Pls Read: A miracle of Garfunkle - thank you for your prayers!

[Hideyo Yamamoto]

Hi, everyone – I wanted to first thank you for all your prayers!  It worked!  A big miracle happened for my baby Garfunkle – It was last Friday morning, when I saw him just laying on the floor, not moving.  Usually, whenever he sees me, he would just stop whatever he is doing, and come running to me  – this time, he did not.  I called his name a couple of times, and he did not move – and I touched his body.  His body was cold as ice, and I started panicking, he is still breathing, but not moving.  I grabbed a thermometer and tried to check his temperature,,, and it did not bring any number.  And I remember thinking.. oh no, it’s broken.  SO I tried a couple of times and then, I realized that the thermometer was not broken, his temperature was just too low to be even registered.   And I freaked out, I wrapped him in a blanket and started driving to a vet – when I picked him up, he made this crying noise that I never heard before, it sounded so painful.  Then, I started crying.  I felt that I was going to lose him very very quickly here.  I got to the vet, and the vet looked at him and told me that I should put him sleep.  And I remember keep saying that, this cannot be happening -  I and Garfunkle are not ready for this – he was just fine until last night, he was eating normally and playing normally, and we cuddled together like usual – he is jaundiced and has a liver problem.. but still he was just fine until this morning…..But the vet thought that he is not going to make it..but she recommend that I put him on IV – and I said that I would give him fluid at home, if there is a good chance that he is not going to make it, I don’t want to leave him here… she said that he is definitely going to die if I don’t put him on IV - she suggested that she give an injectable of antibiotics and steroid to calm inflammation of liver if there is any inflammation present anyway.  So she went back to get them.. and when she came back with them and was ready to give them to Garfunkle, and Garfunkle’s breathing got really labored and his head just hang towards back .. and the vet said, I think he is dying now..and she did not think that she needs to give them to him anymore –so she asked if I wanted him to put to sleep.. I say.. I want to take him home because I wanted to cross the bridge at home and started driving back home. All I can say to Garfunkle is to wait until he gets home to cross the bridge, I wanted him to pass at home that he is comfortable.. I started driving like a maniac and arrived home.  And I called my BF, Greg to come say good bye to him and he did.  He used to call Garfunkle “old man” – as Garfunkle loves to sit on a rocking chair and he was Greg’s favorite cat, too.   I cried and cried and told him how sorry I was not to realize how sick he was sooner – he acted so normal, and the only reason I decided to take him to a vet a couple of days prior to was because he felt thinner – when I took him to the vet earlier, I found out that his liver was compromised from what we could tell from blood work and he had lost 3.5 lb from 15 months ago.. but again, he acted normal and happy still, and I was going to keep an eye on him, but never thought that he was going to be deteriorate so quickly.. I simple couldn’t believe that this was happening to us.   So, from the time on, I decided to stick by him for the rest of the time he got, and we had together, I did not sleep, I just kept giving him warm fluid twice a day so that he won’t be cold when he crossed,  I prayed for a miracle, but I sensed that it’s probably a difficult one to get, as his body seems to start shutting down and his body was cold… still.. and his breathing got really labored on and off. And I thought of taking him to a vet to put him sleep if it would have continued.. but it didn’t…   The next day,  a miracle happened.. I touched him, and he felt a little warmer - so I checked his temperature and it registered!  It was 93 something, It’s still low.  but it registered!  I was so excited.  I thought first it was because of a warm fluid.. but what the heck!  It’s registered!!! You will be surprised how much we take for granted of a normal temperature!  I don’t get scared of high fever anymore, as it means that a body still has a strength to generate the temperature.. but when the temp is low.. I know it’s a bad sign…and I was so excited to have 93 temperature on him!   Anyway, I did not sleep next day, either, I kept doing the same thing,,, in the middle of night 4 am, I went to Walgreen to get some laxtone (?) which is supposed to help get rid of toxins in liver.. I told Garfunkle.. to wait for me while I ran on an errand, and not think about crossing the bridge.. anyway..he waited for me, the next day came, the temp was even higher, like 96… and I started thinking that is he feeling better????? I spoke to my AC, Jasmine, a day before, and he did not mind if I put him sleep then. he felt that he found a way out and he felt that his time was approaching.. I asked if he was in pain,, and she said not.. just a bit uncomfortable, he feels some type of blockage on his left side.. so, I thought, if he is not in pain, I am going to try to see if I can make it better… And the next day, I talked to jasmine again, as expected, he was feeling much better.  The problem has not gone away, but he is feeling much better.   Now, his temperature is back to normal, 101.5 ---- he is not 100% well or anything, he still does not eat, but he is definitely feeling better and he is definitely alive!!! He moves around a bit.. he can even jump on a couch (before he couldn’t even walk at all .. he would crawl… - he is still weak.. but if you see him on Friday, you will be shocked how much he improved!  I just never saw a cat who was that close to death, and made it through… I am just so proud of my boy.  Everyone, thank you for all your prayers, but please continue to pray for him as he is going to need it!  But I have to tell everyone,,,, don’t give up to soon, because a miracle could happen!  And I was this close to give it up!   Also, Ruby-E, my feral girl is doing much better, she is a happy camper now, she eats better and play more – I am glad that I got her dental done after all.   And I got all 4 cats out of the pound yesterday whose owners are in jail as mentioned in the previous email – they got URIs from the pound, but now they are safe and sound --- I cried to see them again.