Re: Simon update--Kathy

[Wheezercat42]

Michelle,   Thanks.  I'm, glad I've been able to help.   It sounds like you are doing everything you can to make his time as comfortable as possible.  It also sounds like Simon's probably going to just drift off when it's time (he'd be more upset now, not sleeping most of the time, if he was likely to have a difficult passing).    What I do with people a lot, is count their breaths/minute and count their pulse.  A lot of times, as the blood pressure drops, the breathing and pulse speed up to compensate (with comatose people, if the blood pressure goes up too, they're in pain - even healthy cats are very difficult to get a blood pressure on).  Most of the time, when people slip away in their sleep, their pulse and breaths speed up a little, then drop off to nothing, or, their pulse and breaths just slow down to a stop.    Simon is sleeping now. Perhaps he will wake soon and want to be pet. He rolls onto his back less for belly rubs now, wanting instead to be pet on his back and for me to have both my arms around him and kiss him.  It makes him purr like crazy for a while, and then he either drifts back to sleep or starts to go to the litter box and I help him.  This is not terrible, is it?    No, it's wonderful.  I wish I could do what you're doing for Simon for mine when they go - I don't have the option of staying with them around the clock very often or for more than a couple days.  I hope I have someone around me as tuned into my needs when it's my time to go as Simon does.  After everything's done, let your oncologist know what you've been doing for Simon, and about how you opted not to euthanize while he still was purring in response to your touch and kisses, and not in any obvious pain.  I suspect the oncologist will be supportive of what you're doing.   I'll be praying for Simon to have a peaceful journey, and for you to find comfort in his passing.   Kathy "Every time you meet a situation, though you think at the time it is an impossibility and you go through the tortures of the damned, once you have met it and lived through it, you find that forever after you are freer than you were before." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt