At the end of September 2018, out latest rehab case, Maya, died. She has a facebook page documenting her retirement and rehab story. When she died then it became 6 months of research on death and dying. In the event that not everyone is on facebook, this next series of blogs will be the story of her greatest lessons to me: death, dying and grief in horses.
Maya 6/2018
Here is the day after Maya died, 9/29/18.
It is with great sadness that I share with you that Maya died yesterday. This last infection went septic over night, and there was no way to turn it around. Death was inevitable. I always knew this was a possibility, but I wasn’t going to cross that bridge until it actually happened. Yesterday, it happened. Her pain was increasing, and even pain killers did little to help, so I made the decision to euthanize her. She was a fighter, and fought right to the end to stay in this world. Her body was giving out, but her spirit was so strong and not ready to leave. I even had treatment plans and ideas in the event that she could pull out of this one. We were both very willing to keep fighting, but her body couldn’t do it. When the inevitable sunk in, I told her that there is only one place that is better than what you have right now, and that’s back with God who created you.
Maya, it’s been an honor to care for you these past few months, and give you a retirement where you were free to come and go as you pleased. As challenging as it’s been, I’d do it again in a second. I couldn’t have asked for a more tenacious partner in the twists and turns of your rehab. Your will to live is an inspiration to me. Rest in peace, dear Maya.
