8/20 Jessi Update, surgery, moving forward

[Stefania S]

https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/8-6-jessi-pausing-regrouping.280255/

Hi friends,

I wanted to give a little update for those who were following and supporting us and anyone else interested. We have a surgery date set for Wednesday, after a CAT scan Monday. With some personal coaching and time to really take it all in and see what was best, I decided to go ahead and do as the Vets suggested. They will see the CAT scan and decide what kind of surgery to do after that. I will give them full freedom to follow what they think is best.

We are at the second clinic, who took us back after an extremely apologetic email full of super formal honorifics that my Italian Aunt had to write for me.

I am putting aside my thoughts and values, my feelings and opinions, putting my trust in something greater. Whatever their personalities and whatever their mindset, I need them to do what I can't do. So I will entrust the most beloved creature in my life not to them, but to something much wiser and more powerful knowing that they are just the instruments for the outcome that I hold as a strong and clear intention.

I hope you will join me in strengthening the intention with yours: that Jessi will be completely cured, have an easy, comfortable, smooth and complete recovery, and come through it all healthier, stronger, happier and more playful than ever!

Take a look at the photo of her that I have as our profile photo and you will see what she looks like when she is in her element, excited, bold, adventurous, regal, free to run and chase and pounce, living purposefully.

Maybe she won't go back to being exactly like that, but maybe she can move into a next phase of life that could be just as good or better....who knows what's possible...

We thank you for being there, for caring, for understanding and empathizing, for all the forms of support you give generously just because you feel like it. It has all been an important part of the process to getting us to this moment now.

Keep sending positive thoughts and energy to help us get through this and come out better than ever!

 

[JL and Chip]

Sometimes the hardest thing is making a decision when we can’t know all of the questions, let alone answers, and so desperately want that crystal ball.

I’m sending positive vibes your way and hope that all goes well. I wish you peace of mind as you go forward.

Please let us know how things go; I will be thinking of you.

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

We're here to support you and the decisions you make. Wishing the best for your and Jessi.

 

[.:. in.active .:.]

We'll be here, looking out and waiting for your next update like...

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Hi Stefania , been reading all your posts.
I'll be saying lots of prayers for you and Jessi ♥
I pray the surgery goes well ,she's some tough kitties .
Everything has to be alright
Your poor baby has gone through some much already
Will be watching for updated after you get home Wed night

Take care of yourself because I know everything​

 

[Staci & Ivy]

Stefania, sending you and Jessi strength and prayers for a healthy recovery. Thinking of you both and sending warm wishes and big hugs

 

[Stefania S]

Update: we had a CAT scan today (is anyone else holding back from making an obvious pun about that?) and the results look very good. They will confirm tomorrow after the doctors review the images more carefully, but so far it seems that everything is locally contained and even the lymph nodes look healthy, though a bit enlarged in reaction to the tumor.

I will keep you posted as more information comes to me. I won't celebrate yet, but I certainly feel a moment of relief...until the next enormous hurdle!

Jessi ran to the litter as soon as she got back, well wobbled and bobbled is more like it, falling over several times even in the litterbox. She tried again and again but couldn't pee for like 15 minutes until finally, success! She peed in the box and didn't even get herself dirty! WOW! What a cat!

She drank like crazy immediately and is still drinking now. She also ate a meal, and I'm waiting to see if that stays nicely in her tummy.

Bad news is the insulin shot got extremely delayed, 2 hours and still waiting. I just posted in the Lantus Lev forum for some advice on that.

But that's really nothing compared to the rest, so it's ok!

Will update tomorrow after I learn more.

oh, yeah, one more thing, she came out of there with an enormous hair mat on her hip which she will probably never let me comb through. Mysterious....I keep wondering how they managed to do that to her in only 2 hours...but this too is just marshmallows right now! I'll get bothered by it later when we are on the road to recovery!!!

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Hi Stefania the update sound very encouraging , Sending lots of positive vibes

 

[Stefania S]

Unfortunately, this morning we took a turn for the worse. Jessi went to the litter box scores of times and I was able to see that there was blood in the urine. She was straining to pee and only little bits were coming out. She had peed normally up to this point. Right after one of these times of peeing she vomited and then was breathing through her mouth very loudly. She is hiding under my bed now and won’t eat anything. This is after an evening and night of eating lightly and intermittently having appetite, and drinking tons. Normally she has a hardy appetite with only a few moments in the cycle when her appetite wanes.

I gave a very late half dose of insulin, 4 hours behind schedule at 10pm, see the Lantus forum for more on this) and so far I have not given AM insulin. Waiting for advice on this in the other forum.

Oncologist from the clinic where we did the CAT said the bleeding could be a urinary inflammation caused by stress. If she doesn’t improve the Vet wants me to bring her to them. This will be even more stress for both of us right before a scheduled surgery...



I thought she was doing better, recovering well, although slowly and with wavering appetite.

I don’t know if surgery tomorrow is a good idea. We may have to postpone, again...

Send lots of love and wishes for her to recover and go back to eating normally! Thank you!

 

[Nimi S]

Crossing all paws, fingers and toes for Jessi’s surgery today.

I read your other recent threads. Hope her urinary bleeding/ UTI has resolved enough to proceed with the surgery as planned.

Sending lots of hugs, love and calming vibes to you and Jessi
See you stronger on the other side

 

[Stefania S]

Surgery postponed. Jessi is having major UT issues. She is peeing all over the place. She has bouts of pinkish/redish fluid coming out in many small amounts, like 20 times in a half hour...I stayed up past 4:30 running around after her cleaning up pee. And she vomited for the third time in 24 hours since the Ct. After vomiting she pants very loudlywith her mouth open, unlike anything I've ever seen.

I don't think it's a UTI (infection), but it definitely seems like inflammation, maybe caused by the contrast solution itself.

I can't get advice on what to do about insulin since I don't have recent numbers on my spreadsheet, so I am completely unsure about what to do each time. I gave a little more than a half dose yesterday PM after skipping AM entirely. Now at AM (late again) she ate a small amount once but not interested in any more, so I have no idea what to do, half dose, quarter dose, token dose, skip entirely....?

Her eating is so unpredictable right now it's hard to know what to do with insulin. I wish someone could just tell me relative to what I normally have been giving, how much to give or not give. If I had known we were going to stall surgery I would have had them put a sensor on.

We had very good news from the Ct scan.

I just wish the post Ct was much better than this. Staying optimistic that this is temporary and she'll be fine soon.

 

[Dyana]

Are you checking her for ketones?
I would get a new sensor on her so you can give her insulin, and if needed try a medicine for antinausea and then an appetite stimulant, or try assist feeding her.

 

[Nimi S]

Oh
I think with humans we generally wait for an inflammation to clear up before going forward with a surgery. (Assuming it’s not super critical / life-threatening, of course)
Same rules might apply to cats/dogs too, I guess.

Is Jessi getting any medicines for the UT issue?
Getting a sensor fixed again sounds like a good idea. I’m guessing she’s still alert enough to not let you poke her ears?

Poor Jessi..I hope she starts feeling better soon.

It truly sucks to keep hitting roadblocks at critical junctures every time

 

[Stefania S]

Are you checking her for ketones?
I would get a new sensor on her so you can give her insulin, and if needed try a medicine for antinausea and then an appetite stimulant, or try assist feeding her.

Zero ketones as of two days ago. She was supposed to have surgery today so no sensor was placed. This has happened quite a few times over the last weeks...it's a long story which you can see in the previous threads related to this topic (link above).

Her appetite is on and off but it's enough to keep her going, just not enough to give her normal dose of insulin as far as I know. She is not eating as well because of the Urinary thing right now. Also I think her bowel is affected by the UT issues and because she has chronic gut stuff to begin with. But she is eating, just not as consistently as before with stretches of several hours of not eating.

 

[Stefania S]

Oh
I think with humans we generally wait for an inflammation to clear up before going forward with a surgery. (Assuming it’s not super critical / life-threatening, of course)
Same rules might apply to cats/dogs too, I guess.

Is Jessi getting any medicines for the UT issue?
Getting a sensor fixed again sounds like a good idea. I’m guessing she’s still alert enough to not let you poke her ears?

Poor Jessi..I hope she starts feeling better soon.

It truly sucks to keep hitting roadblocks at critical junctures every time

I know, what a saga, right Nimi?

Good news is that the Ct scan results were beyond optimal! The surgeon herself suggested a more moderate surgery! hurray!

So far I haven't asked for meds for the UT, I think I'll give it one more day. She is peeing, it just obviously is uncomfortable and extremely frequent.

Sensor was not put on because we were supposed to have surgery. I got one poke, the first successful one in a loooong time, in the evening after the Ct scan! She was still half drugged. I tried again yesterday...yep, she's definitely alert enough to not let that happen. And I really can't stress her right now. I have given very reduced doses. When she wasn't eating at all, I skipped. I'm just playing it very safe for now until she is eating consistently again. I know it's not good to blind dose, I'm just doing the best I can in a very complicated situation.