2/2 Rocket AM BG 90=NS/PM BG=no test

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Rocket & his Mom

Rocket & his Mom

Member Since 2010
He may have a tumor in the brain. Neuro wants to try prednisone but that will make his diabetes and kidneys bad bad.... I can't afford the scan...so trying a medication will shorten his life...devastating news..please update the board...he still has to get his ultrasound

He is being prepped for the u/s now. I asked if I can be there and that dr said ok so I'm waiting for them to come get me. ...I feel so helpless

The IM vet got her way so I was not present for the u/s... They're doing a biopsy of the pancreas and urine culture too..something about a nodule in the pancreas .. This all sounds Greek to me...so I don't know what's causing what..




I'm posting from my phone...waiting for more info. We are still at the hospital
 
Re: 2/2 Rocket

As far as pred and the diabetes, do not sweat that. We work insulin around steroids all the time. I can't speak to the kidney issues. That is something to discuss with the vet. One step at a time.
 
Re: 2/2 Rocket

Hang in there Claudia (& Rocket) 0 at least you will have more information, after all this - and that has to be better than not knowing (and guesswork)...
Thoughts go with you...
 
Re: 2/2 Rocket

At least you know you have an ample supply of hugs and healing thoughts, refillable on demand. Dose as needed. Thinking of you.
 
Re: 2/2 Rocket

We are all with you today (and every day). The "one-step-at-a-time" approach is the best.
Many, many :YMHUG: :YMHUG: :YMHUG: :YMHUG: :YMHUG: :YMHUG: :YMHUG:

Ella & Rusty
 
Re: 2/2 Rocket

(((Claudia)))....ditto on what everyone else said. Let's see what the u/s says, go from there....we're here for you. Sending prayers.
 
Re: 2/2 Rocket

((((((Claudia & Rocket)))))) This is a hard time for you & Rocket, but somehow, I am praying that you both will get through it--
We are sending comforting Hugs to both of you!! Praying very hard that Rocket will be well!!!
 
Re: 2/2 Rocket

Claudia, we are all with you and thinking about you as you go down this path with Rocket. One step at a time...nice and easy peasy. If you need the pred to make Rocket feel better, then that is what you need to do. Don't worry about the diabetes...you are treating that now, you'll just be treating it a little bit differently.
 
Re: 2/2 Rocket

((((Claudia)))) I'm sending lots of healing prayers for Rocket. I hope he comes through the tests okay and you find something that can be dealt with.
 
Re: 2/2 Rocket

Hi, Claudia & Rocket.. Bless both your hearts.. one minute at a time sometimes.. with information you can move forward.. not knowing is the worst.. praying for you both.
 
Re: 2/2 Rocket

Claudia, you and Rocket are both in my thoughts and prayers. May you soon have the answers you need to figure out where to go from here. ((hug))
 
Re: 2/2 Rocket- we are back

a few issues

will try to cover it all as i type with one hand (got Rocket settled in the spare rm but he wants my right hand on him)

he showed a nodule or growth (sorry with all the info given to me i should have recorded it all) on the pancreas which they did aspirate to get a biopsy...results pending

inflamation near the kidneys but no kidney stones so they took a cysto to do a culture...results will take up to a week....

liver shows brighter but IM vet said that is normal in kidney patients...though not sure if that's the case...everything else looks fine all things considered....kidneys are a smudge smaller than 2 1/2 yrs ago...so kidneys though progressing with CRF are OK

neuro vet says if indeed he has a tumor course of action is steroids....

for NOW....i'm to give him the bupe 3 x a day for 2 weeks non stop...he has a follow up neuro apt on Feb 15....in 1 weeks time we will know how things are if anything has improved...but most likely he will be treated with prednidosole...i was warned that by treating him with the pred all other issues will progress faster...meaning the kidneys...and that his diabetes will never be regulated...

the IM vet won't give the pred until results are back regarding the biopsy and the urine culture...as she wants to introduce one med at a time and see how he reacts to them...as he is super sentitive with meds...biopsy results probably by Friday...i'm hoping....

so the neuro vet said to me that he would rather give Rocket a couple of months of quality of life than not trying at all...meaning by treating him with the steroid all other things will get pretty bad and to be prepared that the steroid is not a cure but rather a temporary measure and a risky one at that...so i was given the "speech"....

i can't think straight...my head spins...and i really really need to think about the quality of life he has and is to have....this makes me all sooooo upset.....

btw....on the temp board i posted that his AM BG was 90 this morning...i won't test tonight...he's been thru enough...

sorry if i'm making no sense or the info is not coherent...i feel like crap to put it bluntly...as i think of stuff i type it...

he wouldn't eat much when we got home...gave chicken dust...and i gave the bupe...

i feel so helpless...and i'm in no state of mind to look for a job....i don't see any light at the end of this tunnel...i really don't....
 
Re: 2/2 Rocket- we are back

Hi Claudia

I have no advice, just ((((hugs)))) and prayers for Rocket.
I'm so sorry you are going thru this, just know, lots of people here following you and keeping Rocket in their prayers.
 
Re: 2/2 Rocket- we are back

Claudia my heart goes out to you. All you can do is do what you can and love him every minute you have him. Your time with him will never be long enough - each day we have with them is really a gift. Your managing him has kept his kidneys healthy and without your TLC he probably wouldn't even be here today. You are an amazing mom. I admire you.

I am very glad that you got him there and got the extra tests. Wishing it will either improve his quality of life or help him recover. Both are good things for Rocket. Wish I could give you a real life hug.
 
Re: 2/2 Rocket- we are back

(((Claudia)))

I am sorry to hear about some of the vet's suspicions. The steroids may help Rocket feel a lot better - Bear Man was a steroid user, and they did help him.
 
Re: 2/2 Rocket- we are back

Claudia, I know everyone on this board wishes they could actually be with you right now and surround you with healing love and lots of hugs. You are such a wonderful mom to Rocket and I know it must be almost unbearable dealing with everything you have had to go through in the last few weeks. Do you have family or good friends nearby that can help you with some of the day to day things right now? You and your DH don't need to worry about all the little stuff -- just take care of yourself and cherish all the little moments with Rocket. Sending you love, peace, hugs and lots of prayers.
 
Re: 2/2 Rocket- we are back

(((Claudia and Rocket))) You are gathering good information to make Rocket more comfortable. As for the brain tumor, you may want to touch base with Tucker's mom, Jennifer. She has had the same issue with Tucker for awhile. I will point her your way.
 
Re: 2/2 Rocket- we are back

Venita and The Boyz said:
(((Claudia and Rocket))) You are gathering good information to make Rocket more comfortable. As for the brain tumor, you may want to touch base with Tucker's mom, Jennifer. She has had the same issue with Tucker for awhile. I will point her your way.
Click to expand...
thanks Venita....

i was briefing DH on all that happened today...and he is of the opinion...mind you he is not a vet or in the medical field...he thinks it's not a tumor...DH went thru severe headaches this past summer and each time he went to the dr (and we know men don't really like going to the dr) it was dismissed as a bad migraine...to the point that it was debilitating him...he got to the point he couldn't function...a matter of days...he went to the ER twice...and the last time i was with him and i said to the dr that enough was enough...so they did a scan (mind you i can't afford to do the same for Rocket)...but it was found he had a pocket of fluid from a sinusitis infection that travelled further back and no antibiotic would have taken care of it...so they drained the pocket of fluid...long story short...DH says if indeed Rocket had a tumor he would not function the way he does...yes he has changed and things are not the same around here...but pressure in your brain or around the brain is nasty and that he would not even be eating...

DH says when he had that in the summer he felt like blowing his brains out...not literally but he said it was nasty...and i do recall seeing him suffer...his forehead got swollen from it all...

we know humans are not like felines but if that was the case Rocket would be banging his head or not be able to hold it up....

am i being crazy for thinking perhaps DH may have a point?
 
Re: 2/2 Rocket- we are back

((((Claudia)))) I know this is tearing you up and I'm very sorry. I hope you can find a way to improve Rocket's QOL and keep him happy for some time to come. You never know and I don't think it hurts to be hopeful. Blackie started Pred yesterday and I'm hoping it will help him. My prayers and thoughts are with you.
 
Re: 2/2 Rocket- we are back

(((Claudia))) I am so sorry, it's so hard when we don't know what's wrong, just that something terrible is wrong. For a long time we had tried to figure out why Tucker was losing weight, was agitated and walking in circles. It was determined that he has a brain tumor. I could not afford the tests or scans, but we did start Prednisolone and Tucker quickly perked up. He no longer walked in circles, he ate well, his headaches were better.

He has other issues and as you know every cat is different, but one thing I've learned through all of this is I would rather have Tucker on the Prednisolone than not. For a short time a couple of months ago Prednisone was the only steroid available and Tucker's tumor quickly grew. He was blind for almost two full days. We had to double his dose and he quickly got back to his old self.

When Prednisolone was back in stock we switched back to that. Prednisone needs to be broken down by the liver into Prednisolone, so please make sure that it is Prednisolone that you get for Rocket.

Regarding BGs, Tucker used to be pretty well regulated, PS was around 130 with nadir usually 70-90, but now that's not the case. He's currently a mid to high 200 PS kitty and doesn't get the best numbers, but his dose of insulin is only 1 unit of Levemir BID, up from 1/2U before the steroids. Without the steroids we wouldn't have had this extra time.

I hope that Rocket's kidneys are okay and if you do start the steroids, please don't worry about what that will do the BGs, you will be able to work around that.
 
Re: 2/2 Rocket- we are back

DH may have a very good point, and i love that he is being positive about this!

sending prayers, healing vines, and much love to you and rocket-man!

celi
 
Re: 2/2 Rocket- we are back

tuckers mom said:
(((Claudia))) I am so sorry, it's so hard when we don't know what's wrong, just that something terrible is wrong. For a long time we had tried to figure out why Tucker was losing weight, was agitated and walking in circles. It was determined that he has a brain tumor. I could not afford the tests or scans, but we did start Prednisolone and Tucker quickly perked up. He no longer walked in circles, he ate well, his headaches were better.
Click to expand...
that's the puzzling thing and i know ECID...Rocket does not walk in circles, holds his head up right with no problem...and eats fine considering he has CRF....his vision is good...reflexes are good too...the neuro vet even seemed puzzled...
 
Claudia

I don't know you well but I'm going to make a comment here...

I know that Rocket is incredibly important to you....I consider Squeak my 'first born' and he's the first pet that my now hubby and I got together. I'd go through a lot for him, I would stress for him if he were sick again...

But I read your posts and they worry me...Rocket's illness sounds like it is really getting to you and that is not good for you, not good for your marriage and not good for Rocket either. I remember when I first started posting at FDMB, people talked about Caregiver's Syndrome. Its a very real issue for some people caring for ill pets or relatives or ...

I'm not saying don't care for Rocket, but I'm saying that if you've done all you can do for a period of time, you need to look after yourself too (health, job hunt, relationship, whatever).

I hope I'm not crossing a line here

Jen
 
Jen, I'm glad you posted about Caregiver Syndrome, it's something we should try to remember for ourselves also.

Claudia, brain tumors can hit in different parts. How Tucker's effects him is much different from other brain tumors. I believe that Acro cats have brain tumors, but they cause completely different symptoms than Tucker's circling. (hopefully an Acromom can correct me if I'm wrong on the brain tumor).

I also have a neuro kitty, she has Cerebellar Hypoplasia, also different than the brain tumor, but her brain is affected and the only similarity between her and Tucker right now is sensitivity to light.

I might try the Prednisolone only because it could help with quality of life. QoL is more important to me that quantity of life. At least that is how I feel today as I deal with Tucker and his current condition.

Lots of hugs and healing vibes for Rocket, you, and DH.
 
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