The News

So, just two days later the vet came to check Max out....

We were aware that the wound looked rough and smelled bad and Max was emaciated, but we were hopeful that things could finally take a turn for the better now.

But the news weren't good.
In fact, they were heart-breaking...

Our gentle giant's hopes for a better life were shattered by a death sentence.

Our kind vet was almost 100% certain that the fast growing bulging mass filling Max's entire eye socket was cancer. 
Squamous cell carcinoma to be exact.
He took a biopsy to be certain and gave us a prognosis until fall; September.

He thought the cancer would spread more as squamous cell ca is known to metastasize fast, and that Max would not be able to gain weight.

We knew that his immune system was pretty shot as he had been on heavy duty antibiotics non-stop for the last 4 months due to M's treatment plan.

The vet asked us, what we wanted to do...in lack of better terms whether we wanted to put Max out of his misery right there and then ( and to spare us more expenses..).

I asked him how we would know whether Max was suffering.
"He'll stop eating." the vet said.

I locked eyes with a horse that looked at me with his remaining bright eye with an curious expression.
" What do you want?" my thought went to him.
I could see the flicker of life in his eye.

He was not ready yet.
He still had to catch up on "life to live".

I promised him right there and then to give it my all to make that possible for him- no matter how brief our time with him might be.
I would listen to him and I knew he would let me know when it was time.


But I hoped and prayed that we were still a lifetime away from that dreadful day.