Murphy

Facebook Memories are so great for reminding us, whether we need it to or not, about all the special dates in our past.  April 4th is one of those dates.  The day Murphy became a Tripawd in 2013.  The day that changed our lives.  I think I had been on the Tripawds site a little bit, looking around at the forums, gathering some basic information so that we were a little bit prepared.  But really, nothing prepares you for that huge incision, or for how your dog greets your when you pick them up.  I had taken my son with me because I wasn’t sure how I would get Murphy home – it was a 1.5 hour drive and I was a little worried about getting him in my car and then the drive.  But I should have known that my stubborn dog was so ready to get out of there!  lol He hopped his way out to my car and barely needed help hopping up!  Even 9 years later it amazes me.  He rested all the way home, then met with his best buddies to go outside.  That night he wanted nothing to do with sleeping in the family room (I had everything set to sleep out there with him & keep a close eye on him) – he kept trying to leave the room & wouldn’t settle until I moved the gate and he hopped down the hallway to the bedroom – then he plopped down with a big sigh and went to sleep.  Just like everyone else those first 2 weeks were a roller coaster of emotions, but then things evened out.  Over the next 4+ years Murphy showed us what a true warrior was.  He handled everything in stride – vet visits, chemo, lab draws, x-rays, ultrasounds, rehab and more.  There were several times that I thought, “oh no, this is it! the cancer has spread” but it would be a muscle strain and medications and massage would help. He helped to raise awareness of canine cancer and he also raised money by walking several times – for American Cancer Society’s Bark for Life (X2) and PuppyUp in Chicago.  In Chicago we were finally able to meet some of the most amazing people that we had been “talking” to here, on Tripawds.  It was fabulous!!!  That was the start of our group <3 Even though Murphy has been gone now for almost 5 years, we still miss him, and we still talk about him.  My son actually called Cooper “Murphy” just last night.  There are many times that Cooper does things that remind us of him, whether it’s laying in one of his favorite places or just looking at us like he knows something.  We’ve also added another baby to our family – a Goldendoodle named Abby.  She’s been keeping us on our toes!  lol Max is almost 11, which is how old Murphy was when we lost him (and also a previous dog we had some years ago), so of course we worry about him getting older.

So, just remember our Murphy, and being thankful for our wonderful friends (who are like family), and thankful for this place <3

~ by midnighter94 on April 5, 2022 .