Marc & Karen Stecker's
Stella

Stella, a lovable Yellow Labrador Retriever, came to me when she was three years old, when a coworker gave her away in anticipation of a move out of state. I was living in Fort Lauderdale at the time, in a soon to be terminated live in relationship with a woman I had no business being with. When that debacle came to its inevitable end, Stella and I moved to my hometown of New York City. Stella loved New York, and was the ultimate urban doggie; she naturally curbed herself, and loved Central Park as much as I do.

Stella was kind and gentle, sweet and good. My wife and I called her the angel dog, because she really never did anything wrong. Those first few years in New York, when I was single, could have been filled with many lonely times. But Stella saved me from solitude, as we spent countless hours taking long urban treks, playing in dog runs, or hiking through Central Park. Having spent her first three years in Florida, Stella was ecstatic to discover snow, burrowing through it with her schnozzle and rolling over on her back to make canine snow angels. She loved swimming in Central Park ponds, and wading through the streams that crisscross through the section of the park known as
The Ramble.

My wife grew up with Labradors, and I honestly don't know if she would have given me the time of day had I not had Stella. Stella was my ace in the hole, so to speak, and I think my wife initially trusted me because I was a Labrador daddy. In the years since I've developed MS, and suffered more and more disability, Karen has taken on the role of Stella's primary caregiver. No longer could I walk Stella, but Karen grew to love her as much as I did, and wound up
taking care of us both.

Through the years Stella became something of a medical miracle. She had two separate bouts of cancer, and made it through three cancer surgeries, during the last of which she had her spleen removed. She suffered a torn ACL three years ago, and had to go through yet another surgery. She then developed Autoimmune Chronic Hepatitis, and the vets did not hold out much hope for her, but she managed to pull through and actually thrive. Towards the end of her life, Stella was on about 20 pills a day, some of which were the very same ones that I take for my autoimmune condition. I really believe that she was so empathetic that some of her illnesses were brought on in sympathy to my own.

About six weeks ago her illnesses and age began to finally take their cruel, inexorable toll. She stopped eating and grew weaker with each passing day. Last month, we boarded her at the vets over the Thanksgiving holiday. Upon our return, the vet informed us that Stella had taken a turn for the worse and he recommended euthanasia. He was literally 30 seconds away from giving her the needle when I stopped him, thinking we could nurse her through one more time. We took her home, and she actually did rebound a bit for the first few weeks, but I guess the power of love can only go so far. At least she had one extra month of bonus life, during which she got to go to Central Park numerous times, and eat lots of chicken and turkey.

Stella saw me through many transitions; from Fort Lauderdale to New York, from single to married, from well to Multiple Sclerosis. I don't know how I would have made it through without her, and I don't know how I'll make it from here on in now that she's gone. Aside from my wife, there is no being I have ever felt closer to, or more intimate with. I will miss her for the rest of my days.

Goodbye, Sweet Stella, my angel incarnate has taken her leave. She'll live in my heart forever.


All materials published in LivingMS™ are protected by copyright laws.