Horrible update

[Eireann]

I took Kitty to the vet today for the CT scan, so we could find out what was wrong. The vet thought, as did I, that it was a nasal polyp or polyps. Easily treated.

They do the scan under general anesthesia. The vet called me about an hour and a half ago to tell me that Kitty started bleeding heavily from the lungs under anesthesia, so they halted all plans for the scan and got to work stabilizing her. She didn't know what had caused the bleeding.

The vet called me again a little over half an hour ago. Kitty is awake and more or less stable. She also coughed up some tissue. They examined it under a microscope, and it looks like she has a cancerous tumor of the trachea.

It was not supposed to be like this. It was never supposed to be like this. Not so suddenly. Not so soon. Not when she should have had so many more years ahead of her.

[Ghel]

I'm so sorry.

[csquared]

Hugs for you and Kitty.

[It's me]

Oh poor kitty. Too soon, but she is very loved.

[greek_jester]

I'm so very, very sorry. It's just not fair *hugs*

Just please, promise me that a few months down the line you'll try to open yourself up to the possibility of finding another cat companion. Not to replace your darling girl, I know very well that you can never replace a beloved friend, but more to honour the love that she brought out of you.

Please try to take care of yourself. It's not easy when you're grieving, but you do have people who care about you and will worry about you.

[Eireann]

She's home.

The vet told me (though not in so many words) that it really scared the hell out of them when she started to bleed. Some tissue came out as well, so she thinks that when they intubated Kitty, they may have scratched the mass, whatever it is.

So they have a sample, which they want to send off for testing.

The vet told me that certain types of inflammation have a cellular structure that mimics carcinomas. They want to be sure just what type of problem it is.

So Kitty just had some wet food, and I'm giving her some distance, after what she's been through. Oh please please please let it just be an inflammation. Please.

[Pixelated]

Oh man, I am crossing fingers and everything I can that it is not cancer. Hugs to you and kitty.

[Eireann]

She's eating. The vet told me to give her wet food, so I did. She ate it in about an hour. When I got up a little while ago, she rubbed against my legs, which is when I saw that her dish was empty (she also has dry food, which she hasn't eaten since we came home).

I gave her more wet food, and she's really getting into it. I haven't seen her eat this much in quite some time.

[notalwaysright]

Appetite is a good sign! I know if I were you, I'd be stressing so much waiting to hear. I hope it's just inflammation, and try to stay sane in the meantime.

[Dreamstalker]

Fingers crossed that it's not cancer. Hugs and good thoughts for you and kitty.

[morgana]

I have a candle lit for you and puss. Keep us posted.

[Eireann]

Thank you all so much; I can't tell you how much your support means to me.

She's been eating a lot. I wonder if her previous loss of appetite was due to the fact that she'd been eating dry food. It may have hurt her throat. I've been giving her only wet food, and she's eating it enthusiastically. I also mix it with a little water to make it into a thick liquid.

Today, her breathing has been much quieter, which I hope is a good sign. Maybe the corticosteroids are working. The vet said that if it's an inflammation, they'll put her on prednisone.

We were spending some quality time together. I sat on the bed and petted her, and she rolled around on the bed and head-butted me.

Just let this continue for years to come.

[greek_jester]

*crosses fingers*

*crosses toes*

*crosses arms*

*crosses legs*

*falls over*

*weakly, from floor* If she's eating the signs are good. Hopefully it is just an inflammation.

Good news or bad, spending more time with your cat is always good. Multiple scientific studies have noted that spending time petting a cat/dog/pet of choice tends to lower blood pressure and stress levels and generally improves the overall mental health of the pet owner. Not just walking the pet; they did test while the person was stroking/playing with their pet.

[Eireann]

She is now in the window, soaking up the rays. When she wasn't feeling well, she spent almost all of her time under the bed; she wouldn't spend any time in the sun. Now, she's jumping up there on her own.

I photographed her sniffing my African violet earlier, as if she wanted to pose for me.

I've been taking a close look at her every day. Her eyes are bright and clear. Her fur is glossy. Her breathing sounds a lot better. Sometimes, it makes no noise at all. She's lost weight, but I think that's due to the fact that she was eating dry food rather than wet, and it hurt her throat. She's still eating a lot of the wet food (she got me up this morning to give her more of it).

She's got to be all right.

[Crossbow]

Such a beautiful girl. Yeah, if her throat was irritated, eating dry food would be painful. Fingers crossed the tests come back clean.