Jasper Lives!

I spent the last week nursing my 2 favorite geriatric patients post-surgery. The first one was my 81 year old mother—she had eye surgery.  The other was Jasper, my 16 year old dog—he had 6 infected benign cysts taken off of his body, groin and leg and 1 melanoma taken off of his lip. And it is with a clear conscience that I can say---the dog was a better patient.

By either dog or human terms, Jasper is ancient. I have owned him for nearly 15 years and he was not a puppy when we adopted him. The shelter believed he was at least a year old.

As a young dog Jasper would not exactly be described as “nice”—he was tentative, protective, and untrusting. I believe he suffered some abuse before we adopted him. In his old age he has mellowed. But what Jasper was then and still is now—is a survivor.

Around a week before Thanksgiving I noticed that Jasper was slowing down. He also began to drool. I googled “old dog drooling” and discovered that he was likely in pain and that drooling was often associated with liver disease or melanoma—both diseases of which are prominently flagged in his medical chart. I feared this was it—the end--which was why I took another week to bring him into the vet. I was happy in my world of denial. I was afraid she (the vet) was going to recommend me putting him down—especially since I detected a lump on his lip.

Yet the vet happily told me that Jasper was in good shape—for his age at least-- the drooling was because of an infected gum and yes he had a melanoma growth on his lip but it appeared to be encapsulated. He also had several large benign yet nagging infected epidermal cysts-- which while causing discomfort were never going to kill him. Jasper was overall too healthy to put down---but the lip tumor had to go.

And so we made a decision that despite the danger of anesthesia to a 16 year old dog—Jasper was no ordinary dog. And if the anesthesia killed him, he was at least dying with us trying to help him—no one made an active decision to send him to his maker.

And not only did Jasper survive surgery but as soon as he came home he hobbled to the door to go out—his mind was still sharp—and he was not willing to endure the embarrassment of peeing on the floor. He was going outside like a dog—no doggie diaper for him. And despite the stitches on his lip and lanced abscess in his gum—he was eating that homemade cooked chicken I had prepared especially for him.

It is day 3 post surgery and so far Jasper is progressing way better than many humans under similar circumstances.  He does not feel sorry for himself or begrudge the onset of  illness. He does not curse the things he cannot do anymore. He does not whine to his peers.He gets up and does his job. He does not worry about tomorrow. He lives moment to moment.   

And although I cannot predict how much longer Jasper will live, I know this surgery has extended his already expired warrantee. He is not ready to give up yet. It is inspiring to watch. He is a lesson in tenacity and resilience. And like Tiny Tim in Dicken’s A Christmas Carol---he did not die—instead he is our Christmas miracle—and I thank God for the blessing.