Dear Gibson: A Tribute To My Heart Dog on His 7th Rainbow Bridge Anniversary 🌈✨🐕💜

The Snow Prince ~ My Beautiful Gibson 

 

Today's #FiveSibes #FlashbackFriday is a very special one. Not that all aren't...but today marks the seven-year anniversary of the day my beloved heart dog, my wooly Siberian Husky Gibson, made his journey to the Rainbow Bridge. Before I get into today's post, I wanted to say that if you've followed me for some time, you'll know how snow has an extra special meaning for me. Having Huskies, also known as snow dogs, they not only love the snow, but when they passed, they have sent me some pretty definitive signs, snow and rainbows being two of them. Today, on the exact date Gibson passed seven years ago, we are having a snow storm! So as the flakes fall, I will be reminiscing about my boy having some awesome snow zoomies with the rest of our FiveSibes...his love Harley, and his Pupster siblings Wolf, Bandit, and  Chloe. And thinking how appropriate that we are having so much snow, something he loved so much.

 

There is a tissue alert for some of this story, but I promise you, you'll smile by the end...because simply put, Gibson would want it that way. So I hope you'll bear with me as part of this story, I've never talked about before.

Gibson 💜 My Heart Dog 💜 The Happiest Dog I Ever Knew

 

Diagnosed at age three with idiopathic epilepsy, in the end, Gibson beat the seizure monster. He lived the last seven years seizure free. He did not pass from his epilepsy. It was after a sudden collapse on a weekend (of course), then an ER hospitalization (horrific, but that's another story) where I kept begging the on-call to please lower his temperature by bathing him in cool towels as he was left on a gurney unattended while she checked his bloodwork on a microscope. I asked to please help him. To cool him down. At this point he was unconscious with a high fever. I was then asked if I was a vet. "No, but he is mine and I know what he needs. He has epilepsy. If he isn't cooled down, he will have seizures." 

But she kept trying to show me his blood on the slides, and I kept trying to save him. 

 The beautiful face that launched #LiveGibStrong & #Paws4Purple.

Troy had Helen, and Canine Epilepsy Awareness has Gibson. Here he is with the illustrated FiveSibes Tale children's book I wrote inspired by him, What's Wrong With Gibson? Learning About K-9 Epilepsy.

 

Now, I understand the science side to medicine, but I align with my personal vet's concept of treating the symptoms first, then the problem. So, I placed a call at 2:30 in the morning to him (yes, he gave me his personal number that I never used...until this night). In a nutshell, what in turn followed was a call from my personal vet to the ER-attending (and she told me that my dog must have been "special" because in all the years they were open, no vet called on behalf of a dog. I said, "Of course he is special!" I mean, aren't they all???! In my mind, I was selfishly screaming, Do you know who he is???! He fought epilepsy for years and stayed strong. He became ataxic, but stayed strong. He almost died from Bromide toxicity, but he stayed strong and pulled through. He tore a CCL and healed. He is a beacon of hope for other Epi-dogs...so please, dammit,  just help him now! 

 I would've done and said anything to help him. And yes, I prayed.

 Gibson approving the #LiveGibStrong poster I made!

 

Gibson finally was treated for his symptoms after my vet's call. He held on, like my brave strong warrior that he was. I stayed by his side, fearing I was losing him, but I was determined that he was not going out like that. He deserved better. He deserved dignity and a fight.

About 7 AM, we transferred him to my vet's hospital (who came in early just for my Gib). He managed to stabilize him, but he was a long way from being okay, in fact, he was on death's door. Afterwards, I had him come home where I tended to him around the clock. He had at-home IV treatments and vet tech care for the weekend, and then a diagnosis: a ruptured spleen. He wasn't eating and barely drinking. I continuously gave him ice chips and we had the IV going. Harley never left his side, and the Pupsters all rallied around him. They knew. 

Together with the at-home vet care, we got Gibson just strong enough for surgery. My vet, who became a dear friend over the years of treating my many dogs, (stray) cats, and our dear dwarf bunny (and the injured squirrels we brought to him)...well, he had "the talk" with me..."as my vet, not my friend." He asked me if he went in and saw things were bad, what was it I wanted him to do. I cried...but, my Gib deserved peace, not pain. I trusted my vet whole-heartedly. I said if it is not good, please let him go peacefully while under, which is what he was going to suggest anyhow. (This still aches my heart to think and write about it; it it has been 7 years and this is the first time I am able to write about some of what really happened at that ER hospital)...and my wonderful caring vet, who also loved my big fluffy boy, assured me he would do whatever possible to help him, he would do what was best for Gibson. I knew that to be true. Gibson was in the BEST hands with my vet and vet nurse, both who loved him dearly, as did all the techs there. (They always fussed over him upon his arrival, and made him feel like a prince! He would give bestow his famous Gibbie kisses to all! So being in their care, Gibson was right at home. Knowing how much he loved them and felt comfortable there, gives me some peace.)

Gibson was by my side for so much, including this book that was inspired by him, and featured him on the cover and 123 other wonderful Epi-dogs from across the globe on the pages.

The tick of the clock was forever slow. And, with each pass of the  clock hand, I wondered if things were going okay and I'd get that wonderful call; but in my heart, I knew my boy was dying. But we always try to think positive. But that call we all dread came. While in for the splenectomy, it was discovered that in addition to the ruptured spleen, Gibson had an orange-sized tumor and was full of cancer—hemangiosarcoma. 

And just like that my strong Epi-warrior was gone. That was the day when life went dimmer without the pure happiness and joy Gibson gave to not only me, but anyone who met him. He was my go-to dog when I need a hug or cry from losing my mother just one month earlier. And now he, too, was gone. Perhaps his next job was to become a furangel and be with my mother. He was indeed one of those very special dogs—an old soul, my spirit animal, and my forever heart dog. And now he was part of the heavens, taking a huge chunk of my heart with him.

 My Gibson's legacy is not a sad one, it's a joyous one for the life he had and the way he lived it with pure happiness and zest. Epilepsy did not define him. He was a dog that lived and loved life and just happened to have epilepsy.

But my Gibson's legacy is not a sad one—it is a joyous one for the life he had and the way he lived it with pure happiness and zest. While this month of December represents the loss of him and one month earlier my Mom (it was rough, heartbreaking season), and then six years later, his little brother, Wolf; it also represents the joy we felt when the books inspired by him, What Wrong With Gibson? Learning about K-9 Epilepsy and EPIc Dog Tales: Heartfelt Stories About Amazing Dogs Living and Loving Life With Canine Epilepsy. It was this time of year when we unboxed the beautiful EPIc Dog Tales coffee table book with his beautiful face on the cover. His wooing and "talking" along as we packed them up to mail under the Christmas Tree with music playing in the background. It was a heartfelt project for me, and he was right by my side. Those who received those books probably even had some Gibbie wooly fur in the box! 

He was also the face on our #Paws4Purple K9 Epilepsy Awareness bookmarks, made into cartoon character for my children's books and our logo, was the namesake for two dog cookies ("Gibbie Snacks" by House Wolf and after they closed their doors, "Gib Nibs" by Sassy's Goodies) both were formulated specifically for Epi-dogs and developed according to his diet! And, of course, our #LiveGibStrong Canine Epilepsy Online Resource Library!

Quite a legacy indeed! Gibson, I'm so very proud of you.

My beautiful magazine stars! Gibson, a K9 Epilepsy Ambassadog featured on the cover next to his love Harley and in the Dog Writers Association of America's  Ruff Drafts, and his cover of AmericanPet Magazine.

 

 

 Below: On the cover of my Gib Strong Canine Epilepsy Brochure

I designed & published many moons ago.

Pushing sadness aside, it was such an amazing ride—all of it, from the ups and the downs, and all in between. As a dog parent, we know going in there will be good days and bad days, but we stay with them for all of the days. Now, afterwards, is when I can look back over the entire journey we took together to see all the pieces of the journey of life and relive them through the memories. As I say in my #FlashbackFriday posts, "Memories are visits for the heart." 

Gibson was so not about sadness; he was the epitome of joy and happiness. And though there is a Gibbie polar bear paw-size hole in my heart that he left behind in this Husky momma, today and every day I remember my big, fluffy, happy, silly, lovable Gibbie, who was always by my side or the side of his love, Harley. 

 

My happy Huskies: My boys, brothers Wolfgang & Gibson ~ and Harley in the middle.

 

A beautiful couple. Gibson was always by his love, Harley's side.

 

 

Below: The FiveSibes "Husky Train" how my beautiful five loved to snuggle all together, every day inside or outside.  

Always loved how bonded they were. Always will.

 

I have had lots of dogs I've loved, and I'm sure one day again, but there will never be another dog like Gibson, my true soul dog, and my spirit animal. To fully understand our connection, we'd need to talk for hours! My hope is that all dogs #LiveGibStrong—in the manner of which he lived and loved life with such zest and joy. Oh, and did I mentioned he had sense of humor? He was such a character! (As you can see from below!)

Always a happy, lovable, silly boy that could always make me laugh.

This was his favorite position! I heard if a dogsleeps this way, he is truly happy. I believe it!

 

I know he would not want me to be sad, and I'm sure he's happy to be back with his FiveSibes Pack...he waited a long time for his forever love Harley to join him, which she did in 2019, preceded by little sis Chloe that same year; then sis Bandit in 2020, and one year ago this same month, little bro Wolfie. I know as I sit here and look out at the snowy falling and covering the land, my ForeverFiveSibes are having those wonderful zoomies with silly Sibe smiles, chasing each other through the snow, Bandit body-surfing across Gib's back...together always and forever, and every now and again when the snow falls really hard, I know my Gibbie stopped to send it down to me. ❄️

 Oh, how I loved snow days with my FiveSibes!

 

But the years, days, and moments spent with them just doesn't seem enough now. I enjoyed being with them so much. Time sure does go by quickly in the life span of a dog, or five. Cherish every moment, for one day they will be the memories you'll look back fondly on. 

 

I was always so proud of Gibson being able to say "I love you" and "ice cream." So today, I leave you with my beautiful boy saying "I love you" because, well...we said it to each other all the time.

 

Dear Gibson, 

I love you, and miss you, my fluffy big G-man. 

You stole my heart from the moment I saw you

come running through a yard—a dirty,

stinky, winky-eyed (parti-eye), happy big ball of fluff.

As you grew into an adult dog, you became a gorgeous silky-coated

 boy with beautiful soulful eyes.

And, oh, your Gibbie kisses!

Our bond was so special.

Forever and always. 

Give the pack a big Gibbie kiss from me. 

I miss you all. Every single day.

Love always, 

Your FiveSibesMom.

 

 

 💛Memories are visits for the heart 💛

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