1 year ago
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
More Beans Updates
Last time we spoke was last Wednesday and Beans was doing well the day after his blood transfusion. Jump to Friday morning - we took him back in to get his blood levels rechecked. The goal is always to have the levels go up. The vet was concerned on Friday because his level was at 15 (normal is 30+), so he recommended he come back in on Saturday to check again. If Beans was going to be declining, we didn't want it to go all weekend unchecked. He also called one of the internal medicine specialist vets, who recommended Beans start a second immunosuppressant drug. Total med count = 3.
Saturday - His blood level, thankfully did not go down, but also did not go up either. Beans was sitting at 15 again. The vet mentioned to us that his heart rate was high and listed some side effects and complications that were possible on the new medication. Specifically, we were to be looking out for loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, and panting. Don't know if you know this, but cats really aren't supposed to pant, unlike dogs. We were optimistic about the 15 - at least it didn't go down - and we were prepared to let Beans go into mid-week this week without a trip to the vet.
Sunday - On Sunday night while Chad and I were watching the Olympics, we heard a horrible wretching sound from the other room. Turns out Beans was puking up the biggest load of cat food I have ever seen! Really, the main pile of partially digested food was the size of a kitten. He managed to make two or three piles for us to clean up before he went into the living room to calm down. Chad and I turned to look over at him and he was sitting with his eyes glazed over like a zombie, panting like crazy. My poor buddy was exhibiting all the side effects we had been warned about by the vet on Saturday. I sat with him and put him on his side to relax, while his poor exhausted body continued to heave and pant. Inside I was freaking out and I burst into tears. I really thought he was going to die right there in front of me. Turns out he just needed a breather after puking up such a huge load of food, because after a few seconds of me crying, he popped right up and scurried into the other room. We spend the rest of the evening listening to him try to eat more food and watching him enter and leave the living room, trying to be social.
Monday - Beans seemed to do okay overnight. I wasn't all that worried about him since he hadn't vomited again overnight. It was all okay that is, until about 10:00am when we heard him wretching again. He managed to puke four or five times, sharing the love in our bedroom and upstairs on the landing. Of the newly carpeted areas in our house, he only has the living room, the guest bedroom, and Chad's office left to christen with puke. He has hit four other separate room already. I made an appointment with the vet and just got back. His blood level, thankfully is still holding steady at 15, though we do need for it to start going up soon or we'll have to discuss further treatment options. Our plan is to assume that the vomiting is caused by the new drug that he has started - his body should adjust to the medication and the vomiting should stop in a day or so. Beans got an anti-nausea shot from the vet today that should make it to where he is comfortable for the next 24+ hours, hopefully giving him another day to adjust to the new immunosuppressant medicine.
Oh and for the record - Beans is very skinny. His once 18.6 pound frame was brought down into the 13 pound range with a strict diet and exercise over several years. He has hovered around 13 pounds for a few years. Last week he weighed 12.1 pounds. Today he weighed 11.4. I freaked out when I heard the number. He hasn't weighed that little since he was a kitten.
I'm trying to be realistic. I know full well that this disease might kill him. I'm prepared financially to do one more blood transfusion and a couple of other drug options before talking about him really dying. I have already broken down several times at the thought of losing my little man. He is my main little dude. The other cats in our house do not love me like he does. It will take a long time to develop another relationship with an animal that comes close to the relationship I have with Beans. I have already saved his life when he was a young cat...he better keep fighting while I try to save his life again.
Saturday - His blood level, thankfully did not go down, but also did not go up either. Beans was sitting at 15 again. The vet mentioned to us that his heart rate was high and listed some side effects and complications that were possible on the new medication. Specifically, we were to be looking out for loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, and panting. Don't know if you know this, but cats really aren't supposed to pant, unlike dogs. We were optimistic about the 15 - at least it didn't go down - and we were prepared to let Beans go into mid-week this week without a trip to the vet.
Sunday - On Sunday night while Chad and I were watching the Olympics, we heard a horrible wretching sound from the other room. Turns out Beans was puking up the biggest load of cat food I have ever seen! Really, the main pile of partially digested food was the size of a kitten. He managed to make two or three piles for us to clean up before he went into the living room to calm down. Chad and I turned to look over at him and he was sitting with his eyes glazed over like a zombie, panting like crazy. My poor buddy was exhibiting all the side effects we had been warned about by the vet on Saturday. I sat with him and put him on his side to relax, while his poor exhausted body continued to heave and pant. Inside I was freaking out and I burst into tears. I really thought he was going to die right there in front of me. Turns out he just needed a breather after puking up such a huge load of food, because after a few seconds of me crying, he popped right up and scurried into the other room. We spend the rest of the evening listening to him try to eat more food and watching him enter and leave the living room, trying to be social.
Monday - Beans seemed to do okay overnight. I wasn't all that worried about him since he hadn't vomited again overnight. It was all okay that is, until about 10:00am when we heard him wretching again. He managed to puke four or five times, sharing the love in our bedroom and upstairs on the landing. Of the newly carpeted areas in our house, he only has the living room, the guest bedroom, and Chad's office left to christen with puke. He has hit four other separate room already. I made an appointment with the vet and just got back. His blood level, thankfully is still holding steady at 15, though we do need for it to start going up soon or we'll have to discuss further treatment options. Our plan is to assume that the vomiting is caused by the new drug that he has started - his body should adjust to the medication and the vomiting should stop in a day or so. Beans got an anti-nausea shot from the vet today that should make it to where he is comfortable for the next 24+ hours, hopefully giving him another day to adjust to the new immunosuppressant medicine.
Oh and for the record - Beans is very skinny. His once 18.6 pound frame was brought down into the 13 pound range with a strict diet and exercise over several years. He has hovered around 13 pounds for a few years. Last week he weighed 12.1 pounds. Today he weighed 11.4. I freaked out when I heard the number. He hasn't weighed that little since he was a kitten.
I'm trying to be realistic. I know full well that this disease might kill him. I'm prepared financially to do one more blood transfusion and a couple of other drug options before talking about him really dying. I have already broken down several times at the thought of losing my little man. He is my main little dude. The other cats in our house do not love me like he does. It will take a long time to develop another relationship with an animal that comes close to the relationship I have with Beans. I have already saved his life when he was a young cat...he better keep fighting while I try to save his life again.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Beans Update and a pic of me
First, Beans. He did receive the blood transfusion yesterday and his red blood cell count rebounded into the lower part of the normal range. The doctor felt like he could come home last night and continue through the week with us monitoring him at home. We are still giving him Prednisone twice a day, now with an additional antibiotic as back up for an infection that they screened for. He came up negative for the infection, but our vet conferred with another vet at the office and they both agreed it would not hurt Beans to take the antibiotic just in case the infection was somehow missed.
He felt so much better last night. How do I know? He ate more. He visited us in the living room. He meowed at us more. He hissed and growled like his normal self when he had had enough petting. He jumped on the couch several times and insisted that I pet him, which he had not done in days, and also which had me beaming and almost on the verge of joyful tears. He continues to do well today...the coloring in his gums is still pink, so hopefully we can make it until Friday before visiting the vet again. We are scheduled to have him go in Friday for a recheck on his blood levels. Hopefully they will still be in the normal range.
And for me...some of you have seen me lately hiding in my big puffy coat. I am definitely rounder than I used to be. Here is my first public preggo shot in my maternity jeans in front of our house.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
with the good comes the bad
Amidst all of the excitement of hearing our baby's heartbeat yesterday, our little family had a different kind of drama going on. My sweet kitty Beans had been feeling a bit under the weather and started to refuse food (even canned food) and withdraw. Our big boy never refuses food, so when he hadn't eaten and started to hide in our closet, I knew it was time to take him in to the vet yesterday. Of course, I was hoping it was just a little cold, but deep down I was expecting really bad news.
We got bad news. Beans apparently has IMHA (Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia) - google IMHA if you are curious - which basically means his body is attacking his red blood cells as a sort of immune response. His red blood cell count was dangerously low and the doctor suggested he might need a blood transfusion. We started him on the recommended course of treatment (Prednisone) yesterday and were able to bring him home last night to observe and monitor him. When we took Beans to the vet again this morning, we were hoping for good news. Beans seemed to be feeling better...he was more alert, ate two small meals overnight, and overal seemed a little more like himself.
We got bad news again today. Apparently Beans's red blood cell count dropped again, so we really needed to give him a blood transfusion today. When the doctor called, they had already done the kitty blood-typing and had sent one of their vet techs home to retrieve her kitty to be the donor kitty. I used to work there, so I am familiar with the concept of donor kitties, but never did I think Beans would be the recipient of donor blood. I know kitty personality doesn't come with the blood, but I really hope the donor kitty is a sweet, mellow kitty instead of a firecracker. Lord knows we don't need any more spunky, feisty blood in Beans!
We'll find out later today how it all goes, and hopefully will get to bring Beans home tonight to rest. It is likely that we'll have to treat him for a long while for this and there is no guarantee that he will survive it. I'm devastated that he is this sick. He has already been hit by a car, recovered, has a misshapen bladder as a result of the car that has had a blockage, has a wax plug covering his left eardrum that has not been able to be successfully removed, and now this. His nine lives are almost up, so I hope he has more fight in him left than we think.
I love my Beans.
We got bad news. Beans apparently has IMHA (Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia) - google IMHA if you are curious - which basically means his body is attacking his red blood cells as a sort of immune response. His red blood cell count was dangerously low and the doctor suggested he might need a blood transfusion. We started him on the recommended course of treatment (Prednisone) yesterday and were able to bring him home last night to observe and monitor him. When we took Beans to the vet again this morning, we were hoping for good news. Beans seemed to be feeling better...he was more alert, ate two small meals overnight, and overal seemed a little more like himself.
We got bad news again today. Apparently Beans's red blood cell count dropped again, so we really needed to give him a blood transfusion today. When the doctor called, they had already done the kitty blood-typing and had sent one of their vet techs home to retrieve her kitty to be the donor kitty. I used to work there, so I am familiar with the concept of donor kitties, but never did I think Beans would be the recipient of donor blood. I know kitty personality doesn't come with the blood, but I really hope the donor kitty is a sweet, mellow kitty instead of a firecracker. Lord knows we don't need any more spunky, feisty blood in Beans!
We'll find out later today how it all goes, and hopefully will get to bring Beans home tonight to rest. It is likely that we'll have to treat him for a long while for this and there is no guarantee that he will survive it. I'm devastated that he is this sick. He has already been hit by a car, recovered, has a misshapen bladder as a result of the car that has had a blockage, has a wax plug covering his left eardrum that has not been able to be successfully removed, and now this. His nine lives are almost up, so I hope he has more fight in him left than we think.
I love my Beans.
Monday, February 15, 2010
More Updates
Now that we have gone public, I thought I would also share the link to the baby blog. I'll likely be posting most of the baby stuff there, though now that my life has been taken over by all of these new baby-related thoughts, it is likely to seep over into this blog a bit.
We recorded the heartbeat (including some of what the doctor says) and have posted it there. It sounds so cool.
Baby Jones
We have been somewhat lying to a bunch of you out there. I have not been running, but I haven't been nursing my injuries as much as we've letting on. The main reason I haven't been running is because I'M PREGNANT!!! I have been exhausted this first trimester and my body just couldn't take it.
Today we are past the 12 week mark and heard the heartbeat for the first time. I'm so excited to share the news with everyone officially now!! Baby Jones is due August 30 and we are both very excited. I feel very lucky to be sharing this news with everyone.
(Also as an update to my TMI post from Dec - I did not have to have the surgery to remove the polyp because of the pregnancy. We found out we were pregnant just before Christmas.)
Updates to come later!!
Friday, February 12, 2010
My Mullet Man
If you are going to be out running or spectating the Austin Marathon this weekend, look for Chad. He is pacing with Ken for the 3:20 pace group during the race. They'll have their signs, of course, but more importantly they'll be wearing their mullets. The mullet-wearing 3:20 group has been a tradition for years, and I know that Chad wears his mullet with pride during the race. He has already brought it out this year and has modeled it...I must say he looks as cute as ever in it. Pictured above is a shot of the two of us from last year's finish chute.
He looks so handsome in that mullet...I love it!
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