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.