Missy and stuff
We took Missy for her six-month checkup a couple of weeks ago. Things look good. Not great, but good.
Getting her into the carrier wasn't nearly as hard as I'd feared it would be. She was dozing in her latest haunt, a nest of blanket folds hanging over the side of the bed. (B calls it the "walk-in.") We tiptoed in and, with B standing by, I reached in, scruffed her with my good hand, and pulled her out before she realized what was going on. I held on tight until B had a good grip on her and we rushed her to the carrier, which was all prepared with the door open and a nice fluffy towel inside. B had set it up very quietly so as not to put Missy on alert.
Missy attempted her usual U-turn, but we shoved her in very quickly and popped her in the car. She treated us to the Unhappy Cat Symphony for the first few miles, but soon quieted down to the occasional sad whimper.
The last couple of times we've taken Missy in, she's been uncharacteristically bold, hopping off the treatment table -- I try to catch her on the way down so she doesn't jar her old kitty bones on the hard floor -- and wandering around the room all a-sniff. This time, she made a beeline for the carrier on the floor. The door was closed and facing the wall. No escape!
Missy tried to get her paw between the carrier and the wall and turn it around. It was too heavy. So she went under the bench to sulk instead.
A few days later, Dr. Yank called with the blood analysis report. Missy's BUN and creatinine numbers -- indications of how much kidney function has been lost -- were a little higher than when she was tested a few months ago. I didn't like to hear that, but chronic renal failure is a progressive disease, after all. Missy is behaving normally (well, no weirder than usual) and her weight has stabilized. If her kidney function goes down enough, the next course of treatment would be subcutaneous fluids. Most cats handle that well and you can do it at home, although I'm not exactly looking forward to it. Hopefully I'll have enough of my shoulder function back, if and when it becomes necessary.
We're not there yet, though. I asked Dr. Yank whether I should cut back on treats or tuna water, since Missy's on a low-protein diet to help her kidneys. She didn't think the amounts of protein from either were significant, which is nice, because the entertainment value is. (For all of us.) We'll keep a close eye on her, then, and stay the course for another six months.
I'm a month out from the surgery and have had three physical therapy sessions. They're pretty intense, and I'm generally in more pain, as you can be when you start working out. It's annoying but certainly not excruciating. And I'm already seeing more strength and range of motion in my shoulder! Awesome.
I'm still on a regular schedule of pain meds, but I got off the Percocet (yay!) and am now taking 400mg ibuprofen and 500mg acetaminophen every four hours. Before I go to sleep, I up the acetaminophen to 1000mg, since I tend to sleep at least eight hours. Best to keep ahead of the pain, and it's still in the safe range. I'm also icing all night. It seems to make a big difference.
B is taking terrific care of me, as always. He makes regular ice runs (every other day now) and sets up the machine whenever I ask, takes me to physical therapy twice a week, puts my hair up and ties my shoes, and so much more...even though he's been fighting a nasty cold all week. Can he have some internet applause, please? I'll pass it on :)
Getting her into the carrier wasn't nearly as hard as I'd feared it would be. She was dozing in her latest haunt, a nest of blanket folds hanging over the side of the bed. (B calls it the "walk-in.") We tiptoed in and, with B standing by, I reached in, scruffed her with my good hand, and pulled her out before she realized what was going on. I held on tight until B had a good grip on her and we rushed her to the carrier, which was all prepared with the door open and a nice fluffy towel inside. B had set it up very quietly so as not to put Missy on alert.
Missy attempted her usual U-turn, but we shoved her in very quickly and popped her in the car. She treated us to the Unhappy Cat Symphony for the first few miles, but soon quieted down to the occasional sad whimper.
The last couple of times we've taken Missy in, she's been uncharacteristically bold, hopping off the treatment table -- I try to catch her on the way down so she doesn't jar her old kitty bones on the hard floor -- and wandering around the room all a-sniff. This time, she made a beeline for the carrier on the floor. The door was closed and facing the wall. No escape!
Missy tried to get her paw between the carrier and the wall and turn it around. It was too heavy. So she went under the bench to sulk instead.
A few days later, Dr. Yank called with the blood analysis report. Missy's BUN and creatinine numbers -- indications of how much kidney function has been lost -- were a little higher than when she was tested a few months ago. I didn't like to hear that, but chronic renal failure is a progressive disease, after all. Missy is behaving normally (well, no weirder than usual) and her weight has stabilized. If her kidney function goes down enough, the next course of treatment would be subcutaneous fluids. Most cats handle that well and you can do it at home, although I'm not exactly looking forward to it. Hopefully I'll have enough of my shoulder function back, if and when it becomes necessary.
We're not there yet, though. I asked Dr. Yank whether I should cut back on treats or tuna water, since Missy's on a low-protein diet to help her kidneys. She didn't think the amounts of protein from either were significant, which is nice, because the entertainment value is. (For all of us.) We'll keep a close eye on her, then, and stay the course for another six months.
I'm a month out from the surgery and have had three physical therapy sessions. They're pretty intense, and I'm generally in more pain, as you can be when you start working out. It's annoying but certainly not excruciating. And I'm already seeing more strength and range of motion in my shoulder! Awesome.
I'm still on a regular schedule of pain meds, but I got off the Percocet (yay!) and am now taking 400mg ibuprofen and 500mg acetaminophen every four hours. Before I go to sleep, I up the acetaminophen to 1000mg, since I tend to sleep at least eight hours. Best to keep ahead of the pain, and it's still in the safe range. I'm also icing all night. It seems to make a big difference.
B is taking terrific care of me, as always. He makes regular ice runs (every other day now) and sets up the machine whenever I ask, takes me to physical therapy twice a week, puts my hair up and ties my shoes, and so much more...even though he's been fighting a nasty cold all week. Can he have some internet applause, please? I'll pass it on :)