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.