And he returns home a survivor…

We won’t know the final pathology on Walter’s mouth mass for 7-10 days, but at least for now I’m letting myself hope that we’re out of the woods. I picked him up this morning following his surgery, and was pleasantly surprised at how normal he looks. I know I should just be glad that the cancer is gone (at least for now…), but I was really worried that he would go from being the ridiculous-looking adorable dog to the funny-looking lower-jawless dog. Turns out he’s still ridiculous looking and adorable, and now he occasionally sticks his tongue out a little by accident, particularly when he’s really tired. He’s got a little bandage where his IV line was, but is otherwise ready for a restful few weeks at home before our follow-up visit. He's still pretty sleepy. Here are some post-op photos to reassure you all that you’ll still want the Walter 2013 Calendar when it’s available…

 This is the best shot of his incision, which is the darker area on his chin. 

 

Here is Walter looking vaguely peeved that I am taking pictures of him during his delicate convalescence.

 

 The promised little tongue. He keeps it in his mouth pretty well for having just lost a chunk of his lower jaw. It's cute. 

 Surrounded by blankets, recovering on the couch.