Wendy,
I pray that Cricket is strong enough to make it through the
surgery. When my Buddie had cancer and came down with a sepsis
infection she had to have a feeding tube. She had it for about 2 1/2 to
3 months, she grew to absolutely love it. Once she figured out it made
her tummy all warm and full she would run to the couch and wait for me
when she heard me in the kitchen getting her syringes ready. She would
lay on the couch will all four feet curled under her (sometimes she
would sit) and purr while I fed her. It usually took about 15 to 20
minutes once we had our routine down. When we were done she would
promply flop over on her side and take a snooze. It was a very bonding
experience for us.
The second time she got real sick, we thought she had another sepsis
infection, the symthoms were very similar but not exactly the same. She
was not recovering from that as well and we decided she needed another
tube, she was actually getting jaundice this time. She was alot sicker
this time around, but without the tube she had no chance, she hadn't
eaten hardly anything in about 4 or 5 days.
My vet told me there was a good chance she wouldn't survive the surgery
this time, and I spent the whole night talking with her and told her if
she was ready to go home it was OK. Without the tube she would have
died a slow painful death from starvation and liver failure, and as hard
as she was fighting the cancer I had to give her every opportunity
available (my vet really believed she was not going to survive the first
sepsis infection, but she did and my vet called her our miracle kitty
after that). She did survive the surgery but went into heart failure
in recovery, they couldn't get her back.
We did an autopsy (necropsy) and turns out she didn't have a sepsis
infection but the cancer had spread and totally blocked her bile ducts.
Even if she had survived the tube surgery she wouldn't have lived more
than a few days and probably in pain, so Buddie made her own decision to
go home (Buddie always, her whole life did things her way!).
The night we sat up and talked and I told her if she was ready to go
home it was OK, I would be OK, though of course I wanted her to stay
longer ... I asked her if she did go to please let me know she was OK.
Three days after she passed the light in the exercise room (Buddies
favorite room) came on while I was in the kitchen feeding the other
cats. Hubby was sleeping and nobody else was in the house. I know it
was Buddie letting me know she was home and OK, I smiled, thanked her
and went to bed.
So even if Cricket doesn't make it and I'm praying with all of my might
that he does, please know you have done everything possible to give him
the chance to survive, but ultimately it is his choice to stay or go. I
hope he chooses to stay for along, long time!!
--
Belinda
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