How do you cope when your loved pet is very sick?

My 14-year-old dog is very sick. While we were away, his appetite declined and it’s now almost non-existent. We’re coaxing him to eat with anything we can get him to take. However, he is also vomiting and has the runs. He’s lost a lot of weight.

We’ve been to the vet (and we’re seeing a specialist now). They’re doing tests. So far they haven’t found anything conclusive. It could be anything from doggy Crohns to cancer. We’ll know more tomorrow when the latest tests come back and we can decide what to do next.

I’m feeling very pessimistic at the moment and just heartbroken frankly. I have to go to a work thing over the next couple of days, and I can’t avoid that. I’m dreading not being here. I know there’s nothing I can do, and I’m not sure why I’m asking this as I know I’ve just got to wait and hope he’s okay or to make sure we do the right thing for him. I think I’m really just sharing.