Marissa, What a fantastic post! I can't believe it! So many people are constrained by money. Your dad must be an angel to do this for you, because my dad would tell me I was crazy! lol. So happy that Slinky has a fighting chance. And happy that you found a place to care for him that you feel good about. That is SO important.
Have a wonderful evening, and please keep us posted. :) Wendy --- Marissa Johnson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hi all. First of all, thank you SO MUCH for all of > your advice, help, and support!!!! It's done me > worlds of good!! I can't remember what all I've > already posted and what I haven't (esp. cuz I've > told so many people all the details that it's all > getting a bit jumbled), so if some of this is > repeat, forgive me. > > Slinky has never stopped eating entirely. He's > been eating his dry Innova Evo like crazy...just > wouldn't eat the raw I usually feed him. He's also > been drinking quite a bit and using his litter box > regularly (and no diarrhea). I got some sub-q > fluids at the vet yesterday (they didn't really > think it would help but gave them to me anyway), but > didn't end up using them. > > When I went to bed last night his temp was 103.6, > so I just syringe-fed him some ice water, wiped him > down with a cold washcloth, and opened the window. > He ate several times during the night (I had his > dish with the dry food on my bed next to my pillow, > so I heard him when he started eating, and his water > glass - only thing he'd drink out of - is next to my > bed), drank, and used the litter box. He felt cool > to the touch to me all night (when he's had high > fevers, he's usually been very hot) and this > morning, so I didn't even take his temp. > > But, after reading all of your posts about > transfusions, anemia, etc. I noted that his gums > were VERY pale, and I thought his breathing and > heart seemed a bit fast (though I'd never really > paid attention before so wasn't sure how abnormal > they were), so I decided to take him in this > morning. > > Let me first say that I have the BEST "chosen > family" in the entire universe!!!!!! I called my > "sister" this morning because she said she was > getting together with the 2 "dads" (it's complicated > but you get the idea) and did I want to come. I > called to tell her I couldn't go and why and she > recommended I take Slink to a 24 hour animal > hospital in DC (she took her dog there and both of > the dads took their cats and dogs there as well). > So we headed out to see what they could do. > > I had called the hospital and they said they could > do a payment plan. But it turns out that what they > have is a credit card you can apply for, but I > applied for one through my bank this morning and was > denied. The visit alone was going to be $110, but I > figured I could at least find out what my options > were. When I walked in, I said that my cat had FeLV > and was very anemic, his gums were almost > white..they came and took him back and started > checking him even before they had all my ID info (I > figured this was a good sign - they were serious > about getting him taken care of!). > > When we got there, his temp was 106!!! That's the > highest it's ever been! I gave them the results > from the clinic on Wed (the ones I posted earlier) > and they ran a PCV. They said his RBC was at 12 and > Wed. it had been at 14...but since they were > different machines and different types of tests they > were hard to compare but figured the numbers were > fairly comparable - at least it wasn't plummeting. > They said about the only option was a transfusion > and broad-spectrum antibiotics...but for all of that > we were looking at probably about $1000 (the > transfusion plus overnight stay, tests, etc.). > They're a little higher than most because it's a 24 > hour hospital, but I figured the other places would > end up being about the same with all the tests, etc. > > The doctor said she had had a cat that was FeLV+ > who lived to be about 5 and then got really > sick...so I knew that at least she was familiar with > the disease and was not going to write him off > because of his label. That made me feel TONS > better!!! She continued to say that his long-term > prognosis is not great, but that it was worth trying > the transfusion if I could spend the money. > > I called my "sister" in hysterics not at all sure > what to do. She came over immediately and said if I > wanted to do it, she'd pay for it if necessary. She > doesn't have THAT much more money than I do though, > so I wasn't crazy about that idea. But while I was > waiting for her to come, I had called one of the > "dads" who has 2 cats and recently spent $3500 on > surgery for one of them. Despite the fact that he > was running a million errands to get ready for a big > trip, he said he'd be there in 20 minutes. > > When he got there, he looked at the estimates, > talked to the doctor, and said, "we can put it on my > card." I said, "I don't know when I can pay you > back" and he just said, "we'll figure that out > someday." In other words, I can pay him back slowly > and he's not going to stress about it. I really > considered not doing the transfusion, but Slinky was > very alert, was walking around the exam room and > looking around like, "Hey mom! Let's go home and > PLAY!" Everyone says that when they're done > fighting, they'll tell you and I knew he wasn't > done. > > So we decided to go ahead with the transfusion and > I came home. I called when I got here and they said > the first bag of blood product they tested didn't > match his type, but the second one did. They were a > little concerned because when they mixed it with his > blood to test it there was a little bit of > "clumping" so she wasn't sure how he'd take it. But > she said they'd give him a mild, short-acting > steroid and take it slow. She said they'd see how > the first hour went, knowing there was a possibility > he could go into shock, but she was willing to try > it. So I decided to go back to the hospital so I > could be there if anything happened and they waited > 'till I got there to start. > > I was able to go back and see him and hold him for > a bit. He's in isolation, but was still very alert, > etc. He ate quite a bit of the dry food I'd brought > with me (Innova Evo) and some of the dried chicken > treats. The doctor kept saying that despite the > fact that he looks bad on paper (everything was very > low including the regeneration, etc....though there > was some regeneration), "clinically" (meaning > physically, I guess) he looks very strong. He's > alert, seems comfortable, and seemed to be doing > very well. > > I stayed at the hospital for the first couple > hours of the transfusion. After the first hour the > doctor came out and said "so far so good." His temp > "spiked" to 103 (which after being at 106 I wasn't > so worried about!), but they slowed the blood rate > and that brought the temp back down. They're only > doing about 1-2 mL an hour and will give him a total > of 15mL. They're also going to do IV antibiotics > and continue with some of the other meds. They'll > keep him at least 24 hours, maybe longer. > > Every single person I talked to at the hospital, > from the vet tech (who told me in the isolation room > that she's worked at 3 hospitals and this one is > AMAZING and she loves her job) to the other owners > in the waiting room told me this was absolutely the > BEST place to be. Not inexpensive, but very good. > They have all kinds of specialists on staff > (including oncologists), etc. So I feel REALLY good > about having him there!!! > > They let me go back and say goodnight before I > left. They also let me leave a T-shirt of mine with > him so he could have my scent. :) He looked pretty > tired and was sitting quietly in the back of the > cage, but he was awake and looking comfortable. I > promised him I'd be back in the morning (and sooner > if anything happened) and that they'd take good care > of him. They're checking his vitals, etc. every > fifteen minutes and let me see the chart. His temp > is hovering between 102 and 103, going down when the > give him DexSP and slow the transfusion rate. But > he seems to be stable and doing alright. > > I told him that as long as he wanted to fight, I > would do everything I could to help him...and that > when he wants to be done fighting all he has to do > is tell me. I also told him if he needed to go, he > could and I'd always love him. So far it seems that > he wants to fight. I'm just PRAYING that the > transfusion helps. > > I asked the vet about hemobartanella (sp?) and she > said it was possible but that the treatment would be > broad-spectrum antibiotics and we were already doing > that. She said we could switch to Doxy, but that > she didn't know that that would be much more > effective than what he's already on (Clavamox and > Baytril). She did put him on IV abx so they'd be > quicker and more effective. She also said that in a > couple weeks if his RBCs haven't gone up enough we'd > look at starting him on Epogen. > > The estimate for all of this was $1100 or so, but > my "dad" is already telling me that he's > anticipating it will be higher and not to worry > about whatever the final bill is - we'll deal with > it. Both he and my "sister" said if this doesn't > work, we'll regroup and figure out what to do. But > "dad" said that after seeing Slinky he would've made > the same decision because he definitely wasn't a cat > who was giving up - he's had to make the decision > both to have cats put to sleep and to do major > procedures, so I felt like he knows. It's AMAZING > to === message truncated === ____________________________________________________________________________________ TV dinner still cooling? Check out "Tonight's Picks" on Yahoo! TV. http://tv.yahoo.com/
