Back From the Brink

Snowcone had been with us long enough for Floyd to have become resigned to his presence and to have discovered his value as a pillow. I had taken Snow to the vet for a checkup and even though most of his teeth, except for the ones in front, had been removed, the doctor found some inflammation and recommended that the remaining teeth come out. A couple of days later the veterinary surgeon called to say that they had taken a sample of the inflamed areas in the back of his mouth and found the presence of a deadly form of cancer, one that usually kills animals before their families even know about it. He said that Snowcone had about two weeks to live. It seemed so unfair that he'd been through so much and had finally found a home, only to get this diagnosis. But I also felt that if these were going to be his last days, I'd make them as great for him as possible. That's always the challenge, when you know that a time is ending, to make the most of what's left. Floyd was none too pleased by this development as it distracted me from my clearly established obligations to him and distracted Snow from his role as aide-de-camp and cushion. But obviously there's a happy ending because you know Snowcone has newly emerged is the star of this blog. When I took him back to get his stitches out, the inflammation had receded enough for the vets to see the cancer as a distinct spot. A different surgeon was able to remove that spot. When he called to say the operation was a success, he kept calling me "Mommy," which I found disconcerting. Nonetheless, it was wonderful news and Snow has been fine ever since. The vet has proclaimed this a miracle since this cancer is so often fatal. It may be a miracle. It may have been some force in the Great Beyond deciding that this cat deserved a break.