#LeTourDePotato

There's no describing what you go through when you suffer a loss.  The most common words of comfort I was given was that things would get "easier".  It's not true. It doesn't get easier, but you do learn to live with the pain.  It becomes your new normal.

 

When Potato was sick I had one absolute - I would not give up until he did. As long as Potato was fighting for his life, I was going to fight with him.  Potato had prostate cancer, which is an aggressive and hard to treat cancer for a dog.  I knew as soon as he was diagnosed, that I didn't want to put him through any harsh treatment plans only to buy him the opportunity at a possible few more months.  I wanted him to have a quality life; quantity meant nothing to me if quantity meant pain for him.  So instead of chemo we hiked, camped, played at the dog park and spent whatever time we had together doing what Potato loved most... exploring!

 

Potato's cancer eventually spread to his skeletal system. The symptoms started with a slight limp and then progressed, but he still wasn't giving up. On the good days, Potato would walk on his own and enjoy every minute on the trail.  On the harder days, Potato would ride along in my arms, still enjoying every minute on the trail.  Over the 7 years of his life we had done hundreds of hikes together. I always had people on the trail stopping to tell me how amazed they were that a pug could climb the mountains we were climbing.  We had hiked together since he was a puppy; it was all that he knew, and it was what we would continue to do.

 

Potato passed away in November, and I made a new goal -  continue to do all of Potato's favorite hikes, cling to the good, and leave a small piece of Tato to rest.  I call it, 'Le Tour De Potato'. I am currently 5 hikes into the tour (still a whole spring and summer to go), and at 5 hikes in, I already feel a sense of peace and comfort.  As I drive through the PNW, no matter where I am going, I can feel Potato watching over me from the tops of the mountains.  I miss him, but I am glad I will always be able to hike and explore with him.

 

 

For my birthday last year, I took the day off of work and Tato and I spent the day hiking around Little Si. I only felt it right to do the same this year.  For those that couldn't make this tour stop, I put together a little video. 

In-Joy. <3