~ Hydration Blues ~

Dear Diary,

It's been a week now since I had my 'procedure' done. I really haven't noticed feeling any better or worse. I can sense that foster meomy and my doc are sad because my body did not respond the way they had hoped and purayed for. And the fact that I had to be given the dreadful 'fluid therapy' twice during the week, is a big concern for them.

My doc now believes that the booster shots did far more damage than first suspected. She says it's now clear that my state of repeated dehydration is not only due to the condition I developed after the shots. She believes that I may have gotten some 'neurological damage' as well that has messed me up in the hydration department.

Say what? I don't know what any of those words mean. I just know that in the last week I had the frightening blood transfusion, I twice had the horrible fluid therapy *cringes at the memory of it*, foster mom keeps syringing water down my throat, *ick* and I still don't feel all that well. I am up and about and I play sometimes, but I just feel mostly confused and overall yucky. Foster mom told me I feel this way because I am still dehydrated.

Foster mom's plan for this next week is to try to keep me hydrated. More fluid therapy, *yikes* offer me more yummy wet food treats with water added,
* I'm liking the sound of that* and as much water as she can get down my throat every day. *grrzzzz* I guess there's not much else that can be done if this doesn't work for me. But I know my foster meomy, while she never gives up if there's hope, she also is very concerned regarding the 'quality of life'.

Gotta go for now, foster meomy just set up a thing-a-ma-jig she calls a water fountain hoping I'll drink more on my own. Yikes! That thing is scary! Even burrave Lil' Muppet won't go near it! And she expects me to put my face in there and drink from it? Hee, hee! I'm going to go keep my eye on it. I'll be patient and see what Chico and Sampson think about it.

I'll update soon.
Loads of Purrs
~ Armani ~

PS - I guess we'll never know exactly what in the shots caused the reaction that brought me down to this. Foster meomy has been reading a lot trying to find out. It may be that I was given all of them at the same time or that it was the leukemia shot itself. Foster meomy is just plain afuraid of any shots now.

~ transfusion confusion ~

Dear Diary,

I went in for my procedure today, the one that foster meomy's been telling me about and puraying would help me. Meomy said that I would feel pin pokes and probably some discomfort, but that it wouldn't last long. She knew that I would be a brave boy. *deep sigh*

Foster meomy held me in the waiting room for awhile, my doc came in and discussed the procedure *yikes* then carried me off. *gulp*

Then the next thing I know she carried me back in to foster meomy. Then she told foster meomy all about the procedure, how they removed 60 cc's of my blood and replaced it with 65 cc's of fluids. She said that efurrything went really well. She said that she also clipped my nails for me.

Say what? I don't remember a thing about any of that! Is she making this up or is it possible I slept through the whole thing? * starts to scratch head in deep thought and makes a startling discovery, 'OMC, my nails actually have been clipped! * OK, now this is getting bizarre!

Foster meomy and my doc seemed very pleased and I got to come home.
Still a bit confused about the whole thing, but I'm home, *hurray!* it's snack time, *yummy* and purhaps foster meomy will take me out back for a minute before it gets dark. *purrs*

Bye 4 now, :)
Purrs ~ Armani ~

~ test results and no new home yet~

Dear Diary,

Catster furiends have been so nice and supportive of me. They are so sweet and I am so thankful for them.

Foster meomy received the awaited phone call from my doc. My doc explained that she had excellent news and not so good news. ?

The excellent news first: I am no longer border line on kidney disease! Hurray! My Creatine and BUN levels are all purfect, and so was my urinalysis. Yipee! *I'm doing the happy dance big time!*

The not so good news: My CBC still shows dehydration and my red blood cells are going crazy. Everything else checked out normal. With these results I have been diagnosed with a rare condition called 'Polycythemia'. My body is reproducing too many red blood cells which turn my blood to a 'sludge.' This makes it hard for my heart and other organs to function normally.

Better news: There is an inexpensive treatment that can be done for this. They actually remove a percentage of my blood and replace it with fluids. Having this transfusion treatment done every couple of months will allow me to live with a normal quality of life. And it should not take any years off of my life either. :)

Foster meomy called my potential new family. They were so sweet and sad for me but are not in a position to take on a special needs kitty at this time. :( We totally understand. They said to keep them informed on my condition though and to let them know in a couple of months how everything is going with me. Foster meomy's sad, their sad, but I'm ok. I'm so happy that there is a treatment and I'm thrilled that it doesn't require daily meds down my throat or that horrible thing called 'fluid therapy'. :) Foster meomy says that a transfusion is kind of like fluid therapy, but I don't have to have it done too often. I can deal with that! :)

I get my first transfusion on May 1st. I will keep you informed how it goes.

Bye for now,
Armani
~Special headbonks to Moses, Sam and Greystone, Calamity, Isis, and Simba~

~ Doctors and Furever Homes ~

Dear Diary,

My days are much brighter now. I'm done with all the icky medicines that foster meomy had to keep putting in my mouth and squirting in my ears. I feel much better and purrty much back to my ol' self again. I keep telling foster meomy that I'm fine, but she said only my doc could say for sure. So tomorrow morning I get to go visit Doc Forbes again. I like her except when she pokes me with something and steals my blood! Foster meomy is puraying that tomorrow I get all 'paws up' from the doc. :)

A nice family saw my pictures on Pet Finder and thay want to come meet me!
I'm kinda nervous but excited too. If I like them and they like me, this could be my new furever home! Then I will get to live in Vegas, the same town as my brofur Gucci. I still wonder if I will ever see him again. *sigh* They have a back yard where I will be safe to go play outside! Since Gucci left and I got depressed for a time, foster meomy has been allowing me to go out back with her. That sure snapped me out of being sad. I will never forget Gucci, but I am now ok alone. :)

Shazam's new mommy informed us giggling that ' Shazam has been teaching her kitty, Gidget, how to get into mischief!' :) Hee, hee! Shazam's so silly! Her new mommy adores her! She got a wonderful furever home and we are all purring loudly for her. :)

I'll let you know what the doc says tomorrow.

G-night for now Diary. :)
Purrs ~ Mani

I Lived To Tell

Dear Diary,

What are 'shots' for? Foster meomy and I just don't get it. We are told that they are necessary, we are required by some law to give some, and when you are up for adoption like I am they are required. Why?

My siblings Prada, Gucci and I almost passed to the Bridge after receiving our very first kitten shots. Foster meomy spent lots of time, love and money nursing us back to health. After some time we all recovered but not without some 'scars'. We had to stay at the vets office all day when our next kitten shots were given and we seemed to manage ok. Foster meomy was a nervous wreck.

We were quite famous babies back then. We were known to many as the 'couture kittens' (hence our names) and also as the 'roof babies'. I think a lot of it had to do with my brother Gucci. We were born way up on the roof of a 2-story building and when we were four weeks old we were caught one night right smack in the center of an electrical storm. The thunder and lightning, non-stop, relentlessly was crackling right above our heads. A super sweet lady frantically phoned a local (Las Vegas) feral TNR group and my now foster meomy was answering the calls back then. When she was trying to explain the extreme danger we were in to my foster meomy, she suddenly screamed! She witnessed Gucci fall from two stories up. He smacked into a tree, clung on for a second, then plummeted the rest of the way to the ground. Thanks to her, a lady named Denise S. and a special guy named Gary ..... we all three were rescued and safe.

It's been over a year and a half now, I'm still up for adoption, and foster meomy had to have my shots updated. Gulp! (Prada and Gucci have found their special furrever homes. I'm still searching as I don't 'show' well at adoption events. It's too scary, I'm not myself.)

So, foster meomy recently took me in for my shots. Stressful for the vet, myself and foster meomy. (I'm now a healthy beautiful boy, don't mess my life up with these stupid shots!) I soon didn't feel well and foster meomy got concerned. She took me to the 'special cat doc' and had blood work done. It came back 'confirmed severe reaction to the vaccinations'!!

I am expected to pull through this. I have three yucky different meds to take for three weeks. Also some fluid therapy which is absolutely no fun! The shots have caused...... double ear infections, dehydration, etc. I am now border line on kidney disease. I cannot be subjected to any further stress on my kidneys or I will be trotting across the Bridge! I also can NEVER have any further vaccinations. My chances for my new furrever special home just majorly decreased. :(

So, once again can I ask .... What are shots for? Foster meomy and I just don't get it. I'm a beautiful indoor kitty in a healthy environment.

Thanks for listening Diary. My head and ears hurt. I'm going to go lie down now. I'm not complaining, I just feel really cruddy!
Luvs,
~ Mani ~