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This Cat's Life

I had to move on today...

My poor Shadow left me today. I had to let him go. He was feeling ok, until today. He was not quite himself. I held him in my arms as he left and for quite a while after. I love him and miss him along with his brother (from another mother) Caesar, and Tiger, my boy for almost 20 years. I love you Shadow, andwe WILL be together again.

An update on Shadow from his mommy

Hi everyone. First of all I want to thank everyone for their well wishes and rosettes and gifts that you are sending to my sweet Shadow boy. Last week I took Shadow to the vet, and he had lost a pound in the two weeks since his last visit, and his face was more swoolen. It was assumed that the cancer had really gotten the best of him, and his pain meds were increased.

I just wanted to update that he is still here with me. If the swelling increased it is only a small amount, and he eats pretty well, so that he (in my estimate) has put a couple ounces of that pound back on. He sits in the window, eats his favorite foods, (although he is a bit pickier, but I just give him a new can whenever he rejects an old favorite!) and spends a lot of time with me on my lap. Sometimes he even goes to the cat tree, scratches on it, and climps on up! I am giving him lots of TLC, and I monitor him for any signs of pain or discomfort. When he starts to itch I give him a bit more meds. So far, so good.

I figure that I am at least blessed enough to be home with my boy, to be able to do this for him, and not back to work. I wish with all my heart that I was blessed enough to have him cured of this horrible disease, but that is also the dearest wish of so many of us on Catster and around the world, with loved ones sick with cancer, that I am unfortunately not alone. I will give any update if there are any.

The only thing I am doing now is taking each day as it comes, buying more pain meds, fillet mignon, shrimp, cod, and his favorite canned food. I have resigned myself that Shadow may not have much longer, but he has today, and probably a few more days after today, and with the help of God, more than that. Although I am facing this terrible thing, I still can not get my head around the fact that he will be gone, and gone soon. I just can't picture it. I dread it, and can not imagine that I will have to drive him to the vet for a final visit where he will not come back, except as a box of ashes. I have two boxes up on the mantle already, one for Tiger, who I lost in 2001, and one for Caesar who I lost about a year and a month ago. I can't believe that my poor Shadow will be up there soon. At the very least, I have him today.

Update to all my TRAMA and DRAMA!!!!!

Ok, so the vet trip was not that bad. My mommy explained what was going to happen to me, on the way to the vet as she always does, and she was RIGHT! The vet just looked me over prescribed some medicine, and I was able to go home and have a can of Fancy Feast in no time! The doctor now has me on Prednisone 10 mg 2 times a day (a larger dose) and also on doxycycline 50mg once a day. That is in addition to my kidney pill and my blood pressure pill! My mommy tells me my lip looks better ALREADY, and she hopes and prays that by her birthday in Dec., that I am all healed, off the meds, and am able to take the awfull collar off! She is so thankfull to God that there was NO SIGN of cancer in the biopsy, and that my tooth extraction went well! She is also so very relieved that the problem with my lip, and mouth and swoolen tonsil is able to be treated with medication, and that it will be resolved soon!!!! She promised to get me NEW TOYS so I can play as soon as the collar is off! YIPPIE! Thanks so much for the well wishes and concern that everyone is showing me. It is a great comfort to my mommy and me! We'll let you know when I am all through with everything, and back to my old self!