Dee,
I can imagine these are difficult circumstances for all of us.
I have been in a very small room with a very large Great Pyrenees and that breed takes up a lot of space in a family's life. I cannot imagine that somehow the bare spaces with the loss of such a pet would be not easily overlooked. I hope your husband will share the loss of this pet with his treating physician. It has to be having an affect on his well being, or, at least, Dr. jd (the quack) imagines so. I know the empty space of my little one is rattling my brains and attention to household tasks.
I am curious as to how old the Great Pyrenees was and how long your family had him. They are huge dogs and the veterinarians are always saying "the little ones live the longest. The big ones have shorter life spans. " The vets said my little one's vital organs and all else was in great shape, it was just the pain from the degenerating spine that couldn't be fixed.
Tonight, I ordered from ebay a little stuffed white fuzzy dog, and I am going to put him to sleep on the left side of my bed, where Goomie used to sleep. I keep waking up and trying to feel the presence of Goomie and he isn't there.
I feel a bit daft for doing this. It reminds me of a skit on SNL where "the Godfather" kept petting a stuffed white cat. But, on the other hand, being a bit daft is seeming more and more a positive goal than attempting to understand what's going on in the world. If it is outright insanity, I don't give a damn. I wanna look down there and see something white and fuzzy in that space on the foot of my bed, dammit. Nobody but me sleeps in that bed now, so it shouldn't create a problem for my companion or my son.
For all of us who have lost pets recently (or ever) we can be grateful that we have had the privilege to be loved and to love in a way that only a pet can provide. I had only one elderly relative whose dog outlived her. And the dog grieved itself to death in a short period of time. I guess that's why we, who can rationalize, or comprehend that they did not abandon us, can eventually make peace with the loss of the pets, who usually die first. Although I was hoping I would die first and not have to endure the loss of Goomie, I remember his pain and how much greater, and probably longer, his pain would have been had I gained my selfish wish. He was only a dog. He couldn't have understood that I didn't abandon him.
Wouldn't it be an improvement if we humans could all leave this world as a result of romping and playing. in the company of those we love.
I know I am saying this badly, but I hope you all will understand I'm just having difficulty with this and I am trying to make it fit into some acceptable form of normalcy. I'm sorry, Dee. Philosophical blithering isn't very helpful. I do hope your husband's health will improve. I am sure this loss has added to your family's stress. Good thoughts for all of you and tomorrow, is tomorrow, is tomorrow.
jd