day has just begun,
let us fill the hours with laughter and fun.
- hero -
Playtime with Meimei
Meimei: Wanna play a game of flashcard?
Meimei: Hmmm, let's see... how about this one.
Meimei: What's the name of this object?
Meimei: HEY! That's cheating!
Post Surgery Days
Since my bloat surgery two months ago, I have not been doing much but stayed at home with little meimei, whom has been giving me much tender loving care.
We spend the day mostly sleeping and playing together in the house.
When we are bored, we usually raid the house for food...
... from inside the refrigerator...
... to the kitchen counter looking for snacks.
At times, we also get to share some snacks on our ride in the car...
... but we mostly settle for whatever nommies we could find at home.
On weekends, when the hoomans are not working, meimei and I get to go to the park.
This is a far cry from the adventures I used to have, but with meimei as company now, I'm not complaining.
Pei-ess: I would like to thank all my furiends for the well wishes when I was sick recently. It makes me very happy to know that everyone still remembers me, even though I seldom post on this little blog anymore, not as often as I would like to due to the hoomans busy schedules nowadays. You guys are the greatest, licks to all.
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