Charlie's Story
by Patricia Tooming
Ptooming2@cfl.rr.com please email with any information if you have any that you think would be helpful.
Charlie went in for his annual exam, I took him in early because he seemed not quite right. Although it is warm outside and he prefers the porch he seemed to be mouth breathing and a bit pale. His annual exam blood work showed nothing wrong with him with exception to some anemia, he was placed on antibiotics and 15mg Millipred 2 times a day. Blood work was redone and anemia is improving. Breathing issues did not improve Doc was concerned about the size and shape of his abdomin and suggested an Xray, this revealed fluid in his chest area between his ribs and lung, it was removed, was sent in to see what it consisted of, the first thought was heart disease and he was put on medications to treat that including a water pill, this really did nothing to releave his symptoms and he continued to fill up with fluids that every 2 days we have tapped and removed. Today the results were in and the fluid contains lymphoma cells. Doc tells me there is no cure or good treatment and that I have MAYBE 30 - 60 days with Charlie, to put him on MEGA Millipred and hope for small times of remission but not to get to hopeful he probably has less than 10% chance of any remission, I did ask about other treatments and I was told at best this would only increase his life by a few months and would make him miserable. The cost of such treatment, are really not worth the cost in money or toll on Charlie. That the X rays did not show a definite mass anywhere and even if it did it would not be worth it to him to remove it since this is not a treatable or curable condition. He goes in for another chest tap today since he is having issues breathing again and I am told there is no way to stop the fluid from accumilating. I may ask if a cathiter could be place for drainage for his comfort and cost at this point. All this going back and forth to the vet is stressful on him even though the tapping doesn't seem to bother him any he is unhappy about being in the car for 45 minutes there and back. He has decided he prefers to lay on something cold. Ice packs covered in towels are offered and changed often for his comfort, other than the breathing issue he is eatting a huge amount of food daily, very active and extends an enormous amount of energy purring, hard to see from this stand point how he is that sick? I am finding this website a bit hard for people who are a bit panicked to use exactly, since it seems to bounce you all over the place. I do see from other case studies that NONE have come up with a truely positive result no matter what the treatment or how it was gone about so Charlie will live a pampered life till we decide that his quality of life is reduced unless I see something somewhere that gives me a different result. If someone can direct me to this positive result it would SURELY be put up for serious consideration. ptooming2@cfl.rr.com
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Charlie
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