[Gpdd] Misc: SPARKLES: The True Story of a special little dark brown piggie - part five

[corrine sakumoto]

Late June 30, there were a couple of spots of blood in Sparkles' pee.  Of course we worried.  She had such an episode a year ago and when we brought her to the vet, he couldn't find anything wrong.  The vet wasn't there today but since her pee cleared up we didn't worry as much but the more I thought about it, the more I thought she should see the vet so daddy michael made an appointment for saturday, July 2nd.  She had a spot of blood in her pee that morning before her appointment.  So it's a good thing we decided to bring her.  A UTI was suspected so she was put on baytril.  She's still eating and feisty and normal.  On Sunday, July 3rd, she had two bouts of almost a small pool of very watery poo.  We think the baytril was cleaning out her system.  She's still eating and normal.  We think the baytril is working as she's now making normal pellet poo!  Sparkles is still eating and active and being herself.

Wednesday, July 6th, we never heard of rimadyl.  It's strongly recommended that we get some and give it to her.  We trust these piggie people and try to get some from the vet.  The vet said he'll sell me some but I need to sign a waiver absolving him from blame because he doesn't think we should be giving it to her.  Michael and I confer and although we're reluctant, me, I'm scared because of that waiver and how strongly the vet felt about not giving it to her, but we decide to give it to her.  After giving it to her, and this is in retrospect, Sparkles began to act differently.  She began to tear up her paper towel, a lot.  She'd never done that before so I was worried.  I didn't tie it in with anything but Michael said, also in retrospect, he thinks she was in pain.  She also began to not eat on her own that much so we had to start syringing her Critter Be Better.  I felt like I was supplementing, not feeding her so it was my fault for not
doing all I could.  But when we realized she wasn't eating much on her own, we'd feed her more and give her more water.

Friday, day, July 8th, I tried to feed her regularly every 1 1/2 hours and give her water.  She's getting more feisty, more normal, eating more on her own, drinking from her water bottle, playing with her toy, loves her floor time.  We live on a dirt road with lava rocks and cinder rocks in the yard.  Sparkles hears the gravel and daddy's car squeak, her head shoots up, she quietly wheeks with excitement, daddy's home!  I quickly run to tell Michael as he enters the house, look down the hallway.  and sure enough, there's Sparkles, 'greeting' her daddy!  I'm debating whether to sleep through the night for the first time in a few days, as I'd been worried, I'd been staying up with her.  But as we were debating whether to turn in, I pick her up and she screams with pain.  Her body felt hard and she was in a lot of pain.  We figure it might be gas so we gently massage her.

We manage to get a vet's appointment on saturday, July 9th, late morning.  Sparkles hasn't peed or pooed in hours so we're fearing a blockage.  They take an x-ray and say there's a lot of gas so he wants to have her stay there so they can watch her and if the gas doesn't come out they'll take it out by needle.  The vet just gives us a look and says we took some bad advice, that we overdosed her on the rimadyl.  We say we don't want to leave her there so they say they'll give her a sub-q and take the air out.  That's when I see in her carrier, hey! she pooed and peed!  So now we know it's not a blockage.

Understandably, she's tired on the way home.  But we try our best to keep her tummy full so she won't have gas again.  But Saturday night, her body kept getting hard again so we'd massage her, trying to make her relax and she would cry and it tore my heart apart.  We couldn't believe that our precious little girl who seemed so healthy just a short while ago is now having to endure all this.

One thing about Sparkles is that she listens to me.  I would talk to her and she'd intently look at me with those soulful brown eyes, taking in every word.  She'd even grind her teeth a little, mulling over what I was saying.  Whenever we talked about bathing them, it would start to rain!  Or if we were talking about going to the other side of the island, which would entail us being gone for twelve or more hours (six hours just to drive to and fro), in front of her, she'd invariably not feel well so we would stay home.  On Sunday, June 10th, early morning, when she was writhing in pain, I kissed her on the nose and said to her, don't leave mommy!  I love you so much Sparkles!  you can't leave mommy!  mommy needs you!  She stopped and seemed to be okay for awhile.  Even then, Sparkles listened to her mommy.

At around 7:30 a.m. Sunday, July 10th, my world ended.  I was distracted by being on the phone, but when I saw her, I knew it was coming.  I hastily ended the phone call and Sparkles stopped moving. I yelled NOOO! NOOO!  SPARKLES NO!  YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME!  I LOVE YOU SO MUCH, YOU CAN'T GO!  YOU CAN'T!  DON'T LEAVE ME!  I looked at Michael, tears streaming down both our faces, and said, please understand, she was my whole world, I can no longer live.  I'll put my affairs in order and then I'm going to go.  I've made up my mind.  I can't go on.  My reason for living is gone and so will I be soon.  I don't have a hole in my heart, I no longer have a heart.

We moved here to the Big Island, from Oahu, almost three years ago, and brought with us seven piggies.  Now, all the original are gone.

I am greatly moved by all the people who are deeply affected by this horrible loss.  My Dad was never one to 'feel' for the piggies but he did love Sparkles.  My Mom said that Sparkles was HER piggy, even giving her a nickname, she did everything for her, she'd grow corn and red lettuce because they were Sparkles' favorites.  Now, she said she'll never grow them again.  As for me, maybe I shouldn't say this, but I would willingly pay exorbitant shipping charges and buy expensive things for her.  The other piggies benefited this way.  Now, I doubt I'd be willing to do that again. 

Sparkles, my dear precious sweetheart, I love you so much!  Without having you looking down the hallway at me, without you being there at every turn in my life, without you to be there to listen to me, without you there to tell me what to do, without you being there for me to sing to, my precious Little Ponpon (that was my mom's nickname for her, for when she was gassy, she'd 'balloon' a little so my mom called her Little Ponpon, means little tummy), you're the only one I could cradle like a baby in my arms and you loved it, without your adorable little nose, without your talking and singing to me, without your being there for me.  I thought you needed me, but all along, I was the one who needed you.  Thank you so much for teaching me love and thank you for making me feel special.  When I'd put you on the bed while I cleaned your pen and then I'd turn around and you'd be there on the edge of the bed, RIGHT BY ME, looking up at me, I knew LOVE.  It
 was my honor and pleasure to know you, to love you and be loved by you.  Nothing else in the world matters to me.  Because you love me, life mattered.  Now it no longer matters.  I love you, Sparkles.  mommy corrine will be with you soon.  mommy loves you Little Ponpon.

SPARKLES IS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME PIGGIE.  Thank you for accepting me as your mommy.  I love you Sparkles, my precious Little Ponpon.