Thursday, August 11, 2011

The Spa?


Short note.
I have been posting on the YAHOO GROUP for "Feline HyperT" for more info and support since he was first diagnosed.
I just wanted to comment on the way they talk about the procedure. I like it!
They say he is heading to the kitty SPA.



OH does that suit him!

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

A Change of Venue


Ever get a sort of sinking feeling?

Well, I had talked to the Radiocat people and was starting to get MORE confused than calmed. I had talked to my vet about a conflict wherein her "Instructions to Professionals" indicated a two week "flush" so the meds would no longer mask the active irregular cells, so the Radioactive iodine would find all of the nasty stuff, but she was supposed to send along a one week clean test. LOTS of tests!

I got a paper that said four days before we scheduled, we went off the meds. That is all. My vet (the wonderful Dr. Delac) had left at least two messages with them that they had not replied to. I had also waited for four days at one point to get information.

Every time I talked to Radiocat, I got too much information. The first time I felt like I had a lot of info, but had missed the window of opportunity by a day. The tests would not be done in time and I had to wait for a month until the doctors came to town. Then it was two more weeks. Then it was the tests that we SHOULD have.

I had tried to explain that he had gotten very ill when I had a bad bottle of medication... she kept thinking that his levels were topping out and that there must have been SOME medicine. Radiocat kept reinforcing that they could only do the maximum amount. IF it was not enough, The dude might need to be treated again.

Well, there are a lot of issues but yesterday, when I DID talk to her, I was even more confused. The tests were due back today and the Doc was going to send them over. During my conversation, among the contradictions and odd replies to my questions (such as how come my paperwork said four days, hers said two weeks off meds?) explaining that the process was personalized for EACH cat. And her explanation of my cat (who she assumed was TOPPING out the numbers) would be just fine with a few days off meds... I SUDDENLY realized that early in this quest to repair my dude, I had talked to the ONE other local radio-oncology vet's office in town. The girl was very helpful and I LIKED what she had told me but I was not sure what she was saying.

So, I looked it up again!

EVERYTHING I heard sounded completely understandable, I liked knowing the place was there all the time, not just once a month... or month and a half.

So I took my papers and went over.

I talked to the doctor who would administer the treatment, toured the whole place, liked very much what I saw!

So.... we have moved it back ONE week. Again, I timed it off, but we will have a two week flush and fix him up on August 29...

I just feel better!

Monday, August 8, 2011

Tests ARE Done!

It was stressful. It is always stressful, as I have believed since he was small that he may have a little heart condition. When he chased the ball (really he liked my teeny underwear... he would pull my thongs out of the drawers if I left them open and bring them to me..... for a while) his little pink tongue would dart in and out like a puppy, not a cat. Then he wised up and decided that cats do not run....

So I try to keep him cool and calm. He never seems to get sick in the winter. Always about 100+ degrees. I had a nice little box that I got Stinkerbell from the shelter in eons ago. Just shoved him in and hauled him away. But as he got sick, he occasionally wet it and that was the end of the cardboard. I got the cutest little travel carrier! It was red and much like the pop up window shades for the car! Stored small, zipped into a sort of pup-tent. Cozy! But he was still panting and panicking.

So last week I borrowed a big monster from my old roommate. I had to hose it off and get it into shape... but it isn't in shape.

He is in there, sitting straight up with his ugly scratching thing. I decided to test it out, as the instructions from Radiocat asked for a pet carrier. I just don't remember if it has to be put in the nuclear waste dump when we are done....

So we went. Here is the sad and lonely cage, waiting for him during his tests.

It is a nice office with WONDERFUL ART (wink, click, nudge, nudge)
We have xrays, tests awaiting results, a call in to the big office, and we just await the confirmation.

Dude is ok: