As I understand that you are soon to be able to see pictures of Maria, I
want to sort of apologize for not taking gruesome pictures right away of
her.
 
As I have no web site, and my friends and family all came over and saw
her when they were visiting, it never dawned on me to take the gruesome
pictures I could have.  I did the opposite.  Believing she would die before
surgery or during or soon after was a definite possibility, I took her with
me to Mini-ME's photo shoot that had been scheduled weeks before.
 
It took over a roll to get a pretty picture of Maria.  She is sitting on a
little chair in between two stuffed animals.  I brought all the props with
me.  You can see the bald top of the head.  But the brain look is not
picked up.  She looks adorable.  The photographer did not think so.  But
I do.
 
I would not want a picture taken of me, or my mother, or my sister with
cancer, dying, looking hideous-put on the net just so everyone could say
"what a freak ." Maria was already called that by the kids who told me
about her at the park.
 
This little one had a will to live.  To me, the pictures show a tiny
malnourished, healing, half bald, recovering animal with a strong will to
live after a delicate surgery was performed well to remove what WAS cancer.
 
Sorry to anyone who would need an apology.  I don't think if I had a web
site I would have shown her when I first got her unless she lived and was
doing well.  She became my patient and baby the minute the pet store owner
let me have "it."
 
The professional picture I had taken was for me to keep after her death, so
she would have someone who had loved her: me.  I would remember her every
time I passed her photo.  I purchased a heart shaped frame.  It sits in the
kitchen on the table.
 
She was not going to die all alone.
[Posted in FML issue 3497]