Lydia's mom
Member Since 2023
I posted last night about Lydia's weight gain. We were supposed to go and be hospitalized for the day to figure out why she wasn't eating well and was having trouble getting around. It turns out that kind of weight gain is not at all normal, that it was all fluid that was around her abdomen and lungs. The vet said that the diabetes was likely a side effect of whatever was truly wrong. Her breathing was shallow, her tongue was blue-ish. The vet also said that she could drain the fluid, we could try and diagnose the problem, but whatever it was, the likelihood of the kind of thing that would cause all that fluid being fixable wasn't very good, the fluid would more than likely come back.
I made the decision to not put her through any more. I didn't truly need to know what was actually wrong. I just needed her to not suffer the way she had been the past couple days. I believe that the problem was likely related to a mass that was seen on her x-ray in March at the emergency vet (she had a bout of gastroenteritis, vomiting, not eating, which was why we were there). I received a message a couple days after that visit that the radiologist had seen something, but when I called I was told that I'd need to keep calling until I happened to catch them when the doctor was available. The vet shortage in my area keeps the emergency vet clinic extremely busy. The idea of doing a biopsy and treatment for an elderly cat, I felt was not worth it anyhow, so I chose to let whatever it was run its course. The mass could have been there and stable for years for all I knew. Plus, I just went through cancer with my other cat last year and the treatment was not all that nice for him and in the end it didn't work.
I realize a lot of that sounds like I'm trying to justify not being a more aggressive treater of veterinary trouble. Maybe I am, but emotions are pretty raw right now and I don't want to feel any more like its my fault, that I'm a bad pet parent.
I'm truly grateful for the 17 years I got to spend with the sweetest tortie ever. She had none of the tortitude that people talk about. She was so very brave. She moved with me 11 times, including a 3 month stint of living in a crappy old camper, during the beginning scary part of covid, while we waited for the closing on my house. She never hid or got scared, she knew that if I was there, it was ok. She always accepted whatever I threw at her and loved me regardless. She gave me a sense of home wherever we were and whatever was going on in my life. She gave me stability when the ground didn't feel certain under my feet. Its a lot to ask of a small animal but she seemed to take it on gladly.
I am going to miss her so very much. I'm going to miss her snoring. I'm going to miss her little squeak aat-aat noise that substituted for a meow. I'm going to miss her over-loud purr. I'll even miss the insistence of sleeping with her gross butt touching me. I wish I could have saved her but it just wouldn't have been fair to ask any more of her. She gave me all she had and then some. There is a tortie shaped hole in my heart.
Give your babies extra hugs for me. I only experienced this disease for a short time but it was just long enough to see that this is darn hard. I'm grateful that this group exists for support because its a tough, confusing and scary road to go alone. I'm grateful for the wealth of information that is available here. I pored over tons of it in the past 12 days. Continue on. Carry each other in triumph and challenge.
Thank You.
I made the decision to not put her through any more. I didn't truly need to know what was actually wrong. I just needed her to not suffer the way she had been the past couple days. I believe that the problem was likely related to a mass that was seen on her x-ray in March at the emergency vet (she had a bout of gastroenteritis, vomiting, not eating, which was why we were there). I received a message a couple days after that visit that the radiologist had seen something, but when I called I was told that I'd need to keep calling until I happened to catch them when the doctor was available. The vet shortage in my area keeps the emergency vet clinic extremely busy. The idea of doing a biopsy and treatment for an elderly cat, I felt was not worth it anyhow, so I chose to let whatever it was run its course. The mass could have been there and stable for years for all I knew. Plus, I just went through cancer with my other cat last year and the treatment was not all that nice for him and in the end it didn't work.
I realize a lot of that sounds like I'm trying to justify not being a more aggressive treater of veterinary trouble. Maybe I am, but emotions are pretty raw right now and I don't want to feel any more like its my fault, that I'm a bad pet parent.
I'm truly grateful for the 17 years I got to spend with the sweetest tortie ever. She had none of the tortitude that people talk about. She was so very brave. She moved with me 11 times, including a 3 month stint of living in a crappy old camper, during the beginning scary part of covid, while we waited for the closing on my house. She never hid or got scared, she knew that if I was there, it was ok. She always accepted whatever I threw at her and loved me regardless. She gave me a sense of home wherever we were and whatever was going on in my life. She gave me stability when the ground didn't feel certain under my feet. Its a lot to ask of a small animal but she seemed to take it on gladly.
I am going to miss her so very much. I'm going to miss her snoring. I'm going to miss her little squeak aat-aat noise that substituted for a meow. I'm going to miss her over-loud purr. I'll even miss the insistence of sleeping with her gross butt touching me. I wish I could have saved her but it just wouldn't have been fair to ask any more of her. She gave me all she had and then some. There is a tortie shaped hole in my heart.
Give your babies extra hugs for me. I only experienced this disease for a short time but it was just long enough to see that this is darn hard. I'm grateful that this group exists for support because its a tough, confusing and scary road to go alone. I'm grateful for the wealth of information that is available here. I pored over tons of it in the past 12 days. Continue on. Carry each other in triumph and challenge.
Thank You.
