Oh, Michelle...I'm so sorry to hear about Simon...I'm crying as I write this because we went through much of the same thing with Pips...apparently, I still haven't gotten over that... :(
I'm so happy to hear that you did have 3 more good weeks with Simon due to the Chemo...Pips never made it to his second round because it became apparent that it wasn't helping...we made the decision to euthanize only because he was going anemic and was already to the point where his breathing was becoming labored. We had already lost Charlie to a long battle with anemia and I wasn't going to let Pips suffer the way that Charlie did towards the end. You, your partner and Simon will be in my thoughts...what a little trooper Simon is! I wish I could say something to take away the pain...I hate that helpless feeling when they're so sick and nothing more can be done...try not to think of it as a life ending, but as a new life beginning on the other side where he can watch over you guys the way you looked over him here on Earth...'till you see each other again. Take care, Jen ----- Original Message ----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Friday, January 7, 2005 2:46 pm Subject: Simon stopping chemo and does not have long > > I brought Simon in for the Adriamycin this morning, his 5th chemo > treatment > which he had to skip 3 days ago because his WBC was too low to get > it. His WBC > was back up towards normal, but his PCV had dropped to 15 and, > more > importantly, his bilirubin (liver values) were back up to 9. > Normal is under .8 > (that's .8, not 8-- less than one). On Tuesday he was at 2.5 and > had been 1.3 > the week before, so it has skyrocketed. He feels very sick and > will not eat but > I am syringing. The oncologist said he could not give a full > dose of > Adriamycin or even a half dose without probably killing Simon, > because it needs to > be processed through the liver and his liver is so extremely > compromised. He > said he could try a 1/4 dose of it, but that even this would > likely make him > sicker than he is and necessitate a weekend of IV fluids for any > hope of him > processing it, and there would only be a miniscule chance that > such a low > dose would curb such aggressive and advanced cancer. It seems > like Simon went > into remission, or close to it, after 3 weeks of chemo, and then > came out of > remission within a week. Apparently FeLV+ cats respond to chemo > like other > cats, but come out of it with resistant cancers much more > quickly. The > oncologist was willing to do the 1/4 dose of Adriamycin or another > drug I can not > remember starting with a C and consisting of 3 letters, but said > that he > thought there was almost no chance of such low doses helping and > that Simon would > spend his last days in the hospital hooked up to IV, with > strangers, and > sicker. He said if Simon were his cat he would take him home and > see if he can > have a few days of semi-comfort. He gave him a shot of dex and a > shot of depo > to see if that would shrink the tumors a little and keep him more > comfortable. > The dex should have set in by now, but is not having any effect. > He does not > want to be touched much, fought me when I syringed him, and is > mostly hiding > by himself. I am thinking of separating him from the other cats > and keeping > him in my bedroom so that he can be by himself without having to > hide. He is > turning bright yellow. I do not think he has very long at all. I > am > devastated. We fought this so hard-- 3 transfusions, 5 days of > hospitalization, 5 > chemo treatments all in the last month. Syringe feedings and sub > q fluids. He > has been through so much, and all it gave him was a week or two > in the middle > when he was eating some and playing some and cuddling with > Ginger. At that > point I thought it was worth it, and maybe it was. He is only 4 > years old. I > am not sure how long to let him go on like this. My partner is > against > euthanasia, and I usually am not willing to do it until it is > clear they are in > the process of dying. But it seems unlikely he will ever feel > even remotely ok > again. > > If you pray, please pray for him to get some relief from the > steroids and > have at least a few more happy days, and then to go peacefully > when he does go. > Thanks, > Michelle > >
