Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Mews News


Just a little update on the latest around here. We had "Buster" to the oncologist's last week for his bloodwork following his first round of chemo. This will have to be done a week after each treatment. His white count was 4,554 which is good. Normal is 2500-8500 range. It has to be at least 2500 in order for him to receive the next round of chemo. He did beautifully with Round One! The only day he felt bad was the second day. I went by to check on him after lunch, and he wouldn't even come out to the kitchen when I fed him, so I carried his plate to him in the living room where he was laying on his pillow. He was hungry, as he did get up off his pillow to eat then. He just didn't feel good enough to walk to the kitchen to eat. That was the only day he didn't feel well, though. Round Two of chemo is scheduled for next Monday morning. He will receive a total of five rounds, being given at 3-week intervals. As you can see by the above pic, these two cats are inseparable!

We had "Sweet Pea" to the oncologist again yesterday. This visit was for her post-radiation 3-month checkup and lung x-ray. With her type of cancer, if it does return, we were told that it would appear in her lungs first. Her x-rays showed her lungs to be clear!!! So that was wonderful news!!! My daughter was elated!



Then this morning one of my 14-year old diabetic cats gave me a scare! Daphy, pictured above, (short for Daphinia) was acting sick and wouldn't walk to her plate to even eat. I had to put it under her nose, and then she did eat. She was acting so weird. No, I didn't name her...I just took her and her sister, Cleo (short for Cleopatra), back when their owner died of a sudden heart attack 8 years ago. (They were tiny little strays with their mama and 3 other siblings that someone had dumped on our street 14 years ago. I had given these two to a gentleman who loved them so much for 6 years until he passed away.) Anyhow, back to today, I phoned my vet and took her in to leave her there all day for tests and observation. Her glucose was through the roof at 494! Normal for a cat is in the 120-160 range! She had received her insulin shot at 9:30am, an hour and a half before they checked her glucose, so it was probably even higher before the shot! They will recheck her glucose again at 4:30 and see how much it has dropped during the day. The vet called me and said we definitely needed to increase her insulin dosage. She's at 5 1/2 units now. That's quite a high dosage for a cat, and now she's going to have to go even higher!

It's a scary thing, adjusting that insulin. I've had both of them go into seizures before when their glucose dropped too low, and then it was a rush trip each time to the Emergency Vet Clinic here! They met me as I pulled in and had that carrier out of my car before I even knew what was going on! Daphy's glucose dropped to 23 that time, and just as they were getting her out of her carrier, she seized! Cleo's dropped as low as 18 before, and she had a seizure right here under my desk and kept seizing during the entire ride to the clinic that night, too! I thought she would be dead on arrival. The clinic doctor and staff pulled them through each time! So it is a very touchy situation increasing the insulin dosage! Each time we increase it, they drop too low after a few days. So I am going to have to draw her blood a couple times a day here at home and test it until we get her stabilized. Poor old girl! I love her so much!!!

This morning, I received the following from Rose, my best friend for 41 years now, who lives in the state of Indiana:

A PET'S TEN COMMANDMENTS




1. My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any separation from you is likely to be painful.

2. Give me time to understand what you want of me.

3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my well-being.



4. Don't be angry with me for long and don't lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, your entertainment, but I have only you.

5. Talk to me. Even if I don't understand your words, I do understand your voice when speaking to me.

6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.





7. Before you hit me, before you strike me, remember that I could hurt you, and yet, I choose not to bite you.

8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I'm not getting the right food, I have been in the sun too long, or my heart might be getting old or weak.

9. Please take care of me when I grow old. You, too, will grow old.

10. On the ultimate difficult journey, go with me, PLEASE. Never say you can't bear to watch. Don't make me face this alone. Everything is easier for me if you are there, because I love you so.....ALWAYS!
Take a moment today to thank God for your pets. Enjoy them, and take good care of them. Life would be a much duller, less joyful, experience without God's critters.
We do not have to wait for Heaven to be surrounded by hope, love, and joy. There's a lot of all three right here on earth....and they all have four legs!
Save a life...adopt a pet from your local shelter!

24 comments:

Jess said...

I'm glad Daphy is okay.... and all the other fur-kids too.

Have a great week, and i enjoyed the email too.

Gigi Ann said...

Our animal friends do bring us such delight. We have a toy poodle, he's 8 years old. I call him a grouchy old man. He doesn't like children or puppies. He's just happy in his own little world...

I hope all goes well with your cute kittens. I met a man over the week-end and his cat was 23 years old. I was amazed it had lived that long...

Have a happy week;) Ann

Monogram Queen said...

Awww I get so misty eyed over the four leggers. I wish everyone could read that (and take it to heart)

Diane said...

Sorry to hear about Daphy. I'm sure she'll bounce back when her glucose is within normal range. I know you must have been frantic! I know how much I love mine and it's a terrible feeling when something is wrong.

LOVE the TEN COMMANDMENTS. How true all ten really are.

I'll see you in the morning and help you with the glucose check!

Hugs,
Diane

Nancy said...

Yes, if you could hold her as she will bite me! I should just order one of those cloth muzzles. She's old and cantankerous, and she's hard to do by myself. Cleo is a charm to do...she just lays there, but Daphy gets ornery and has bitten me a couple times before. See you in the morning! Thanks!

(((((( HUGS ))))))

Lib said...

Hi Nancy,
Hope all your furry kids are well soon!How Blessed they are to have you and you to Love them so much!
Love the 10 commandments!
Blessins',Lib

hippo chick said...

Glad to hear about Buster and Sweet Pea, but too bad about Daphy. I hope she improves.

The 10 Commandments is nice. And true.

We're off tomorrow. I'll probably read blogs while I'm gone, but won't post until I return.

~hippo hugs~

raccoonlover1963/Lisa Myers said...

Hi Nancy. Awesome post. #10 got me crying, it reminded me of when I had to take our Lhasa Apso to be put down. I went in with him. He got his shots and just went to sleep. He had a large tumor in his belly. He was 2 days short of his 10th birthday.
Lisa

Mary said...

Nancy,

I'm so sorry that you are going through with with Daphy. Being a diabetic myself, I can't imagine caring for a pet with diabetes. It must be difficult to meet all of her needs.

Pets are a part of the family and they need love, affection and comfort the same as we do. When my American Eskimo had to be put down, it was one of the hardest things I'd even had to do in my life. I still miss him and even though we've had Meeko for 8 years, the American Eskimo still has a special place in my heart.

Take care and have a great week.
Blessings,
Mary

Diane@Diane's Place said...

I'm so glad Buster and Sweet Pea are doing well. Poor Daphy, but at least y'all are on top of her problems. Maybe you can increase her insulin gradually with each does until she tolerates it better.

Love the Pet's 10 Commandments! Our pets are like 4 legged furry family. I don't understand how anyone can mistreat a poor helpless animal.

Hope the rest of your week is good, and that Daphy sugar doesn't bottom out when you increase her insulin.

Love and hugs,

Diane

Merle said...

Dear Nancy ~~ What a time you are having with your furry friends. I hope they all get well soon for you.
I loved the 10 Commandments, so true.
Glad you liked my new gifts from my daughter, I love both of them. Also I am glad you enjoyed the I've Learned and the Over 30 crowd. It's nice that you are still enjoying Olive's blob.
Take care, Love, Merle.

Anonymous said...

Hi Nancy,

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your pets. People who don't have pets don't know how hard it is to suffer with them through their illnesses. They can't tell you where it hurts or how bad they feel. So it is always a challenge. The last part of the 10 commandments has so many things in it that are true.

Excellent post.

Abraham Lincoln
—Brookville Daily Photo.

Renie Burghardt said...

Hi Nancy,

I'm glad little Buster is doing so well, and what a cute picture of Buster and Sweet Pea. Sorry to hear about Daphy's problems. Hope the insulin gets adjusted correctly, so she can be stable. And by the way, you haven't mentioned Oliver. I hope he is doing well.

Loved the Ten Commandments of Pets. So true. I can't imagine anyone hitting and hurting their pet, but I guess it does happen.

I also enjoyed your recipe for the home made rolls. Thank you for sharing it.

Have a wonderful rest of the week!

Hugs,

Renie

Patty said...

Glad all are doing as well as can be expected with some of the health issues they have.

We've had to have four different dogs put to sleep. One died on his own, they are all buried in our back yard. The oldest one was 23 years old, she was a mixture and a wonderful old dog. We also have our one daughter's cat, a guinea pig, assortment of birds, fish, hamsters, gerbils and mice.

BClark said...

You do such a wonderful job with all the cats, lucky for them they landed in your house. Barbara

Talk..to..Grams said...

Your pets are very blessed to have someone as caring as you!! I hope everything get worked out soon. Love and Hugs, Grams

Lady Di Tn said...

Very nice post. Glad to hear the girl is fine and the boy is reacting well to his treatments. I could smell those rolls all the way to TN. I bet they are yummy. Peace

Midlife Mom said...

Nancy you are a saint to do all that you do for your furry kids! I know that you love them and would do anything you could for them. If I were a cat I would want to be yours!! I know you will be blessed for all you do for God's creatures!
Don't worry about the dish, you have enough to do right now. I'm in no hurry!!! xox

zztop357 said...

This is almost as bad as when we were kids.One of us would catch something and Everyone had to have it before it was done.You know measles,mumps and chicken pox.
I'm glad your daughters cats are doing better, and I hope the chemo worked on them both.They both look so good for what they've been through.
Poor Daphy, trying to control blood sugar is a major pain.Jon's sugar is high and stay's that way.He needs to be on the pill, but he would have to be sedated to do the blood work. This child has a major far of Dr's and needles.
I hope things are better for you and your furbabies today.
God bless you Nancy.
Donna

Denise said...

Ohhhhhhh how sweet and how wonderful that they are doing well....... I am so allergic to cats but I love love them.... soo I have a tooooooooo cute Lovebird named Moses...I have had him almost 9 years and he is my buddy.... Some people just do not understand but he is with me most of the day and takes a nap right in the crook of my neck every day about 3....... Most lovies only live 5 years when with a family..... sooooooooo Moses has done good!

come by my blog and take a look at some tooooo cute gifts to give away.......

Anonymous said...

I hope the best and I wish that this really happens. I want to you all the best!

Carole Burant said...

How very blessed these kitties are to have you in their lives. If it wasn't for you, they wouldn't be around most probably. I never knew that cats can get chemo for cancer and such...I'm learning so many new things from you:-) It truly must be a scary time when the insulin dosage gets changed, hopefully Daphy will get through it with no seizures. Great news about Sweet Pea's lungs showing they're clear!! I just love the way you love your cats:-)

Love that email you received from your friend:-)It could have been written straight from an animal's heart!!

Oh yummmm those rolls in your previous post look so yummy! I've copied your recipe down:-) xoxo

Sam said...

Hi Nancy,

I love that photo of the kitties cuddling! My cats sleep in a pile like that and I think it's just the sweetest thing ever!

The list of commandments brought tears to my eyes. (Perhaps it's the pregnancy hormones!) It is very sweet, and so true!

Always good to get an update on your sweet fur-family!

Have a great weekend,
Sammy

Mississippi Songbird said...

These are so sweet. Thanks for posting..