5/7 Leo acromegaly positive :(

Status
Not open for further replies.
Tracy & Leo

Tracy & Leo

Member Since 2011
Caturday Condo
Good Morning LL,

My goodness Leo never ceases to amaze me, i was not expecting this almost :mrgreen: number this morning. I hope he didn't go too low last night while i snoozed the night away, when i last tested him at +5.5 he was barely yellow.

Leo came in to wake me up with purrs and headbutts this morning about 10 minutes before my alarm started quacking (duck alarm). We had a good test, shoot and feed with his regular FF chunky chicken for breffis. I feel so bad for my father because Leo almost never gives him numbers like this while i'm gone, and he does try so hard.

Well i am going to squeeze in a BTB before Leo decides he wants to start onset this morning, auto feeder is all loaded up and ready to serve up his +2.

Have a wonderful day all :-D
 
Re: 5/7 Leo AMPS 101

Hi Tracy, nice green for Leo and enjoy your btd. Maybe it is all the mousies Leo catches at his DGPa's that keeps his numbers higher, but you wouldn't think so as it's raw meat for them!! Anyway, enjoy your btd and have a great day. Scritches to Leo.
 
Re: 5/7 Leo AMPS 101

What a gorgeous start for Leo!

I'm sure Leo's numbers when he's with DGp have nothing to do with your Dad. As much as he adores DGp, there is no one like MamaBean, so no doubt that's why he tends to run higher when you're at work.

Enjoy your BTB and your time with Leo!!
 
Re: 5/7 Leo AMPS 101

WOW, what a great amps! Leo - that sure looks green to me. Way to go! One of these days you will have to give your DGP the same treat - he'd love it!

Enjoy your day Tracy, and that BTB. :-D
 
Re: 5/7 Leo AMPS 101

Beautiful AMPS! I feel sorry for DGP too, but I think Leo just misses you. Poor Leo and poor DGP. Have a wonderful btb and a great day!
 
Re: 5/7 Leo AMPS 101

Hi guys .. what a great start to the day! Good job Leo! I know how you feel, about leo's numbers and your DD .. My mom just took care of our cat's while we were away and she said every time mocha looked at her she started hissing .. she never does that for us .. I felt bad for her .. Anyways, I hope you guys have a great day!
 
Re: 5/7 Leo AMPS 101, +3.5 115, +5 83, +6 65, +7.5 54

Go Leo! Nice surfing guy. Looks like you are so happy to have your momma back.

Who knows, maybe the mice were into the corn before Leo got them, that might explain DGP numbers.

I too love the autofeeder for the ability to get a little BTB.
 
Re: 5/7 Leo AMPS 101, +3.5 115, +5 83, +6 65, +7.5 54

Way to go LEO!!! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

You and Leo are so lucky to have DGpa to take care of Leo. He must get frustrated like all of us, but it is probably the stress like others have said. Or maybe you draw the dose a little differently?
 
Re: 5/7 Leo AMPS 101, +3.5 115, +5 83, +6 65, +7.5 54

Leo, what fabulous numbers today!

Good luck Tracy, would be great to see a little surfing today! :mrgreen:
 
So i just spoke to Dr. Andrea, Leo's test came back positive for acromegaly :cry: He tested at 292, we were both very surprised. We spoke about it for a half hour or so, we talked about SRT. Turns out they do it at the vet college here so she's referring us to the oncology department here. I will be doing everything i can to help Leo, even if it means having SRT done. I'm not 100% positive that its the SRT that's done at CSU where Punkin and Julie went, but it is radiation therapy. So i will be phoning the college this week to set some stuff up, i am supposed to call on Wednesday after they've had a chance to look Leo's stuff over.

I phoned Leo's grandpa and told him about it, he was devastated. :cry:
 
:YMHUG: to all of you guys .. I am sure others who are dealing with this will jump on here and give you all the info you could possibly want or need .. scritches to leo!!
 
(((Tracy))) I'm so sorry; I know it has to be a shock even though you knew it may be a possibility. Is the Vet college real close by? It sounds like you have a great Vet to coordinate things, and you also have Julie and punkin's experience plus the love and support of everyone here. Hugs and comfort vines to you and Leo.
 
Tracy, I am so sorry to see Leo's diagnosis. Hopefully you've found it early and it will help make the treatment more effective. That's great that the college in Saskatchewan has a group that treats acro. Hugs to you, DGp and Leo.
Liz
 
((((Tracy)))) I know this is not what you were hoping for. However, Leo is the same cat now that he was this morning and it is treatable. Hugs hugs hugs to you my friend. You are very lucky that there is a vet so close that does the SRT. I am positive that you will do everything you can for Leo and he is too.
 
Tracy,

I'm so sorry to see this. I know how much it hurts, how scary it is. You are already on the right path, getting info on SRT treatment. Hugs to you, scritches to Leo.
 
(((((Tracy))))) I am sorry to hear the dx, but there are so many kitties here having it, and are doing very well.
WE All love you & Leo & will support you & him through this--Hugs & lots of Love from us!!!
 
You may want to ask if it's SRT or just RT and what's being done.
There are a few places where others have gone for SRT, so you may want to interact with others to find out details on treatment at different places.
Sask would be new; I don't believe any acros in the group have gone there.

ETA: removed question on IAA as not done.
 
Ok so Dr. Andrea just phoned me back again. The vet college is here in Saskatoon where i live and they are getting a new linear accelerator in June which is better for treating acro supposedly. The other option is to have it done in Calgary (where my sister lives) and it can be done ASAP if i want. She has phoned the oncology department head and spoken to them about Leo already and they are waiting for my call, so i have to call and book an appointment and they would like to get started with seeing Leo and to book a CT scan and all the other doohickie things that need to be done beforehand. Have i said how much i love Dr. Andrea? She said she didn't want me going over my head and its totally up to me to go thru with all of this, all i said back to her was "he's so worth it and money isn't a problem". She said "i know he's worth it" she sounded just as heartbroken about this as i feel.

Thank you so much to my LL family, i was crying as i was reading all the nice replies we've gotten so far. Leo just couldn't be bothered by this whole acro thing, he's earned himself some HC fuds and is now fast asleep beside me.
 
:YMHUG: :YMHUG: :YMHUG: Tracy :YMHUG: :YMHUG: :YMHUG: We are all here to support you. I know it is so hard to hear , but now you know and KNOW that it can be treated! Your vet sounds wonderful and so proactive. Leo is a lucky boy all the way around, YOU, Dr. Andrea and the DGPs. He will be fine, he is fine and will get BETTER!!!
 
Alright, so Leo is booked in for an appointment with an oncology doctor as well as the medical imaging doctor on May 23rd. They will be doing a meet and greet as well as a CT scan and bloodwork. I spoke to the oncology vet tech Jackie who told me that yes they have treated acromegaly in a few cats with just the radiation therapy. She did say that they have a new linear accelerator machine coming in at the end of June which would make treating Leo much easier. I'm not sure if a linear accelerator and SRT are one in the same? Maybe someone can answer that for me. I'm glad this is all happening so fast, i'd rather it this way than sit on my butt waiting.

I had a chat with Leo as well and told him as best i could what would be happening. I hope he understood, he just sat and looked at me like he was listening.
 
aw, tracy, i'm sorry. not what you wanted to hear. :YMHUG:

you've got company getting through this - we love leo too! we're with you.

reread all of the posts on punkin's journey at CSU and that will give you some info to be able to ask questions to compare. i gave details on each day's posts on what had been done and the implications of various parts. Hopefully that will help you prepare and give you some good basic info on what might be ahead.

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=52744

here's a bunch of links to articles that are helpful too: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=45324
 
Aw, Tracy, I'm sorry for the diagnosis. But...you are obvioulsy in great hands, you've got all of us, AND - as everyone else said - he's the same Leo we all love. :YMHUG: :YMHUG: :YMHUG:
 
Stereotactic Radiation Therapy is normally delivered in several doses and is a very finely focussed beam. 'Regular radiation' is often delivered in one dose. The advantage is fewer anaesthetics and therefore less risk to a cat with cardiac disease. There is sometimes more collateral brain damage due to the larger dose and less focussed beam. Where in Calgary would you take him? Is it associated with the university or a private clinic? I hope that you don't mind me asking - I always appreciate the opportunity to learn.
 
I am not sure where in Calgary i would take him, Dr. Andrea just said that it was an option if i wanted to treat Leo ASAP and didn't want to wait for the linear accelerator here at the vet college. I guess i can ask more questions during our appointment..

Julie, the paper called Pituitary Tumor Irradiation was written by the doctor that we will be seeing May 23, Dr. Mayer!!! She's the medical imaging doctor that will be seeing Leo.
 
Hi
My name is Patti - an old acromom. We have LOTS and LOTS of acromoms and dads going for sRT these days. There are more centers doing different types of radiotherapy for these cats and you may want to do some research before jumping into a center. SRT is a linear accelerator but there are different types of treatments. Some centers do only 1 treatment - some do more. You might want to use a center who has more experience. This is not anything you want to mess around with. Because you are treating the brain there are risks - one of which can be brain swelling. Some of our cats have experienced this. There is treatment but it is something to be aware of.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1x_V ... l=en&pli=1

Here is a link to a document that we wrote when many of our cats were first going for SRT. You might find some of the info helpful. If you are interested Julie I know has given you her info and there are many others who have gone who you may want to talk to. Please let me know as I can put you in touch with them.

I wish you and your kitty the best of luck!
 
(((Tracy)))

Not the info you wanted but now you know why Leo's numbers have been looking like they've been looking. And, as you aptly pointed out, Leo could care less. He's still the expert mouser that he was before you had the test results. We're all here for you, DGP and most of all for Leo.

I'd encourage you to take a breath and slow down. Please do your homework. A couple of people have already noted that not all scanners or radiation therapy equipment are created equal. You need to make sure that you are getting sterotactic radiation treatment for Leo. It might not be a bad idea to do a phone consultation or to e-mail Dr. Lunn at CSU with the intent of asking her what questions you need to ask to make sure Leo is getting the most appropriate treatment. Remember, if it takes you a couple of weeks to gather information, nothing is going to significantly change in that period of time.
 
Dr Lunn is no longer at CSU :(:(

BUT they are still the leaders of providing SRT treatment. I can't remember the main Dr's name - I will try to get that info here shortly.
 
Oh Tracy, I'm sorry the results came back the way they did. But so glad you are on here with all the experience of people like Julie and punkin and others.

All I can do is send healing vines and whit light for sweet Leo, and lots of hugs and love. :YMHUG: :YMHUG: :YMHUG:

Stay strong for your kitty, it will be ok.
 
Sienne, please don't worry about Leo and I. I am keeping my options open, i have not committed to doing radiation therapy/SRT here in Saskatoon, i've simply made an appointment to learn more about what they can do and offer to Leo, also a CT and bloodwork can't hurt anything either. I've also emailed CSU and asked for more information from them as well. Since we sent away Leo's blood to michigan i've been doing my homework and reading all i could on acro, treatment options aren't something i will decide on today, but today i have taken the steps towards it. I have been preparing myself for a worst case scenario.
 
(((((Tracy and Leo))))) (and hugs to DGp, too),

You are doing your homework, Leo is a fine, strong kitty, and you will get through this. We are very sorry that the diagnosis is what it is. But your Leo will do well with the treatment and you are fortunate that you have a good and caring vet who will help you, and also to have so much experience here on the board to guide you. Leo, we all love you. Go catch some mousies and keep on being your wonderful kitty self.

:YMHUG: :YMHUG: :YMHUG:
Ella & Rusty
 
Hi Tracy - HUGS all around. I know that this is not what you wanted to hear - and I am sorry. You are doing your homework, Leo continues to be Leo, and all will be OK. You are so lucky to have the vet that you have, a kind caring vet. There are so many people her with good first hand experience that can help you with questions and concerns. Leo will continue to be Leo - we will all continue to love him. Leo, we lubs you - do as Auntie Ella says and go catch some mousies, and snuggle with your bean a little. She loves you.
 
Dr Lunn has left CSU, but Dr Timian is there - and she was the person who led the team with punkin's treatment. Dr Lunn assured me at the time that she had total confidence in Dr. Timian - and i did too. The whole team was fantastic. i wrote about it on one of the day's reflections - that this was how it felt to have complete confidence in professionals.

it's good you're doing your homework, tracy - you're a very thorough person. although the diagnosis is new for leo, you've been here long enough to have gone through it with many of us already and you already know a lot about it.

Cool that the same author is the one you'll be seeing! seems to me like Acromegaly is being identified & studied more. punkin's dental vet diagnosed acro in one of her kitties because she'd learned of it from punkin. marje was telling me that she knows someone local to her with an acro kitter as well.

Leo's the same kitter he was 2 weeks ago - and we're still looking forward to hearing about how he brings poor mousie in to his bowl for his munchies. cat_pet_icon he's no doubt looking forward to doing it also! :lol:
 
Hi Tracy

Just wanted to drop in and offer some support and a ton of Texas-size hugs for you.

It sounds like you are top of research portion of this. Great job.

Leo has the best bean ever. We're here for ya. Whenever you need us.

(((((((Tracy)))))). (((((((Leo)))))))
 
Hi Tracy,

I'm so sorry about Leo's dx. I know you'll do what's best for him though and he'll come through it with flying colors. It's great that there are so many here who have been down this path before you and can share their experiences. It would be wise to make use of that too while you're doing your research. Best of luck to you and Leo. I'll be sending good thoughts your way and looking for updates. I hope all goes well.

Melanie & Racci
 
(((Tracy and Leo)))
I am sorry to hear about Leo's diagnosis, but as others have said, Leo is one strong kitty who loves you very much. You have some great options available to you and I know you will make the best decision for Leo's care. There are so many people here that have experience in all of this so you are in wonderful, supportive, loving hands. Big hugs and prayers to you and Leo.
 
(((((Tracy))))....just sending you lots of hugs, caring thoughts, and love. I know this is not what you had hoped but you have a cool head and knowledge as your power. You and Leo will come through this wonderfully no matter
what you choose to do.
 
Hi Tracy -

I'm Lu-Ann from the ProZinc board, and my boy Grayson was just diagnosed last week w/ Acro AND Insulin Resistance. I know your head is probably spinning like mine, and I hope you've had as many kind folks stepping up to help you as I have. My vet and I are scheduled to meet tomorrow to discuss the details of where we go from here. Hoping we both are able to help our babies get through this new dance!

Lu-Ann
 
Hi Tracy,

Sending you HUGS and wishes/support to you and Leo. I'm glad you are located near one of the two vet schools in western Canada. The other one is Calgary, it's a brand new vet school at U. of Calgary. Sounds like you are doing a lot of research and have a very supportive vet. Leo is in the best of hands.
 
Not great news but I know you'll both be strong for each other and get through this. Sending scritches and hugs.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top