Civie just diagnosed with Lymphoma- help?

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nicholeandwolfgang

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Hi Everyone,
I posted last night on the Grief board, but I wanted to ask anyone here if they had any advice on Lymphoma and treatments? I am not sure what kind of Lymphoma he has because our vet didn't tell us. He has fluid in his lungs and an abdominal mass or mass(es). She did the lung fluid biopsy and found that they were consistent with Lymphoma. At first, I told her I didn't want to do any aggressive treatment on him- I thought it would be harsh on him. I have had him for 16 years, and I am beside myself over this- and 6 months pregnant. Obviously, not something I've been handling very well, as he will always be my first baby, and I love him dearly.

Upon making my post on the grief board, I'm learning that some cats can handle the treatment very well and live a few years longer. I don't know if he will be able to handle any of this, or if we will be able to afford any of this. We have already maxed out credit cards, borrowed, sold etc. AND we have our first baby on the way, and I was just put on pregnancy disability from my job because I have gestational diabetes :sad:
We just got him liquid Prednisone to make him more comfortable, but he is not on chemotherapy. Can someone explain to me the types of treatments there are, and what to expect, and the costs?

It almost seems like our vet didn't give us alot of details and was very vague with us. She didn't tell us what type, didn't really tell us how bad it is, only that he had a few weeks to a month to live. So here we are making arrangements for PTS, me feeling inconsolable about this, and I'm finding out it may not be as grim as she is making it out to be.... I am also thinking because he is so old, he won't be able to handle any of this!! I've seen some of you say that your kittys have lived a few more years, even being "seniors" ! I know the treatments may not cure anything, and he may not tolerate it well, and nothing may help him. But I have a little bit of hope that I didn't have before.

Any help, advice or tips any of you have would be greatly appreciated. I love my baby Preston and I can't give up on him yet...
 
Thanks for your help Cindy and for providing the links.

I just can't believe all the things I'm learning since being told my kitty had no chance of survival. It's definately thrown a wrench into things, as my husband and I were resigned to the fact that there may be no hope for him. We were both in tears the last 3 days over this. And after our failed attempt at trying to give him his prednisone, we are worried again...
 
Nicole, your best chance is with a veterinary oncologist. Wishing you a lot more time with your baby and prayers that there is a decent treatment.
 
Nicole I'm sorry to hear this. I agree with Hope that your best chance is with a veterinary oncologist for information on treatment and palliative care.

Is your kitty having trouble breathing? How much fluid did they have to drain? To be honest with you, if your little one is having trouble breathing, or if the fluid comes back quickly, I would say that makes the prognosis worse. This is because some cats whose cancer causes effusion (fluid) into the chest can have a lot of breathing problems because the fluid tends to come back very quickly. This is not an easy way to live and these cats may not do well in the long term. To me, one of the main questions in your cat's case is the breathing question and the rate of re-effusion. How long since she was drained?
 
Hi Jess,
The vet did the drain one week ago, and it's strange because I keep trying to listen to his breathing and he doesn't seem to be having a hard time breathing, at least from what I can tell. It doesn't seem labored, or "wet" sounding, but it's hard to tell.

We had another failed attempt at the prednisone this morning, but it's a liquid form and it's cherry flavored- could this be why he isn't tolerating it?? I just don't know. We opted for liquid form to make things easier, but it makes him vomit each time so we've given up on it. We now think the pill form would have been a better option.

He is still eating some, and drinking, but he it looks like he is losing a little bit of weight. He has spurts of purrs, and sweetness, but mostly he sleeps.
 
Oh the cherry flavor might be the problem. The prednisolone pills are relatively small, so if he eats well you may have an easier time with them. I used to chop up the pills and put the shreds in smears of pill pocket. They don't have a strong taste on their own.

You should count his respirations as he rests. At rest, he shouldn't take more than 30-35 breaths per minute. You won't hear any wet noises and he is unlikely to cough; you'll just notice he's breathing faster and perhaps more deeply (moving his abdomen, wiggling his nose).
 
My civilian Minivan died from Lymphoma a year ago. I am sorry to hear about Wolfgang.

I wasn't sure if I should write in here, since I don't have any good news for you, only bad news and sympathy, and you already have enough worries. But here's a bit about Minivan. Stop reading now if you want only good news.

He originally presented with intestinal malabsorption problems, weight loss, eating a lot, and no other symptoms. Diagnosing Lymphoma was difficult and expensive. The chemotherapy regime he was eventually put on (prednisolone + chlorambucil) was expected to have a remission rate of about 30%, with another 30% chance of halting progress and the remaining chance that he'd just die within a few months. He seemed to be making progress, gaining a little weight back and responding well to weekly B-12 injections. He was not in any sense ill or unhappy, so I had high hopes for him.

Three months after I started the chemo treatment, though, he woke up one morning with breathing difficulty and wanting to be alone. I took him into the vet, and by the time we arrived his breathing was worse and his gums turning blue. They said he had fluid in his lungs and it had just appeared that morning. Half an hour in an oxygen cage didn't improve things, he kept getting worse. I took him out of the oxygen cage for a minute to hold him, and all he wanted was to get back into it. The vets didn't see much real hope, and we had to help him go.

Hoping things improve rapidly for Wolfgang. Personally I think there are some kitty diseases, like diabetes, that can really be treated and all can be well. I'm not sure Lymphoma is one of them, but that's just one person's experience.

Best wishes,
Steve
 
Jess- thanks for the info, I will try and count his breaths when he is resting to see where he's at. I figured the cherry flavored medicine might be the culprit as to why he isn't tolerating it. He actually ate a little bit of tuna in water for me this morning, which made me happy. He is resting comfortably at the moment, and I'm looking at his breathing which seems to be regular and not fast.

Steve- Thanks for sharing your story. I'm sorry sorry for your loss. It sounds like you did alot to help minivan and tried your best to make him more comfortable. I know that every case is different, and I know there is no cure for this disease. This week has been rough on my husband and I, but it seems that we are both accepting the fact that we may lose Preston very soon :( For the time being, our main goal is to keep him comfortable until he can't fight anymore. He is older, so that makes his prognosis a little less likely for remission. Admittedly, I thought there might be hope for him, but it seems that it would only be temporary, and I cannot bring myself to put him through intensive treatments, expensive procedures, only to lose him anyways. It's been a hard choice, I love him so much, but I cannot bring myself to do any of this just to keep him here with me longer for selfish reasons. I love him, but I know I wouldn't want to suffer or be uncomfortable... For now, I am spending every moment with him, and showing him I love him very much so he can be at peace when he finally goes.
 
i had a cat with lymphoma in the kidney's, intestines and lymph nodes. he was on prednisolone which was considered part of his chemo. and the chemo drugs they used on him were called vinchristine and elfar. I'm not sure I am spelling those right. there's a lymphoma support group at yahoogroups. here is the link
feline_lymphoma@yahoogroups.com
they can help you more with this.
good luck.
 
also, don't give up yet. don't give up on your cat. the oncologist said that cats can look and get very very very sick with this and still respond to treatment. see if you can find a better vet, more specialized or just more open. go to the yahoogroups and talk to those people. they are dealing with the same thing. they can offer you advice and support.
 
Hi Nicole, I am sorry your kitty is so very sick
Here is my story in dealing /w lymphoma kitty.
my winnie was dx with gi lymphoma. she was 14 at the time. she had u/s and then exploratory surgery to get dx. there were at that time, no oncologists in our area and we worked with an internal med specialist ( out of town) and our local vet. she went on the COP protocol. most cats do not have strong SE's from chemo b/c they are given in small doses. Winnie did not tolerate the chemo well and after the induction period we discontined and thought she had a short time left. we switched steroids as a last try to at least make her feel better. and it perked her right up. what was estimated to be only a couple days to a couple weeks at most turned into 5 years.
( i guess the chemo hit her hard cause it knocked the snot out of the lymphoma) and when she passed there was no sign of it's return. she was 19 and had other issues going on.

She did not have a typical response to chemo in the way it worked or the way it made her feel while on it.
but ECID ( Every Cat Is Different)

There are many different kinds of lymphoma, many different treatments, many different tools to use for palliative care. If you had more info about what is going on w/ your kitty the better we might be able to comment on more specific experiences that we had that might help you help your kitty.

sara gave you the info for the yahoo group -- a great bunch.
they also have a website of info on lymphoma to read:

http://felinelymphomacaregivers.org/

it's a good place to start. just like with fd -- reading and learning about your cats health issue is empowering and can help you make the *best* decisions for your kitty. there are no *right* decisions --- only the *best* ones for your cat. I encourage you to get the most information about your kitties dx and what tests were done, read the info / check out the yahoo group and site and post back ( no order there meant ;-) )
a consult w/ an oncologist or internal med specialist would be great if you are able.
I hear you about not wanting to put your sr. kitty through a lot. and the cost factor. but there are things you might be able to do -- depending on your specific case-- that will keep your cat happy for more time to come.


best wishes to you and your kitty. i will look for your updates.
 
Actually you have the huge advantage of having a firm diagnosis of Lymphoma -- this means you can try all the chemotherapy and radiotherapy options (which I couldn't, lacking a solid Dx.) There are kinds of Lymphoma that respond very well to chemo in cats, and chemo itself is not nearly as traumatic as it is in humans.

Best of luck!
 
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