Willy might have cancer / high-grade lymphoma Treatment thread

[cmshap]

Monday evening, 11/6 (exactly one week since first chemo treatment):

He ate pretty well all day today (without any mirtazepam). In fact, he vomited once today from eating too fast, even though I was controlling his pace by giving him only a little food at a time. I will need to slow it down even more if he continues.

The scarf-and-barf thing was a lifelong issue with him, so that is characteristic of his normal appetite. But I certainly don't want him vomiting unnecessarily as he goes through chemotherapy treatment, so I need to figure out more precisely how to feed him at the right pace.

I'm so happy he's eating more, though. I hope that maintaining a good appetite will help his chances of getting through his treatment.

Edited for another detail: the tumor on his chest (smaller of the two) has gotten much "squishier" recently, which my oncologist told me would be a good sign. I've tried taking pics that show this tumor, but you can't really see it from any of the angles I tried. And then he got annoyed that I was manipulating his head in order to take pictures, so I stopped.

Here's a pic of how he is looking today. As you can see, he's been busy shredding paper again.

 

[eevans3373]

Monday evening, 11/6 (exactly one week since first chemo treatment):

He ate pretty well all day today (without any mirtazepam). In fact, he vomited once today from eating too fast, even though I was controlling his pace by giving him only a little food at a time. I will need to slow it down even more if he continues.

The scarf-and-barf thing was a lifelong issue with him, so that is characteristic of his normal appetite. But I certainly don't want him vomiting unnecessarily as he goes through chemotherapy treatment, so I need to figure out more precisely how to feed him at the right pace.

I'm so happy he's eating more, though. I hope that maintaining a good appetite will help his chances of getting through his treatment.

Here's a pic of how he is looking today. As you can see, he's been busy shredding paper again.

Glad to see Willy doing well. I make a point to check this thread every day to check on his progress. Visualizing him living well into his 20s.

 

[cmshap]

Glad to see Willy doing well. I make a point to check this thread every day to check on his progress. Visualizing him living well into his 20s.

Thank you.

I know I am documenting so many details right now, but I deliberately wanted to do that in the immediate time after his chemotherapy started.

I was inspired by artiemom 's thread about Geoffrey's small-cell lymphoma, and I couldn't find another detailed story specifically about large-cell lymphoma. I hope this thread might one day help someone by detailing my experience with this day-by-day.

If things stabilize for a while and there are no challenges, I won't keep posting everyday updates to make the thread unnecessarily longer. But I definitely want to keep doing it in the periods after his chemo treatments (which are going to be monthly, so the next one is in 3 weeks). Or, if anything changes, even small things I notice.

Thanks to everyone sticking with this thread and watching Willy's progress.

 

[IndyJones]

You could try placing a golf ball or a plastic cup in his bowl forcing him to eat around it. I used to do this for Kabuto.

 

[cmshap]

You could try placing a golf ball or a plastic cup in his bowl forcing him to eat around it.

I've tried that in the past with Willy, before this whole cancer event started. It never worked. But thanks for suggesting.

He typically paws pieces of kibble out onto the floor before eating them. He very rarely sticks his face into the bowl/plate, even when there is no object in the middle of it.

When I've tried this tactic, I've used an upside-down drinking glass in the middle of his plate, with food evenly distributed around the diameter. But he just kept scooping food out with his paw from every direction onto the floor, then eating from there. And doing it very fast, as if there was no object in the middle of his plate to begin with.

When I had him on a mostly-wet food diet, this wasn't as much of an issue. But he's a dry food addict, by nature, and lately, I've been prioritizing my concern for just getting calories into him over the type of food he's ingesting.

I will be watching and adjusting all of this carefully over the weeks until his next chemo treatment.

 

[eevans3373]

When I've tried this tactic, I've used an upside-down drinking glass in the middle of his plate, with food evenly distributed around the diameter. But he just kept scooping food out with his paw from every direction onto the floor, then eating from there. And doing it very fast, as if there was no object in the middle of his plate to begin with.

Ever tried food puzzles?

They were good at preventing my old man from scarfing down his crunchies, then immediately running over to his water bowl, lapping up an outrageous amount of water, then spraying a massive disgusting brown crunchie and water puke stream across the carpet, being sure to move around frequently to achieve maximum puke spread. I'm pretty sure he did that intentionally when he didn't get his wet on time. Or didn't like the variety of wet (food) that was being offered.

 

[Kwik]

Ever tried food puzzles?

They were good at preventing my old man from scarfing down his crunchies, then immediately running over to his water bowl, lapping up an outrageous amount of water, then spraying a massive disgusting brown crunchie and water puke stream across the carpet, being sure to move around frequently to achieve maximum puke spread. I'm pretty sure he did that intentionally when he didn't get his wet on time. Or didn't like the variety of wet (food) that was being offered.

Food puzzles are a great idea for a scarfer,they work quite well especially with a singlet with one food spot- good suggestion for Willie

 

[cmshap]

Ever tried food puzzles?

Food puzzles are a great idea for a scarfer

You know what... I totally forgot I own an "activity board," as the product is called, like this one pictured.

I used it a long time ago mostly with treats, and a few times with dry food. But Willy didn't exhibit tremendous patience for it. And he never could scoop anything out of those round cup parts on the left side, despite trying hard.

I shelved it when I started transitioning him to wet food, and honestly didn't even remember I still had it.

There are parts of this board he did figure out, and I could try it again, catering to the parts I remember he was able to solve.

Edit: Now that I am thinking about it again, I just have to comment a little bit more about the poor design of the round clear cup part of this board.

The openings in the top are too small. Willy figured out that they were clear containers, and that he had to stick his paw in, press a piece of food against the side, while sliding it up and out the top. But the top opening is too small, so whenever he would attempt it, the piece of food would catch on the rim and slide out of his grasp back down to the bottom.

I should figure out where I bought this product (I honestly don't remember) and leave a review.

If anyone has particular suggestions for other food puzzles that you like, please let me know.

 

[Kwik]

Slow feeder bowls are pretty good,very inexpensive too

 

[artiemom]

I was inspired by artiemom 's thread about Geoffrey's small-cell lymphoma, and I couldn't find another detailed story specifically about large-cell lymphoma. I hope this thread might one day help someone by detailing my experience with this day-by-day.

If things stabilize for a while and there are no challenges, I won't keep posting everyday updates to make the thread unnecessarily longer. But I definitely want to keep doing it in the periods after his chemo treatments (which are going to be monthly, so the next one is in 3 weeks). Or, if anything changes, even small things I notice.

Thanks to everyone sticking with this thread and watching Willy's progress.

OMG.. Thank you for the compliment. I kind of use that thread as a blog... I am glad it has helped someone. I kind of did the same thing with Artie--different issues...

You are doing a great job.. No, I have never really seen a thread about large cell lymphoma. Good for you, for wanting to start one..
Love,

 

[cmshap]

I kind of use that thread as a blog

I'm basically doing the same thing. Keeping this thread going has been helping me process and get through the situation, too.

Willy and I have been fortunate enough to have had great success with treatment thus far, which has made me want to share the results even more. Maybe it will give somebody else hope that treatment can work.

At the same time, I've decided to share all details even if things turn bad. Because it's also helpful to show whatever happens. I am hopeful and optimistic, but at the same time, I know that he has cancer and we are eternally just mitigating it, not curing it.

 

[cmshap]

Tuesday morning, 11/7 (7.5 days after first chemo treatment):

Willy woke me up at 4am, standing on my chest, meowing at 100% volume in my face, because his food plate was empty.

I don't think appetite is going to be a problem until perhaps after his next chemo (lomustine) treatment in 3 weeks. But of course, if that changes in the meantime, I will write an update about it.

I'm just relishing in positivity at the moment. His tumors have shrunk so much, he is eating normally again, he wants to play, etc. I'm looking into a new puzzle-feeder thing to get him to slow his pace so he doesn't vomit.

Limiting his vomiting is both for his health as well as mine. He will be going through chemotherapy for at least 4.75 more months, and so whenever he vomits, it's toxic to me, as a human. And I have to clean it up safely (with gloves + mask, which I do always because I have my own compromising medical history).

Despite all that, his general state after starting his treatment just over a week ago is "great!" I hope it continues.

 

[IndyJones]

Kabuto didn't have patience for puzzle feeders either. I had one that was kind of like a bingo wheel and he just dumped the thing over like "@#%! That! Im out" I tried the balls and he couldn,t figure it out. Even the little mouse shapped ones, but he does still have them with silvervine in them instead of kibbles.

 

[cmshap]

I just have to post this very minor update...

He just had a full-on zoomie episode, first one in a while. Sprinting across my apartment living room, from one side to the next.

He is 11 years old so it didn't last long, but I was just so happy to see that.

 

[IndyJones]

I got thinking, I used to take Kabutos kibbles sometimes and place them spaced out in a trail around the house. Would willy be able to sniff his food out? It worked for Kabuto sometimes.

Or maybe toss him the kibbles one at a time?

 

[cmshap]

Or maybe toss him the kibbles one at a time?

He actually likes that, and I do that a lot already. And always did it with treats in the past.

If you look at the pictures I've posted over the course of this thread, you can see that my living room area rug is mostly beige with a brown pattern. It tends to disguise kibble fairly well when I toss onto the rug. And I can practically see Willy's brain working when he knows he spotted a piece of food in the area, and is hunting for it.

I will always continue to do that, because it's enrichment for him. And he's food-motivated enough where he will probably always respond to it. But the problem is that you can't realistically serve a full meal that way. It would drive me crazy to do that continuously for a long time, even though I love him and love watching his response to it.

 

[cmshap]

Wednesday morning, 11/8 (8.5 days after first chemo treatment):

He woke me up again screaming for food in my face.

This whole cancer thing has changed my perspective in a weird way, which makes everything that used to annoy me more enjoyable. I love being woken up by him now, over the simple fact that he is hungry, and doesn't care whether or not I am sleeping.

I hope this comment might reach someone else some day. I'd prevent Willy from having cancer if I could, but the fact that he has cancer is actually making our relationship better in the time that he has left.

It's a weird contradiction of emotions to process.

 

[IndyJones]

Wednesday morning, 11/8 (8.5 days after first chemo treatment):

He woke me up again screaming for food in my face.

This whole cancer thing has changed my perspective in a weird way, which makes everything that used to annoy me more enjoyable. I love being woken up by him now, over the simple fact that he is hungry, and doesn't care whether or not I am sleeping.

I hope this comment might reach someone else some day. I'd prevent Willy from having cancer if I could, but the fact that he has cancer is actually making our relationship better in the time that he has left.

It's a weird contradiction of emotions to process.

I know the feeling, going through the same thing with Kabuto and his heart disease. I know it will take his life eventualy so I want to make the most of the time we have left together.

 

[fionasmom]

I have found that with seriously ill pets, dogs and cats, that the bond increases with the care that they know they are receiving from you.

 

[catloverfromwayback]

I found Daisy's megacolon diagnosis and the fears in its first weeks before getting her on Cisapride greatly increased my affection for her - focused it, if you like.