Krista's Care

[tarasgirl06]

She had a great just before we left. It was several manageable pieces rather than one big poop leg. And no bonuses or distress.

I’m really starting to think that her poop struggles this whole time has been unresolved inflammation in her gut caused by the fish flakes.

She was so adorably loving this morning. She sat on my chest several times and kept licking me like old times. She hasn’t licked me like that in a very long time. I was thinking that was just a side effect of all the dental work she had done. Who knows? I’ll take it and thank her for every one.

I’m not so worried about her surgery now as the antibiotics I’ll have to give her for a month or two. We’d better find a compounding formulation she’s happy with. Because she does not take pills well. And I lost my best ally, the fish flakes.

*I see what you're doing there!* Well, it's great that you've isolated and eliminated the source of the problem (even though she loves them and even though they have been your reliable ally in her treatment). And it's good that you have a battle plan and a very good surgeon. *PRAYERS* from the heart and best, best thoughts for the surgery, post-op and recovery to go very well and for her to benefit greatly from all.
The custom box is great!

 

[Rylka]

Hoping for a speedy and complete recovery from her surgery! Glad you got kisses before she had to go back

 

[daftcat75]

I found an app to transcode iPhone videos because it seems I can't add them directly to this site anymore. Apple being Apple, they probably changed the video format between whatever older iOS is my iPhone 6 was running vs the new iPhone SE I just purchased.

Miss Weeble Wobble
https://thecatsite.com/media/miss-weeble-wobble.423507/

"Neurologic" / Nystagmus
https://thecatsite.com/media/neurologic-nystagmus.423508/

 

[tarasgirl06]

I found an app to transcode iPhone videos because it seems I can't add them directly to this site anymore. Apple being Apple, they probably changed the video format between whatever older iOS is my iPhone 6 was running vs the new iPhone SE I just purchased.

Miss Weeble Wobble
https://thecatsite.com/media/miss-weeble-wobble.423507/

"Neurologic" / Nystagmus
https://thecatsite.com/media/neurologic-nystagmus.423508/

Interesting. Let's see what happens when mine gets here.
Awww, poor Krista! Almost looks like CH in the first video. But CH cannot be acquired later in life, so it's not that.

 

[daftcat75]

Interesting. Let's see what happens when mine gets here.
Awww, poor Krista! Almost looks like CH in the first video. But CH cannot be acquired later in life, so it's not that.

She was like this when her eardrum was ruptured last year. As long as the surgeon doesn't cut anything she shouldn't and nothing gets reinfected (and I stop giving her fish flakes), Krista should make a full recovery. My biggest concerns are how easy it will be to get her to take her antibiotics, how much of a mess will they make in the litter box, and will she come home with Horner's (third eyelid halfway up and head tilt)? It is a common but temporary side effect of this surgery. We both hated doing the eye drops for Horner's. I wish she didn't have all her food sensitivities and I could just sneak everything in pill pockets or chicken-flavored treats. I thought I was making things easy for her with the fish flake bites.

 

[tarasgirl06]

She was like this when her eardrum was ruptured last year. As long as the surgeon doesn't cut anything she shouldn't and nothing gets reinfected (and I stop giving her fish flakes), Krista should make a full recovery. My biggest concerns are how easy it will be to get her to take her antibiotics, how much of a mess will they make in the litter box, and will she come home with Horner's (third eyelid halfway up and head tilt)? It is a common but temporary side effect of this surgery. We both hated doing the eye drops for Horner's. I wish she didn't have all her food sensitivities and I could just sneak everything in pill pockets or chicken-flavored treats. I thought I was making things easy for her with the fish flake bites.

Well, you were. Except, you weren't.
Yeah, eye drops are not easy. I don't like them myself. But at least I know why I'm putting them in and can control it.
This pertains to humans, of course, but it may be of some help:
Treatment for Vestibular Disorders *I was thinking of the exercise they show, on the pillow.*

 

[daftcat75]

Well, you were. Except, you weren't.
Yeah, eye drops are not easy. I don't like them myself. But at least I know why I'm putting them in and can control it.
This pertains to humans, of course, but it may be of some help:
Treatment for Vestibular Disorders *I was thinking of the exercise they show, on the pillow.*

Interesting. I sleep within a big U-shaped pregnancy pillow. It allows me to roll over from one side to the other without having to bring the pillow between my knees with me. This means that Krista is very often walking across one side of this pillow or the other as she does her laps on the bed. I thought she was moving a little easier on the bed than on the floor. So yeah, I got this exercise covered for her.

 

[daftcat75]

This was her laying on one of those pillow arms last night. (over the shoulder selfie)

“I always feel like somebody’s watching me.”

 

[lavishsqualor]

Best of luck with Krtista's surgery.

You've probably already seen it, but this video is really informative.

Krista is very lucky to have such a fantastic custodian.

 

[CL56]

I found an app to transcode iPhone videos because it seems I can't add them directly to this site anymore. Apple being Apple, they probably changed the video format between whatever older iOS is my iPhone 6 was running vs the new iPhone SE I just purchased.

Miss Weeble Wobble
https://thecatsite.com/media/miss-weeble-wobble.423507/

"Neurologic" / Nystagmus
https://thecatsite.com/media/neurologic-nystagmus.423508/

Oh bless her - this makes me cry !
Prayers and positives for her surgery !

 

[daftcat75]

Best of luck with Krtista's surgery.

You've probably already seen it, but this video is really informative.

Krista is very lucky to have such a fantastic custodian.

Nope! I can't watch that. I don't want to know how the sausage is made. And I don't want to watch my cat's surgery. I'm already sad that she's going to come home with even more shaved spots. Because of the chemo she's taking for her GI lymphoma, shaved spots are not coming back in. Or if they are, they are coming back exceedingly slowly.

I was going to talk with Krista's regular doctor this week about changing her chemo schedule. I wonder if she gets the larger dose every two weeks rather than the smaller dose every three days whether that might give her hair a better chance to grow back. Because she still has bare IV arms and a bare ultrasound belly from January. Now she's going to have a large swath of her neck shaved too? Poor girl!

 

[tarasgirl06]

Interesting. I sleep within a big U-shaped pregnancy pillow. It allows me to roll over from one side to the other without having to bring the pillow between my knees with me. This means that Krista is very often walking across one side of this pillow or the other as she does her laps on the bed. I thought she was moving a little easier on the bed than on the floor. So yeah, I got this exercise covered for her.

Wow! I'm glad I shared that, then! I sleep with a pillow between my knees because my chiro told me it's good for females, because of our hip/leg structure, when we sleep on our sides like I do, for our backs. And I'm used to turning over in place, like I'm in a sleeping bag, because often, I'm hemmed in on both sides. Tar on one side, Elvs on the other. Baby Su up between the pillows. I don't like to disturb them.

 

[daftcat75]

Surgeon just called and said, "Krista did fantastic. She's a rock star!"

The surgery went well. There was a lot of junk that came out. She's sending it off for culture to know what antibiotic will be most effective. Once she's sure of which to go with, she agrees with me that an oral oil suspension in the highest concentration so I can give the smallest dose would be best. And she will call in the prescription into Wedgewood for me.

The other piece of good news is that the surgeon sees no reason why I can't apply her transdermal pred to her newly shaved neck as long as I avoid the incision site. Krista will be very happy about this because she really dislikes transdermal medicines going into her ears.

Krista is still too soon from surgery for the doctor to know whether she's going to have Horner's or if she's just still loopy from the anesthesia.

I also got doctor's approval for a soft cone. So to make up for all the shaved fur, she'll get a dignified mane.
Alfie Pet Noah Lion Dog & Cat Recovery Collar, X-Small - Chewy.com

 

[tarasgirl06]

Surgeon just called and said, "Krista did fantastic. She's a rock star!"

The surgery went well. There was a lot of junk that came out. She's sending it off for culture to know what antibiotic will be most effective. Once she's sure of which to go with, she agrees with me that an oral oil suspension in the highest concentration so I can give the smallest dose would be best. And she will call in the prescription into Wedgewood for me.

The other piece of good news is that the surgeon sees no reason why I can't apply her transdermal pred to her newly shaved neck as long as I avoid the incision site. Krista will be very happy about this because she really dislikes transdermal medicines going into her ears.

Krista is still too soon from surgery for the doctor to know whether she's going to have Horner's or if she's just still loopy from the anesthesia.

I also got doctor's approval for a soft cone. So to make up for all the shaved fur, she'll get a dignified mane.
Alfie Pet Noah Lion Dog & Cat Recovery Collar, X-Small - Chewy.com

Oh, excellent report!!!

 

[lavishsqualor]

Surgeon just called and said, "Krista did fantastic. She's a rock star!"

The surgery went well. There was a lot of junk that came out.

This is spectacular news! I'm so glad for you and Krista. And believe it or not, a Ventral Bulla Osteotomy isn't really that bloody. Not the one that I watched, anyway. It's oddly satisfying watching the polyps and "junk" being removed. Then again, I recorded my partner's ingrown toenail being removed and watch it every now and again for fun. I'm just weird like that.

Glad to hear your girl is on the mend.

 

[daftcat75]

This is spectacular news! I'm so glad for you and Krista. And believe it or not, a Ventral Bulla Osteotomy isn't really that bloody. Not the one that I watched, anyway. It's oddly satisfying watching the polyps and "junk" being removed. Then again, I recorded my partner's ingrown toenail being removed and watch it every now and again for fun. I'm just weird like that.

Glad to hear your girl is on the mend.

I think the thing with that video was not watching the procedure itself. But watching it while I'm waiting and worried about it being performed on Krista at the time. I might very well go back and watch it once I'm less worried about Krista. But seeing how much fur will be shaved from Krista has me very sad. Her fur is not growing back while she's on chemo. Poor girl is going to be a patchwork of shaved spots until we ease up on the chemo.

 

[lavishsqualor]

I completely and totally understand about not wanting to watch that video prior to her surgery. Truthfully, upon retrospect, it was a little insensitive of me to post it. And please don't be said about Krista's fur. She may be a patchwork of shaved spots but she'll still be beautiful to you and to all of us here on the site.

I teach literature at the University of Central Florida and oddly enough your comment about her fur made me think of a quote from one of my favorite children's books, the Velveteen Rabbit, which is about a stuffed animal. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what any of us look like, not to those who really love us.

“Real isn't how you are made,' said the Skin Horse. 'It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.'

'Does it hurt?' asked the Rabbit.

'Sometimes,' said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. 'When you are Real you don't mind being hurt.'

'Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,' he asked, 'or bit by bit?'

'It doesn't happen all at once,' said the Skin Horse. 'You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand.”

― Margery Williams, The Velveteen Rabbit

 

[tarasgirl06]

I completely and totally understand about not wanting to watch that video prior to her surgery. Truthfully, upon retrospect, it was a little insensitive of me to post it. And please don't be said about Krista's fur. She may be a patchwork of shaved spots but she'll still be beautiful to you and to all of us here on the site.

I teach literature at the University of Central Florida and oddly enough your comment about her fur made me think of a quote from one of my favorite children's books, the Velveteen Rabbit, which is about a stuffed animal. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what any of us look like, not to those who really love us.

“Real isn't how you are made,' said the Skin Horse. 'It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.'

'Does it hurt?' asked the Rabbit.

'Sometimes,' said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. 'When you are Real you don't mind being hurt.'

'Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,' he asked, 'or bit by bit?'

'It doesn't happen all at once,' said the Skin Horse. 'You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand.”

― Margery Williams, The Velveteen Rabbit

That's one of my favorite books, too. I actually have book, cassette tape, and stuffie of the Velveteen Rabbit.

 

[sidneykitty]

I'm so glad to hear her surgery went well!!

 

[daftcat75]

I'm reviewing her care instructions before I pick her up in an hour.

This one makes me sad (and a bit nervous)

ACTIVITY RESTRICTIONS:
Please confine Krista to a small area such as a small room without furniture or a large crate for the next 2 weeks. Krista should
not have free access to the house, outdoors or furniture; there should be no running, jumping, play, stairs, etc. during this initial
recovery period. Cats are notoriously difficult to rehabilitate with exercise restrictions, but every attempt should be made to
minimize activity which may stress the surgical repair. Excessive activity during recovery may lead to failure of the surgical
correction and the need for additional treatment or surgery

I have an XL dog crate that I can confine her to, if need be. But I know all she really wants to do most of her days is sleep in her spot on the media bench and sleep at the foot of the bed. And occasionally do laps across my chest. But this is only for two weeks, and it will be a lot longer if she rips a stitch or gets something (re)infected. At least I work from home. I can try to give her free roam of the office when I'm home and put her on the supervised honor system. But she'll likely have to sleep in the crate.