I didn’t really know what to title this post. All I knew was that this was a topic really close to my heart. I wanted to write about it multiple times but couldn’t get myself to as it brought back a lot of terrible memories. I wanted it to come from Gappu first on his blog so that you guys hear it from the person who actually went through that hard time. If you guys haven’t already, then log on to Gappu’s blog on bloggers.com and check out his previous post. I finally decided to tell you my side of that story here, on my blog. Ready to go down an emotional roller coaster? Because I’m finally ready to take you on one.
The time bubbles (aka Gappu) was diagnosed with Benign Pituitary Tumour was extremely hard on me and my family. It was simply complicated. It was so difficult watching him grow worse with each passing day and knowing that there was nothing more we could do. I was in eighth grade at the time. To be honest, it was the roughest year of my life. There was a lot going on in my personal life. I thought I was losing some of my friends, my best friend had shifted away and I was facing a lot of health problems. Gappu’s diagnosis just added fuel to the fire. With everything going on in my life, the thought of losing my ultimate best friend just broke me.
After watching bubbles suffer constantly, my mom decided that if there was no improvement, she’d make the horrific call of putting him down. After mom broke the news to my sister and I, I felt completely shattered. Mom requested us to put on a brave face for Gappu’s sake so that he didn’t sense our sadness. The doctor’s visits were even worse. They grew to become a part of our routine. There was a time which I can vividly recall where I found a ray of hope.
We were at the doc’s. Since Gappu hadn’t been eating and drinking much, he had been put on a saline drip. My mom was talking to the doctor and my sister was on call with my dad. I remember looking at Gappu as he lay helplessly on the table. His eyes slowly teared up but still looked at me as if telling me not to give up on him. There was that tiny sparkle in his eye. The very one that I’d fallen in love with when I first met him. It was at that very moment when I realised that I would never give up on him. It was just not an option. There was a chart on the wall of the clinic whose title read- ‘listen to me’. It was a chart which tried to convey all the things that a dog expects from his family. Simple rules like- ‘talk to me- I may not understand your words but I understand your voice’, ‘don’t be mad at me for too long- I’m still learning’, ‘appreciate my tricks- I always love being adorned’ and ‘don’t back away from me when I’m drawing my last breath’. That was the one that really got to me. These were the little things that stood out to me the most. I couldn’t lose him. He’s my world and nothing would make sense without him in it. After going through some extensive treatment, the vet backed up my mom’s decision of putting him to sleep. There was no reason to prolong his suffering.
Before we did, one of my mom’s friend recommended a different doctor for Gappu. It was worth a shot so we took him to the new vet. My sister and I had exams coming up and the new clinic was far from my place so my mom suggested we stay back and prepare. An hour passed, then two, then three. My mom’s phone was engaged too. The fact that I couldn’t reach her just made me more nervous. At last, after a few dreadful hours my mom came home. My sister and I rushed to open the door and there she stood with bubbles in her arms, tired and resting. I looked up at my mom with tears in my eyes. There was a moment of silence after which she broke down and said, “He’s gonna be alright!”
Those were the best words I’d heard. We all broke down, broke down into tears of happiness as Gappu tried to make sense of what had happened. Nevertheless, he still wanted to be a part of all the hugging. The fact that bubbles was gonna be alright came with things to ensure his survival. The new vet put him on medication that has to be imported from Germany. If ever the supply gets cut off, he’d run the risk of dying. As we started with his medications, we started seeing a lot of improvement. He gradually grew stronger and returned to his cheerful, bubbly self. The disease is lifelong but the medication would make sure that Gappu could make most of it.
Three and a half years have passed and he’s doing okay. But that’s not the end to this story.
A couple of weeks back my mom started noticing a skin infection. She tried to fix it with powder and regular baths but after it showed no signs of improvement, my mom consulted the doctor. He says that his tumour has surfaced again and its what is causing his infection. So currently Gappu’s been put on regular medication. I can’t say he’s worsening a lot but yes, his energy levels are a bit down. He’d still welcome you home with the same level of excitement, but he’d get tired sooner than he usually does. Since he’s just started his new treatment, I can’t say whether it’s working or not so far but I’m counting on it. I have to. There is no way I’m losing him to something he’s been fighting for so long.
I can’t deny it though. The fact that he may not wake up the next day does occur in the back of my mind. Seeing him go through his suffering and knowing there’s nothing I can do about it kills me every single day. All I can do is be there for him, support him and love him endlessly. And that’s my top priority. I know I’m not the only one who loves him so much, he’s got a whole family for him. My friends, my sister’s friends and my family have never failed to show their love and support for him. I can only hope they continue to do the same to get him through this tough time.
So, a big thanks to those of you who have been there for me and for Gappu from the start. To all those people who mean something to him. he loves you all!
(P.S.- I know I’ve not posted in a long time. I’ve been so occupied with college, my college fest and my immediate examinations that it was impossible for me to even find my laptop. Anyways I’m back at it and I wanted this to be the first post back since this means something to me and I wanted to update y’all on his condition. I’ll be posting a new post about my college life soon so I hope you keep reading!)