Jeddie's surgery (UPDATE)

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Sheila & Beau GA & Jeddie GA

Sheila & Beau GA & Jeddie GA

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I take him in at 10:30 tomorrow, Tuesday. I don't know what to expect, really. They will start with blood work to make sure he is OK for surgery, then maybe xrays and an exam. Then they will talk to me about what they can do surgically and I will ask a ton of questions about how invasive it will be. If all goes well with pretests he will then have the procedure to remove the lesion and send it for biopsy.

I don't know how long all this will take or if he will need to stay overnight or not. This practice is about an hour from me so it may be evening before I can post an update.

I had a heart to heart talk with Jeddie this morning. He was on a pillow on the sofa and I pulled a stool over so I could sit facing him. I told him that he had something in his mouth that had to come out and it would be scary and hurt but I was doing it to save his life and not to hurt him. And I told him that he might not be able to eat or groom as well, but that Beau and I would help him. When I was done he rubbed his muzzle all over my hand and he was purring.

Please continue to pray for him, send white light, healing thoughts, etc.

Thank you to everyone that is chipping in. I am so grateful to you and so overwhelmed by your generosity. I can focus on what is best for Jeddie and not have to worry so much about the money.
 
Re: Jeddie's surgery is tomorrow (tuesday)

I'll be thinking of you guys and hoping all goes well. You let him know that he's got lots of support.
 
Re: Jeddie's surgery is tomorrow (tuesday)

Jon, I and the Fur Gang are sending tons of prayers, healing energy, purrs and sloppy wet drooler kisses to Jeddie and you! There is an entire blizzard of healing snowflakes on there way.

Give the big guy extra chin scritches from all of us and know there will be a ton of velvet paws comforting Jeddie tomorrow and just as many cyber hugs holding you while you wait to hear the outcome of tomorrows tests and surgery.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette, Autumn & The Fur Gang
 
Re: Jeddie's surgery is tomorrow (tuesday)

Sending many prayers your way and hopes all goes well for Jeddies surgery.

Terri
 
Re: Jeddie's surgery is tomorrow (tuesday)

Oh Sheila, please know you have lots of prayers coming your way for Jeddie. I can't even imagine how hard this must be for you. Please hang in there my friend.
 
Re: Jeddie's surgery is tomorrow (tuesday)

Sheila & Beau & Jeddie said:
Thank you everyone.

Jeddie is getting a bath from Beau right now.
Click to expand...

That is so precious. I believe Beau knows and is trying to comfort Jeddie! Such sweet boys. Try to get some sleep tonight, okay? It will be alright.
 
Re: Jeddie's surgery is tomorrow (tuesday)

((((((((((((((((((((((((((SHEILA and JEDDIE))))))))))))))))))))))))

Sending many cyber hugs, uneventful surgery vibes and lots of healing warm thoughts.
 
Re: Jeddie's surgery is tomorrow (tuesday)

Sending good surgery vines, and snowflakes, and healing white light to Jeddie. And hugs to you..
 
Re: Jeddie's surgery is tomorrow (tuesday)

Sheila if you see this this morning, it might help you to print out your favorite picture(s) and take them with you to look at while you wait. Magazines are nice to look at, but when you're anxious they just aren't calming. This picture in particular gives me a calm feeling to see Beau caring for Jeddie like that.

My prayers are with you this morning and Gandalf will be watching over Jeddie-man.
 
Re: Jeddie's surgery is tomorrow (tuesday)

Las tcheck of posts before I leave....

Thank you everyone. It helps. It will help while I wait. I have a few photos, but you are right, Vicky, this is a good one. I'm running out of time to pull things together though.
 
Re: Jeddie's surgery is tomorrow (tuesday)

Sheila, thinking of you and the long wait ahead today and sending many prayers that Jeddie does not have cancer and doesn't have to go through a lot of oral surgery. Will be watching the board like so many others for an update.......today just can't go quick enough for those who wait. The pictures you have posted are just beautiful.
 
Re: Jeddie's surgery is tomorrow (tuesday)

Sending prayers for Jeddie today. I hope the surgery goes well and that you have the best outcome possible.
 
Re: Jeddie's surgery is tomorrow (tuesday)

Hi everyone,

I stopped by and saw Sheila and Jeddie at the hospital this afternoon. They are on their way home now. Sheila will post an update when she is able. Please continue to keep Sheila, Jeddie and Beau in your thoughts and prayers.
 
Update

I am trying to hold it together - typing this makes it really hard. Thank you for all the good wishes and prayers. We still need them. I wish I had better news....

We won't know for sure until the biopsy comes back, but Dr. Wood is pretty sure it is squamous cell carcinoma. She could not get very much of it out without seriously damaging his tongue - thus causing permanent eating issues. She had me come back to the surgical center to see the tumor once he was sedated - something that I was surprised about, but really appreciated because I could see the location and extent of it. It wraps around the front base of his tongue like a horse shoe and has already restricted the amount of tongue mobility he should have.

This cancer does not respond to steroids or chemotherapy. Radiation is an option, but probably won't completely get rid of the tumor and it will cause tissue burns inside his mouth. He would probably need a feeding tube to get through the radiation therapy. I don't think this is an option I want to pursue, but will think some more on it and do more reading once my mind is back to functioning properly. Right now I am too overloaded to process things and make any decisions.

Basically, this leaves making him comfortable for as long as possible with pain meds when they become necessary and maybe syringe feeding eventually. I have pain meds for the next 2 days to help him with the incisions in his mouth.

That's it for now - again, I'm sort of shut down right now because if I wasn't I would be a basket case. This is so not fair. He is such a great cat and enjoys his life and his pal, Beau. I wish he wasn't going to be leaving us so soon.

I am grateful for Laura coming to the hospital and bringing me lunch, which I got to eat most of before all my hopes were dashed. She came into the exam room afterwards for the discharge instructions and asked questions I forgot to ask - or didn't think to ask, so it was a big help having her there. Thanks again, Laura.

I was supposed to keep him quiet, but he is really agitated and pacing from room to room. His BG was 222, so no worries there. He has had some water, but isn't supposed to eat for another hour. I held him for a bit and he purred, but then he wanted down. Everyone is hissing at him and he is confused.

10:30pm - Beau just hauled off and smacked him in the face. The poor guy. Here he has a very bad day and wants to just get back to normal and everyone is hissing and smacking him.
 
Crap Sheila - I am so sorry. Not what anyone was hoping and praying for. I am glad Laura was there with you. I don't know what else to say. This is so sad.
 
Sheila, at least Jeddie is back home with you and didn't have to stay overnight. SCC is a nasty, nasty cancer and so many times it has already spread before we even see an outward sign of it. Radiation is also nasty and IMHO is not going to save him......I know you don't want to hear that but have lost a few of mine to SCC. Prayers still coming for more time with Jeddie and no, it isn't fair, none of what happens to our babies is fair. I was so praying it was a benign growth.......which it still might be.........so prayers for some good news. You must be exhausted from the stress alone. Hope you get a good night's sleep.
 
((((((Sheila))))))

I'm so very sorry the news is not better. Please don't try to figure out the next step right now. This horrible day is over. Take care of Jeddie and yourself tonight.
 
((((Sheila)))) What a sucky day for you and Jeddie. I am so sorry. Probably what hurt my heart the most was Beau smacking Jeddie. It's one thing to have a terrible day, and to be very ill, but to have your best friend smack you, especially after the love fest the night before. Get it together, Beau.

Sheila, we are all going to hold out hope for better news than the vet led you to expect. But should it turn out to be SCC, we all will be here giving you as many cyberhugs as we can.

Laura, thank you so much for visiting with Sheila, bringing her lunch, and helping with questions.
 
big time sucks. prayers your way and hoping it is not what they say. but if it is, I know he will get lots of lovin and his life will be as comfy as can be.
cancer sucks... any kind of cancer.
holding you close (hugs)
 
((((((((((((((((((((((SHEILA))))))))))))))))))))))))

This totally SUCKS big time. I know, I have been there, as have many of us, and no matter how you slice it it comes up Cr*p. Sorry. I am flashing back to my Janiegirl.

Sending many many cyber hugs and hope that you can have some more good quality time with Jeddie.
 
Sending my best thoughts to you and your beautiful Jeddie. I can't even imagine the stress and worry you are going through right now. It hurts my heart just thinking about it.
 
Thanks everyone. I really appreciate the support I have gotten from all of you. It means more than I can say. You all understand the decisions and heartbreak.

He is trying to be himself today, but the pain meds are making that a bit tough. He will be done with them tomorrow. Hopefully in another few days he will be back to himself. I sure hope my other cats stop growling at him and avoiding him. He did get on my lap for about an hour this morning.

He keeps bumping his head against things - more than he normally does. Is that a sign that he is in pain? I think he does it more right before his next pain med dose. It's the kind of Bupe that you squirt in their cheek pocket (or at least try to anyway).
 
Sheila, I am so sorry for this news. You and Jeddie have been in my prayers, and I will continue to pray for you.
((((((((((((((((((((((((SHEILA)))))))))))))))))))))))))
 
He smells wrong from being at the vet's. Take a worn shirt and give him a kitty massage with it, to help him smell more like home.

And yes, the bupe will make him disoriented for a bit. if you have some baby gates to help keep him in one area that can be padded with blankets etc, that will help protect him.

{{hugs}}
 
Sheila, thanks for the update today. I was wondering how he's doing. I suspect the head bumping may actually be his attempts to "mark", which they usually do with the sides of their face, but maybe because of the unusual feeling in his mouth, he's avoiding doing that. He would be marking in order to release pheromones the others would recognize, since he smells from the vet clinic. Right now they don't recognize his smell, so he's a stranger to them. He would be doing this near the end of the Bupe dose since he's not as loopy then.

I have seen that behavior when I've brought cats home from the vet. They want to make peace when everyone treats them so horribly so they rub their face on wall corners, cabinets, furniture, you name it. To them the others smell the same and they don't understand why they're being treated like outcasts so their only instinct is to show everyone, "Hey, it's me!"
 
I'm just seeing this now, Sheila. I'm so sorry that Jeddie is going through this, and hoping against hope that it's not squamous cell. Nothing anyone says or does can make any of this easier or less painful physically or mentally for either of you. I found that the last few weeks of Scruffy's life, when I was reeling between hope and despair on a minute-to-minute basis, were still a very sweet time with him that I am so grateful to have had. I wish for you and Jeddie that kind of peace and pleasure in each other's company.

I remember back when you first adopted Jeddie, and the peeing under the closet door, and the adjustment to Beau and your other cats. What a good life you gave him! You always did what was best for him, and whatever that might be, you will do it again now.

Thinking of you both......
 
Thanks for the update Sheila, I was thinking of you guys last night and today and wondering how Jeddie's doing/feeling. I'm glad to have met you in person at last and you are very welcome for my time yesterday. :YMHUG: I so wish I could have done more - like wave a magic wand and make everything OK again. :cry:

I recall Dr. Woods mentioning she could prescribe Tramadol in addition to the buprenex for pain right away if you wanted some yet they discharged him with only 2 days of the buprenex. Just thought I'd mention it in case you feel the additional pain meds. are a good thing to have on hand "just in case." She said she could call it in to any pharmacy for you. ThrivingPets.com has it in stock for $0.30 each if you order less than 100, $0.20 per pill for 100-999 pills and $0.10 per pill for 1000+, and it's probably cheaper than a brick and mortar pharmacy...

Continued prayers for wisdom, strength and peace being sent your way from me and the fur crew.
 
Things seem a little less unfriendly today, although Ariel was still growling at him overnight. I had to get up at 3am to give him some bupe and we had a big cuddle - the whole exposed belly and rubbing his ear with his paw kind. So I brought him back to bed with me and he stayed, purring, for about 15 minutes.

He is eating and loves his deli turkey treats. And he is trying to groom himself.

He has been sleeping in my chair and Beau's chair and I got the little blanket he and Beau sleep on out (took it with me in case he had to stay overnight) and put it back on the sofa for him. So, maybe, the scents are getting transferred back to him. Beau is still a little skittish because he knows Jeddie was at a vet hospital all day and is afraid he is next. He had so many trips to the vet in his early years. You'd think that would make him kinder to Jeddie because he knows how scary it is.

Laura, I sure don't remember Dr. Wood saying the tramadol could start right away, but I do remember that she thought a compounded form would work better because of his mouth issues. I seem to have very selected hearing memory of that day (could be my "auditory sequencing dyslexia"), but I have vivid visual memories. I'll see how he is tomorrow after the last dose of bupe has worn off. I don't think he really likes being all doped up.

His paws are still filthy from where he was rubbing his mouth on them. Plain water isn't helping. Does anyone have suggestions for what to use on them to get them clean? Or am I going to have to shampoo them? I have some organic shampoo (for me) and some baby shampoo I could use.
 
Do you have any baby wipes? You could use them to clean his paws.

If not, then use the baby shampoo and a cloth and water to clean them with.

I am sorry about Jeddie and know that you will do what is best for him.
 
Sounds like you and Jeddie had a nice cuddle session last night. I'm glad that his furfamily is starting to accept him again. I'm sure things will be back to normal this weekend. Continuing to send prayers and healing prayers.
 
Hilary, I have "kitty wipes", but they don't do much. And I don't want to leave the residue on his paws - supposed to be safe, but for a cancer kitty, I want to be careful. I wiped with plain water afterwards. I guess I need to use baby shampoo to get the crud off and then maybe daily wiping with a washcloth would work.

I delayed his last bupe dose because at first he was sleeping, then he was eating, then it was his shot time, then I was making their food, and then he was eating again. I think he is eating more when the dose is fading out or gone. I will give him this last one before I go to bed.

Beau allowed him to be next to him while I was eating my dinner - both of them ever hopeful for a tidbit, but it was chicken curry, so they didn't get any. I felt guilty and gave them some deli turkey. Still no cuddling between the two.

I have to agree with Venita that seeing Beau smack him in the face the night of the surgery was heart breaking. But Beau has already lost two friends one of which was his best friend ever. If she walked into the room and meowed he jumped down and ran over to her. He was diagnosed with diabetes right after she died from a long illness (yep, cancer). I have to wonder about that timing there, and he was clearly grieving afterwards. This will hit him hard too, I think, and maybe he has some inkling of that, but maybe he just remembers his own days of ultrasounds and procedures to aspirate fluids from around his heart and it just freaks him out. I hope the walls come down soon.

Jeddie needs to get back to his normal life as soon as possible for as long as that is possible.
 
Friends again! This was just a few minutes ago. Jeddie jumped into the chair with Beau and Beau washed his ruff for a few minutes and then they just went to sleep.

Darn, Beau just left. Lasted about 20 mins. Well, at least the ice is broken.
 
Stopping in for my daily dose of Jeddie and....Oh my goodness.......awwwww........melt........way to go Beau! See, he's still your buddy Jeddie. cat_pet_icon

Sheila, if they say 2 heads are better than one, I sure hope that's true because I'd forgotten until you mentioned it that Dr Woods did say the compounded Tramadol was better for Jeddie's mouth issues. I do remember her being agreeable to starting Tramadol when you were ready because she was responding to your concern that he might already be in pain because of the tumor restricting his tongue range of motion. If he's eating more and acting more like himself without the buprenex then maybe he's not ready for the heavy pain meds. yet. I was impressed that she was ready and willing to prescribe if you feel he needs them.

For what it's worth, I had to remind, beg, cajole, wheedle and present vet literature before I could get buprenex for Harley's pancreatitis so based on my perspective I'm thinking it might be good to have the pain medication on hand in advance in case you need it at night, on the weekend, on a holiday. or on any day ending in "y" when the vet is closed.

Still sending purrs and prayers from all here.
 
What a great sweet picture! The ice is broken and they will begin to bond once again. The best medicine for Jeddie is his pal Beau.

Continued prayers coming your way...
 
Laura, I was thinking I should probably get the pain meds sooner rather than later for the very reasons you noted. I never gave the last bupe dose, so I have that. He is doing better off the bupe, IMO, and not acting like he is in pain, His appetite is good although he is struggling sometimes with the mechanics of it - notable with the few kibbles he always gets as treats in the morning after his test/shot. I am giving him turkey instead. He gobbles that down and doesn't seem to miss the kibbles.

Got biopsy results - starting new thread: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=71313
 
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