Help of a Different Kind. Please.
I've had a good fannish week. In addition to the extraordinary support for Redemption, my vid, Not as We picked up three Driver Picks the Music awards--Wolfpup's Choice, Best Angst and Best POV. Thanks to both Brighette and Wolfpup for being generous and kind.
Today, though, I fear the universe may have decided to even things out for me some.
Those who have been hanging around this journal for awhile are acquainted with Milo.
He's 17 months old. I got him in May of last year from the local SPCA after Clementine, my 18 year old cat, had passed away in March. I have another cat, the fabulous Dudley. He's 10.
Milo was 10 weeks old when I got him, and an absolute terror. He's normally in to everything, torments Dudley (who has the patience of a saint), demands attention from me, and prefers more than anything to sleep in my arms.
He was fine a week ago. I distinctly remember needing to lock him out of the den last Thursday night when I was putting the finishing touches on Redemption's posting. I guess he started getting quieter over the weekend. It wasn't till early week, though (Monday/Tuesday), that the change struck me. He was sleeping an awful lot and not running around like a crazy cat, as he normally does. He wasn't attacking Dudley or bugging me for attention. By Wednesday night, I was worried and called my sister, who is a veterinarian in Chicago. She told me to get him in to see someone. We got an appointment this morning.
This is what I wrote to callistosh65 and debbiel afterward:
I just walked in the door after four hours (and minus nearly $500) at the vet's.
Based on what we know, it's likely we're looking at one of two things--blood parasites or feline leukemia. At the office, they did a basic test for auto-immune disease that came back negative. They'll do another more extensive one at the lab over the weekend, so it's possible but not likely it could be that as well.
The feline leukemia test came back negative too. However, my sister's money--and frankly, my vet's, from what I could tell--are still on that. My sis said, "In cases like this--with young, otherwise healthy cats who have shelter backgrounds--that's always going to be my diagnosis, until it's proven without a shadow of a doubt it's not fe-leuk." Apparently, after a certain stage, fe-leuk isn't detected in the blood because it's hiding in the bone marrow. So it wouldn't show up in a chem screening (blood test).
The parasites are curable. Fe-leuk is not, and his red blood cell count is such (normal is 25 to 30; Milo is at 9.9) that if it is fe-leuk, it's already pretty advanced. My sister is worried about him "crashing" over the weekend. I walked away with not only a month's worth of antibiotics, in case it's parasites, and the address and phone number of the local emergency veterinarian clinic, but two cans of Prescription Diet food that they give to cats in distress to try and coax them to eat. It's high in calories and in protein. Kel said to try and get as much of that into him as possible (she told me to get a feeding syringe) to try and keep his numbers up. If he does crash, my only recourse would be to take him for a blood transfusion, which would buy us some time, at least until we have a more exact diagnosis. If it's fe-leuk, Kel recommended against continued blood transfusions. She said she's seen a lot of patients who want to do all they can for fe-leuk kitties, and blood transfusions give the illusion of making a difference. She said you might get a couple of improved weeks because of it, but soon things deteriorate again. It's throwing money away, in her opinion. And seeing as I got an email about an hour ago from my tenants, asking me to send someone out to look at the "pond" in the basement from the air conditioning (apparently, even though I have a pump for condensation, it's not working), in addition to what I've begun paying for an exterminator out at the house, money is not something I have a lot extra of.
Say a prayer or two, ladies, and light a few candles. I don't have a good feeling about this, I have to be honest.
***
I decided to extend the prayer circle. So anything anyone can do would be greatly appreciated. He's only a little kid, and I took him just three weeks ago for his physical, and we'd thought everything was fine.
Jesus.
Today, though, I fear the universe may have decided to even things out for me some.
Those who have been hanging around this journal for awhile are acquainted with Milo.
He's 17 months old. I got him in May of last year from the local SPCA after Clementine, my 18 year old cat, had passed away in March. I have another cat, the fabulous Dudley. He's 10.
Milo was 10 weeks old when I got him, and an absolute terror. He's normally in to everything, torments Dudley (who has the patience of a saint), demands attention from me, and prefers more than anything to sleep in my arms.
He was fine a week ago. I distinctly remember needing to lock him out of the den last Thursday night when I was putting the finishing touches on Redemption's posting. I guess he started getting quieter over the weekend. It wasn't till early week, though (Monday/Tuesday), that the change struck me. He was sleeping an awful lot and not running around like a crazy cat, as he normally does. He wasn't attacking Dudley or bugging me for attention. By Wednesday night, I was worried and called my sister, who is a veterinarian in Chicago. She told me to get him in to see someone. We got an appointment this morning.
This is what I wrote to callistosh65 and debbiel afterward:
I just walked in the door after four hours (and minus nearly $500) at the vet's.
Based on what we know, it's likely we're looking at one of two things--blood parasites or feline leukemia. At the office, they did a basic test for auto-immune disease that came back negative. They'll do another more extensive one at the lab over the weekend, so it's possible but not likely it could be that as well.
The feline leukemia test came back negative too. However, my sister's money--and frankly, my vet's, from what I could tell--are still on that. My sis said, "In cases like this--with young, otherwise healthy cats who have shelter backgrounds--that's always going to be my diagnosis, until it's proven without a shadow of a doubt it's not fe-leuk." Apparently, after a certain stage, fe-leuk isn't detected in the blood because it's hiding in the bone marrow. So it wouldn't show up in a chem screening (blood test).
The parasites are curable. Fe-leuk is not, and his red blood cell count is such (normal is 25 to 30; Milo is at 9.9) that if it is fe-leuk, it's already pretty advanced. My sister is worried about him "crashing" over the weekend. I walked away with not only a month's worth of antibiotics, in case it's parasites, and the address and phone number of the local emergency veterinarian clinic, but two cans of Prescription Diet food that they give to cats in distress to try and coax them to eat. It's high in calories and in protein. Kel said to try and get as much of that into him as possible (she told me to get a feeding syringe) to try and keep his numbers up. If he does crash, my only recourse would be to take him for a blood transfusion, which would buy us some time, at least until we have a more exact diagnosis. If it's fe-leuk, Kel recommended against continued blood transfusions. She said she's seen a lot of patients who want to do all they can for fe-leuk kitties, and blood transfusions give the illusion of making a difference. She said you might get a couple of improved weeks because of it, but soon things deteriorate again. It's throwing money away, in her opinion. And seeing as I got an email about an hour ago from my tenants, asking me to send someone out to look at the "pond" in the basement from the air conditioning (apparently, even though I have a pump for condensation, it's not working), in addition to what I've begun paying for an exterminator out at the house, money is not something I have a lot extra of.
Say a prayer or two, ladies, and light a few candles. I don't have a good feeling about this, I have to be honest.
***
I decided to extend the prayer circle. So anything anyone can do would be greatly appreciated. He's only a little kid, and I took him just three weeks ago for his physical, and we'd thought everything was fine.
Jesus.