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I'm feeling overwhelmed today. My cat, Hoagie, was diagnosed with feline lymphoma yesterday and I will start him on chemo this week. This is breaking my heart and I really wonder if I'm making the right decision to put him on chemo. I tossed and turned all night, which was not helped by the fact that I went off Seroquel and it was my first night without it (though good riddance to this damn drug that made me gain weight). My vet gave me a prognosis of 10 months for him with treatment. I can't bear to think of losing this guy; hence, the tossing and turning.
But when I got up this morning, there he was, just so happy. They say attitude is everything and he is just the happiest cat. He hasn't ever wanted for a thing and he knows it. I've heard of people and animals outliving prognoses...maybe he would be one of them. So maybe I am making the right choice to do treatment, because without it, he might not have that chance to prove the stats wrong.
I just have to try to keep my head together through all of this, which is hard when work is crazy (though only for the next week), I'm switching up meds, and going into the sadness phase of mourning for my mother, who died 9 months ago.
But when I got up this morning, there he was, just so happy. They say attitude is everything and he is just the happiest cat. He hasn't ever wanted for a thing and he knows it. I've heard of people and animals outliving prognoses...maybe he would be one of them. So maybe I am making the right choice to do treatment, because without it, he might not have that chance to prove the stats wrong.
I just have to try to keep my head together through all of this, which is hard when work is crazy (though only for the next week), I'm switching up meds, and going into the sadness phase of mourning for my mother, who died 9 months ago.
Hope you know that you are not alone in this.
)))HUGS(((
She recently came down with parvo. She has been in the hospital since last thursday. We struggled with what to do for her, and whether or not to keep her hospitalized. She's had blood transfusions and all kinds of junk.
But honestly the deciding factor has to be whether or not you can be okay with not doing it. Would you be able to go on from this in the future if you did not do everything possible to save or prolong his life?
I wouldn't have been able to do that with Lily and I know it. I am and will continue to give up everything to save her if need be.
The bottom line is, you've got to give it everything you have for those you care about. And if money is an issue I know the 5,000 dollars so far is for us, then you just have to think that money is just an object. We can't take it with us when we leave this world.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, we ask these things not for ourselves, but for Hoagie that is so precious and carries the light of your love. Amen.
I say: Go for it!
My sister had a Shih Tzu (which hated my guts) and got lymphoma in his old age. He lived about 3-4 years with treatment, snapping and biting at me the entire time and sometimes even managing to get me :-)
You are right when you say it's all in the animal's attitude. When I worked as a vet tech, we had a saying: The animal has to meet you halfway. As long as the animal has the will to continue, it will. Also know though, that when it appears to suffering (not eating, in pain) then it's time to reconsider.You'll know when it's time.
In the meantime, give Hoagie a chance. He just might surprise you. My sister's dog's cancer was very advanced when it was diagnosed, but he managed very wel on the chemo.
In closing, Champlain Tom, what a lovely prayer for Hoagie! (Far cry from the 1950s chaplain depicted in movie "Chocolat" who claimed animals had no soul. To which his owner replied, "If he has no soul, then there's no harm in him breaking Lent. Isn't that true?" :-)
love,
donna
I wanted to let you all know that last night we brought Hoagie in for his first round of chemo and to also receive a written protocol for him. Well, we found out that he GAINED 1/2 pound on his own!!!! Unbelieveable!!! I now feel that I've made the right decision to help him fight the good fight. He tolerated the chemo pill just fine and I started him on prednisone and baytril this morning. All of us slept like logs last night and when I started getting out of bed this morning, Hoagie woke up, started purring, and gave me my morning head-butts, which he hasn't done in a little while (morning head-butts, I mean. He's been purring all along).
My vet was talking to us for quite a while last night and was encouraged by his weight gain and overall appearance. He was just chilling for most of the time that we were there and she told me that she could tell that he was a very happy cat. This meant a lot to me, coming from her as a professional. I think happy makes all the difference in the world. I know we won't have him forever and ever but I know that he'll fight this like all hell and we'll be right there helping him.
HUGS to all of you!! And Happy Friday.