Faithful Friends | Barbara Duke | Activity https://www.faithfulfriends.com/social/members/bfd122953/activity/ Activity feed for Barbara Duke. Fri, 07 Aug 2026 19:00:51 -0600 https://buddypress.org/?v= en-US 30 hourly 2 0719405f837837b0deb191a75c0445dc Barbara Duke posted an update https://www.faithfulfriends.com/social/activity/p/62914/ Wed, 17 Jan 2024 04:08:58 -0700
I come tonight with a heavy heart. January 4, 2024, I had to say goodbye to my senior girl, 16 years old Apache Princess. I adopted her when my last original senior dog, Rose passed June 14, 2018. I adopted Apache Princess, June 16, 2018, she was 11 years old, I had no doubt she was the one and no regrets of adopting her two days after Rose passed. Single, living alone and no close family, I knew I needed a family. My dogs had been my only family since my parents passed in 1996 and 2003. And Apache Princess was a special girl. Five months after her adoption, she was diagnosed with a non-spreading cancer sarcoma on her right side and a smaller one on her right rear paw. She had surgery May 25, 2019. They got clean margins on the side but had to leave a trace of cells on the paw to avoid reconstructive surgery. For five years she was a picture of health and cancer free. She even got a clean bill of Health July 2023. But sometime after apparently tumors started to enter her lungs, no breathing issues until the night of January 3rd, I noticed a change, but nothing alarming, she had an appointment for January 5th. But the morning of the 4th when I woke, I noticed it had gotten worse. So, I called her vet and told them she needed to come in ASAP. They said to head their way and they would treat as an emergency. We arrived at 8:25 AM CST and a couple of techs came out to get her. Once inside they started tests and a few minutes later her vet of five and a half years came to tell me the news. I knew by her face, it wasn\’t good. X-rays revealed tumors in her lungs. She had celebrated her 16th birthday October 7, 2023. Her vet said, \”It\’s time\”. The past couple of years even though she did great and was still active, had a quality of life and loved life. We knew with her age; we knew it could come at any time. But she always bounced back and wasn\’t one to give up. The past couple of weeks she wasn\’t herself, but with arthritis and a torn rear left naturally healed ACL from December 2022 from a slip-on snow. When the weather was rainy and damp or cold, she\’d lay around, but once it was better, she\’d be back to herself. Since we\’d had rain and then it turned cold, I just thought it was the weather. I took her for a bath Christmas Eve as one of her gifts, with some treats and a plush shark toy. I had thought these might be our last holidays, and that this year I might have to make the decision, not so soon into the new year. She always bounced back after little issues and come home with me, but not this time. I am having her cremated and bring her ashes back home. Since January 4th it\’s been like time has stopped, I haven\’t brought myself to move or change anything at home. Christmas is still up and her things still out, where they were when she and I left that last morning when she didn\’t come home with me like always before. Her vet, techs and everyone there says I was the best mom as do friends. Her vet even said if I had not adopted her, she probably would not made it out of the Animal Control, but even knowing I was a great mom. I was so blessed to have been her mom and had her five and a half years. My life is richer because of her. But I miss her so much even knowing she is in a better place and waiting at the bridge for me when the time comes. And I know she\’s playing with her buddy Chester who his mom had to say goodbye to just a couple of months or so earlier. They used to bark at each other across the street when they were in their yards. Love you so much my girl. Miss you so much.
]]> 1 6203e365759b5b262d37711b7607bd3d Barbara Duke posted an update: My senior girl, Apache Princess has had a rough two weeks, […] https://www.faithfulfriends.com/social/activity/p/62517/ Tue, 02 Jan 2024 17:49:12 -0700 My senior girl, Apache Princess has had a rough two weeks, the weather, rain and then cold. Has taken tow on her arthritis and joints. She has taken her medications daily, but just hasn’t felt like stirring around much. She and I slept into 2024. I been catering to her a little more, letting her eat and drink lying in her bed. Her medications make her sleep. She napped Christmas Day she napped while cooked lying on her bed in the dining room/kitchen area so she could see and hear me. This was the first year since I adopted her at 11 years old, I’ve had trouble buying her Christmas. She doesn’t play a lot with her plushies but gets a burst of energy now and then to crab one and play with it. What do you buy a 16-year-old pup.

]]> 2 0a9377500e0aa9e0593274d8c3d9d13a Barbara Duke posted an update: So sorry for all of you who have lost your fur babies […] https://www.faithfulfriends.com/social/activity/p/59120/ Tue, 24 Oct 2023 14:39:46 -0600 So sorry for all of you who have lost your fur babies recently. My senior girl, Apache Princess is still with me. She celebrated her 16th birthday October 7. I know what it is like to lose your fur babies. I’ve lost 4 since 2014. Tipper is the one I dedicated my joining Faithful Friends and lit the candle for him.

]]> 1 9956965f02766c3d00f53750dec77d19 Barbara Duke posted an update https://www.faithfulfriends.com/social/activity/p/53805/ Sat, 17 Jun 2023 00:09:51 -0600
I\’ve been thinking about cancer and how it has taken so many of our fur babies. Tipper was my first I lost. But since him, I lost his brother and sister also to cancers. I lost his brother Oreo, the day I learned he had lung cancer, no warning signs. Christmas weekend 2017, he had some breathing problems, but managing. I thought maybe some respiratory infection, had been cold for several days and we had just moved into a new place. And being a holiday weekend. I took him to his vet the day after Christmas, December 26, 2017, I lost him later that day. After seeing his vet earlier, later I rushed him to the emergency clinic about 45 minutes away. He was on oxygen, but it wasn\’t helping, I helped him holding him and telling him he could go see older sister Princess, older brothers Jody and Tipper. Sister Lady was diagnosed with stomach cancer Thanksgiving weekend 2017. She crossed in the backseat of my on the way to the same emergency clinic, January 21, 2018. Oreo and Lady were 12 and Tipper was just shy of his 11th. So, my girl now, Apache Princess, adopted her when she was 11, because when I looked into her eyes, Tipper, Oreo and Lady were looking back through her eyes, I knew they wanted me to take her home. She\’s now 15 and still beating cancer. First surgery May 2019 a month shy of her one year with me. Large lump, right side, clean margins. Smaller lump right rear paw, trace of cells left to avoid reconstruction surgery. Regrowth on paw twice, most recent February 2023. But still non-spreadable. Her vet says she\’s strong and healthy for her age.
]]> 1 d11ba3e8ca7813b4179750cd2a03b709 Barbara Duke posted a new activity comment https://www.faithfulfriends.com/social/activity/p/51775/#acomment-51804 Tue, 25 Apr 2023 00:18:58 -0600
Thank you so much Toni.
    In reply to - Barbara Duke posted an update in the group Remember Tipper was my first fur baby I lost to cancer, oral cancer, February 14, 2014, after suffering Bloat and cancer in bone. He showed no signs, ate dry food good. He\'d his first surgery at a local vet. It was sent off to the lab, but it did not say what kind of cancer. Since I had not dealt with cancer in a pet, I really didn\'t know how to approach it. I also had to raise the money for any major surgery. A doctor who did cancer surgeries and surgeries for the vet I used was not a specialist in cancer. His specialty was orthopedic surgery. So, to have part of the jawbone removed wasn\'t really explained. They didn\'t even refer him to an oncologist. I think no one wanted to help for two reasons, 1) Because of the money and no pet insurance was suggested like CareCredit. 2) He was 10 years old. But after searching for two or three months, I did find a vet who referred me to UT Knoxville, TN. The cancer was found in June, July or August and this was September. No one before made no suggestions. I did have one friend who did try to help. At UT I was told with the advance stage, surgery wasn\'t likely. UT even requested the tissue removed at first surgery to try and figure out what kind of cancer, but since it had been two+ months they could not tell. Since surgery wasn\'t an option, UT suggested 4 Palliative Radiation treatments. UT was about a 2-3 hour drive both ways. It would not be easy, but as long as he did well, More could be done and it would give me more time with him. So, for 4 weeks one day a week, he and I would make the one trip to UT. At the end of the 4 treatments, the tumor was gone, but the cancer was still in the jawbone. Nut we had Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years together. We were even scheduled to see a dog dentist specialist. But the night before the dentist out of nowhere, he ate good and later that night around 10 PM, his stomach suddenly bloated out like he\'d swallowed a football. I got him in my car and went to the nearest emergency clinic. I had put him in the car. Buy the time we got to the clinic, he actually got out himself and walked into the clinic. He was rushed back to a room. I stayed with him, the doctor finally came in, but the nurse had already said it looked like Bloat. It was February 13th, The doctor came in and confirmed it was Bloat. He had just turned 11 the same month. So, since the tumor was gone, but the cancer was still in the bone, I opted to help him cross the Rainbow Bridge as I loved on him. I asked them to keep his body while I made cremation the next day. Besides Tipper, I\'ve lost two others to cancers, Oreo, lung cancer, December 26. 2017; Lady to stomach cancer, January 21, 2018. I\'ve also lost 5 others, Rose Redd, Princess, Jody, Toby and Buffy since 1990. So, though this candle bares Tipper\'s name, it stands for all of my furbabies I\'ve lost as of today. I have one now, adopted her when she was 11 and she\'s now 15 and so far a cancer survivor, Apache Princess. I know with her age; our years together are numbered. ]]>         31288ef7a83c08ccb753f70e9c7b9513 Barbara Duke posted an update in the group Remember: Tipper was my first fur baby I lost to cancer, oral cancer, […] https://www.faithfulfriends.com/social/activity/p/51775/ Mon, 24 Apr 2023 01:54:16 -0600 Tipper was my first fur baby I lost to cancer, oral cancer, February 14, 2014, after suffering Bloat and cancer in bone. He showed no signs, ate dry food good. He’d his first surgery at a local vet. It was sent off to the lab, but it did not say what kind of cancer. Since I had not dealt with cancer in a pet, I really didn’t know how to approach it. I also had to raise the money for any major surgery. A doctor who did cancer surgeries and surgeries for the vet I used was not a specialist in cancer. His specialty was orthopedic surgery. So, to have part of the jawbone removed wasn’t really explained. They didn’t even refer him to an oncologist. I think no one wanted to help for two reasons, 1) Because of the money and no pet insurance was suggested like CareCredit. 2) He was 10 years old. But after searching for two or three months, I did find a vet who referred me to UT Knoxville, TN. The cancer was found in June, July or August and this was September. No one before made no suggestions. I did have one friend who did try to help. At UT I was told with the advance stage, surgery wasn’t likely. UT even requested the tissue removed at first surgery to try and figure out what kind of cancer, but since it had been two+ months they could not tell. Since surgery wasn’t an option, UT suggested 4 Palliative Radiation treatments. UT was about a 2-3 hour drive both ways. It would not be easy, but as long as he did well, More could be done and it would give me more time with him. So, for 4 weeks one day a week, he and I would make the one trip to UT. At the end of the 4 treatments, the tumor was gone, but the cancer was still in the jawbone. Nut we had Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years together. We were even scheduled to see a dog dentist specialist. But the night before the dentist out of nowhere, he ate good and later that night around 10 PM, his stomach suddenly bloated out like he’d swallowed a football. I got him in my car and went to the nearest emergency…[Read more]

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