It has happened...
I knew that one day Othello, my fabulous cat, would show signs that he is getting older, that he won't be around forever. I thought that I had a few more years before this happened. Turns out, I didn't.
Last week, I noticed that he had been drinking a ton of water and that I was cleaning out the litter box more frequently. I had a horrible feeling. I just knew that something wasn't right. Thus, on Monday, I called and made an appointment with his vet for Wednesday. The appointment was simple enough. Physically, he looked great and they did a blood test. They were looking for kidney disease, thyroid problems or diabetes with diabetes being the most problematic. While there, in typical Othello fashion, he received much praise for being both a good cat and for being so dang cute.
Yesterday morning, the phone rang and woke me up. Sure enough, it was the vet office calling, confirming my biggest fear. Othello has diabetes. I knew something was really wrong. Since then, I have been upset, overwhelmed and scared. Interestingly enough, I work with kids who have disabilities, including kids who have health problems. I never seem bothered by my students with health needs. Of course, there is always a nurse on duty who deals with anything medical. Now, I can't pass it to someone else. Othello doesn't have a nurse. He has me. I don't honestly know how I'm going to deal with this. I prefer to think of myself as someone who is emotionally strong but I don't feel that way right now.
I have too many questions right now but I'm not sure if I want the answers. Based on the conversation I had earlier with my vet, it looks like we are going to treat the diabetes aggressively in hopes that Othello will go into remission and won't be insulin dependent. That sounds logical. Yet, I don't truly know what this is going to cost me, financially and emotionally.
I know that there are many people out there who thinks that pets aren't worth it. They probably think that I'm crazy for trying to treat this or for being as upset as I am. I think they might feel differently if they actually knew Othello. That's the thing about my kitty-he has managed to charm everyone he meets. Everyone. Heck, my brother even likes him and he claims to dislike cats with a passion. Plus, to me, Othello is family. I have no other choice. I just hope that I can handle it.