[Dailydrool] Seniors

[Heidi I Sarver]

Clearly Buford, OEBE Garbagemeister Extraordinaire is a senior.  At  
10 1/2 years of age he has been with me since he was 7 months old.  A  
psuedo-rescue in that he did not come from a rescue group but rather  
a family who was giving him away because he was too much of a  
burden.  What puppy of ANY breed between the ages of 3-7 months ISN'T  
a "burden?!"  They're PUPPIES!!!  But all that is ancient history.   
Buford, even with his ability to eat through my finances due to  
medical needs (ok, here it comes:  $6,000 for the month of May---VISA  
loves me.....my contractor does not as that was the money I owed  
him!) is the sweetest guy in the world.  Every one of his NEW  
doctors, nurses and techs tells me this whenever I come in for  
something or drop him off for something, etc.  He loves nothing more  
than to bake in the sun on the deck (when I let him) or sleep on his  
favorite chair in the living room.  At meal time--watch out because  
this unassuming gentle, slow, old man moves faster than the speed of  
light and has his two paws on the counter trying to help me open his  
can of food!

I would like to be able to pay my contractor so that the final bits  
of work to the family room ceiling could be completed---but I'm  
happier having my boy home recovering from all that surgery and  
possibly having a few more wonderful years ahead of him.  {BTW, he  
still has a few bloating symptoms:  licking the air and pacing for  
about 30-60 minutes after full meals.  But no gassing up, no  
excessive drooling (that had been happening the first few days--now  
gone) and no vomiting or gagging or coughing, etc.  He's still in  
some discomfort from the surgery and does very well on his pain meds  
for that.  Maybe, just maybe there won't be anything more to treat  
once I hear about the biopsies.....internist is on vacation but SWORE  
he would call if his nurse called him with biopsy reports that needed  
immediate action to be taken.  So far no news: I take this as a good  
sign!}

--heidi, buford, della and guinness the cat