September 16, 2011

I celebrate today my 11th birthday!.

When my first vet told to my mom that my chances of life wouldn’t exceed one year, I had a life celebration each month. When I was a year I had a cake with a pink candle that I shared with Edward, Nanys and Camilo. They are no longer around... But their memories are always with us.

When I was two years, my cake was more symmetrical, two candles crowned it!. My vet visits that year were limited to my shots ... we walked and watched a lot of TV. Sometimes I accompanied mom to work and I learned that although she travels extensively, always gets back to hug me. In her absence, grandma cared for me, and I could sleep in my favorite sofa!.

I reached the age when it supposed I should have puppies, and I met precious male doggies, all of them ready to help in that endeavor, but… I just was not ready to permit them cross the line, so I attack them, and yes, they showed courage, but perhaps my nature was stronger. So, mom decided that the best for me was a surgery to avoid more temptations and stop biting doggies.

During surgery, I suffered a heart attack, my immune system weakened and a macrophage bacterium attacked me. Mom came to visit me every day at the vet's office. The bacteria ate my skin first and then it began to eat me inside!.

Finally, after a week in the clinic, I returned home and spent the next 9 months between antibiotics, bandages and daily visits to the doctor. Mom and grand mom designed a new strategy every day to give me all my pills, but I always found some invention to spit them as far as possible.

When I was 3 years old, mom prepared my birthday cake and dad gave me a cow toy. We call it Mu.

Between my third and fourth birthday, I met dad. One day mom bathed and combed my hair to let him see how much pretty I am and asked me to behave myself, and she said that if he was not nice to me, she would understand it. But…I had never seen more beautiful blue eyes!. We became instant friends!.

For my fifth year, Dad visited us often. I liked playing with him, but he never stayed more than a few hours. When he was not around, they chatted through the computer every day.

My major medical problems were sporadic stomach pains.

By the time I got to 6 years, mom and dad were preparing their wedding. He visited us more often. By the end of the year they got married, and I saw mom with a nice white dress and before going to church, she kissed me and told me it was one of the happiest days of her life and she appreciated that I was with them.

Between that and my seventh year, dad visited us almost every 15 days and began to talk about mom and I moving to the United States. One day he showed me a map of the site, I only saw a huge colorful stain! ... And when I was 8, mom began to visit him very often. Mom showed me pictures and began to research what I needed to do to travel with her.

Before I was nine years, mom, Mu and I moved to the United States, it was a 4th of July, that day was very hot and I saw many persons everywhere!. I met my brother Benny that day, a cat, he is bigger than me, and he said welcome home with a slap.

Two weeks later I met my new doctor and other specialists. I had an emergency surgery because a kidney blockage. A surgeon removed my left kidney and I spent 2 weeks between pills and visits to hospital. But I was alive!.

At August 8 I found my brother Champ.

I began to enjoy a complete different landscape, people, new smells, tastes and our constant traveling by car, I have visited several hotels. I met my American grandparents; both are very sweet and love us very much.

Between my ninth and tenth birthday, I began to suffer from allergies that cause me itchy, and I visit continually my doctor, my eyes began to need artificial tears, and my parents used a special drawer to put all my medications.

But I celebrated my tenth birthday!, and dad bought me a carrot cake and party saucers and napkins and all of us enjoyed it so much!!!.

Just  few weeks ago I was diagnosed with diabetes. I go every 15 days to see my doctor who pinches me to test my glucose level. Mom and dad learned to inject me insulin every 12 hours and they are very sweet when ask me to eat everything they give me for breakfast and dinner. Our routine changed, but I have behaved very well and I follow all the directions they give me. I have good and much better days, but at the end, if I have carrots, life is easier!.

Mom found a tumor in one of my mammary glands past week. Doctors are waiting until my sugar level can be stable to remove the lump.

But none of that matters, because today, I celebrate with a lot of love my 11 years of life, and what a life!. My doctor authorized a carrot cake without sugar for me. My mom has been planning for several weeks my celebration, after all, life is wonderful!.

11 years after I felt life by very first time I still have a lot to tell you, no doubt!.

 
If you would like to know more about mom’s writing you can visit her web site: http://www.almadzib.com
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