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I haven't updated on Ra in awhile because things have largely been the same--a mixed bag of good days and temporary set backs that have kinda slid into each other and turned into a bit of a blur.
He'll be good for a few days to a week, then he'll start randomly vomiting despite being on two anti-nausea meds. We've learned how to care for him when this happens--hydrate him a bit more with the sub-q fluids, feed a bit less so there's less to vomit up, and perhaps give him a dribble of the pain med we've got for him every now and again to ease any possible discomfort.
His blood work, which is now due again actually, remains largely the same, which is good in some ways and bad in others. His Red Blood Cells remain quite low at around 20% despite giving him the $expensive Aranesp med that's supposed to help increase same. The two iron supplement shots he got didn't do shit, either. :(
We've managed to somehow maintain his weight at around 8 pounds, which is Way Too Skinny for a cat his frame size, but at least we're maintaining that much. He's managing to do pretty well most days at his now 3/4 can of A/D syringe feedings and actually putting on an ounce or two! We're pleased with every ounce we can get.
There have been some changes to his medication regimen. He's off the Aranesp for his RBC; since it really wasn't doing any more to increase same, Dr. M at the VCA decided it was time to take him off it. We're a little bit concerned this might not be the wisest of moves--what if it's actually helping to maintain the RBC percentage he's currently at and being off it causes the number to plummet again? All that can be done is to take him off it temporarily and see what happens.
Additionally, we're tapering him off the "chemo" drug Chlorambucil--he's getting it every fourth day for the next six weeks, then every fifth day for six weeks after that and it'll be reevaluated after that. So far that's a mixed bag--when he gets it now he tends to be "off" and a bit more likely to be barfy on the day he gets it and the day after. This makes both J and I sad and there's not a whole helluva lot we can do about that, either, save for what I mentioned earlier.
While it's good that he's being taken off of or tapered down off of certain meds, I can't help but feel as though Dr. M. (his specialist from the VCA who Ra's regular vet is in constant contact with) is sorta winding down on Ra's active care in favor of a more palliative/hospice care. We've yet to confirm that's what's actually going on; I want to ask about that, but it's J's cat and he needs to ask the tough questions like that and he's so far not had the time or heart to ask. I can't say as though I blame him for avoiding that topic--I know I avoided talk like that with my two girls as much as possible when they were still alive...
Regardless, on more days than not, Ra is still pretty bright eyed and a relatively active part of our household. We give him our best lovins, pettins, and whatever else we can give him every day. He's slowing down, obviously, but not giving up on life just yet, so we keep going with more assertive treatment of what's ailing him. We take it as it comes, a day at a time when we can, smaller increments when we can't go as long as a day. Still, it's very difficult to watch him struggle on the bad days. Poor ol' fella...
He'll be good for a few days to a week, then he'll start randomly vomiting despite being on two anti-nausea meds. We've learned how to care for him when this happens--hydrate him a bit more with the sub-q fluids, feed a bit less so there's less to vomit up, and perhaps give him a dribble of the pain med we've got for him every now and again to ease any possible discomfort.
His blood work, which is now due again actually, remains largely the same, which is good in some ways and bad in others. His Red Blood Cells remain quite low at around 20% despite giving him the $expensive Aranesp med that's supposed to help increase same. The two iron supplement shots he got didn't do shit, either. :(
We've managed to somehow maintain his weight at around 8 pounds, which is Way Too Skinny for a cat his frame size, but at least we're maintaining that much. He's managing to do pretty well most days at his now 3/4 can of A/D syringe feedings and actually putting on an ounce or two! We're pleased with every ounce we can get.
There have been some changes to his medication regimen. He's off the Aranesp for his RBC; since it really wasn't doing any more to increase same, Dr. M at the VCA decided it was time to take him off it. We're a little bit concerned this might not be the wisest of moves--what if it's actually helping to maintain the RBC percentage he's currently at and being off it causes the number to plummet again? All that can be done is to take him off it temporarily and see what happens.
Additionally, we're tapering him off the "chemo" drug Chlorambucil--he's getting it every fourth day for the next six weeks, then every fifth day for six weeks after that and it'll be reevaluated after that. So far that's a mixed bag--when he gets it now he tends to be "off" and a bit more likely to be barfy on the day he gets it and the day after. This makes both J and I sad and there's not a whole helluva lot we can do about that, either, save for what I mentioned earlier.
While it's good that he's being taken off of or tapered down off of certain meds, I can't help but feel as though Dr. M. (his specialist from the VCA who Ra's regular vet is in constant contact with) is sorta winding down on Ra's active care in favor of a more palliative/hospice care. We've yet to confirm that's what's actually going on; I want to ask about that, but it's J's cat and he needs to ask the tough questions like that and he's so far not had the time or heart to ask. I can't say as though I blame him for avoiding that topic--I know I avoided talk like that with my two girls as much as possible when they were still alive...
Regardless, on more days than not, Ra is still pretty bright eyed and a relatively active part of our household. We give him our best lovins, pettins, and whatever else we can give him every day. He's slowing down, obviously, but not giving up on life just yet, so we keep going with more assertive treatment of what's ailing him. We take it as it comes, a day at a time when we can, smaller increments when we can't go as long as a day. Still, it's very difficult to watch him struggle on the bad days. Poor ol' fella...