The good doctor just called. They’ve given Jasper a mild sedative, as promised, to reduce his distress. They put in an IV and have started Heparin to try to dissolve the clot and save his leg. His chest x-ray shows fluid on the lungs and a “very large heart”, a sign of underlying heart disease as the doctor suspected. He’s starting heart medication immediately and medicine to clear up his lungs. He is, the doctor said, “very concerned about why his one good front leg has an IV in it”, but it didn’t stop him from eating all the food they put down for him. It was good to hear that he has settled down comfortably and was eating. They will do the echocardiogram on him later today and he will be in hospital until at least Friday. But I can go see him tonight up till 8:00, so the realtor has made plans to meet us at H’s place at 5:00 to do all the paperwork so we can get to see Jasper before they close. I know I will feel better after I get a chance to visit him myself tonight. We still don’t know whether the clot will resolve and the right leg paralysis go away. It seems that only the tincture of time holds that answer.

I wish I had something more cheerful to write about in my first blog entry in months. But I don’t think I am quite up to repeating this several times over, at least not today.

Jasper was his normal talking and frisky self this morning when I woke up and opened the bedroom door. He came running upstairs like he always does and put his two front paws up on the chair to tell me loudly to get downstairs and feed him (this is our routine). However, a few minutes later when I did get downstairs and put his food out, I thought I saw him limping and after watching him for a few minutes, realized he was dragging his right front paw. He began to talk even more loudly that unusual and it was plain he was in distress. His pupils were very dilated (unevenly) and he began to pant heavily. A quick call to the vet’s office then the after-hours emergency vet line and H and I decided to be at my vet’s office when they opened at 8:30. We got there at 8:31 and when I walked in with Jasper in my arms, they knew something was wrong and rushed us into the first available waiting room. God bless Dr. Schulman, she is such a compassionate doctor. Vets really are a special breed, aren’t they? They suspect several things. First, a blood clot as a result of underlying heart disease. The prognosis would be uncertain, but they are almost positive this has happened based on the exam. They have hospitalized him and will do all sorts of tests today. I had broke down crying badly while waiting for Harald to arrive (why does it always seem like an eternity when it’s an emergency?), but I really lost it when the good doctor took Jasper out of the room and had to take a few minutes to gather myself together. Even the *thought* of something bad happening to Jasper just breaks my heart into. As much as I loved Miss Boots, Jasper is the best cat I’ve ever had and I would be lost without him and very, very sad. I hope they don’t have to amputate his leg, which is one possibility. I had H drop me off at work because I need the distraction of work to keep me from (temporarily) losing my mind. All you animals lovers, another “prayer flung up toward heaven” would be much appreciated. And maybe a little one for the owner who seems equally distraught.