The prayers are never ending.
The prayers are never ending.
Oh gosh Mary, how heartbreaking. I hope that Pidge will start to feel better and not be in pain.
I hope the ultrasound will be able to tell you more tomorrow, and that it won't be anything bad.
Big hugs and thoughts going out to you and Pidge. I'm so sorry you're going through this right now!
I have been following this, but have not posted yet.
My thoughts are with you and Pidge. I know how much you love her, and she you. I hope the ultrasound tomorrow can provide some answers for you.
I am just now reading this thread for the first time. I am so very sorry you are having to deal with this and I pray that little Pidglet is better soon!
We had a fairly uneventful day except for one brief episode of wailing. (I wailed, too. Silently.) She's not gurgling much, most wheezing now but she's weak and sometimes can't hop up on the sofa so I have to lift her, which is probably what I should do anyhow since her heart is weak. I'm having blood work done tomorrow, too, to see if her thyroid is a contributing factor in the congestive heart failure. Dr. B felt that Pidge may have had a small heart attack. If it is thyroid related, she may stand a good chance of having at least another year, according to Dr. F. If her heart is in bad shape, then, well, I don't even want to verbalize it. To lose her at any time would be painful enough but so soon after losing Puddy would just be cruel. But it's all part of being a pet owner. ( I dislike the word "owner" but you know what I mean.) Somehow feeling this sorrow is bittersweet. I wouldn't have it any other way. Not that I would want her to suffer but I feel privileged that she chose me as her mom and that I'll get to be w/her right up until she makes that Trip.
I'll post as soon as I know what Dr. Lee has to say about the ultrasound and blood work, although I doubt that the blood work will be back the same day. Thanx for all the kind words and encouragement, friends. It's what's keeping me going.
Oh no! :( I hope and wish that Pidgelet starts to feel better or more at ease soon! Good vibes, hoping she gets well!*hugs* for you.
Prayers that she can be treated and be comfortable. If it's the thyroid, she may have lots of quality time left yet.
Glad to hear the gurgling is settling down.:love:
I'm so sorry to read what's been going on for the last 2 days!! You must be so scared. I'm praying that they find something with her thyroid so it can be managed and she will have more time.
I don't blame you for being completely upset with the reception staff at the Dr. Lee's clinic. As you said, it's not just that they didn't get a vet or tech on the phone for you but when you were no longer on the line when they returned, they didn't call back?!?! Totally unacceptable. Even if you were a fairly new client there, they should have taken the time to call you back. But you are a client who has gone there for years, and spent a fair amount of money on your pets there and you have just gone through a loss right at their hospital.
I agree that your energy should be focused on Pidge right now and that is what is most important but when the time is right, Dr. Lee should know how things are being handled up front. I'm sure he will address the situation.
I'm so glad you took matters into your own hands and went to Dr. B. though.
Does the lasix make cats pee more to get rid of the excess fluid? I was wondering if on top of everything that she is feeling, if her bladder might be irritated by that. I don't know anything about it though, it's just a thought.
I hope that Pidge will be able to sleep tonight, and you too. And that you will have more answers in the morning. Prayers going out for you and your sweet Pidgelet. :love:
Yes, it's supposed to and she was up a lot during the night but the amount of urine that's in the litterbox as opposed to what is usually there concerns me. She usually does a flood but the puddles are small now. My little sweetie pie had a restless night. She cried a lot, sometimes wailed. She normally isn't a lap cat; she usually sits beside me on the sofa and pats my arm to let me know she wants to be petted. Last night, though, she wanted to be as close to me as possible. I even held her at one point because that seemed to be what she wanted but after a few minutes, she wanted do just lie down in the bed.Quote:
Originally Posted by Emeraldgreen
I remember experiencing this w/my RB peke-a-poo Charmin. The night she passed she was so restless and she panted a lot, wanted to be held, then let down. She died of congestive heart failure and she wailed like that, too. My chest has been so tight since all this started; sympathy pangs I guess. My heart hurts for Pidgelet, not only because she's sick but because she's scared. And that's one emotion I can't bear to see in an animal. When I sense fear in them, it breaks my heart.
Well, I'm getting emotional so I'll post when I come home from Dr. Lee's. Please pray that it's thyroid that's causing this; that can be managed for a little while anyhow. I just want my girl to be comfortable and never have another fearful day.
I just got home from dropping Pidge off for the ultrasound. I'll pick her up at 4:00. I could've waited for a couple of hours, run errands, etc. but I wouldn't have been able to talk to Dr. Lee then. He leaves after surgery, then comes back in the evening. So I opted to leave her there til then. She may have to be sedated anyhow because she was fairly stressed; she cried most of the drive there. I'm just so concerned about her. I have no food in this house so I need to get groceries during my wait but I don't like to grocery shop in this mood. I come home w/weird stuff and nothing that I need. Oh well, I'm rambling, so I'll post after I talk to Dr. Lee and Pidge is home and settled.
Prays coming that you remain calm for Pidgelet and that it is only a thyroid problem.
Prays for Pidgelet to remain calm while the white coats are just trying to help you.
{{{{hugs}}}}
Well, it wouldn't be only a thyroid problem; it would be that the thyroid is contributing to the congestive heart failure. But if it is thyroid, it's treatable and that would keep her from developing CHF. And I thank you for the prayers. We'll take 'em! :) And the hugs, too, Candace. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Anikaca77
We're continuing to think positive thoughts here! :)
(((hugs))) I am so sorry to hear about your baby. Praying really hard for good news.
Come on, Pidgelet!! We're all rooting for you! (and you, too, Mary):love:
That's what I was thinking, that it should be alot of pee and on Oct. 17 you wrote:Quote:
Originally Posted by Medusa
and I know she wasn't yet on the Lasix at this point but I figured her pee in the box would/should be alot more now that she is on it. Do you think it's possible that she could have crystals or a URI as well? If she could get rid of the fluid comfortably and regularly, it might help her feel better with her lungs and with her bladder. If the Lasix isn't able to do it's job, then the fluid build up might be making her feel panicky.Quote:
She went into a litterbox and peed a little, then went into another litterbox and let out a weird meow.
She may not have an issue with peeing but you mentioned that it's less than normal and now it should be more than normal and it's not. Maybe Dr. Lee could do a urinalysis while she is under anesthesia?
Prayers and {{{great big HUGS}}} going out.
p.s. Maybe buy some freshly baked pumpkin bread at the store. That could be the first item on your list. ;) Can't go wrong with that, though home made is probably better.
The CREW and I have Pidgelet and you in our prayers. These times are always hard and we hope that she is comfortable and recovering.
Dr. Lee called after the ultrasound and ekg. He said that the Lasix is apparently doing its job because her lungs are clear. He said that the mass that we saw on her x-ray last week is gone, so he thinks it may have been fluid starting to build up. Now that's scary! Her heart rate today was 268, which is high, but when I told him that it was at 360 on Saturday, he said "What??? Are you sure?" I said "She did a reading 4 times to be sure". I told him how labored her breathing was and that her tongue was hanging out and that she was wailing and that's why I hung up and went to Dr. B because time was of the essence. He said "You'd better believe time was of the essence. She was on her way out! That's the kind of behavior you do when you're dying!" So. I feel vindicated in being so upset on Friday w/the receptionist at his office because, had I waited, Pidge would not be here.
He said "The more I talk to you, the more I believe that she was in tachycardia. The blood work will tell me whether or not it's due to hyperthyroidism". I was to go in to pick her up at 4:00 but he asked that I wait until 5:30 because the blood work will be back by then and he'll be able to go over everything w/me and show me the x-rays and ekg. I also asked that a urine test be done to check for crystals and/or a URI, Lara, because what you said makes sense. What would I do w/out you??? I asked a tech if the Lasix should make Pidge pee more and she said "Yes, it should, why?" and I told her that her puddles in the litterbox are smaller, not larger. She said "Hmmm, that's strange. I think you're right to ask for urine testing".
So I can see that this day is going to be a 4 figure one but, heck, I would've spent that on Puddy anyhow, so what's the dif? I'm really starting to look like a cat lady, though. I was going to buy a few new fall items of clothing because I really haven't bought any clothes in quite a while, just some summer things and it's getting too chilly to wear them. Looks like I'll have to make do for a while. Y'know, if Dr. Lee would tell me that she's hyperthyroid, it would make my day. Of course, I don't want her to have that either but it's better than cardiomyopathy, which he straight up told me that he hasn't ruled out yet.
Sorry to go on so much but I thought that I'd update you so that you wouldn't have this to read plus what he has to tell me this evening. Prayers are still appreciated. As for the pumpkin bread, I bought a slice of pumpkin cake w/cream cheese. It was so sweet, I ate 3 bites and couldn't finish it. Pomtzu made me think about nothing else ever since she told me she was baking some. :)
PM me your address and I'll send you a couple - and mine aren't sickening sweet! I'll be doing more baking in earnest in a couple of weeks when I get back from vacation!Quote:
Originally Posted by Medusa
That's good news so far about Pidge - no fluid in her lungs and the mass is gone. Lucky Pidge that you got her help in time. Hopefully you'll get more promising news when you pick her up later. Fingers, toes, paws, wiskers - all crossed here!! :)
I wasn't hinting, Ellie, truly I wasn't. (Did that come across as sincere enough? LOL) Thanx for your generous offer, even if I did extort it out of you. And thanx for the prayers. My little girl needs them.Quote:
Originally Posted by pomtzu
Here too!Quote:
Originally Posted by pomtzu
Hey - I didn't take it as a hint - more of a compliment of sorts. And I'm serious! I love baking for people!! :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Medusa
Maybe it's a good thing we don't live near each other. I felt my hips expand just talking about this. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by pomtzu
We're all in there praying and chanting and dancing and sending our healing energies along to dear Pidgelet.
Love from us
Well, it's the worst possible news. Pidge isn't hyperthyroid; she has hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In a nutshell, Dr. Lee said "Your cat could die at any time, even tonight. She's a ticking time bomb." To add to it, her kidneys are bad, so he can't put her on subQ's because she needs Lasix to keep the fluids out. He put her on a beta blocker, too. Here's the worst part of this whole day: I felt like I had been punched in the stomach; I couldn't even cry. So when I left I didn't notice that Dr. Lee hadn't signed the prescriptions! So when I got to my pharmacy, they wouldn't fill anything. So Pidge has no Lasix, only one prescription that Dr. Lee called in. The other prescription that she needed, he wrote two separate doses. One said to give her 1/4 tablet once a day, the other said 1/4 tablet 4 times a day. The pharmacist said to me "This is inexcusable. Does he not know how to write a Rx? I will not take responsibility for killing your cat w/an overdose." So of course, Dr. Lee's clinic was closed by the time all this transpired, so all I could do was leave him a voice mail. Pidge has one Rx to see her through tonight and according to the pharmacist, it should hold her over until she can get some Lasix in the morning. She won't have any tonight. When Dr. Lee picks up that voice mail, he's going to need asbestos earmuffs to listen to it, I was so bloody angry! I paid a huge sum of money to be told that my cat is going to die, only to find out that he wasn't even attentive enough to write a proper Rx to keep her comfortable tonight. To say I'm angry is a gross understatement. He and I WILL talk tomorrow, I guarantee it!
Awww Mary I'm so sorry. You have been through so much lately and I can't even image what you are going through right now. I went through what you did, Anika was laid to rest 2 weeks exactly today and I've been following this thread hoping for the best for Pidge.
I'm so sorry Dr. Lee didn't pay attention to what he was doing. That's just not right. I sure hope you can make Pidge comfortable tonight.
I don't blame you for being angry. Poor Pidgelet.
Mary all I can say right now is that I'm praying and thinking of your and Pidgelet tonight and tomorrow and however long you need us to pray for we will be here.
Prays & Hugs,
Melissa & Rob
Anika (RIP Oct. 6, 2008), Claudia, Ashley, Sebastian, Hermes, Fiona, Athena, and Osiris
Oh Mary ((((HUGS))). I just popped in to get an update on Pidge and my heart is breaking for you. I'm so sorry the news is this bad. I pray that Pidge isn't in pain and that you can make the most of your time with her.
The vet not signing the prescriptions is a terrible mistake. I totally understand your anger.
Oh, dear. I'm so sorry. My thoughts will be with you and Pidge tonight.
Sending my thoughts to you and Pidge.
I can't even imagine how upset you must be about the prescriptions being unsigned and inaccurate!
Mary, I found a bit of info you can look at when you're up to it. While meds won't prolong Pidge's life, they can make it more comfy.
http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/hyp-cardio.html
Quote:
For cats with hypertophic cardiomyopathy, drugs such as diltiazem (trade name Cardizem), propranolol (trade name Inderal), and atenolol (trade name Tenormin) can help reduce heart rate and relax the thickened heart muscle. This disease may lead to congestive heart failure, for which veterinarians often prescribe low-salt diets and diuretics such as furosemide (Lasix®) to reduce fluid accumulation. Lasix® forces the kidneys to get rid of excess sodium and water. Vasodilators such as enalapril may be used as well to reduce blood pressure. If a cat is at risk for blood clots, vets sometimes prescribe small doses of "blood thinners" such as aspirin. But guardians should never give aspirin without consulting a veterinarian. While this medication is harmless to most humans, it can be toxic to cats.
I wondered about the echocardiogram...but that must have been the ultrasound she had.Quote:
Diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can include:
# X-rays - will reveal the presence of fluid in the lungs and chest cavity, and the silhouette of the heart itself. But the cardiac x-ray often looks normal and won't show the thickness of the heart muscle.
# Electrocardiography - records the electrical activity of the heart during and between contractions and may pick up abnormalities, such as muffled breathing sounds, extra heart sounds, or gallop rhythms due to the heart chamber enlargement.
# Cardiac Ultrasound (echocardiography) - shows thickness in the wall of the heart and how well blood is being pumped. This is usually the determining test of whether a cat has cardiomyopathy and will allow vets to categorize the disease.
# Cardiac Catheterization - this will make a specific diagnosis. But because anesthetic risk is high in cats with heart problems, and a definitive diagnosis doesn't change treatment in most cases, this procedure is rarely done.
Big hugs! I know the prognosis sucks...but she has been so healthy all her life, I pray that gives her a slight edge. Once she feels more comfy, "your" Pidge will be back, with her Boo man taking care of her...I hope you find some happiness in that. :love:
{{{{{HUGS}}}}}
I am so sorry for this news. I won't even add fuel to the fire as to how mad I'd be with this vet mess. :mad: I'll just concentrate all my energy on prayers for Pidge. May the Lord give her as much pain-free time as possible,
Mary, I can't find the words to tell you how sorry I am about this awful, awful turn of events -- but did want to let you know that you and sweet Pidge are in our thoughts and prayers.
Your situation in these past few weeks makes me think of something that Mother Teresa once said: "I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much." Hang in there, sweetheart!
(((((HUGS)))))
Diana
I just don't know what to say. I've tried and tried to come up with words of comfort and can't think of anything. Please know you are in my thoughts and I'm sending hugs your way.
Like others, I don't even know what to say. Just know you and Pidge are in my thoughts. I will be thinking of you two all night hoping she makes it several more weeks, if not months. At least long enough for you to give Dr Lee the earfull he deserves.
Big (((HUGS))) to you Mary!!!
Oh gosh Mary. I'm so sorry to hear all of this. :(
I'll be thinking of you and Pidge. Big hugs from PA. :love::love:
Mary, I'm so sorry to hear about Pidge.:( I'd also be extremely upset at my vet if this happened to me. I've now learned to try to read over everything before I leave so that if I have questions I can ask them right away. I sure hope that things start getting better in your life. Lots of prayers and positive thoughts are being sent to both to you and Pidge. Please take care. (((HUGS)))
I'm so sorry. It shouldn't be this hard. I'm praying that she will be comfortable through the night and that you will be able to get the meds with the correct prescriptions tomorrow morning. The news is devastating and made so much worse when things are going wrong with meds and communication. I think it might be as you once said, that he is such a good vet that he has taken on so many clients but perhaps has taken on too much. I don't blame you for being angry but I pray that this will all somehow work out, that she will make it through tonight and get onto the meds tomorrow and... with LOTS AND LOTS OF PT PRAYERS, that she will go on to live with you for many, many more months and longer. I know Dr. Lee said that she could die at any moment and it is overwhelming. But she also could live on and it could work out. Please hang in there, keep the faith and know that we are with you. :love:
Mary - like so many others, I just don't know that there is anything I can say to make you feel any better. You know that you and Pidge are in my prayers.
This whole situation is so distressing for you, but then to have Dr. Lee add to it is just totally inexcusable.
And lately it seems like so many of the PT pets - dogs, cats, young, old - have gone to the Bridge or are very sick. What's going on??? - I wish I knew. Every day anymore, it's just one sad story after another. Some days I don't even really want to read anything on PT! :(
Please remember the verse I sent to you before: "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." No matter what happens with Pidge, I hope you can find peace and comfort in this.
A gentle pat to Pidge and hugs to you Mary. :love:
Well, Dr. Lee just called. He did not apologize but he did acknowledge that it was his responsibility to sign those Rx's. He said "I misunderstood. I thought you had enough meds from your local vet and I was simply writing down how you were to administer them". I said "I told your vet tech that I had none left and that it was imperative that Pidge get a Lasix at 10:30 AM" and he replied "She made it sound as though you didn't bring any w/you". I said "No, I told her that my vet gave me enough to get me through the weekend and that was it".
He called me on my landline, which annoyed me, because I specifically stated to call me on my cell and I gave him the number. Then he said "I'll call your pharmacy at ______" and I said "NO! That's MY number!" See, this is what I mean. Not enough attention to detail is being paid. We're all human and we all make mistakes but this is a biggie. Pidge needs that Lasix to keep the fluid out of her lungs. If you're not breathing, you're dying! My mother missed one dose of her Lasix and she died that night. And still, I feel that I need to keep coming to Dr. Lee's defense because he gave me years w/Puddy and Yodie that I never would have had. But he's got to have a staff meeting and stress the importance of paying attention to detail, no matter how busy the day, no matter how stressful the situation. It shouldn't be up to the client to be the watchdog. I had just gotten devastating news and if you had asked me my name at that moment, it's doubtful that I could've answered you.
Dear Mary I and the CREW are so so sorry.