Marj & Djoko
Member Since 2020
Hello all,
I have not posted in a while and do not know most of the cats now. But I wanted to take the time to thank this awesome forum for all the help and support with Djoko. He would have never lived that long without this help. I would like to thank Elise who helped me a lot regulating his diabetes and who had other tips for his other conditions.
Djoko died tuesday early morning. He could not breathe anymore due to cancer spreading in his body (probably in his trachea and larynx) so I had to make the difficult decision to relieve him of his suffering.
Djoko bounced back so many times so right up until the end, in his oxygen cage, I was still waiting for a miracle. I did not trust the vets so much who examined him in 15 minutes to make their conclusion: it was easy for them in a way, old cat, with co-morbidities and already diagnosed with a mass cell tumor in his neck. I am a bit bitter because Djoko would have deserved a bit more respect at the end. But the conclusion would have probably been the same. It was time to go. He fought until the end, tried to drink water minutes before he passed.
I am grateful that after he got diagnosed with his mast cell tumor in November 2021 which was already very big at the time I decided not to put him through surgery. I was also told it was probably benign. I felt guilt and regrets for that decision but he had just been through a dental and it took him months to fully recover. I take comfort in knowing that he had a full good year after that. Only in the last 2 months his breathing started to be problematic but it was gradual. He still had good days. Of course, I saw an oncologist. On March 3, he examined Djoko and told me he looked good and that his breathing problems were probably because of the histamine. But his trachea was deviated. I suspect there were masses pushing on it that we could not see on the x-rays. It went fast in April but he managed to jump on the sofa, to go outside, and was able to eat until Sunday.
I am trying not to think about the end but I keep I replaying the last months in my head wondering what I could have done differently. I read that guilt is part of the mourning process. I need to accept that I will never know what truly happened.
I am glad I took many videos and pictures of him during his life. These are precious memories.
He is in my thoughts all the time. I truly miss him.
Repose en paix mon bel ange.
Je t'aime.
I have not posted in a while and do not know most of the cats now. But I wanted to take the time to thank this awesome forum for all the help and support with Djoko. He would have never lived that long without this help. I would like to thank Elise who helped me a lot regulating his diabetes and who had other tips for his other conditions.
Djoko died tuesday early morning. He could not breathe anymore due to cancer spreading in his body (probably in his trachea and larynx) so I had to make the difficult decision to relieve him of his suffering.
Djoko bounced back so many times so right up until the end, in his oxygen cage, I was still waiting for a miracle. I did not trust the vets so much who examined him in 15 minutes to make their conclusion: it was easy for them in a way, old cat, with co-morbidities and already diagnosed with a mass cell tumor in his neck. I am a bit bitter because Djoko would have deserved a bit more respect at the end. But the conclusion would have probably been the same. It was time to go. He fought until the end, tried to drink water minutes before he passed.
I am grateful that after he got diagnosed with his mast cell tumor in November 2021 which was already very big at the time I decided not to put him through surgery. I was also told it was probably benign. I felt guilt and regrets for that decision but he had just been through a dental and it took him months to fully recover. I take comfort in knowing that he had a full good year after that. Only in the last 2 months his breathing started to be problematic but it was gradual. He still had good days. Of course, I saw an oncologist. On March 3, he examined Djoko and told me he looked good and that his breathing problems were probably because of the histamine. But his trachea was deviated. I suspect there were masses pushing on it that we could not see on the x-rays. It went fast in April but he managed to jump on the sofa, to go outside, and was able to eat until Sunday.
I am trying not to think about the end but I keep I replaying the last months in my head wondering what I could have done differently. I read that guilt is part of the mourning process. I need to accept that I will never know what truly happened.
I am glad I took many videos and pictures of him during his life. These are precious memories.
He is in my thoughts all the time. I truly miss him.
Repose en paix mon bel ange.
Je t'aime.
