I want to let you know what's been going on with Lucy. As you can see from the picture, Lucy had her cast removed. Unfortunately, that's the only good news I have (although her paw seems to be very sore and tender and she won't walk on it). We've been having a terrible time for over a month with what we thought were urinary tract infections. She was in and out of the litter box constantly with just small amounts of urine or none at all. She had an ultrasound done on her bladder last Friday and there is a fairly large tumor right at the entry. Feline bladder cancer is very rare and surgery isn't an option due to the location and size. Also, apparently, surgery doesn't give good outcomes for kitties with bladder cancer. She is on some heavy-duty medicine that, if she doesn't experience any side effects, can possibly give her four to six months of quality life. Today was her second dose. Right now, I'm living in fear of the side effects (GI bleeding, kidney failure an seizures to name a few). This medicine can be effective, but sadly it can cause a lot of problems in cats. However, it's all we've got.
I'm vacillating between denial and sadness. She's been my sweet girl for over 16 years and I love her deeply. Right now, she's eating like a champ, purring and responding to us. We're taking it one day at a time. I hesitated on sharing bad news but I know Lucy's friends would want to know. Two weeks ago, Simba got very sick due to his chronic renal failure. He had to stay at the vet's for five days on IV fluids. He's doing great now. We just have to give him fluids every other day instead of twice weekly.
Well, we appreciate all of you. I haven't told anyone else because frankly, although I love my friends and family, they don't really understand loving pets this much and giving medical care. I can't bear to hear anything unfeeling. Thanks for listening.
