Caroline, I've been considering asking the same question regarding a dear, sweet rescue kitty of ours, and want you to know how helpful your detailed reponse was.
I remember reading about Monkee...thank you for all of the love you gave him. Heather On Thu, Aug 21, 2008 at 3:48 PM, Caroline Kaufmann < [EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > 2 of 2 from me: > I always said that, with what I learned in hindsight, if I had the > opportunity to do it differently, I would. At the time, I was not educated > enough on the disease to make a truly informed decision about the chemo and > I was frantic and not thinking clearly. AND I was obsessed with Monkee and > blinded by a belief that it was most important to "try everything." I have > come to realize now- especially since my work fostering cats since Monkee's > death- that "trying everything!" IS NOT the most important, or most correct > thing to do. If I ever have another felv+ cat and I am faced with the same > dilemma, my choice will be to forego chemo, continue prednisone (which will > make the cat's day to day life more comfortable and can sometimes have an > effect on tumors- stabilize them, maybe even shrink them a little), and keep > him happy, COMPLETELY NON-STRESSED, and spend every freaking moment loving > him. I would continue to take the cat to the vet to monitor the red blood > cells, etc. But I would forego chemo, the blood transfusions that almost > always come with chemo and/or severe anemia caused by felv and/or the chemo > treatment itself, and in Monkee's case, his specialist wanted the leg tumor > surgically removed when the chemo didn't shrink it and honestly, I think the > surgery just really knocked the poor thing past the point of return. He was > in so much pain for 2 days after- it was horrible. We will never know for > sure if the severe anemia that eventually caused him to die in my arms late > one night, was caused by the felv itself becoming active, or if the chemo > and/or surgery was actually the final straw in really kicking in the anemia. > Yes it's likely his felv was already full-blown by the time the tumor was > discovered, but in my opinion, the chemo and surgery definitely did not > prolong his life. When the vet suggests chemo for this cancer, you have to > know that they are reccommending this as a life-prolonging treatment that > will at best, prolong the cat's life by only a few months. And you may say > what I said-- that I have to give him those few months- I owe that to him! > But what did I really do for him? Rush him off to multi vets- 2 vet > specialists, borrowed money from my mom to pay for his extremely expensive > treatment, stressed him out with blood taking, a blood transfusion, chemo > and surgery...and stressed him out with my crying and crying and crying? I > really suspect that the chemo/transfusions/surgery DID NOT prolong Monkee's > life and wonder now how long we could have sailed along with him having his > tumor on his leg (that didn't bother him at all!), taking prednisone (and > feeling like super-Monkee!), and chilling in our little house-- happily > eating raw chicken livers and raw lean buffalo (for his anemia), playing, > napping and loving a non-stressfull life???? The gamble on the other side > is, can you live with yourself and the questioning of yourself for not doing > the chemo? You have to weigh both sides and what is best for your cat. Not > what is best for you. Caroline (and Monkee in spirit) > _________________________________________________________________ > Get ideas on sharing photos from people like you. Find new ways to share. > > http://www.windowslive.com/explore/photogallery/posts?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_Photo_Gallery_082008 > _______________________________________________ > Felvtalk mailing list > Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org > http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org > _______________________________________________ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
