Re: Chandra-- how is Buddha doing?

2006-01-07 Thread catatonya
Chandra,I am so very sorry about your loss of sweet Buddha. I can only imagine that it's harder being so close to Christmas. Sending strength and prayers your way.tonyachandra simms [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:  Michele and all the wonderful members of this group,I am sorry I have not written in a while, but it was avery hard holiday and I haven't really had theemotional strength to post until now. The last time I posted, Buddha was having his bestweek since being diagnosed with lymphoma at thebeginning of December. He was back to his old selfand acting as if he was feeling fine, however fourdays before Christmas he took a serious turn for theworst. The tumor behind his eye quickly began tocause the eye to bulge and protrude
 out of the socketand the pressure it put on his little brain began toeffect his other neurological functions. Hecompletely lost his appetite, the ability to see ineither eye, and to walk. Although he was conscious,he was fairly catatonic and had pretty much completelychecked-out by that point. We talked to the vet andshe said that there was no getting better from thatpoint and also that the eye would soon either pop outon its own, or we would have to have it removed, whichwe did not want to him to have to go through. So onthe 23rd we made the excruciating decision to help himlet go. My mother lives about 45 minutes away in Denton, so weburied him in the yard at her house and decided tojust spend the week there. Neither Julian or I wereanxious to get home and begin the process of packingaway Buddha's things. Having all the visiting familyin town really helped to provide a slight distraction,especially
 since I couldn't go much more than fiveminutes without crying for the first 2 days. Although I knew this time would eventually come and Iwas able to gather so much strength from all theadvice and good wishes from this group over the pastmonth, I was completely unprepared for the amount ofgrief I felt. Since he lived so long without anysymptoms I think I was in denial that the day wouldever actually come. I am almost ashamed of how lucky I feel to have hadhim in my life for 14 years, and my heart truly bleedsfor those of you who lost your friends sooner anddidn't have as much time together as we did. I will be forever grateful to all the members of thislist and honestly don't think I could have endured thepain that the last month brought without you. I don't know how to go about it or if it is too late,but I would like for Buddha's name to be added to nextMonday's candle light memorial service. If
 it isstill possible that is. Could someone please tell me who I should contact forthat.Once again, on behalf of Buddha, Julian and myself, thank you all so much!--- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Thinking of him and hoping he is still feeling better. Please give us an  update when you get a chance. Having been through the rollercoaster of lymphoma  several times, I really feel for you and Jen, who has Ewok, and think about  Buddha and Ewok multiple times throughout the day.  I hope he is still  feeling well, but know there are so many ups and downs. Please let us know how he  is when you get a chance. Thinking of the two of you, Michelle Love is not necessary to life, but it is what makes life worth living.__ Yahoo! DSL – Something to write home
 about. Just $16.99/mo. or less. dsl.yahoo.com 

Re: Buddha, Chandra and Julian

2006-01-06 Thread Nina




I'm sorry, I'm such an idiot! I know you know I meant that helping
Buddha cross WAS the most loving thing you could do for him.
N

Nina wrote:

  
  
Chandra and Julian,
I'm so, so sorry to hear about Buddha passing. The week of him being
back to his old self was such a wonderful gift for all of you! I know
that you cherished every minute of it. My sweet little Molly, the
second of my felv litter to pass also had a tumor behind her eye that
caused it to bulge. She wasn't with me, she had been adopted out
before we knew of her status. The family she went to had been
struggling so hard to help her get well and were on their way to the
vet's when her eye burst from the pressure of the tumor. I only tell
you this so you won't ever feel that your decision to help Buddha cross
was the most loving thing you could have done for him. Everyone on
this list knows that it doesn't matter how long, or short our time
together is, we are never ready to say goodbye to our sweet loved ones
with fur. You three have such a strong connection, it lives on still.
I have no doubt that Buddha will somehow make his presence known to you
to let you know that he's once again, healthy, happy and has never left
you. Keep your heart and mind open to the signs that he continues to
love you and that someday you'll be together again. Don't be surprised
if another needy angel shows up at your door. I'm betting Buddha is
bragging about you in Heaven.
Much love to you in your sorrow,
Nina




Re: Chandra-- how is Buddha doing?

2006-01-06 Thread TatorBunz




Oh my god that sounds like what Taz went through!
I did choose the surgery but he wouldn't wake up after it was all over. So I had to let him go as well.
Very devastating for me!!!
(his story below under Pet Memorial)

In a message dated 1/6/2006 9:55:32 AM Pacific Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
The last time I posted, Buddha was having his bestweek since being diagnosed with lymphoma at thebeginning of December. He was back to his old selfand acting as if he was feeling fine, however fourdays before Christmas he took a serious turn for theworst. The tumor behind his eye quickly began tocause the eye to bulge and protrude out of the socketand the pressure it put on his little brain began toeffect his other neurological functions. Hecompletely lost his appetite, the ability to see ineither eye, and to walk. Although he was conscious,he was fairly catatonic and had pretty much completelychecked-out by that point. We talked to the vet andshe said that there was no getting better from thatpoint and also that the eye would soon either pop outon its own, or we would have to have it removed, whichwe did not want to him to have to go through. So onthe 23rd we made the excruciating decision to help himlet go. 


 Terrie MohrTAZZY'S ANIMAL TRANSPORTSSIAMESE  COLLIE RESCUEOwner/DriverCheck sites for available Siameses for adoption!http://www.tazzys-siameses-collies.petfinder.org/Click Here to Join WASHINGTON SIAMESE RESCUE Yahoo Group!http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wasiameserescuehttp://hometown.aol.com/tatorbunz/index.htmlhttp://hometown.aol.com/tatorbunz/myhomepage/petmemorial.htmlPetfinder.comAdopt a Homeless Pet!http://www.petfinder.com/http://www.felineleukemia.org/http://www.petloss.com/TAZZY'S ANIMAL TRANSPORTShttps://www.paypal.com/http://www.frappr.com/wasiameserescue


Re: Chandra-- how is Buddha doing?

2006-01-06 Thread TatorBunz


Chandra,
 Your in my thoughts andprayers. I know exactly what your going through. Do let the tears shed. It took me a year before I could open freely and talk about Taz without crying.
Take care and Hugs!

 Terrie MohrTAZZY'S ANIMAL TRANSPORTSSIAMESE  COLLIE RESCUEOwner/DriverCheck sites for available Siameses for adoption!http://www.tazzys-siameses-collies.petfinder.org/Click Here to Join WASHINGTON SIAMESE RESCUE Yahoo Group!http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wasiameserescuehttp://hometown.aol.com/tatorbunz/index.htmlhttp://hometown.aol.com/tatorbunz/myhomepage/petmemorial.htmlPetfinder.comAdopt a Homeless Pet!http://www.petfinder.com/http://www.felineleukemia.org/http://www.petloss.com/TAZZY'S ANIMAL TRANSPORTShttps://www.paypal.com/http://www.frappr.com/wasiameserescue


Re: Chandra-- how is Buddha doing?

2006-01-06 Thread chandra simms
You are right.  I read Taz's memorial and it was
EXACTLY the same thing.  The tumor that we couldn't
get to shrink was causing a large bump above and
behind his left eye.  By the end, the bump was half
the height of his ear.  
I am so sorry Taz had to endure the same thing.  

--- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 Oh my god that sounds like what Taz went through!
 I did choose the surgery but he wouldn't wake up
 after it was all over. So I 
 had to let him go as well.
 Very devastating for me!!!
 (his story below under Pet Memorial)
 
 In a message dated 1/6/2006 9:55:32 AM Pacific
 Standard Time, 
 [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
 The last time I posted, Buddha was having his best
 week since being diagnosed with lymphoma at the
 beginning of December.  He was back to his old self
 and acting as if he was feeling fine, however four
 days before Christmas he took a serious turn for the
 worst.  The tumor behind his eye quickly began to
 cause the eye to bulge and protrude out of the
 socket
 and the pressure it put on his little brain began to
 effect his other neurological functions.  He
 completely lost his appetite, the ability to see in
 either eye, and to walk.  Although he was conscious,
 he was fairly catatonic and had pretty much
 completely
 checked-out by that point.  We talked to the vet and
 she said that there was no getting better from that
 point and also that the eye would soon either pop
 out
 on its own, or we would have to have it removed,
 which
 we did not want to him to have to go through.  So on
 the 23rd we made the excruciating decision to help
 him
 let go.  
 
 
  
 Terrie Mohr
 TAZZY'S ANIMAL TRANSPORTS
 SIAMESE  COLLIE RESCUE
 Owner/Driver
 Check sites for available Siameses for adoption!
 
 http://www.tazzys-siameses-collies.petfinder.org/
 
 Click Here to Join WASHINGTON SIAMESE RESCUE Yahoo
 Group!
 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wasiameserescue
 
 
 http://hometown.aol.com/tatorbunz/index.html
 

http://hometown.aol.com/tatorbunz/myhomepage/petmemorial.html
 
 Petfinder.com
 Adopt a Homeless Pet!
 
 http://www.petfinder.com/
 
 http://www.felineleukemia.org/
 http://www.petloss.com/
 
 TAZZY'S ANIMAL TRANSPORTS
 https://www.paypal.com/
 
 
 
 http://www.frappr.com/wasiameserescue
 


Love is not necessary to life, but it is what makes life worth living.



__ 
Yahoo! DSL – Something to write home about. 
Just $16.99/mo. or less. 
dsl.yahoo.com 


Re: Buddha, Chandra and Julian

2006-01-06 Thread chandra simms
Nina, Thank you so much.  I am very thankful that you
shared Molly's story.  It makes me feel so much better
about the difficult decision we made to not let Buddha
get to that point.  
Chandra

--- Nina [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 Chandra and Julian,
 I'm so, so sorry to hear about Buddha passing.  The
 week of him being 
 back to his old self was such a wonderful gift for
 all of you!  I know 
 that you cherished every minute of it.  My sweet
 little Molly, the 
 second of my felv litter to pass also had a tumor
 behind her eye that 
 caused it to bulge.  She wasn't with me, she had
 been adopted out before 
 we knew of her status.  The family she went to had
 been struggling so 
 hard to help her get well and were on their way to
 the vet's when her 
 eye burst from the pressure of the tumor.  I only
 tell you this so you 
 won't ever feel that your decision to help Buddha
 cross was the most 
 loving thing you could have done for him.  Everyone
 on this list knows 
 that it doesn't matter how long, or short our time
 together is, we are 
 never ready to say goodbye to our sweet loved ones
 with fur.  You three 
 have such a strong connection, it lives on still.  I
 have no doubt that 
 Buddha will somehow make his presence known to you
 to let you know that 
 he's once again, healthy, happy and has never left
 you.  Keep your heart 
 and mind open to the signs that he continues to love
 you and that 
 someday you'll be together again.  Don't be
 surprised if another needy 
 angel shows up at your door.  I'm betting Buddha is
 bragging about you 
 in Heaven.
 Much love to you in your sorrow,
 Nina
 
 chandra simms wrote:
 
 Michele and all the wonderful members of this
 group,
 
 I am sorry I have not written in a while, but it
 was a
 very hard holiday and I haven't really had the
 emotional strength to post until now.  
 
 The last time I posted, Buddha was having his best
 week since being diagnosed with lymphoma at the
 beginning of December.  He was back to his old self
 and acting as if he was feeling fine, however four
 days before Christmas he took a serious turn for
 the
 worst.  The tumor behind his eye quickly began to
 cause the eye to bulge and protrude out of the
 socket
 and the pressure it put on his little brain began
 to
 effect his other neurological functions.  He
 completely lost his appetite, the ability to see in
 either eye, and to walk.  Although he was
 conscious,
 he was fairly catatonic and had pretty much
 completely
 checked-out by that point.  We talked to the vet
 and
 she said that there was no getting better from that
 point and also that the eye would soon either pop
 out
 on its own, or we would have to have it removed,
 which
 we did not want to him to have to go through.  So
 on
 the 23rd we made the excruciating decision to help
 him
 let go.  
 
 My mother lives about 45 minutes away in Denton, so
 we
 buried him in the yard at her house and decided to
 just spend the week there.  Neither Julian or I
 were
 anxious to get home and begin the process of
 packing
 away Buddha's things.  Having all the visiting
 family
 in town really helped to provide a slight
 distraction,
 especially since I couldn't go much more than five
 minutes without crying for the first 2 days.  
 
 Although I knew this time would eventually come and
 I
 was able to gather so much strength from all the
 advice and good wishes from this group over the
 past
 month, I was completely unprepared for the amount
 of
 grief I felt.  Since he lived so long without any
 symptoms I think I was in denial that the day would
 ever actually come.  
  
 I am almost ashamed of how lucky I feel to have had
 him in my life for 14 years, and my heart truly
 bleeds
 for those of you who lost your friends sooner and
 didn't have as much time together as we did.  
 
 I will be forever grateful to all the members of
 this
 list and honestly don't think I could have endured
 the
 pain that the last month brought without you.  
 
 I don't know how to go about it or if it is too
 late,
 but I would like for Buddha's name to be added to
 next
 Monday's candle light memorial service.  If it is
 still possible that is.  
 Could someone please tell me who I should contact
 for
 that.
 
 Once again, on behalf of Buddha, Julian and myself,
 
 thank you all so much!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 --- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
 
   
 
 Thinking of him and hoping he is still feeling
 better. Please give us an  
 update when you get a chance.  Having been through
 the rollercoaster  of lymphoma 
 several times, I really feel for you and Jen, who
 has Ewok, and  think about 
 Buddha and Ewok multiple times throughout the day.
 
 I hope he  is still 
 feeling well, but know there are so many ups and
 downs.  Please  let us know how he 
 is when you get a chance.
 Thinking of the two of you,
 Michelle
 
 
 
 
 
 Love is not necessary to life, but it is what makes
 life worth living

Condolences to Chandra for Buddha

2006-01-06 Thread Lernermichelle



Chandra,

 When you did not write back I feared he was not doing 
well. I am so very sorry. I know the grief is excruciating. And yes, 
you were lucky to have him in your life for 14 years.

Michelle


Re: Buddha, Chandra and Julian

2006-01-06 Thread Terri Brown




Goodnight, sweet Buddha...

=^..^= Terri, Siggie the Tomato Vampire, Guinevere, Sammi, Travis, and 6 
furangels: RuthieGirl, Samantha, Arielle, Gareth, Alec  Salome' 
=^..^=

Furkid Photos! http://mysite.verizon.net/vze7sgqa/My 
Personal Page: http://www.geocities.com/ruthiegirl1/terrispage.html?1083970447350

  - Original Message - 
  From: Nina 
  
  To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org 
  
  Sent: Friday, January 06, 2006 1:47 
  PM
  Subject: Buddha, Chandra and Julian
  Chandra and Julian,I'm so, so sorry to hear about Buddha 
  passing. The week of him being back to his old self was such a wonderful 
  gift for all of you! I know that you cherished every minute of it. 
  My sweet little Molly, the second of my felv litter to pass also had a tumor 
  behind her eye that caused it to bulge. She wasn't with me, she had been 
  adopted out before we knew of her status. The family she went to had 
  been struggling so hard to help her get well and were on their way to the 
  vet's when her eye burst from the pressure of the tumor. I only tell you 
  this so you won't ever feel that your decision to help Buddha cross was the 
  most loving thing you could have done for him. Everyone on this list 
  knows that it doesn't matter how long, or short our time together is, we are 
  never ready to say goodbye to our sweet loved ones with fur. You three 
  have such a strong connection, it lives on still. I have no doubt that 
  Buddha will somehow make his presence known to you to let you know that he's 
  once again, healthy, happy and has never left you. Keep your heart and 
  mind open to the signs that he continues to love you and that someday you'll 
  be together again. Don't be surprised if another needy angel shows up at 
  your door. I'm betting Buddha is bragging about you in Heaven.Much 
  love to you in your sorrow,Ninachandra simms wrote:
  Michele and all the wonderful members of this group,

I am sorry I have not written in a while, but it was a
very hard holiday and I haven't really had the
emotional strength to post until now.  

The last time I posted, Buddha was having his best
week since being diagnosed with lymphoma at the
beginning of December.  He was back to his old self
and acting as if he was feeling fine, however four
days before Christmas he took a serious turn for the
worst.  The tumor behind his eye quickly began to
cause the eye to bulge and protrude out of the socket
and the pressure it put on his little brain began to
effect his other neurological functions.  He
completely lost his appetite, the ability to see in
either eye, and to walk.  Although he was conscious,
he was fairly catatonic and had pretty much completely
checked-out by that point.  We talked to the vet and
she said that there was no getting better from that
point and also that the eye would soon either pop out
on its own, or we would have to have it removed, which
we did not want to him to have to go through.  So on
the 23rd we made the excruciating decision to help him
let go.  

My mother lives about 45 minutes away in Denton, so we
buried him in the yard at her house and decided to
just spend the week there.  Neither Julian or I were
anxious to get home and begin the process of packing
away Buddha's things.  Having all the visiting family
in town really helped to provide a slight distraction,
especially since I couldn't go much more than five
minutes without crying for the first 2 days.  

Although I knew this time would eventually come and I
was able to gather so much strength from all the
advice and good wishes from this group over the past
month, I was completely unprepared for the amount of
grief I felt.  Since he lived so long without any
symptoms I think I was in denial that the day would
ever actually come.  
 
I am almost ashamed of how lucky I feel to have had
him in my life for 14 years, and my heart truly bleeds
for those of you who lost your friends sooner and
didn't have as much time together as we did.  

I will be forever grateful to all the members of this
list and honestly don't think I could have endured the
pain that the last month brought without you.  

I don't know how to go about it or if it is too late,
but I would like for Buddha's name to be added to next
Monday's candle light memorial service.  If it is
still possible that is.  
Could someone please tell me who I should contact for
that.

Once again, on behalf of Buddha, Julian and myself, 
thank you all so much!






--- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

  
Thinking of him and hoping he is still feeling
better. Please give us an  
update when you get a chance.  Having been through
the rollercoaster  of lymphoma 
several times, I really feel for you and Jen, who
has Ewok, and  think about 
Buddha and Ewok multiple times throughout the day. 
I hope he  is still 
feeling well, but know there are so many ups and
downs.  Please  let us know how he 
is when you get a chance.
Thinking of the two of you,
Michelle



Love

RE: Buddha, Chandra and Julian

2006-01-06 Thread Hideyo Yamamoto
Nina, you have such a way to express the feelings and I love it I
feel so totally agree with Nina, Chandra and Julian - Buddha's soul is
still right besides you and have not left you -- so don't be too
lonely... I know it's painful to not to be able to hold him anymore..
but in a way, he is probably much closer to you.  I still talk to my
Garfunkle every day like he is still there.. for some reason, I feel his
presence as he is still here.. and I know that he is..

-Original Message-
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of chandra simms
Sent: Friday, January 06, 2006 12:51 PM
To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
Subject: Re: Buddha, Chandra and Julian

Nina, Thank you so much.  I am very thankful that you
shared Molly's story.  It makes me feel so much better
about the difficult decision we made to not let Buddha
get to that point.  
Chandra

--- Nina [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 Chandra and Julian,
 I'm so, so sorry to hear about Buddha passing.  The
 week of him being 
 back to his old self was such a wonderful gift for
 all of you!  I know 
 that you cherished every minute of it.  My sweet
 little Molly, the 
 second of my felv litter to pass also had a tumor
 behind her eye that 
 caused it to bulge.  She wasn't with me, she had
 been adopted out before 
 we knew of her status.  The family she went to had
 been struggling so 
 hard to help her get well and were on their way to
 the vet's when her 
 eye burst from the pressure of the tumor.  I only
 tell you this so you 
 won't ever feel that your decision to help Buddha
 cross was the most 
 loving thing you could have done for him.  Everyone
 on this list knows 
 that it doesn't matter how long, or short our time
 together is, we are 
 never ready to say goodbye to our sweet loved ones
 with fur.  You three 
 have such a strong connection, it lives on still.  I
 have no doubt that 
 Buddha will somehow make his presence known to you
 to let you know that 
 he's once again, healthy, happy and has never left
 you.  Keep your heart 
 and mind open to the signs that he continues to love
 you and that 
 someday you'll be together again.  Don't be
 surprised if another needy 
 angel shows up at your door.  I'm betting Buddha is
 bragging about you 
 in Heaven.
 Much love to you in your sorrow,
 Nina
 
 chandra simms wrote:
 
 Michele and all the wonderful members of this
 group,
 
 I am sorry I have not written in a while, but it
 was a
 very hard holiday and I haven't really had the
 emotional strength to post until now.  
 
 The last time I posted, Buddha was having his best
 week since being diagnosed with lymphoma at the
 beginning of December.  He was back to his old self
 and acting as if he was feeling fine, however four
 days before Christmas he took a serious turn for
 the
 worst.  The tumor behind his eye quickly began to
 cause the eye to bulge and protrude out of the
 socket
 and the pressure it put on his little brain began
 to
 effect his other neurological functions.  He
 completely lost his appetite, the ability to see in
 either eye, and to walk.  Although he was
 conscious,
 he was fairly catatonic and had pretty much
 completely
 checked-out by that point.  We talked to the vet
 and
 she said that there was no getting better from that
 point and also that the eye would soon either pop
 out
 on its own, or we would have to have it removed,
 which
 we did not want to him to have to go through.  So
 on
 the 23rd we made the excruciating decision to help
 him
 let go.  
 
 My mother lives about 45 minutes away in Denton, so
 we
 buried him in the yard at her house and decided to
 just spend the week there.  Neither Julian or I
 were
 anxious to get home and begin the process of
 packing
 away Buddha's things.  Having all the visiting
 family
 in town really helped to provide a slight
 distraction,
 especially since I couldn't go much more than five
 minutes without crying for the first 2 days.  
 
 Although I knew this time would eventually come and
 I
 was able to gather so much strength from all the
 advice and good wishes from this group over the
 past
 month, I was completely unprepared for the amount
 of
 grief I felt.  Since he lived so long without any
 symptoms I think I was in denial that the day would
 ever actually come.  
  
 I am almost ashamed of how lucky I feel to have had
 him in my life for 14 years, and my heart truly
 bleeds
 for those of you who lost your friends sooner and
 didn't have as much time together as we did.  
 
 I will be forever grateful to all the members of
 this
 list and honestly don't think I could have endured
 the
 pain that the last month brought without you.  
 
 I don't know how to go about it or if it is too
 late,
 but I would like for Buddha's name to be added to
 next
 Monday's candle light memorial service.  If it is
 still possible that is.  
 Could someone please tell me who I should contact
 for
 that.
 
 Once again, on behalf of Buddha, Julian and myself

Re: Chandra-- how is Buddha doing?

2006-01-06 Thread Sherry DeHaan
Chandra I am so sorry about Buddha,he was so lucky to be love by the two of you.And for so long,what a lucky guy.He is with my Maizee Grace now.God Bless you and thank you for being a loving furbaby mom.  Sherrychandra simms [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:  Michele and all the wonderful members of this group,I am sorry I have not written in a while, but it was avery hard holiday and I haven't really had theemotional strength to post until now. The last time I posted, Buddha was having his bestweek since being diagnosed with lymphoma at thebeginning of December. He was back to his old selfand acting as if he was feeling fine, however fourdays before Christmas he took a serious turn for theworst. The tumor behind his eye quickly began tocause the eye to bulge and protrude out of the
 socketand the pressure it put on his little brain began toeffect his other neurological functions. Hecompletely lost his appetite, the ability to see ineither eye, and to walk. Although he was conscious,he was fairly catatonic and had pretty much completelychecked-out by that point. We talked to the vet andshe said that there was no getting better from thatpoint and also that the eye would soon either pop outon its own, or we would have to have it removed, whichwe did not want to him to have to go through. So onthe 23rd we made the excruciating decision to help himlet go. My mother lives about 45 minutes away in Denton, so weburied him in the yard at her house and decided tojust spend the week there. Neither Julian or I wereanxious to get home and begin the process of packingaway Buddha's things. Having all the visiting familyin town really helped to provide a slight distraction,especially since I
 couldn't go much more than fiveminutes without crying for the first 2 days. Although I knew this time would eventually come and Iwas able to gather so much strength from all theadvice and good wishes from this group over the pastmonth, I was completely unprepared for the amount ofgrief I felt. Since he lived so long without anysymptoms I think I was in denial that the day wouldever actually come. I am almost ashamed of how lucky I feel to have hadhim in my life for 14 years, and my heart truly bleedsfor those of you who lost your friends sooner anddidn't have as much time together as we did. I will be forever grateful to all the members of thislist and honestly don't think I could have endured thepain that the last month brought without you. I don't know how to go about it or if it is too late,but I would like for Buddha's name to be added to nextMonday's candle light memorial service. If it
 isstill possible that is. Could someone please tell me who I should contact forthat.Once again, on behalf of Buddha, Julian and myself, thank you all so much!--- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Thinking of him and hoping he is still feeling better. Please give us an  update when you get a chance. Having been through the rollercoaster of lymphoma  several times, I really feel for you and Jen, who has Ewok, and think about  Buddha and Ewok multiple times throughout the day.  I hope he is still  feeling well, but know there are so many ups and downs. Please let us know how he  is when you get a chance. Thinking of the two of you, Michelle Love is not necessary to life, but it is what makes life worth living.__ Yahoo! DSL – Something to write home
 about. Just $16.99/mo. or less. dsl.yahoo.com   
	
		Yahoo! Photos 
Ring in the New Year with Photo Calendars. Add photos, events, holidays, whatever.

Re: Chandra-- how is Buddha doing?

2006-01-06 Thread jenmeyer
Oh, Chandra...I'm so sorry to hear about Buddha!  We're battling
lymphoma here, too, and the emotional roller-coaster is really starting
to take its toll.  I'm ecstatic beyond belief one moment when I can see
his old inquisitive, mischievious self in his eyes...and bawling the
next when I imagine a future without him.  Please know that you are in
my thoughts...may Buddha find his way home swiftly...

Jen


But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be
unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world; You
become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed... --Antoine de
Saint-Exupéry

If you talk to the animals they will talk with you and you will know
each other.  If you do not talk to them you will not know them, and what
you do not know you will fear. What one fears one destroys. --Chief Dan
George

- Original Message -
From: chandra simms [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: Friday, January 6, 2006 11:55 am
Subject: Re: Chandra-- how is Buddha doing?

 Michele and all the wonderful members of this group,
 
 I am sorry I have not written in a while, but it was a
 very hard holiday and I haven't really had the
 emotional strength to post until now.  
 
 The last time I posted, Buddha was having his best
 week since being diagnosed with lymphoma at the
 beginning of December.  He was back to his old self
 and acting as if he was feeling fine, however four
 days before Christmas he took a serious turn for the
 worst.  The tumor behind his eye quickly began to
 cause the eye to bulge and protrude out of the socket
 and the pressure it put on his little brain began to
 effect his other neurological functions.  He
 completely lost his appetite, the ability to see in
 either eye, and to walk.  Although he was conscious,
 he was fairly catatonic and had pretty much completely
 checked-out by that point.  We talked to the vet and
 she said that there was no getting better from that
 point and also that the eye would soon either pop out
 on its own, or we would have to have it removed, which
 we did not want to him to have to go through.  So on
 the 23rd we made the excruciating decision to help him
 let go.  
 
 My mother lives about 45 minutes away in Denton, so we
 buried him in the yard at her house and decided to
 just spend the week there.  Neither Julian or I were
 anxious to get home and begin the process of packing
 away Buddha's things.  Having all the visiting family
 in town really helped to provide a slight distraction,
 especially since I couldn't go much more than five
 minutes without crying for the first 2 days.  
 
 Although I knew this time would eventually come and I
 was able to gather so much strength from all the
 advice and good wishes from this group over the past
 month, I was completely unprepared for the amount of
 grief I felt.  Since he lived so long without any
 symptoms I think I was in denial that the day would
 ever actually come.  
 
 I am almost ashamed of how lucky I feel to have had
 him in my life for 14 years, and my heart truly bleeds
 for those of you who lost your friends sooner and
 didn't have as much time together as we did.  
 
 I will be forever grateful to all the members of this
 list and honestly don't think I could have endured the
 pain that the last month brought without you.  
 
 I don't know how to go about it or if it is too late,
 but I would like for Buddha's name to be added to next
 Monday's candle light memorial service.  If it is
 still possible that is.  
 Could someone please tell me who I should contact for
 that.
 
 Once again, on behalf of Buddha, Julian and myself, 
 thank you all so much!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 --- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
 
  Thinking of him and hoping he is still feeling
  better. Please give us an  
  update when you get a chance.  Having been through
  the rollercoaster  of lymphoma 
  several times, I really feel for you and Jen, who
  has Ewok, and  think about 
  Buddha and Ewok multiple times throughout the day. 
  I hope he  is still 
  feeling well, but know there are so many ups and
  downs.  Please  let us know how he 
  is when you get a chance.
  Thinking of the two of you,
  Michelle
  
 
 
 Love is not necessary to life, but it is what makes life worth living.
 
 
   
 __ 
 Yahoo! DSL ? Something to write home about. 
 Just $16.99/mo. or less. 
 dsl.yahoo.com 
 




Re: Chandra-- how is Buddha doing?

2006-01-06 Thread TenHouseCats
aw, chandra, i'm so sorry. i'm glad that you and julian got to share so much wonderful time with him, and that he was blessed with your love--throughout the good times, and when it mattered so much, at the end of his journey here.


GLOW to heal your hearts... thank you for sharing some of his life with us.-- MaryChristineAIM / YAHOO: TenHouseCatsMSN: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
ICQ: 289856892


Chandra-- how is Buddha doing?

2005-12-20 Thread Lernermichelle



Thinking of him and hoping he is still feeling better. Please give us an 
update when you geta chance. Having been through the rollercoaster 
of lymphoma several times, I really feel for you and Jen, who has Ewok, and 
think about Buddha and Ewok multiple times throughout the day. I hope he 
is still feeling well, but know there are so many ups and downs. Please 
let us know how he is when you get a chance.
Thinking of the two of you,
Michelle


Buddha

2005-12-17 Thread wendy
Good morning Chandra,

I hope Buddha is feeling well this morning.  You might
be feeling a little lost without your vet for two
weeks during this crucial time.  And right now, two
weeks is too long to be without a vet.  Can your vet
or the tech recommend another vet to care for Buddha
while your regular vet is away?  You really need a vet
available as Buddha needs the constant care.  Cricket
had two vets the month he was sick.  Depending on the
procedure, I went with the one I was most comfortable
with.  I wish I could recommend one for you by
personal experience, but unfortunately, I don't know
one that I would actually recommend.  I do know there
is an excellent oncology clinic at 12101 Greenville
Avenue, I think close to the Forest Ln. intersection,
called the Animal Cancer Center.  The number is
214-437-9499.  I would NOT wait until your regular vet
comes back.  Two weeks is a lifetime where Buddha's
health is concerned.  I like to call and talk directly
to the vet so that I can get a feel for whether I like
them, get a feel for their regular course of treatment
for the particular illness, and also to find out if
they are open to alternate or unorthodox care before I
spend money on an office exam.  Since this is
Saturday, you may want to just take Buddha's records
in because they most likely will be really busy like
most vets are on Saturday.  Although I am not sure if
they are open on Saturdays at all.  I've never been
there; just heard great things about it.

I'm glad to hear Buddha is eating better.  I can't
believe he was taking the food from a syringe!  That's
not force-feeding, which is what a lot of people have
to do with sick kitties.  That's true assist-feeding,
which is so much less stressful on both of you! 

It's such a blessing that you both are able to be
there for him right now at all times.  When Cricket
was sick, I had to go to work during the day, and it
just killed me to be there while he was at home.  All
I could think about was him. 

All you can do is your best Chandra, so try not to
second guess yourself.  Hindsight is 20/20, so you
just have to do what your heart and mind are telling
you to do, keeping in mind all the information you
have gathered and what the experts are telling you,
although many of us second-guess our own vets
sometimes.  There are so many different combinations
of care that you could do for Buddha, so many
different avenues to take and you can never know which
one is right.  It's just not possible.  If you believe
in a higher power, go to that source for guidance and
peace as well.

I know that you feel lost.  I did too when Cricket was
ill.  But try to keep hope, as many here have had
success stories.  Kitties who have lived much longer
than expected, or even just a little longer.  Like you
said, every minute that you have with Buddha, you
cherish.  And Buddha will pick up on your positive
vibes.

:)
Wendy


__
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com 



Re: Buddha

2005-12-17 Thread chandra simms
I was a little hesitant to post anything this morning.
 I am a bit afraid that you might all be getting
irritated by me posting so many LONG emails about
Buddha everyday, but I am just so happy and really
wanted to share a our good news, since I am POSITIVE
we wouldn't have this good news without all of the
happy thoughts, positive energy and healing prayers
that have come from this group.  

Yesterday after I posted my last email, Buddha walked
over to his food dish and ate almost the entire bowl
of his hard cat food.  The vet put him on special
kitten food because he refuses to eat soft canned cat
food (don't know why, but he always has his whole
life) and she said that he needed high protein food
because Carbs. feed tumors.  He didn't really take to
it last week and then he stopped eating all together,
but now he can't get enough of it.  I was actually
worried at one point that he might make himself sick
he was eating so fast.  

Later in the evening he walked into our bedroom where
I was reading and sat on the floor next to the bed
until I picked him up and put him on the bed next to
me.  He laid on my chest and stomach purring and
sleeping for almost 2 hours.  Then when he finally
woke up and wanted down, he walked to his water bowl
in our bedroom and drank for 5 solid minutes.  I guess
it might seem excessive but I have 4 water bowls
placed around our house for him because after starting
his Prednisone 2 weeks ago he was ALWAYS thirsty and I
didn't want him to have to walk all the way to the
kitchen just to get a drink of water.  By the end of
the night he had finished off his bowl of food and ate
another 48cc of the liquid food from the syringe.  

I called the vet tech. this morning and she said that
since he had consumed so much water and food on his
own that he didn't need to come in for fluids, which
is so nice because that saves us a 2 1/2 hour round
trip in the car, which he hates and really stresses
him out.  

His cough sounds horrible, but it doesn't seem to be
getting any worse or bother him too much and he is
breathing through his nose again.  

There is a vet who will be taking over at my vet's
office 3 times a week starting on Monday.  I can only
assume that this vet has the same philosophy as my vet
so I will give them a call on Monday.  

I didn't know this until recently, but Dr. Ballard has
a sort of FeLV hospice in her home.  She cares for
anywhere from 10-15 cats at a time.  Some of them she
even gives blood transfusions to, when the cancer
spreads to their bones.  Learning that made me feel a
lot better about trusting her suggestion not to give
Buddha chemo.  Evidently it would be somewhat similar
to giving chemo. to a 85-90 year old human diagnosed
with cancer.  I have been told that the side effects
would be harsh and make what little time he has left
miserable.  

Thank you again for your words of support and good
thoughts.

Chandra, Julian and Buddha


--- wendy [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 Good morning Chandra,
 
 I hope Buddha is feeling well this morning.  You
 might
 be feeling a little lost without your vet for two
 weeks during this crucial time.  And right now, two
 weeks is too long to be without a vet.  Can your vet
 or the tech recommend another vet to care for Buddha
 while your regular vet is away?  You really need a
 vet
 available as Buddha needs the constant care. 
 Cricket
 had two vets the month he was sick.  Depending on
 the
 procedure, I went with the one I was most
 comfortable
 with.  I wish I could recommend one for you by
 personal experience, but unfortunately, I don't know
 one that I would actually recommend.  I do know
 there
 is an excellent oncology clinic at 12101 Greenville
 Avenue, I think close to the Forest Ln.
 intersection,
 called the Animal Cancer Center.  The number is
 214-437-9499.  I would NOT wait until your regular
 vet
 comes back.  Two weeks is a lifetime where Buddha's
 health is concerned.  I like to call and talk
 directly
 to the vet so that I can get a feel for whether I
 like
 them, get a feel for their regular course of
 treatment
 for the particular illness, and also to find out if
 they are open to alternate or unorthodox care before
 I
 spend money on an office exam.  Since this is
 Saturday, you may want to just take Buddha's records
 in because they most likely will be really busy like
 most vets are on Saturday.  Although I am not sure
 if
 they are open on Saturdays at all.  I've never been
 there; just heard great things about it.
 
 I'm glad to hear Buddha is eating better.  I can't
 believe he was taking the food from a syringe! 
 That's
 not force-feeding, which is what a lot of people
 have
 to do with sick kitties.  That's true
 assist-feeding,
 which is so much less stressful on both of you! 
 
 It's such a blessing that you both are able to be
 there for him right now at all times.  When Cricket
 was sick, I had to go to work during the day, and it
 just killed me to be there while he was at home. 
 All
 I

Re: Buddha

2005-12-17 Thread Nina

Chandra,
Please don't ever hesitate to post about Buddha.  We've all been 
following your story and are sending prayers and good wishes to him.  We 
want to know how you guys are doing.  Such a wonderful post too!  What a 
nice warm feeling thinking about your sweet Buddha sleeping on your 
chest.  And I sighed with relief to hear how well he's eating and 
drinking!  Very good indeed.  Wonderful too, that he doesn't have to go 
in for fluids.  If/when he does, please consider giving them yourself, 
so much less stressful at home!  You can do it, everyone is concerned 
about it the first time, it gets easier.  Thanks for the good, good 
news.  Prayers and continued good thoughts coming to you, Buddha and Julian!

Nina

chandra simms wrote:


I was a little hesitant to post anything this morning.
I am a bit afraid that you might all be getting
irritated by me posting so many LONG emails about
Buddha everyday, but I am just so happy and really
wanted to share a our good news, since I am POSITIVE
we wouldn't have this good news without all of the
happy thoughts, positive energy and healing prayers
that have come from this group. 






Re: Buddha

2005-12-17 Thread Kerry MacKenzie
Chandra, never worry about writing. We especially like hearing good news
anyway.
Long may Buddha enjoy his food, health and life!
Kerry
- Original Message -
From: chandra simms [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
Sent: Saturday, December 17, 2005 2:14 PM
Subject: Re: Buddha


 I was a little hesitant to post anything this morning.
  I am a bit afraid that you might all be getting
 irritated by me posting so many LONG emails about
 Buddha everyday, but I am just so happy and really
 wanted to share a our good news, since I am POSITIVE
 we wouldn't have this good news without all of the
 happy thoughts, positive energy and healing prayers
 that have come from this group.

 Yesterday after I posted my last email, Buddha walked
 over to his food dish and ate almost the entire bowl
 of his hard cat food.  The vet put him on special
 kitten food because he refuses to eat soft canned cat
 food (don't know why, but he always has his whole
 life) and she said that he needed high protein food
 because Carbs. feed tumors.  He didn't really take to
 it last week and then he stopped eating all together,
 but now he can't get enough of it.  I was actually
 worried at one point that he might make himself sick
 he was eating so fast.

 Later in the evening he walked into our bedroom where
 I was reading and sat on the floor next to the bed
 until I picked him up and put him on the bed next to
 me.  He laid on my chest and stomach purring and
 sleeping for almost 2 hours.  Then when he finally
 woke up and wanted down, he walked to his water bowl
 in our bedroom and drank for 5 solid minutes.  I guess
 it might seem excessive but I have 4 water bowls
 placed around our house for him because after starting
 his Prednisone 2 weeks ago he was ALWAYS thirsty and I
 didn't want him to have to walk all the way to the
 kitchen just to get a drink of water.  By the end of
 the night he had finished off his bowl of food and ate
 another 48cc of the liquid food from the syringe.

 I called the vet tech. this morning and she said that
 since he had consumed so much water and food on his
 own that he didn't need to come in for fluids, which
 is so nice because that saves us a 2 1/2 hour round
 trip in the car, which he hates and really stresses
 him out.

 His cough sounds horrible, but it doesn't seem to be
 getting any worse or bother him too much and he is
 breathing through his nose again.

 There is a vet who will be taking over at my vet's
 office 3 times a week starting on Monday.  I can only
 assume that this vet has the same philosophy as my vet
 so I will give them a call on Monday.

 I didn't know this until recently, but Dr. Ballard has
 a sort of FeLV hospice in her home.  She cares for
 anywhere from 10-15 cats at a time.  Some of them she
 even gives blood transfusions to, when the cancer
 spreads to their bones.  Learning that made me feel a
 lot better about trusting her suggestion not to give
 Buddha chemo.  Evidently it would be somewhat similar
 to giving chemo. to a 85-90 year old human diagnosed
 with cancer.  I have been told that the side effects
 would be harsh and make what little time he has left
 miserable.

 Thank you again for your words of support and good
 thoughts.

 Chandra, Julian and Buddha


 --- wendy [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

  Good morning Chandra,
 
  I hope Buddha is feeling well this morning.  You
  might
  be feeling a little lost without your vet for two
  weeks during this crucial time.  And right now, two
  weeks is too long to be without a vet.  Can your vet
  or the tech recommend another vet to care for Buddha
  while your regular vet is away?  You really need a
  vet
  available as Buddha needs the constant care.
  Cricket
  had two vets the month he was sick.  Depending on
  the
  procedure, I went with the one I was most
  comfortable
  with.  I wish I could recommend one for you by
  personal experience, but unfortunately, I don't know
  one that I would actually recommend.  I do know
  there
  is an excellent oncology clinic at 12101 Greenville
  Avenue, I think close to the Forest Ln.
  intersection,
  called the Animal Cancer Center.  The number is
  214-437-9499.  I would NOT wait until your regular
  vet
  comes back.  Two weeks is a lifetime where Buddha's
  health is concerned.  I like to call and talk
  directly
  to the vet so that I can get a feel for whether I
  like
  them, get a feel for their regular course of
  treatment
  for the particular illness, and also to find out if
  they are open to alternate or unorthodox care before
  I
  spend money on an office exam.  Since this is
  Saturday, you may want to just take Buddha's records
  in because they most likely will be really busy like
  most vets are on Saturday.  Although I am not sure
  if
  they are open on Saturdays at all.  I've never been
  there; just heard great things about it.
 
  I'm glad to hear Buddha is eating better.  I can't
  believe he was taking the food from a syringe

Re: Buddha

2005-12-17 Thread Terri Brown




Awesome news! Thank you for sharing!

Terri in NJ

=^..^= Terri, Siggie the Tomato Vampire, Guinevere, Sammi, Travis, and 6 
furangels: RuthieGirl, Samantha, Arielle, Gareth, Alec  Salome' 
=^..^=

Furkid Photos! http://mysite.verizon.net/vze7sgqa/My 
Personal Page: http://www.geocities.com/ruthiegirl1/terrispage.html?1083970447350

  - Original Message - 
  From: chandra simms 
  To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org 
  
  Sent: Saturday, December 17, 2005 3:14 
  PM
  Subject: Re: Buddha 
  I was a little hesitant to post anything this 
  morning.I am a bit afraid that you might all be gettingirritated 
  by me posting so many LONG emails aboutBuddha everyday, but I am just so 
  happy and reallywanted to share a our good news, since I am POSITIVEwe 
  wouldn't have this good news without all of thehappy thoughts, positive 
  energy and healing prayersthat have come from this group. 
  Yesterday after I posted my last email, Buddha walkedover to his 
  food dish and ate almost the entire bowlof his hard cat food. The 
  vet put him on specialkitten food because he refuses to eat soft canned 
  catfood (don't know why, but he always has his wholelife) and she said 
  that he needed high protein foodbecause Carbs. feed tumors. He 
  didn't really take toit last week and then he stopped eating all 
  together,but now he can't get enough of it. I was 
  actuallyworried at one point that he might make himself sickhe was 
  eating so fast. Later in the evening he walked into our bedroom 
  whereI was reading and sat on the floor next to the beduntil I picked 
  him up and put him on the bed next tome. He laid on my chest and 
  stomach purring andsleeping for almost 2 hours. Then when he 
  finallywoke up and wanted down, he walked to his water bowlin our 
  bedroom and drank for 5 solid minutes. I guessit might seem 
  excessive but I have 4 water bowlsplaced around our house for him because 
  after startinghis Prednisone 2 weeks ago he was ALWAYS thirsty and 
  Ididn't want him to have to walk all the way to thekitchen just to get 
  a drink of water. By the end ofthe night he had finished off his 
  bowl of food and ateanother 48cc of the liquid food from the 
  syringe. I called the vet tech. this morning and she said 
  thatsince he had consumed so much water and food on hisown that he 
  didn't need to come in for fluids, whichis so nice because that saves us a 
  2 1/2 hour roundtrip in the car, which he hates and really stresseshim 
  out. His cough sounds horrible, but it doesn't seem to 
  begetting any worse or bother him too much and he isbreathing through 
  his nose again. There is a vet who will be taking over at my 
  vet'soffice 3 times a week starting on Monday. I can onlyassume 
  that this vet has the same philosophy as my vetso I will give them a call 
  on Monday. I didn't know this until recently, but Dr. Ballard 
  hasa sort of FeLV hospice in her home. She cares foranywhere 
  from 10-15 cats at a time. Some of them sheeven gives blood 
  transfusions to, when the cancerspreads to their bones. Learning 
  that made me feel alot better about trusting her suggestion not to 
  giveBuddha chemo. Evidently it would be somewhat similarto 
  giving chemo. to a 85-90 year old human diagnosedwith cancer. I have 
  been told that the side effectswould be harsh and make what little time he 
  has leftmiserable. Thank you again for your words of support 
  and goodthoughts.Chandra, Julian and Buddha--- wendy 
  [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
  wrote: Good morning Chandra,  I hope Buddha is 
  feeling well this morning. You might be feeling a little 
  lost without your vet for two weeks during this crucial time. 
  And right now, two weeks is too long to be without a vet. Can 
  your vet or the tech recommend another vet to care for Buddha 
  while your regular vet is away? You really need a vet 
  available as Buddha needs the constant care.  Cricket had two 
  vets the month he was sick. Depending on the procedure, 
  I went with the one I was most comfortable with. I wish 
  I could recommend one for you by personal experience, but 
  unfortunately, I don't know one that I would actually recommend. 
  I do know there is an excellent oncology clinic at 12101 
  Greenville Avenue, I think close to the Forest Ln. 
  intersection, called the Animal Cancer Center. The number 
  is 214-437-9499. I would NOT wait until your regular 
  vet comes back. Two weeks is a lifetime where Buddha's 
  health is concerned. I like to call and talk directly to 
  the vet so that I can get a feel for whether I like them, get 
  a feel for their regular course of treatment for the 
  particular illness, and also to find out if they are open to alternate 
  or unorthodox care before I spend money on an office 
  exam. Since this is Saturday, you may want to just take Buddha's 
  records in because they most likely will be really busy like 
  most vets are on Saturday. Although I am not sure if 
  they are open

Re: Buddha

2005-12-17 Thread TenHouseCats
way to go, buddha! thanks for letting us share the good news, chandra.-- MaryChristineAIM / YAHOO: TenHouseCatsMSN: [EMAIL PROTECTED]ICQ: 289856892



Re: Buddha

2005-12-17 Thread Lernermichelle



I am so, soglad to hear he is feeling better! Please do not 
ever feel hesitant to post-- especially good news! But even bad news. When my 
Simon had lymphoma and was up and down for 2 months I think I posted almost 
every day, and when things were really bad I think I posted almost hourly at 
times. I needed to, and people were so kind and helpful. 
Please do not hesitate.

I think it is fine you are not doing chemo. The steroids seem to be 
making him feel better. Occasionally a cat with FeLV and lymphoma will get 
a remission of a year or more from chemo, but in truth that is rare and it is 
usually more like 2 months to 6 months, and sometimes not even that, and 
sometimes you can get that much from steroids alone. I think that deciding 
either way is ok. People on this list have many different opinions about 
chemo.

Michelle


Buddha and steroids

2005-12-17 Thread Lernermichelle



Chandra,

 I am not sure if Buddha got a steroid shot or not-- I think he 
did, from what you said. I wanted to write to tell you that when the 
effects seem to wear off, which hopefully will not be for a while, you should 
ask for another steroid shot. It is ok to give them as often as he needs 
them. Hopefully he will not need another one for a few weeks, but it is 
possible he will need one in a few days. The way to tell when he needs one 
is basically when he starts acting sick again and does not want to eat.The 
steroids can pick them right back up again, up until pretty close to the 
end. You may want to talk to the vet tech or another vet to work out who 
will give the shot if he needs it before your vet gets back. Hopefully he won't, 
though.

 Here's hoping that he will not need one for a long time! 
It is such a relief to know that he is happy and eating and being Buddha!

Michelle




Re: Chandra-- how is Buddha doing?

2005-12-16 Thread chandra simms
I would like to take a second and thank you ALL for
your loving support and concern for Buddha over these
past few days.  Honestly, I really don't know if I
would have been able to make it through this week
without your advice and support.  I am so touched by
the fact that you really don't know me, and had never
even heard of Buddha before Wednesday, yet you have
generously taken time out of your life to help us get
through this.  I don't think I will ever be able to
fully express how much it means to me and to Buddha.  
 

Yesterday evening he seemed to be doing much better. 
His nose was a little clearer and he was breathing
easier.  He seems to like taking the liquid cat food
right from the syringe. He licks the syringe as I
slowly push the food out, almost like a baby taking a
bottle, but not quite.  He took about 48-54 cc. over
the course of the evening.  

My wonderful husband volunteered for the night shift
so I could try and sleep through the night which was
very nice although I still woke up every time Buddha
made a noise.  I am so thankful that we are both
fortunate enough to have very flexible schedules right
now.  I feel strange saying this, but if this horrible
time HAD to come, it couldn't have come at a better
time in our lives.  My husband runs his business from
his home office and I am taking the semester off to
finish my thesis, so right now one of us is always
here.  

My husband got him to take quite a bit more food and
some water throughout the night last night.  
Unfortunately, his cough also came back last night,
which is very disappointing. He hadn't had a problem
with it since the first time we took him to the new
vet almost 2 weeks ago, so I was hopeful that it
wouldn't be a problem again, at least for a while.

We have an appointment to take him in for another
fluid injection tomorrow morning so I guess I will see
if there is anything else that we can do about the
cough.  

I have thought a lot about what some of you have said,
about switching to the stronger steroids, but since my
vet is out of town for 2 weeks, I will either have to
find another vet willing to give him the shots or see
if her vet tech. can do it.  Can vet techs give shots
that aren't prescribed by the vet, even if I ask for
it?  
No one is in their office today so I can't ask them,
so I don't know if I should just try and call around
and find another vet that would be willing to give the
shots, or wait until I can ask my vet tech if she can
do it tomorrow.  

I guess some of you have gone through, or are going
through, this horrible phase of second guessing your
every move.  I feel so guilty about every decision I
make, even if it feels like the right one. I am always
worried that I am making the wrong choice and that the
consequences for my wrong decisions could be fatal. 
Does that feeling ever go away?  I just feel so lost. 
We don't have children yet, and Buddha has never been
sick a day in his life until a month and a half ago,
so I really have no past experiences to draw on. 
Which I guess brings me back to the first part of this
email.  I really don't know what I would do without
your support.  My friends and family are so sweet and
they try to be supportive but all they can say is
awww, that is so sad  or oh, poor little guy. I
know they are trying to help, but since they have
never really gone through anything like this, they
can't help me figure out if what we are doing is
right, and what we can do better.  grr. It is just
so frustrating.  


--- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 I have been thinking about him all afternoon and
 evening.  I have been  
 through what you are going through, and it is hell. 
 I am hoping he is  feeling 
 better, though realize he may not be.  I hope that
 you will try the  steroid 
 shots before giving up completely, as they may make
 him feel a lot  better (if you 
 can find a vet to give them), but the shots are not
 a panacea and  will not 
 cure the cancer.  I am so sorry you and he are going
 through this. 
 Michelle
 


Love is not necessary to life, but it is what makes life worth living.

__
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Re: Chandra-- how is Buddha doing?

2005-12-16 Thread Lernermichelle




Chandra,

 First of all, it is great that he wants the food. 
What is the liquid food you are feeding him? A full day's food would be 
about 250 calories for an average sized cat. With most foods this amounts 
to about 100 cc's per day. But the food you are feeding may be more densely 
caloric, so the amount he is eating might be enough. It is a lot more than a lot 
of cats with cancer get into them, anyway.

 In terms of the shots, a vet would have to prescribe 
them. It is possible the vet tech could get hold of the vet by phone and get her 
ok and then give the shots, but you would have to ask her to do that. I would 
guess that you would not have much luck contacting a new vet with this request, 
as it is an unusual regimen to begin with and I doubt thata vet who does 
not normally use it would be willing to do it on your first visit and without 
having any relationship with you to talk it through. It might be worth a try, 
though. If you want to try that, I would talk to the vet tech at your vet's 
office and ask which vet is covering for your vet, as there must be someone, and 
try that vet. If not, ask that tech for a recommendation for another vet to see. 
Your vet knows Buddha has cancer and can not expect that you would not need to 
see a vet for two weeks at the stage he is at, so I can only assume that she 
left some instructions about this with the tech...

 In terms of the emotions you are going through, it is, 
unfortunately, what we all go through. I have stayed up most of the night 
for weeks checking on sick cats. I second guess everything while it is 
going on, and then worse after they pass away. What you need to realize is 
that this disease is going to kill Buddha at some point, hopefully later rather 
than sooner, but this means that you can not save him. There are things 
that might extend his life and make him feel better for a while, but you can not 
save him, in the end. That is the hardest thing to accept, when they are 
our babies and we provide for them and take care of them and feel like we should 
just be able to fix everything that is wrong. We can not protect them in the 
end. This does not mean that you don't have to make decisions, or that the 
decisions do not ever make a difference in length or quality of life. But it 
does mean that, whatever decisions we make, we do not have control over the 
outcome or the ultimate event. I wish we did, but we don't. We can only 
try to do things, as they come along, that seem most likely to help. The same 
decision, like using a certain medication, can have good results or bad 
results. We do not know what the result will be when we make the decision. 
If the outcome seems good, we applaud ourselves. If it seems bad we ask how we 
could ever have made that decision. But it was the same decision, whatever the 
outcome, made with the same level of knowledge and the same good intent. We only 
have control over the decisions, not their outcomes. If we could know the 
outcome in advance, they would not be decisions. We would just know what to 
do.

 What I am saying may not help you. I know these things, but 
they do not help me. Right now my Lucy, who has FeLV, seems to have gotten 
Irritable Bowel Disease, with diarrhea going on 2 months and some weight loss, 
because of a decision I made to not do surgery right away to remove a bladder 
stone because I thought the surgery would stress her and possibly trigger her 
FeLV into lymphoma, and I wanted to see if the stone could be dissolved by diet. 
If that had worked, I would be really happy I did not rush into surgery as the 
vet suggested. But because I waited, she had to be on Baytril, a really strong 
antibiotic, for the month we waited to keep the urinary tract infection from the 
bladder stone at bay, and I also had to change her diet twice. And she got 
persistent diarrhea from this that never has gone away, which could eventually 
lead to intestinal lymphoma, and she had to get the surgery anyway. So it 
was a terrible decision I made. But only because the stone did not turn 
out to be one that could dissolve. There was no way to know that. 
But do I feel guilty? Oh my god, I feel so guilty and question every day why i 
did not just do the surgery right away like the vet said. But you know what? If 
I had done that and it had turned out to be the kind that dissolves and she had 
complications or got lymphoma within months afterwards, I would feel sure I 
should have waited. With cancer, this catch-22 situation is much worse, because 
in the end, whenever that is, your baby is going to die from it. So 
whatever you do, even if it seems to help him in the short-term and makes you 
both happy now, will make you question yourself in the end at whatever point you 
can not save him. It is what happens. Some people are stronger emotionally and 
can get past this feeling quickly, are able to viscerally accept the lack of 
control over the final event and know that they did what

Re: Chandra-- how is Buddha doing?

2005-12-16 Thread PEC2851




In a message dated 12/16/05 4:47:44 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, 
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Can vet 
  techs give shotsthat aren't prescribed by the vet, even if I ask 
  forit? 

Chandra~
I am happy to hear that Buddha is feeling well enough to eat. Sorry 
to hear is cough came back...
As far as techs doing the shots, in the office I worked at, we could do the 
shots, but they had to be Rx'd by the vet. Perhaps she can contact the vet 
(emergency #??) while she is out of office and get oral authorization from the 
vet Usually when vets are out of office, they leave an emergency number 
where they can be reached.
I also feel the steroid shots would be a great help for Buddha right 
now.

And Chandra, I am sure everyone on the list will agree, that when we go 
thru a crisis with our fur-kids, there is always the second guessing, the what 
if's.
We are all afraid that we might make the "wrong" decision.
And, it never gets easier..
I strongly believe that our babies actually help guide us thru these times, 
with their body language, "looks" from their eyes.
We fight for them, and with them. Hopefully, always with 
their best interests in mind.
We all want to do everything and anything to help them feel better.
The most difficult part of all this is knowing when 
to let go..
The most unselfish act of love is letting our babies go peacefully, with 
dignity  respect.
Every situation is different. And, like I said, no matter how many 
times one goes thru it, it never does get any easier, at least not for me.
Just know in your heart that you are doing all you can for your Buddha ~ I 
also believe that the "connection" between furbaby  human at this time will 
help "guide" you on this journey.
I wish you and Buddha all the best. (And, your husband too - He sounds so 
supportive, you are very fortunate.)

And, as for support, the people on this list ARE the best You will not 
find a better group of people anywhere. It is always sad when someone finds this 
list due to a sad situation, Felv is just dreadful, but friendships are formed, 
support is given, there is always an "open ear", and although we don't always 
agree, we can "agree to disagree", with the deepest respect for one 
another.
We will always be here for you.
Big Hugs to Buddha!!
Love,
Patti



Chandra-- how is Buddha doing?

2005-12-15 Thread Lernermichelle



I have been thinking about him all afternoon and evening. I have been 
through what you are going through, and it is hell. I am hoping he is 
feeling better, though realize he may not be. I hope that you will try the 
steroid shots before giving up completely, as they may make him feel a lot 
better (if you can find a vet to give them), but the shots are not a panacea and 
will not cure the cancer. I am so sorry you and he are going through this. 

Michelle