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Our vet chose to put a chest tube in Lucky, its is not a better solution, but they could drain the fluid hourly, rather than sticking him daily. Less of a chance for inection, too. You might ask for that option since the fluid is still building up. The chest tube can stay in for a week without any major problems. Just a thought.
Stay strong..........
I just know I would go to peices if I had to go through something like this with my kitty. It must be so awful! I am continuing to pray for you and Bassett and your other two kitties who would certainly be upset at their best mate's discomfort.
Bassett- You are also very, very brave and very, very lucky to have such a wonderful Meowmie. Please get better soon for your Meowmie and all your friends at PT.
I just found this thread. How awful for you and Bassett. It is so hard to deal with this situation, where you have to make all the decisions for an animal that trusts you but you just don't know how they feel or whether they understand why you are doing this. I'll be thinking of you and sending all the positive vibes I can.
I've been away for 3 weeks and when I met Bunny's Lucky who also has chylothorax and who is quite ok at the moment, I thought of Basset being so much better too and now I see this. Oh I know it is so difficult to bear all this with a cat who trusts you absolutely because she knows you will do the right things for her -but you don't know....
I keep everything crossed and hope she will have a long life with you and her sisters:)
Hi everyone,
I do have some information for everyone, but I just don't have time to write it all out today (I'm going to a family thing tonight). But I hope that I will be awake enough to type it all out tonight after I get back from dinner.
But to quickly update you all, Bassett is doing ok. She went to the vet yesterday for another drain, and it was 150cc again. We are noe considering the surgery. (that's what tonight's update will be about).
Keep checking, and I will keep you posted when I have the energy to think it all out into some coherent paragraphs ;)
Naomi
Thanks for the update! Enjoy your dinner!
Naomi, I've just now read the whole thread. I'm so very sorry to hear Bassett is producing fluids again. I really hope you and the vet can find the right solution for her! So far, you have done everything possible and I'm sure Bassett knows that. I can only imagine how you feel. :( Please try and be strong and keep your hopes up.
I'll be sending positive thoughts and we'll keep all fingers and paws crossed for sweet Bassett. :)
Get well again dear Bassett!
Thinking of you both with lots of love and sending our prayers, as well. We love you Bassett. Please get well soon. Love, Sandra, Mr. B and Oliver
(((BASSETT & NAOMI)))
Ok.. I'm finally able to give you that big update I promised before.
On Friday Bassett went in again to have another 150cc drawn off. I have now started thinking about the surgery options. I talked to a surgeon on Friday, and I really really liked her. She explained everything to me in a clear way without dummying it down.. she did not make me feel stupid or anything. I would be very comfortable with this woman giving Bassett her surgery.
The surgery is very extensive and invasive. They have to open up Bassett's chest cavity (thoracotomy) and then there are three procedures that take place.
1) First the pericardium, or the sac that the heart sits in, is removed. Dr. Schiller (the surgeon) says that in removing this sac, the flow dynamics of the blood and lymph fluids (the chyle that accumulates in Bassett's chest is a lymph fluid) is changed. In removing this sac, the heart does not have to work as hard and therefore the pressure on the vessels is less. She described it as "removing an avenue for the fluid to accumulate."
2) The next step is the thoracic duct ligation. This means that the thoracic duct would be tied off just where it enters the chest cavity, forcing the fluid to find another place to dispel and then be absorbed by the body's fat. Where it is accumulating now, there is nothing to absorb it, and that's why it's just sitting in Bassett's pleural cavity rather than being absorbed.
3) The last part of the surgery is some omentum, which is fat from around the small intestine, is brought up through the diaphragm and into the chest cavity, so that if fluid does accumulate, the omentum fat can act like a wick and draw the fluid out of the chest.
After the surgery, Bassett would have to stay in intensive care for at least five days, and then I don't know if I would take her home or if I would have to leave her at my own vet for a period of time (this surgery would be done at the same critical care unit that Bassett had her ultrasound). The surgeon said that this is Bassett's best chance at making it through this disease, and even at that the success rate is only 30-50%. I don't know if that means a complete recovery or if it includes even a partial recovery. What I mean by that is this procedure sometimes is a complete cure, a partial cure meaning fluid still accumulates but medical managment and drug therapy can control it, and sometimes if cures the cat for a while and then the disease can come back. Also, there is a chance it won't work at all.
Now for the final blow.. Dr. Schiller wrote me up an estimate, and the total came to $4750. That does not include my other expenses like travel, finding a place to stay, etc. I still have a lot of questions for the surgeon and so I'm not 100% sure this is what I want to do, but I'm leaning this way. Bassett is so happy and chipper otherwise, that I feel like it would be unfair to not give her this opportunity. However, it's a very expensive chance. I still feel like I need to talk to the surgeon about the risks and everything.
I'm also going to ask you all a favour. If you could, try to put yourself into my situation, and think of the questions you would have for the surgeon. I'm so overwhelmed because I'm so involved with this that I'm sure there are things I should ask that I am not thinking of. Then I can print them out and call the surgeon about it. That would be a great help to me.
So, I think that's all I know so far. I will be getting in touch with the bank tomorrow to see if I can take out some kind of loan. I need to set up the money in case I decide to do this.
Thank you all for the continued support and prayers.
Naomi
Naomi
as I was reading this, I thought wow she really did explain it very well to you...because it seems to be explained so well in your post.
the first thing I wondered about it, was the 30-50% success rate.
you need to know, does that mean 30-50% as in her chances of making it THRU the surgery?? or does it mean her chances of the surgery helping? be very sure to find out what the chances are of something going wrong during a surgery like that...I don't want to scare you, but it is something to think about. that sounds like a extremely serious surgery! but she is only 4 yrs old(right?) so I would also be leaning toward wanting to have the surgery done on her if she were my cat.
also, can the vet give you information on other cats that have had that done, or do they know of anyone, maybe other vets have had patients with that disease? try the universities, maybe they have info on it. vet universities etc.
and, after the intensive care, how long til a complete reccovery?
will she be able to do normal activities and play after she is recovered? is there any known downside to life after the surgery?
that's all I can think of right now, but I will let you know if I think of anything else. you have SO MUCH to think about and so much worry, can I help you in any way, like with find/gathering info from universites and the interent? PLEASE let me know, I would be glad to .