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- Dec 16, 2015
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i'm currently in the middle of a "is it IDB or small cell lymphoma" stress ball. it's on going and a tad long.
it all started last wednesday when i came home and my 11 yr old kitty companion had thrown up twice in relatively the same spot. both spots looked like a hairball cleansing so i didn't think much of it except that i felt like she'd had a few other tiny vomits over the last month and that was a little unusual. but she was acting fine, she's gained a half pound, eating and drinking is normal, litter box habits all the same. basically not being any weirder than she has been since i brought her home. i figured if it didn't go away it was something to bring up at her exam in january as we prepare to move to europe for a year.
friday morning i woke up to the sound of vomitting, this time it was all her food. i cleaned it up, deciding i'd hit the google and maybe move the vet appointment up to the weekend, gave her fresh food and water and left for work. when i got home, she was no where to be seen/heard, which freaked me out b/c without fail she is at the door meowing for treats, has been for as long as i've been giving them to her. there were also about 5 little quarter sized places where she'd thrown up white foam. i called for her, trying not to sound panicked b/c that just makes her laugh and hide more. i finally found her on a suitcase under the bed, not an usual place for her to nap but she wouldn't come out. i pulled the suitcase out and she didn't move. when i picked her up she jumped and hid under a step stool. i saw that she hadn't eaten any of the food and she was smacking her lips, clearly dehydrated so i took her to the pet er. since my vet is open on weekends i had them give her fluids and anti nausea meds to get thru the night. when she threw up white foam the next morning we went to the vet.
the vet did all the usual tests and xrays. there weren't any blockages they could see and everything looked normal, so maybe it was pancreatitis or ibd. they gave her more fluids and some cerenia pills for me to give her, fun! when the test results came back there were some abnormalities in her protein levels and something about her kidney i can't remember, but they suggested an ultrasound. i figured i'd already gone this far, why not max out that no interest for a year credit card. my little buddy had just gotten registered as an emotional support animal and now that fuzzy butt was causing me emotional distress.
yesterday she had the ultrasound and when the vet called with the "results" i had a small meltdown. i say "results" b/c there basically weren't any. she said that the intestines were a bit thick but that ibd and small cell lymphoma were so similar it would take an endoscopy to get any further conclusions. she said that some people opt not to do the endoscopy and just treat it as idb. i was still at work and asked if we could talk more when i picked her up. i immediately started googleing the hell out of it. the only symptom she has is the vomiting and here my vet was telling me it could be lymphoma. when i finally talked to the doctor she explained that the treatment for both is meds and a diet change so some people just treat for the idb and hope for the best. she then told me that if it was small cell lymphoma the pet usually lives for 1-2 years. then she handed me the estimate which cost the same as the er visit, x-rays, tests and ultrasound combined. i got mal in the car, cried and called my mom. she immediately said to schedule the endoscopy, put it on a credit card number she was going to send me and we'd work the rest out later. she's my favorite person ever.
which brings me to today. the doctor who does the endoscopy only does them on wednesdays and is already out for the holidays. so we have an appointment for january 6th, the day after we get back from my parents on the east coast. so now we wait and i give her anti nausea meds a few days. she hates the pill pods but she's been pretty ok about me bear hugging her and dropping it down her throat so far.
so that's where we are. i know 11 is a good age, i know barring a tragic event she wasn't going to outlive me. i also know i have know idea what i'm gonna do without her. i know there's no diagnosis yet, but i'm pessimistic by nature. i found this site in my googleing, thought it would be nice to have a more recent journey uploaded. thanks for the space.
it all started last wednesday when i came home and my 11 yr old kitty companion had thrown up twice in relatively the same spot. both spots looked like a hairball cleansing so i didn't think much of it except that i felt like she'd had a few other tiny vomits over the last month and that was a little unusual. but she was acting fine, she's gained a half pound, eating and drinking is normal, litter box habits all the same. basically not being any weirder than she has been since i brought her home. i figured if it didn't go away it was something to bring up at her exam in january as we prepare to move to europe for a year.
friday morning i woke up to the sound of vomitting, this time it was all her food. i cleaned it up, deciding i'd hit the google and maybe move the vet appointment up to the weekend, gave her fresh food and water and left for work. when i got home, she was no where to be seen/heard, which freaked me out b/c without fail she is at the door meowing for treats, has been for as long as i've been giving them to her. there were also about 5 little quarter sized places where she'd thrown up white foam. i called for her, trying not to sound panicked b/c that just makes her laugh and hide more. i finally found her on a suitcase under the bed, not an usual place for her to nap but she wouldn't come out. i pulled the suitcase out and she didn't move. when i picked her up she jumped and hid under a step stool. i saw that she hadn't eaten any of the food and she was smacking her lips, clearly dehydrated so i took her to the pet er. since my vet is open on weekends i had them give her fluids and anti nausea meds to get thru the night. when she threw up white foam the next morning we went to the vet.
the vet did all the usual tests and xrays. there weren't any blockages they could see and everything looked normal, so maybe it was pancreatitis or ibd. they gave her more fluids and some cerenia pills for me to give her, fun! when the test results came back there were some abnormalities in her protein levels and something about her kidney i can't remember, but they suggested an ultrasound. i figured i'd already gone this far, why not max out that no interest for a year credit card. my little buddy had just gotten registered as an emotional support animal and now that fuzzy butt was causing me emotional distress.
yesterday she had the ultrasound and when the vet called with the "results" i had a small meltdown. i say "results" b/c there basically weren't any. she said that the intestines were a bit thick but that ibd and small cell lymphoma were so similar it would take an endoscopy to get any further conclusions. she said that some people opt not to do the endoscopy and just treat it as idb. i was still at work and asked if we could talk more when i picked her up. i immediately started googleing the hell out of it. the only symptom she has is the vomiting and here my vet was telling me it could be lymphoma. when i finally talked to the doctor she explained that the treatment for both is meds and a diet change so some people just treat for the idb and hope for the best. she then told me that if it was small cell lymphoma the pet usually lives for 1-2 years. then she handed me the estimate which cost the same as the er visit, x-rays, tests and ultrasound combined. i got mal in the car, cried and called my mom. she immediately said to schedule the endoscopy, put it on a credit card number she was going to send me and we'd work the rest out later. she's my favorite person ever.
which brings me to today. the doctor who does the endoscopy only does them on wednesdays and is already out for the holidays. so we have an appointment for january 6th, the day after we get back from my parents on the east coast. so now we wait and i give her anti nausea meds a few days. she hates the pill pods but she's been pretty ok about me bear hugging her and dropping it down her throat so far.
so that's where we are. i know 11 is a good age, i know barring a tragic event she wasn't going to outlive me. i also know i have know idea what i'm gonna do without her. i know there's no diagnosis yet, but i'm pessimistic by nature. i found this site in my googleing, thought it would be nice to have a more recent journey uploaded. thanks for the space.