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Can someone else pick up the med's for you? You should cuddle up on the sofa or bed with him and take it easy for the rest of the day. I'll be thinking about you both.
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Tumor / SCC: Defying the Odds with Hospice Care - Living with a Terminally Ill Loved One, I share w
- Thread starter 2Cats4everLoved
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Just called the vet again and I have to bring him down there to get the meds--they won't dispense without seeing him. I literally am not sure about what to do.
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sending every good thought-so scary! I wouldn't want to leave either-would a neighbor go to the vets and help you out?
I am SO sorry to hear this. I can only tell you what I personally would do. If you have to take him to the vet to get the pain meds dispensed, do it. The priority here is that he doesn't suffer. I completely understand that if he passes, you want him to be at home, but if he screamed, he is in pain. Praying for you both.....
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Thank you all. I'm bringing him into the vet at 3pm EST. He tried to drink, but couldn't. I don't want him to suffer but I suspect this might be the end. It's ripping my heart out.
Bless you, sweetie. I know you want what's best for him. This is truly heartbreaking and I am so, so sorry. You are doing exactly the right thing. I know this is agony for you. My thoughts & prayers are with you both.
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@SheriT and anyone else catching up.below, Simon relaxing after drinking and eating... his ears are pink again.
Thursday, May 5th
below, Simon sleeping soundly on a full belly
afternoon nap tucked in at bedtime
Friday, May 6th
below, Simon hunkered down with a full tummy on muggy rainy day.
right, all the empty food containers Simon consumed Monday thru Friday.... YAY!!! He started working on the Royal Canin Kitten.
Please note... Juice from tuna only.
below, Friday Night.. fed and hydrated, Simon is King of the Castle, once again!
"Let's Get it On"... napping with his "girlfriend"
Saturday, May 7th
below, Simon exhausted after a night of passion...
Simon was growing tired of the baby food and was beginning to be difficult, he didn't even want the high protein foods he had been given with the syringe I guess it turned him off, even with tuna juice, it wasn't happening.
So at 8:00 p.m. it was back to the drawing board. I gave my neighbor back the remainder of the high cal foods, she then gave us Fancy Feast, shredded tuna and beef & liver pate, and a bunch of Wellness Salmon. I blended the Shredded Tuna, and Simon gobbled up the entire can. I couldn't believe my eyes.
right, Simon full, hydrated and extremely satisfied.
Sunday, May, 8th
below, Simon playing peek a boo on Sunday morn.
Then - to get Simon out of hiding, his daddy shook his "girlfriend" and he came running out to save her.
below, What a hero, LOL
right, Look Ma, No Hands!!!
note, he hasn't cleaned himself in a while. He was one happy kitty.
below, Simon totally satisfied with food & activities... and it's not even 10 a.m.
Also left, Simon after he ate an entire can of the Wellness Salmon, blended of course.
Sunday morning "love fest" continues.
below, "What light through yonder window breaks"...
below, "Oh Romeo, Romeo"...
right, Enough bonding.
You can see his middle packed on a little meat. He's so much meatier than last week.
below, Simon enjoying Sunday dinner.
Thank goodness for our neighbor. She feeds the neighborhood feral's and has access to the food trucks that come around. It's such a help, being that the med's are starting to add up. BUT it's all worth it.
As of NOW, Monday night, May 9th. Since Saturday night at 8 p.m., Simon has enjoyed 6 cans of food. He's averaging about 2 1/2 cans a day. I don't get it, perhaps he didn't like the high protein foods and didn't want to eat it, and I actually forced him to eat with the syringe? I thought it was because of his jaw. Or it could be his tongue shifted to where he can slop up the food.
Whatever, the reason, I'm thrilled to see my baby boy eating his heart out. Every Sunday, I ask him if he's going to be around for next weekend, and he keeps hanging on. If his tumor and bones hold out, this can work for a while. It's nice to put food down and be able to go off and take care of my own business, I'm able to take a breath. Although, I made the mistake and put his food bowl on the kitchen floor, Chestnut woke up and steamrolled over him like an army tank and started to eat his food.
For the first time ever, I raised my voice to her. I felt so bad. She's actually not supposed to eat fish, that was what the adoption center said, and sure enough later on she started doing this burping thing. I have to fix Simon's food on the bed, out of sight from her. Although, when Simon finishes eating he shakes his head and drool flies all over like a bulldog. LOL
It's somewhat normal living and he's feeling independent, which shows. His attitude is that of a happy, proud kitty. Simon is even sleeping in between hubby's feet again, which is great for me, since I've been huddled up, I can now stretch out and get good sleep myself. Oh yeah, this morning, he even played with the ball attached to his chair, it was so cute to see him entertain himself.
I do think he's getting used to the pain med's, they're having a different effect on him now. He can function on them whereas before, he just slept.
Fingers crossed, this continues for a while.
This is one cat who is Defying the Odds.
To boot, the notebook I started is almost filled. I didn't expect to use up even a 1/4 of the pages.
Still not in denial. With every passing day, I know we're one day closer... BUT again, to see Simon gain his self respect and independence back, for me there's a certain comfort and satisfaction knowing he's happy. Even if it's only for a short time.
Simon's Journey Continues...
Lamont is the sweet boy of fellow member @nerdgirl5
Who unfortunately took a turn earlier a couple of hours ago.
I don't want anyone thinking that Simon took a turn after doing so well this past week.
Simon is doing fantastic! Or, as good as can be for our situation. He's eating and "dating" again. All is well in our world.
Above is my latest update, for those who haven't read yet.
Simon's Journey Continues... happily
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so glad!!!
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While Simon's Journey continues, with great sadness I'm sorry to let you know, @nerdgirl5 lost her sweet boy.
After 15 1/2 years Lamont lost his battle to an aggressive tumor and diabetes. His poor little body couldn't handle the pain. He is now in a place where he can roam without suffering.
Sweet Boy, Lamont
I've encouraged @nerdgirl5 to start a thread for Lamont on Crossing the Bridge. She said she will do so after she spends time with close friends and takes this all in.
Please feel free to send her a PM if you like. I believe kind words of support would be greatly appreciated.
@nerdgirl5 I am so so sorry. I wished for you more time. Please keep in touch.
With the warmest regards, Simon, Chestnut & Hope
After 15 1/2 years Lamont lost his battle to an aggressive tumor and diabetes. His poor little body couldn't handle the pain. He is now in a place where he can roam without suffering.
Sweet Boy, Lamont
I've encouraged @nerdgirl5 to start a thread for Lamont on Crossing the Bridge. She said she will do so after she spends time with close friends and takes this all in.
Please feel free to send her a PM if you like. I believe kind words of support would be greatly appreciated.
@nerdgirl5 I am so so sorry. I wished for you more time. Please keep in touch.
With the warmest regards, Simon, Chestnut & Hope
Thank you for posting about Lamont. So good of you to share your generous spirit with nerdgirl and Lamont. I too, was praying that she would have more time with him. What a beautiful, sweet little boy he was. I am so glad he isn't suffering anymore, but I am heartbroken for his mom. I will definitely send her a PM. Hugs to you, Simon & Chestnut.
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How did today go?
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Thanks for asking. A lot better. Another friend came over and we mostly talked about other stuff which got my mind off of things. I cleaned, emptied out and put his litter box away. I'm taking it in steps. I'm not yet ready to go out at night and come home to an empty apartment. I'm hoping that will shift soon. But I haven't cried since this morning which is good.
I'm very slowly starting to adjust.
I pick up the ashes either Monday or Tuesday. I really want them here. I think it will be a great comfort to me.
I'm very slowly starting to adjust.
I pick up the ashes either Monday or Tuesday. I really want them here. I think it will be a great comfort to me.
Don't dis crying -- you need to cry. You need to grieve -- you've lost a family member. You may be thinking "Oh, I knew it was happening, so I was prepared for it," but that's not true. You can never be "prepared" for something like this.
I hate repeating this, because I hate it that I keep needing to repeat it, but there are some important guidelines for grieving, and you need to keep them in mind:
- It hurts as much as it hurts. This means that you don't listen to anyone who tells you "It was just a cat. Get over it already." Lamont was not "just" a cat, he (not "it") was a family member, your fur baby. Losing him hurts because it's supposed to hurt when we lose family.
- It takes as long as it takes. This means that you don't listen to anyone who says "It's already been three (six, nine, however many) months; don't you think it's time you let go?" You are letting go, at your own pace, in your own time. Your grief is your own, and no one has a right to tell you how long it should take.
- The only way to the other side of grief is straight through the middle. There are no shortcuts, no bypasses. Attempting to shorten the process, to "say goodbye" before you're ready results in one thing only: you never finish grieving, it weighs on you forever. I took bad advice and did this once. It was twenty-five years ago, and this is the loss that sticks with me, that in some ways continues to hurt the most, more even than the death of my father, because I grieved him properly and unhurriedly.
It's probably a good time for you to be supplementing your B vitamins; they help your body deal with stress. If you have any doubts, ask your doctor.
Expect yourself to be a bit absent minded for a while; this is what lists are for. Grocery lists, ToDo lists, priority lists, anything you need to deal with the fact that your mind's priority right now is grieving Lamont.
You may have trouble sleeping. I've found melatonin to be extremely helpful for this. It's safe, non habit forming, and it puts me out like a baby. Once again, if you're unsure, ask your doctor. Oh, yes. And I've found Sudafed to be extremely helpful for stuffy noses. At least in the U.S. you have to sign for it (because people who buy really large quantities are probably making methamphetamines, but you don't need that much); it's worth signing for. They make a 12 hour variety that's extremely useful for getting through the night. Do check the label and ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any of the conditions that are a contraindication.
Sometimes it helps to talk to someone other than a friend, someone who will never tell you to "Get over it already." If you find that happening, check out this post: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/276461/for-those-wanting-to-talk-to-someone-the-aspca-grief-hotline. And always remember that we are here for you. We are your support group, and we all know how much it hurts to lose a pet. You can come cry on our shoulders any time you want to.
Losing someone you love is a lot like amputation; there will always be a Lamont shaped hole in your heart, and no other cat will ever fill that hole. But if you take your time about it and grieve properly, the wound will heal cleanly, and someday the pain will lessen, and not catch you up with a sudden need to cry every time you pass the pet food aisle in the grocery store. When that time comes, you may want to think about getting your next cat, not to replace Lamont, who is irreplaceable, but for his or her own self, to silently creep into your heart and make his or her own place there.
Please accept our thanks, on behalf of Lamont, for everything you did to ease his final journey, and for making that hard decision about when it was time to put an end to his suffering.
Margret
Having those ashes home will be a great comfort for you. You will be able to "kiss" him everyday. I am so grateful I had my dog Missy cremated 2.5 years ago when she passed. She is and always will be right there for me. And believe it, having him there WILL HELP with your grieving. You will see. You will not feel so lost because he IS right there with you.
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For those wanting to share your support, well wishes, thoughts & prayers and words of wisdom regarding the loss of Sweet Boy Lamont,
@nerdgirl5 has set up a thread on Crossing the Bridge.
There she shares the touching story of how this Bronx Boy Lamont first entered her world and charmed her from the start.
below is the link
http://www.thecatsite.com/t/319261/lamont-forever
And @nerdgirl5 please know I mean no disrespect to you or Lamont in redirecting members and guests to Lamont's thread.
A couple of people sent me msgs consoling me for Simon. And in truth it's freaking me out, especially since he's doing well. I'm not ready for that yet.
As always, I wish you all the best and you can contact me anytime.
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