wavering on internist appointment again

[Lernermichelle]

So Lucy has been herself for the past 4 or 5 days, since going back on 10 mg/day of pred. She eats fairly well (roasted duck or raw food mixed with Beechnut baby food), has completely normal bowels, runs around like normal (in fact, brought in a half-dead mole a few hours ago, which I tried to pick up but dropped when it bit me, and it died, and it was horrible), and is not losing weight and may have gained an ounce or two. So now, of course, I am wavering about whether to drive her 1.5 hours each way to see an internist on Friday, where she would probably have to stay several hours to get an ultrasound, etc. When I made this last appointment, when she was sick, I swore I would take her even if she got better, but now I really feel bad putting her through so much stress when she is happy and feeling good.    Does it seem unlikely to you that she would be totally normal within a few days on 10 mg/day of prednisone if she had developed intestinal lymphoma? I know pred helps with lymphoma, but don't cats with intestinal lymphoma usually not feel completely better until they get leukeran? I haven't canceled yet, so would like some advice. My mom is giving me major guilt trips about putting her through so much stress (Lucy is one of those cats who is completely hysterical in the car and terrified of all strangers, including vets) when I have her symptoms totally under control.  Besides checking for lymphoma (which is notoriously hard to distinguish from IBD if there are no masses, and which is harder to distinguish when the cat is on pred), I had wanted to ask for budesonide or prednisolone instead of prednisone, neither of which my local vet uses or will give to me (says if the pred is working stick with it).  In the past I was able to taper Lucy to very little pred, though when I tried to do it last week, after one week on 10 mg/day, she immediately got worse (she was ok on 7.5, but not on 5). I know that sometimes they need to be on it for weeks or months before tapering, though, and that her IBD may simply have progressed.  I also know, though, if lymphoma does develop, that it is better to start the leukeran earlier than later. But it also can have bad side efffects...   Gray gets home tomorrow, and I know he will tell me I am crazy to take her while she seems fine on the pred.    Any advice would be appreciated. Nina, I know you probably hope I take her so that I stop asking this question! :)  But with the FeLV I do worry about causing problems where there are none through unnecessary stress, and it seems like 3 hours in the car and all day at the vet with lots of tests would probably qualify as stress for Lucy.  If I do not take her, I will leave her on 10 mg/day of pred for another week or so and then try to taper her again, much more slowly (maybe go to 8.75, then 7.5, then 6.25, etc. every week).   Thanks, Michelle