Last night I heard a slight thud and thought Simon had tried to do something he couldn't and fallen over, only to see him next to me on the bed, having gotten on it himself (it is a low bed, close to the floor). He proceeded to walk all over the house and up and down stairs as if nothing were wrong at all. He is eating, though perhaps not as furiously as yesterday (I think he ate far more than the equivalent of a large can by the end of yesterday) and pickier (only wanted the liver shake and just picked at other stuff-- but drank all the liver shake I gave him, about half a bowl), and he is bright and curious and a little playful. He has lost weight, but he basically seems like a thinner, slightly less energetic and hungry version of his old self. He is more his old self than when he was on chemo and his blood values were almost normal.
I thought yesterday, and continue to suspect, that this is a final rally before death as sometimes happens. However, I am beginning to wonder if perhaps the steroids have kicked in and are doing something. Kathy-- does this level and length of eating and energy seem consistent with a final rally before death, or does it seem like something might actually be improving? I am afraid to hope, but I emailed the oncologist asking if there is a decent chance that, given his behavior, his blood counts might be normal enough to get a dose of adriamycin or ccmu (the strong chemo he was supposed to get last week) without needing to be hospitalized or risking getting very ill. he feels so good and is so happy right now that I do not want to do something to make him miserable, but if there is a chance he can get something at a level not likely to make him ill and come home afterwards I might bring him in. I am almost afraid to do anything-- subject him to a car ride, give him any medicine at all, because he is doing so well on nothing and I am wondering how much of it has to do with being happy and stress-free after so many weeks of vet visits, force feedings, pills, and fluids. What if I bring him there and the stress or the chemo makes him sick? Perhaps steroids can keep him happy for a little while, and chances of complete remission from chemo at this point are probably still not high even if he is able to get the stronger chemo. But if the oncologist thinks it is possible he can get that chemo and come home, and have a chance at remission for weeks or months, should I bring him there to get seen and have his blood levels checked? He really is not as ferociously hungry as yesterday morning, when he would eat anything. He did turn down everything I offered him after a few bites this morning until I gave him the liver shake, which he vacuumed up and then licked the bowl clean. But then again yesterday morning he had not eaten for days, and now he ate as recently as midnight or so. Perhaps the weakness was largely from not having had any food, rather than his anemia? However, when his PCV was down very low before, to 13 or under, he had no energy even while getting fed enough to gain weight. Last Friday it was at 15 and falling. Unless he has adjusted to a low hematocrit, it is hard to imagine that it has fallen much more and yet his weakness was only due to lack of food. Don't get me wrong-- he is not as energetic as his pre-cancer self-- not jumping to high places or running around like a crazy boy. But he does have the energy of a lot of normal cats right now, absent the jumping. Thanks for any insights, and I truly hope I am not jinxing him by asking you this or daring to have some slight hope, Michelle
