No Chemo This Week.

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March 28th 2012 10:32 pm
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We had a surprise on Tuesday: no chemo. Dr. L. took some blood and his in-house lab results said my WBC was slightly too low. He thought at first that the results might be wrong so he sent some blood out to the lab to look at it again. Nope. The first result was right. He thought he might do it today (Wednesday) and then reconsidered. I’m scheduled for next Tuesday.

He and Mom talked about my eating (not). He wants to test my kidney values on Tuesday. He’s wondering if they deteriorated since December,if they're causing the eating issues because it’s taking longer for my kidneys to process the chemo. He didn’t want to put me back on the Mirtazapine ‘cause it made me so nuts. He thought about that again too—he doesn’t want me eating so little that it compromises my immune system any further. I got Mirtazapine yesterday but I got half the dosage. So I only got half as nuts—still too much.

Samsara got the Mirtazapine yesterday too. By the time our regular vet, Dr. V., and Mom talked today, Samsara was also making her crazy. Our vet heard Samsara over the phone and started laughing. (And before they hung up, Dr. V. giggled and told Mom to enjoy her kitties.) Mom growled after she got off the phone. (She couldn’t even sing today ‘cause Samsara was singing right along with her.)

Anyway, the upshot of the conversation was that Dr. L. and Dr. V. talked about what to do with me with regard to stimulating my appetite. With the Mirtazapine it’s too much and without it I eat too little. Dr. L. thought we might increase my prednisolone again—something Mom and Dr. V. really don’t want to do since I’ve been on it so long; they’re both afraid of it causing liver damage. (And, when Mom thought about it, that wouldn’t work anyway. Whenever I get a dose high enough to make me hungry, my rhinotracheitis surfaces and I end up with an URI.) Of course, the other option Dr. L. was considering was changing my food. To what? That’s another ‘no can do’. Everything else we’ve tried makes pudding poops with blood.

Everybody finally settled on trying a new appetite stimulant: cyproheptadine. With this one we have to watch out that it doesn’t make me too sleepy. To be continued—it’s going to be a good few days before anyone wants me to take it.

Mom is also complaining about my ‘feed me’ routine now. I put my front paws in her lap and start raking downwards with my nails. Eventually, she scoops me up and puts me in her lap. I only stay there for a minute or so and then I’m right back to bothering her.

Now Mom is starting to get even. I lead her to the kitchen with my tail in the air. She gets hold of my tail and uses it as a rudder to steer me to the kitchen. I don’t need steering—really I don’t. MOL! I know the way, and Mom, I know that you know that I know the way. You know?

Headbonks…

Leave A Comment | 9 people already have

Purred by: ❀ Jezebel DG 29 ❀ (Catster Member)

March 28th 2012 at 11:55 pm

Hope the new meds will work for you!

Purred by: Laura W

March 29th 2012 at 9:17 am

colette: nothin wrong with bein nuts...everee now N then ya gotta act like a squirrel N better de squirrel than de moose coz what iz de furst name men shuned when ya think cartoon show rocky N bullwinkle...thatz rite...de squirrel.... we wood be mor N happy ta send ewe both sum flounder if ya think it wood help yur app a tights!!

Purred by: Queen Tallulah Angel Dreamgirl (Catster Member)

March 29th 2012 at 3:12 pm

when I was sick, Mom let me eat whatever I wanted, if I ate it she was so happy...it sucks having the chemo!!!! I am praying for you to feel better and start eating more...eat eat and eat...

Know that I am always watching over you, I know what you are going through and how your Mom feels...we continue our purring and praying for you sweet Collette...

Sending you butterflies from heaven

QT

Purred by: Callie (Catster Member)

March 29th 2012 at 8:07 pm

Sending you purrs sweet girl. Hoping the new meds work for you.

Purred by: Penelope (Catster Member)

March 29th 2012 at 9:05 pm

Best of luck with the new meds, and here's hoping you can get that WBC up!
Sending gentle purrs always,
Penny and Minnie

Purred by: Minko (Catster Member)

March 29th 2012 at 9:36 pm

Lets hope that all these dilemmas will eventually go away! And that you will get the rescheduled Chemo...and eat properly, too!
MIAOW!!

Purred by: ishtar *proud wobnapt* (Catster Member)

March 29th 2012 at 9:56 pm

steering you with your tail??? it's spring, eh? or did she try your meds? steering a cat to the center of living... ts, ts, ts... ;)

prrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr rrrrrrrrrs for you!

Purred by: Sweets (Catster Member)

March 30th 2012 at 5:29 am

You are really quite clever. I like how you permit your Mom to think that she's steering you when really we know just *who* is doing the steering ;)

I've heard the 'feed me chorus' (not yours) but here it isn't a pretty thing.... Hopefully you and Samara don't also do the "try to trip" the feeder person thing. A certain Wookie has not figured out that if she causes the 'feeder' to fall her chances of being fed drastically decrease.

Sorry to read that your WBC are low. You're doing what Nuk would call "your cycling." ~ I hope!

An appetite stimulant that also makes you sleepy? Hmmm forgive me for my moment of diabolical plotting...
I do hope the new med works for you and that your kidney values are good. I'll keep up purring (and snoring) for you!

Purred by: Colette Sidonie-Samantha (Catster Member)

March 30th 2012 at 6:22 pm

Thanks effurybody.

Tabbies--MOL! Huh? The fishies part I understood. Oh oh! Mom is standing there with her arms folded saying, "Gee... that's soooo sweet but NO!" Mom--whaddaya mean I can't have fishies???? No fair!

QT, I'm afraid if Mom gave me anything I wanted to eat it would mean I was terminal. That's far from the case. You should see me doing my zoomies. We still marvel that it took for me to get cancer to be in such good shape. If you look at 2 pictures on page 2 of my photo book you'll see what I mean. The pictures are "Study in Beige" at the top of the page and "My First Pic at Bideawee Shelter" towards the middle. You'll see how skinny I was and the bad shape my coat was in. The first of the two was taken right after I had the treatment for my hyperthyroid condition. In the Bideawee picture, we didn't yet know what was wrong with me me. (Mom didn't know there was anything wrong.)

I'm cycling, Sweets. Tour de France here I come in full yellow. Forgive me for asking. You wouldn't be plotting to sedate me and steal my food, would you? You snore? Giggles, so does Samsara.

I lead and herd to the kitchen. And, yes, Ishtar 'I' lead.

Mom laughs when I herd. I walk side-by-side with Mom the same way Samsara and I do that. Mom needs to be extra careful not to step on me. The only way not to step on me is by going in the direction I choose.

Samsara is in charge of the tripping-up. Mom says she hasn't hit the floor yet. Fortunately the same can't be said for the plates of human food coming out of the microwave. But, gosh darn it, Samsara needs to get a better handle on the 'plat du jour'. Chickpeas may roll nicely but they sure aren't fishies or beef.

Thanks for all the extra purrs (and snores)!