Please join me in celebrating a very special day

Ten years ago today I found out my Pico was diabetic. I wasn't freaked out, was sure I could handle it. Diabetes runs in my family, I joked with my vet that I didn't know I could give it to my cat. I knew my day was coming. So it never occurred to me not to treat my boy. It was just something I would have to do. What I didn't know then was that my vet was completely incompetent and had no idea how to treat FD. It's a miracle Pico survived that first month. I know there were times he was hypo and I didn't know it b/c my vet hadn't told me what to look for. I just knew Pico looked terrible. My vet never mentioned hometesting to me. I'd take Pico in a couple of times a week and my vet would keep him there and do random glucose checks throughout the day but never a complete curve. He kept telling me to increase Pico's insulin and in less than a month had him up to 8 units of U. Pico was absolutely miserable. Hated the vet trips. He was hiding from me. It was dreadful. I discussed this with my vet one morning when I took Pico in and he said some cats never regulate and that I should consider putting Pico to sleep. I was devastated.
I had found FDMB right after his dx but hadn't posted. I trusted my vet to know what he was doing. So I didn't think I needed the Internet. But that day I made my first post b/c I was so upset. My heart was broken. I couldn't believe that FD was going to take my precious cat from me. My first post was called Pouring My Heart Out. The response I got to that first post was overwhelming. Everyone was saying your cat is in rebound. Your vet doesn't know what he's doing. That's too much insulin. Your cat is fine, your vet isn't. You need to start hometesting and find another vet. Do not kill your cat. I think I was in shock. I couldn't believe my vet didn't know what he was doing but all of these people, and I got a lot of replies to that first post, were all saying the same thing. One thing they mentioned that resonated me, was they asked if I was checking for ketones. My mother had been diabetic and had to check for ketones in her urine. I had forgotten about that till then. Now, I found myself wondering why my vet had never mentioned this to me. Maybe these people were right. One poster recognized my e-mail as local and sent me an e-mail with her phone number. She said if I needed to talk I could call her and that she had a wonderful vet she could recommend who knew how to treat this disease. I called her. So after talking with her, and all the information I gathered from the people at FDMB that day, I went back to pick Pico up at the vet that evening armed with a bunch of questions to ask. My vet didn't even know what the regulation range was for a cat. When I asked him, he went to look it up, and came back with 3-8 which is right for a non-diabetic but not for a diabetic cat. He dismissed most of my questions, telling me not to pay attention to people on the Internet that they didn't know what they were talking about. I asked about switching him to a wetfood diet and the new food out by Purina for diabetic cats. Again, he dismissed me. One of the techs in his office, whispered to me when he wasn't around that a rep had brought in the info about the new food awhile ago and she had passed it on but didn't think he had read it. I took Pico out of the office and told him we wouldn't be going back there any more. That evening I made an appointment with the vet who Tina had recommended. She was Dr. Francis Minty. We saw her the next day and she spent a full hour with us. Her office was wonderful. There was cat nip sprinkled on the floor. Pico rolled in it. I had picked up a glucometer and she taught me how to use it. She answered all of my questions and with remarkable certainty all of her answers gelled with everything I had been told by the posters at FDMB.
It turned out that Pico was difficult to regulate. It took 4 different insulins and 2 years before we finally hit the right insulin and dose. It was an FDMB old timer who wrote the rationale for the insulin that finally worked. Dr. Minty held my hand through a lot of difficult days. She taught me to look at the cat as much as the numbers and that sometimes we both needed a break from the glucometer. Pico was notorious for taking a long time to settle on a new dose. Increases had to be minute or he'd go into rebound. And, you all became the best friends I'd never met. The people from FDMB back then, saved my boy's life. There is no doubt in my mind that if I hadn't posted that day that Pico would've died from a hypo or I would've put him down b/c he wasn't getting better. For giving me the last 10 years with my boy I am eternally grateful to all of you.
Pico went in and out of remission several times over those years. I used to joke that he was a seasonal diabetic b/c he would go into remission each summer and come back out each winter. He was dx'd with a thoracic tumor almost 3 years ago now. He will be 17 in April. He's lost a lot of weight - the tumor steals his nutrition. That has put him in diabetic remission for the last 2 years. But he keeps on keeping on. He still rules the roost and everyone in it.
He is an amazing cat. So very expressive. Throws temper tantrums when he doesn't get his way. If he could actually speak English I'm scared of what he would say. I'm sure he considers me one of his minions. Everyone and everything was put on this earth to do his bidding. And, we all know it. Neighbourhood cats stop by and sit outside the screened in deck to give him reports. I've called him my guardcat - he alerted me the night someone tried to break into the apartment. I've called him the God father cat b/c neighbourhood cats had delivered him offerings of dead birds. And, I call him the sweetest cat alive when he melts into my arm and purrs. He's all of those things and then some. He's one of a kind and I can't imagine what my life will be like without him in it. Hoping and praying that I won't find out for a long time yet.
I picked up some sardines to celebrate his special day. So please join us in celebrating with my boy - the one and only, Sir Pico today. Tunaritas all around.
Shirley

 

Happy tears! THANK YOU SO much for sharing Picos story. I pray you have many many years together still.
God bless Pico, God bless FDMB.
jeanne

 

What a wonderful, inspirational post, Shirley. I remember you and Pico. Thanks so much for sharing his story.

 

Tunaritas and Sardine Sundaes to Pico! And a champagne toast to you for being such a good "minion". The power of love is a grand thing. drinking24

 

What an amazing story. Thank you for sharing it. I will celebrate it with you. I began reading the story to Harley so he could share also, but sorry to say that all he did was look at me and walk away....he's not much of a drinker anyway.

Congratulations on a very special boy.

Pattie

 

Hey, Shirley, so good to see your post. Happy 10th to Pico and to you for being such a great caregiver. Great post for newbies to read also. Give Pico a big hug and kiss for me and please give Fuzzy a big kiss also from me. Wishing you more quality time with both of them.

 

Thanks Hope - will do on the kitty kisses. Love seeing another old timer still around.
Shirley

 

Great story, Shirley, thanks for sharing it. I remember you and Pico from my earlier days here, although you arrived well before us. I'm sorry to hear about the tumor but, as we know, they often have their own agendas... so here's hoping that Pico is around for many more anniversaries. (The temper tantrum, minion, Godfather, and melting descriptions have left me with great mental images!)

 

I decided not to treat the cancer when he was dx'd. With his health issues and his age I was afraid he wouldn't survive surgery and he hates the vet so I didn't want to be dragging him in there all the time for treatments. He was comfortable - tumor was discovered when I took him in for a UTI. Well it will be 3 years since dx this Spring and he's still going strong. Aside from the weight loss and that I can feel his heart beat at times when he lays on me, you'd never know there's anything wrong with him. I've had a lot of people say it can't be cancer for him to still be here after all this time. I think we just caught it really early and by accident. I suspect most times cancer is much further along when it's dx'd. Pico has always been extremely good at letting me know when anything is wrong in his world so there is no doubt in my mind that he isn't suffering. So we just keep going along till he lets me know it's time to stop.
Shirley

 

Welcome back, Shirley - and thanks for posting your story - it's an inspiration - both your "sweet" kitty Pico and your determination as a caregiver. I know about determination because Dude has a will of his own as far as regulation is concerned also - bounces all over the place and yet acts like the "energizer bunny" most of the time.

Congratulations to you and to Pico - Mittsi wants to know if there will be dancing at the parteeeeee - give that sweet boy big "squishes" from us and keep up the good work.

Emmy & Dude (Way ta' go, Pico, my man)

& Mittsi too (Sending lots of multi-toed paw pats and whisker kisses, Pico)

 

Hear, hear -- a toast to Shirley and Pico on this special occasion. And wishing you many more together :!:

 

Congratulations to both you and Pico on this wonderful anniversary!!! I had known parts of your story, but I thank you for sharing it all once again.


Karen and her furries