Blood Work Back On Jinx, Surgery Scheduled

beccachow · #1 10/12/10, 03:49 PM

OK, so she has some elevated Kidney issues, the vet said at her age (cat, not vet's, lol) she would have been surprised NOT to see this. She thinks this can be curved by a tiny pill. If, of course, she survives the surgery and gives us a few more months.

The vet said that with her already enlarged heart and murmer, and now the kidneys, it makes it even trickier to do the surgery. But the way I have to look at is, she will die without the surgery a lot faster, so the risk that she won't make it off the table is an acceptable one. If she dies under anesthesia, she won't even have a chance to be scared, she will slip off while asleep. I have given the strictest orders not to try to bring her back should that happen. The plan is, remove the lump and excise tissue around it, check the neighboring lymph nodes via biopsy to see where we are at, then close her up and call it a job. We might buy a good chunk of time, we might not. For a friend who has been here 21+ years, it is worth the gamble. The surgery won't be that horrible, and isn't as heroic as the options provided were she younger. No chemo, no radiation, no dual mastectomy, nothing like that.

If she were showing any signs of illnss, we would have already made the hard decision. But she is STILL sleeping on her ledge, teasing the dogs, eating and drinking, purring while curled up next to us, butting us for lovin's, jumping up on the bureau to eat, cruising up and down the steps, peeing, pooping, etc. even with a gaping wound under there.

Anyhow, surgery scheduled for Thursday.

Katskitten · #2 10/12/10, 03:55 PM

Prayers up and Good luck. I hear where you are at as we have two geriatric females right now.

beccachow · #3 10/12/10, 03:59 PM

Awww, KK, check them for this mammary tumor. I just didn't think to check her stomach because...well, I value my face

.

mamahen · #4 10/12/10, 05:47 PM

I lost a wonderful cocker to breast cancer. Prayers for your lady.

Ravenlost · #5 10/12/10, 06:54 PM

I'll be keeping my fingers crossed on Thursday!

Minelson · #6 10/12/10, 07:11 PM

I think this is the exact, perfect route to take with Jinx. And I'm sure she is thankful that you are taking such good care of her. Fingers crossed!

barber lady · #7 10/12/10, 07:18 PM

People think your strange when you go so far for your animals. I think you are just your Jinx's Angel.

beccachow · #8 10/12/10, 07:26 PM

You know, I really struggled with this one, and prayed over it. She is older than most cats ever live to see, and I didn't want to do anything that would make her sick during her last weeks/months with us. But I know that hole has to be stitched up, and since I am already going to do that, why not yank that lump out, too? It is right at the surface, so not real complicated. I asked the vet, and I believe her whole heartedly...she hinted to me a lot that I needed to put my Bosco down, I just didn't want to let go. But she said this is a good choice in this circumstance, considering that she is just not acting sick. But oh boy, baber lady, you should go back and read what I did for Duke the German Sheperd, lol! But he amazed everyone (vet included) and I am sort of hoping perhaps Jinx can do the same. Sadly, I learned from Bosco (FIP), and when Jinx is ready, I will not hang on to her like I did to him. Still breaks my heart, that one.

I am pinning a lot of hope on the fact that her lung X-Rays showed no mets yet. But hey, if she opens her up and finds her riddled with cancer, we can just end it there. I won't let my faithful buddy suffer.

This has been the longest week....grrr.