Boomer Speed, born July 15, 2001.
If you knew me, you knew Boomer. My life was blessed with Boomer in August of 2001 and he couldn't have come too soon. I remember watching Boomer sleep for hours in my parents house as a little baby, thinking.........there is no way I can name this little guy Rowdy. I had always wanted a boxer and dreamed of naming a female Mocha and/or a male Rowdy. Boomer was far from Rowdy, he was perfect right from the start, he picked me. It was a very rainy week that we started our journey in life together and Boomer had me trained well. I remember standing in the rain holding an umbrella over Boomer so he would potty in the yard. Boomer would ride in my lap to and from college with his head rested on the steering wheel. As he grew, I started looking like Ace Venture driving down the highway, b/c I didn't have the heart to ask him to get out of my lap. Boomer went everywhere with me, he had left such a mark on my car, it was named “hairy.”
Boomer enjoyed so many things in life. He was an excellent runner and a huge competitor. Boomer and I spent many early mornings, lunch breaks, and afternoons running our energy off together. He was and will always be my favorite running partner. Early in life Boomer starting developing arthritis, and running despite his love for it began causing him to be excessively sore. Boomer didn’t care, he wanted to run, he wanted to be with me. I couldn’t bear the thought of running without my best friend. He would see my running shoes and/or sports bra and get so excited about being there by my side. In vet school, Boomer won his first running competition and he did it with ease (it was me that was struggling to keep up the pace). A few years later, we elected to re-enter in our fun run together, but had decided it was best to walk and stay in the back of the crowd since he had such difficult knees. When the gun fired and everyone took off, Boomer looked at me like, “what, we are not gonna just let everyone else win this race?” He gave me that look of encouragement that he always did when he knew what he wanted, and we were off. Boomer ran his heart out to get to the front of the pack. He would have won, but he was dragging my out of shape rear around the park and I could barely keep up. That is until we caught Ryan and Austin, which is when Boomer traded me for a faster running partner……Ryan. Ryan and Boomer ran their hearts out and ultimately placed in the top three.
Boomer never knew a stranger. To know Boomer was to love Boomer. Jim, our maintenance man in college, would come to the apartment when I was in class and eat lunch with Boomer during the day. Jim gave Boomer a swim float for the pool b/c he wasn’t fond of swimming. Boomer would sit on that float until it reached the other side of the pool and escape for freedom. He was my right hand man. Boomer sat by my side for many years while I diligently studied to get into vet school and then he continued in my journey through vet school. He was the perfect companion and friend and he is dearly missed.
Boomer had a passion for football. He was tough, smart, and had an excellent vertical jump. He couldn’t quiet get a good grip on the pro sized ball, but the junior football was just his fit. Boomer would go out for passes and intercept passes with the best of them. He also developed a love for swimming, particularly when his football had made it into the water.
Boomer and I spent many days/years together at Research Park. He was well known and very much loved. Boomer was a great swimmer, companion, and he lived for the freedom to take off running. He first developed his love for swimming, when he discovered ducks at the Kingwood pond. Ryan and I were taking a picture of a family on a beautiful afternoon and the little kid said “look at that puppy”. Ryan and I turned around and could not have ever been so proud. Boomer had developed his fins. Boomer was such a gentle giant, he would never consider hurting one of those ducks, it was all about the chase. In fact, one day Boomer caught a duck (swimming behind it that is) and he just kept swimming next to it, like “why won’t you fly away?” We worked diligently for months to get Boomer to enjoy swimming and he initially was taking no part in the idea. Boomer was to learn how to swim on his terms.
Ryan, Rusty, and I made a trip to New Braunfelds to float the river one summer. Of course, there was no way I could possibly leave my buddy Boomer at home. Boomer came right along with us, floating the river and doing it with class. After several hours of floating the river, Boomer began crying in his inner tube. I knew immediately what was going on. Boomer, needed to go to the restroom and unlike all the filthy people floating the river, Boomer had class. He got out of his tube, urinated on the side of the river and off we continued floating the river. Boomer loved all the attention and had befriended every drunk person on that river.
Ryan and I would often take Boomer to see the Christmas lights in College Station. He would hang out the window starring at all the lights and I will never forget when he started growling at baby Jesus. Boomer was like a child to us, and the loss of him is just devastating. He had so much personality and loved so many aspects of life.
Ryan and I were so very lucky to share our wedding day with Boomer. He played a role in how we met, and was such a big part of our life, Ryan and I would not have had it any other way. Boomer went to Collette’s house for many tuxedo fittings and was the biggest sport. He rushed out of the reception hall and greeted us at the door, right when we arrived like he knew we were coming. Boomer entered the reception hall with us as a family and we couldn’t have been any happier that day. Boomer had finally claimed Ryan as his dad and he loved him so much.
Boomer loved nature, hiking, and just being outside. He was such an environmentalist. He would find a baby bird in the yard and he would not leave it until I acknowledged it was there and brought it inside. Boomer would get very upset if you attempted to kill even a fly in front of him. He appreciated life, no matter how big or small. Boomer loved his multiple trips to lake Summerville (although he preferred hotels over sleeping in a tent), dog parks, walks on the bayous with his grandpa, hiking in Austin, research park, lake grapevine, and most of all just enjoyed being with his family. Boomer loved to wrestle with his brother Austin and sister Turtle. They were such a perfect trio and so cute when they snuggled in the winter.
On April 28, 2010, Boomer was not himself. I came home from work around 3:30a and went to the couch to find Boomer, whom had been waiting up for me every night for years. He was not on the couch, and I though he must have just gone to bed. Why I didn’t think twice about this, I will never know-I was exhausted and went straight to bed. Boomer was so predictable, he was so loyal. He would never go to bed without me, unless something was wrong. The next morning, Boomer slept by my side as he always did. Boomer rarely ate anything until I would get up for the day, so his holding off on breakfast was no surprise. As the morning went on, Boomer was still laying by my bed. I went into my bedroom to rub his back, give him his morning medications, and lead him to his breakfast. This is when it hit me that something was wrong. When I tried to give him his medications, he started displaying difficultly breathing. I rushed Addison into the car and off to the hospital we headed. Boomer was very weak and rested in the car on the way to emergency room.
Dr. Turner and Kyle met me in the parking lot with a gurney and I can not explain the sense of fear that overcame my body. It was like I knew instantly that I could lose my baby today. Boomer had an abdominal mass in his spleen that had apparently ruptured. He was leaking blood from the tumor very rapidly and becoming very weak. We initiated a blood transfusion and I held Boomer in my office until Ryan could arrive. We told him our goodbyes and rushed him off to surgery. In surgery, there was gross evidence of metastasis, but it was tiny and in his omentum. After much thought and tears, Ryan and I elected to try to wake Boomer up and get a few more weeks to months of wonderful life with him. Boomer did well initially on recovery and then quickly began to decline. As he started to struggle to breathe, I couldn’t bear to see him suffer any longer. He was too precious to me and the last thing on this earth I wanted for him was to suffer. With Rusty and Dr. Turner by my side, I held Boomer as he was put out of his pain and suffering. I know in my heart that Boomer is in heaven with my Grandpa and Teddy, but I can’t help but miss him so much.
Boomer was always there for me, through all the good times and the bad. Boomer was my right hand man. He was always there when I needed someone the most, he would not leave my side. He was my perfect match and companion and I would not trade a single day we shared together. My heart aches with horrible pains and I wish I could have taken you to the trails just one more time. I love you always Boomer and I will never forget you.
