Heidi n' Millie and...
Member Since 2022
It is with great sadness that I must share that I accompanied Miss Millie to the Rainbow Bridge this morning and stroked her head, whispering softly, as she crossed. We have been on a roller coaster ride, dealing with massive inappetance for the last 2 weeks, with it waxing and waning, and her numbers all over the place. She had bounced back over the last few days and I was optimistic but, upon returning from running errands yesterday, she was obviously very uncomfortable and in pain. I gave her some gabapentin and ondansetron and it seems to subside. However, she only licked the Fortiflora off her food. A few hours later, she threw up in the litter box and proceeded to throw up 3 more times until it was only bile. I stayed up with her until the wee hours and was up early to check on her. She hadn't touched any more food and was in obvious pain, reacting every time I touched her, especially if I touched her stomach. I got into the vet right away, where they did an ultrasound. She had abnormal fluid in her abdomen, unlike anything the vets had seen before. We discussed options and, given her rapid decline and my rapidly declining retirement finances, I made the excruciating decision to let her go. Another day, another week, another month, another year was not worth the pain she was exhibiting, without knowing if it would ever get any better. After she crossed, the vet asked if it would be okay for them to perform a necropsy, because it's never too late to learn and to see what was going on. As it turns out, only about 20% of her pancreas looked normal, 80% was whitish colored and hard and had adhered to her abdomen wall. Or maybe some other wall. I was in the middle of an ugly cry and whipped, so exact words escape me. Anyway, I would never be able to get her regulated and pain would follow her indefinitely. It's good to have that kind of closure, to know that I didn't make the decision too early. She was an angel and a perfect little sugar cat, who put up with my incessant testing and poking. She was the perfect cat with whom to learn about diabetes. It was a short battle but we both did it to the best of our ability. I only wish I could have done more. This board, and the members, were a godsend. I have learned so much and would like to stay a member to continue learning, in case I walk this path again. As a matter of fact, right after I got home, a friend called and I was able to direct her to the board, as her newly diagnosed cat was being treated by a one-size-fits-all, all-animal-large-and-small vet in the sticks, who had prescribed Vetsulin and needed to do curves every 2 weeks. Thank you, everyone. I wish everyone a peaceful journey.
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And you answered her with love, soft stokes and whispers for peace. My thoughts go out to you. 
