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u/One-Elephant-8146

▲ 368 r/labrador

A warning for my fellow Chocolate Lab lovers…

I am telling this story both to honor my best buddy and to hopefully keep other dogs and dog owners from the same fate. No one deserves what my boy went through.

This is Bronte. He was born to my “neighbors”, but since we live in a very rural area this is about seven miles away. Now, supposedly, both of his parents were purebred Chocolate Labs from some breeder near Fruita, Colorado. Yes, they were from the same breeder…and they were LITTERMATES. We did not know this at the time. No, they were not bred on purpose; the neighbors and their cousins, who live nearby, adopted two littermates and, before they could get them fixed, the boy got loose one night and ran over and you can put two and two together. Again, we did not know this. The neighbors of course were horrified but assumed there would be no harm to the pups. And to their credit, they immediately got their girl fixed as soon as the puppies were weaned. But they gave my family one of the puppies for fifty bucks back in 2018. We named him Bronte.

Bronte was…Man. I don’t know how to start. He was the first dog I ever had and he was as sweet and saintlike as they come. He would lay by your feet whenever he saw you. He preferred our mom over any of us, but if we were sick or sad, he wouldn’t leave our side until we were well. He was very fond of sniffing and licking ears, particularly my sister’s. His favorite food were Greenie dental bones, and he would go insane for a pup cup from my work. And at night, when he was starting to fall asleep, I would lie on the floor and he would come find me and fall asleep by my side. He would make sure some part of him was touching me somehow. And for eight years, he completed our family.

Then, in April 2024, Bronte started acting different. He didn’t want to eat or drink. He was lethargic. He would vomit on occasion. If he stood up, his legs would barely hold him. We immediately took him to the vet. They did some X-rays and diagnosed him with arthritis and bone spurs. We were given pain meds. These worked for a week or two, but then he slipped back to being lethargic. The vet then said that we should take him to an animal hospital in a town thirty miles away, so my dad did. This vet felt around Bronte’s stomach and found a sensitive spot. She ran further tests and diagnosed Bronte with hemangiosarcoma.

For those of you who don’t know what that is (as we didn’t) this is a highly aggressive and malignant type of cancer which affects blood vessels. The cancer creates its own blood vessels, which are weaker than natural ones and burst easily, which causes internal bleeding and can lead to death. Bronte had his in his spleen. And the worst part is that dogs often don‘t show symptoms until the cancer has spread to other organs.

We did have Bronte’s spleen removed and tried to fight the cancer. He made it nine months. And he did really well during that time. He figured out that we all felt sorry for him, so he would refuse to go in or outside unless we gave him a treat, and he would only drink water if it was cold and from the hose. And we did those things. We made sure he got to do everything he loved. And my parents were convinced that he was going to beat this thing.

Bronte slipped after Christmas. As soon as I went back to college, he wouldn‘t get out of bed or eat. He wouldn’t drink. My dad called me and I immediately drove the three hours home, bawling to “The Dance” by Garth Brooks, which JUST HAD to be playing on the radio. I stopped at Starbucks and got Bronte a massive pup cup. He licked it but did not eat even half of it. The next day, he didn’t want to move. He only staggered to his feet when I came downstairs and started talking super cheerfully like everything was normal. I managed to get him outside to use the bathroom. He did his business and just flopped over. He wouldn’t move. I brought him back inside. I cooked him a pound of hamburger and gave him all the pepperoni from my pizza, which he actually ate. He refused all food after that. We arranged for him to get put down the next day. I tried to lie down for him to snuggle with me that night, like we usually did, but he didn’t move over beside me. He didn’t have the strength.

We put him down the next day. The vet came to our house, which was nice. We stayed by his side the entire time. The last thing Bronte did was reach his head up and lick my sister’s ear. Then, well, he was gone.

I don’t know how I’m holding up. Usually I’m fine, but then I come home from break and I think I hear Bronte’s toenails clicking on the driveway as he comes to greet me. But no one is there. I keep wanting to bring pup cups home. I can’t listen to Garth Brooks. And what scares me the most is that I am forgetting. I don’t really remember what he acted like as a puppy. I don’t really remember what his bark sounded like. I am losing my boy all over again and I, once again, am powerless to save him.

I have done research into Bronte’s cancer…it does seem prevalent in Labs, particularly Chocolate Labs, due in part to their lack of genetic diversity. In fact, one of Bronte’s sisters died two weeks later of the same cancer. We are wondering if the accidental incest had anything to do with it, or if he was just cursed by being a Chocolate Lab.

But here is a warning for all you Lab owners out there: This cancer exists. It is a real risk. Your dog can seem normal one day and be at death’s door the next. SCREEN YOUR DOG FOR CANCER! Regardless or not if they are showing symptoms. You don’t know what could be going on inside of them. You could save your dog’s life. I couldn’t save my Bronte, but I would save yours if I could.

And one more thing…give your dog a pup cup tonight, or tomorrow.

u/One-Elephant-8146 — 15 hours ago
▲ 0 r/studyAbroad

I came to study abroad and I can’t study

This is self-inflicted but I have no clue what to do now and I need advice. I came to Germany to study German. Three courses. I thought it would be manageable. But within three days of arriving I contracted pneumonia. It was bad. I was coughing up my lungs every morning. Sometimes I even coughed up blood. I could barely summon the strength to go to the store, let alone walk twenty minutes to class. I did email my professors and tell them what was going on. One responded, the rest didn’t.

I went to class after two weeks, when I wasn’t coughing quite as much and could actually walk to school without feeling like dying. I made it through one day , and then I walked back to my dorm feeling like I was about to faint. Head spinning. I didn’t go to class the next day. And then…I just never went back. I don’t know why. I guess I was just scared to go back after missing so many classes and God knows how many assignments. I just feel so ashamed and stupid and like I am wasting my life and my studies. I know I need to go to class. I really do, I am just so scared and feel so lost.

Has anyone had similar experiences? How do I pull myself out of the hole Ive dug myself into?

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u/One-Elephant-8146 — 1 day ago
▲ 3 r/Teachers

Petty or poetic?

I’ve posted this story elsewhere, but it continues to be an issue in my family and is even making me reconsider my future in education, so I am turning to y’all for support and advice. This is a long and somewhat rambling story, and is somewhat melodramatic, so have fun.

My mom is an English teacher for high schoolers, particularly freshmen. I am considering becoming a foreign language teacher at the same school she works at, as I like the other teachers there and have always liked my mom’s bosses. My mom is a good teacher. She brings her students snacks (which I usually cook), they watch movies, she goes all-in on themes for Romeo and Juliet…she’s cool and I probably would have loved to have her as a teacher. Her students love her. But the problem is that my mom has some pretty serious mental health issues (behavior disorders run in her side of the family and she is in denial that she is anything like them) and this often manifests in her personal life. She has terrible mood swings and when she is “low”, she can lash out and be a very cruel person. She is also very insecure and tends to have unrealistic expectations for her peers and her students. And if they don’t live up to her expectations (they never do) then she completely blows up her relationships with them. There were times when she would be screaming for hours on end because a student didn’t use proper grammar in an email, which obviously meant they hated her. She used to get along with the six other English teachers in her department, but their friendships imploded because none of them lived up to Mom’s expectations. I loved all of them, but I wasn’t allowed to invite any of them to graduation because Mom hated them so much. She is never cruel to her students, thank God. Just her coworkers and her children.

I digress. Basically: Mom can be great. She can also be terrible. And I am wondering if this is the catalyst for everything that followed.

My mom has dreamed of teaching honors English for years. She thinks the students will be much better behaved than the brats she currently has (her words, not mine) and she would have more control over her curriculum. As an honors student myself, I can say both of these are true. And when she heard the freshman honors English teacher was retiring, Mom immediately applied for the job. She tried getting all buddy-buddy with the English teacher (who, again, she decided she hated years ago) and was confused that this teacher wasn’t immediately sending her all of her old curriculum papers and being a bit snappy on calls. But she bragged often to me that no one else would apply for the job and she would finally have her dream come true…

and then one of the superintendents, who Mom used to be friends with until he failed to meet her expectations, secretly went to another teacher in the department and asked her to apply for the job as well. Said teacher has only been in the department for two years, but taught honors English for several years in her old school. She had to give up the job when she and her husband moved to our town to be a pastor at our church…at the request of MY FATHER, the head deacon at the church. Anyways, supposedly this superintendent asked the other teacher to apply to this job because she had more experience at teaching honors English than Mom. Three of the other teachers in the department also encouraged this teacher to apply for the job. They did not tell this teacher that Mom wanted the job. But with two applicants, a committee was designated to vote on who the new honors teacher would be: Mom or other teacher. The other teacher won.

And Mom obviously handled this decision like a mature adult and recognized that while she was disappointed some things just SIKE she COMPLETELY BLEW UP. She was calling every teacher in the department until late at night to scream and sob about losing the promotion. She hounded the three principals and two of the superintendents with countless emails to beg them to reconsider. She also wouldn’t talk to my dad for two weeks because he chose our pastor and therefore was responsible for this “backstabbing bee-atch” coming to our school and stealing her dream. For a while she was threatening to disown any of us if we ever went to church (any church) ever again, but she’s cooled down some and says it’s fine, just as long if we never go to our old church and never talk to our pastor, his wife (the teacher), or anyone in their family ever again. She is also constantly complaining to me about everything this honors teacher does and what a terrible teacher and person she is. She’s calling me in college just to complain.

Sorry if this isn’t typical teacher business. I am just sick of all this nonsense and am wondering if I can expect similar strife when I start teaching. I am also considering moving a continent away from my mother and refusing to talk to her until she gets some therapy and medication to treat whatever is wrong with her. Hopefully you are entertained by this rubbish. But as a prospective teacher (perhaps?) I just have to ask: is this kind of drama normal in the hiring processes? And do you think my mom’s bosses were petty by not hiring her, or did my mom get what she deserved?

EDIT: I forgot to mention this, but Other Teacher was devastated by how upset Mom was. She was even considering withdrawing her application to stop the drama in school and between my dad and her husband, since they are coworkers. I heard this and secretly sent her an email apologizing for everything my mom was doing and told her that, under no circumstances, should she withdraw her application, because the way she was handling the situation proved that she had the character for the job. She wrote an email and thanked me. She did not withdraw and was hired. It pissed Mom off. She does not know about my email.

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u/One-Elephant-8146 — 1 day ago
▲ 1.8k r/germany

I can check this off the bucket list…I found the Donau

I didn’t expect it to be so clear! I would never swim in it due to that monster current but the water was so clear and (seemingly) clean. I can finally say I’ve seen the longest river in Europe (second-longest if you count the Volga)!

u/One-Elephant-8146 — 9 days ago
▲ 170 r/beagles

The shelter says he’s a beagle…

I volunteer at an animal shelter and this boy is one of the dogs there. I was working when he was brought in; he was found wandering the outskirts of town in the middle of January. Unneutered, unchipped, and unclaimed. For the first couple of months, he hated everyone. He would growl and bark at anyone who got close to his cage. No one wanted to walk him, so he was sent out to a metal and concrete run while the workers cleaned his kennel (he was not potty trained). But I somehow got through to him one day and he took some treats from me. The next day I asked to walk him and the shelter reluctantly agreed. It actually went very well and since then, he’s been one of my favorites. He LOVES catch and tug-of-war and chewing on things. I bought him a bone once and man, you’ve never seen a happier dog. He also likes sitting on a bench at the park with me, and he will lick my face before cuddling up beside me. He is still a bit wary of strangers (doesn’t attack or anything, just barks) and is selective with other dogs but gets along with them for the most part. Some other traits I’ve noticed is that he will nip on the heels of some of his walkers (he has never done this to me; he did once grab my shoelace and try to pull it) and he humps the men who try to walk him.

But I love him. I was going to adopt another dog from the shelter when I return from a semester abroad…this beautiful black lab/GSP mix…but someone else beat me to it. But the more I think about it, the more I realize that I am quite fond of this dog, and I think he is fond of me as well. I’m quite active and, like him, I like keeping to my own area of the world. I think we could suit one another quite well.

Now on the shelter’s website, he’s listed as a beagle. I don’t know if I buy it. We did have one beagle mix at the shelter before (GREAT dog) who was the same size as him, and also had similar spot patterns, but the beagle had the typical colorations while this boy is just orange and white. The beagle also had an INTENSE prey drive. This boy does try to go after squirrels or birds, but never cats like the beagle did. And the beagle never met a stranger, while this boy is a bit wary of others. Someone told me that he looks like a “rez dog” but the nearest reservation is an hour and a half away so I don’t really buy it. Could he have beagle heritage?

u/One-Elephant-8146 — 10 days ago
▲ 6 r/germany

Am I misreading the signals?

Hey guys, sorry if this isn’t relevant to the forum but I have a question and it might be important. I have a good friend in Germany who I’ve known for over two years now. We met on a chat site one day in 2024 and have talked literally every day since. Sometimes he takes a while to respond, even when he is on the app, but he always continues the conversation. And he actually remembers things I tell him. I moved to Germany for school, coincidentally about twenty minutes from his town, and he and I met up once. He hugged me first thing and then took me on a tour of his town. And I think we actually had a good time. I did at least. I’m usually not good at filling the conversation but we never ran out of things to talk about after 2 hours. We hugged again before I came home and since then, I can’t stop thinking about him. I have a crush, and it’s bad. My American mom says that him hugging me and buying me ice cream means that he also likes me. He also doesn’t have a girlfriend (or hasn’t mentioned one in the past two years I’ve known him). I want to confess my feelings to him. But I’m scared that this is seen as typical friendly behavior over here. And I don’t want to ruin our friendship, since he’s really the only German friend I’ve got over here and (most importantly) he’s the best friend I’ve ever had. Any ideas? And again SORRY if this is the wrong forum!

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u/One-Elephant-8146 — 10 days ago
▲ 37 r/drawme

I’m recovering from MDD and an eating disorder and trying to fall back in love with myself. I’d love to be drawn. Including some other pictures for possible references

u/One-Elephant-8146 — 10 days ago
▲ 2 r/Quotev

There was a fanfic called Sola that I used to follow back in middle school. Back then I thought it was the greatest thing ever written. I’ve fallen out of Quotev a bit but I saw a post about great Marvel fanfics and I couldn’t help thinking of Sola. Are there any other Marvel fanfics that have made you feel the same way? I might consider checking them out!

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u/One-Elephant-8146 — 13 days ago