Please help save Sydney's life!

[kittykatharine]

Just an update...Sydney had her chemo administration on Friday (the Vincristine) and is doing surprisingly well. She is eating pretty well and she just loves the wet kitten food that I bought her. I am hoping to get her weight up because she lost 4 lbs over that horrible month she wasn't eating. I am so happy that I fattened her up before all of this because she now weighs 9 lbs - which is actually a healthy weight for her. We had one incident that happened the day I brought her home from the vet. When she comes home on chemo days, she is still kind of sedated, and she walks funny and acts loopy. Another side effect is she looses her understanding of what she is allowed to do and not. Friday when I brought her home, she some how jumped on the kitchen counter (which she is never allowed to do)- when I got up to check on her, I saw it in slow motion, her fall side ways from the counter to the floor. I ran to her to check to see if she had hurt herself, and she was laying on her side. I think because her muscles were all relaxed, when she feel she actually didn't hurt anything despite it being a pretty high fall. It was a scary, but she was ok. Things are ok for now, and I will keep everyone posted. Thanks!

[moosmom]

Omg!!! Vincristine is the exact same chemotherapy they gave my daughter. That's a good thing because my daughter has been in remission for 16 years!!!

Way to go Sydney!!! You're in my thoughts and prayers.

[kittykatharine]

Omg!!! Vincristine is the exact same chemotherapy they gave my daughter. That's a good thing because my daughter has been in remission for 16 years!!!

Way to go Sydney!!! You're in my thoughts and prayers.

That is absolutely wonderful about your daughters remission. I can only hope for the same for little Sydney. It is funny, I was so scared for her to start chemotherapy, and now I am so scared for her to stop. I will be praying that her cancer is in remission for years - so she can be with me longer. I love her so very much. Thank you for the thoughts and prayers!

[kittykatharine]

Sydney is due for the really tough chemo drug this week and I am again worried. I hope that she does well and continues to eat. I have to say that this treatment has made me exhausted. I feel like I have been fighting for her forever and I am just not seeing the end of the tunnel. Even though she appears to be acting ok, I really have no idea how long the cancer will stay in remission, if at all. I have been told there is no probability because cats act differently. Even my vet has not been able to give me any certainty. As the last few administrations come closer, I am becoming more and more nervous about stopping the chemo. Every time she goes in, I at least know the drugs are keeping those rapidly dividing cells at bay. but what happens when she stops? It is very nerve wrecking. Her last chemo admin is supposed to be December 3rd if nothing else goes wrong. I hope and pray that all this effort and money and sacrifice has worked. I know that she is here now, because of all the hard work, but I just hope to have her longer. She still acts young and I love her with all my heart.

[Catty1]

KK, of course your nerves are frazzled by now. Yow - you have been living your life with school and all, and getting your beloved Sydney the care she needs, and the funds...you have been living two or three lives!

Even with humans, cancer isn't "cured" until remission has lasted 5 years. Ask your vet what the follow-up will be with Sydney. x-rays/ultrasound at 3 months? If you know what the follow-up is, maybe you will feel better.

I thought she had had the really tough chemo treatment already.

PT Prayers for Sydney...hope she is eating a little extra to tide her through in case her appetite slows down for a day or two.

Remember this from August 18 - about a MONTH and a HALF ago:

You are not going to believe this, but just as I posted my last post, pleaing for prayers, the vet called. The results where in and they were all GREAT! Her heart is not enlarged and the ventricles and valves all looked good. Also the dark shading on her kidney and the lesion on her liver all turned out to be scar tissue from where tumors where destroyed. There appears to be no additional tumor growth. So the Chemo is WORKING! She is going to get her scheduled chemo this Wednesday, which is only five days later than expected. I am just so exsctatic! I am going to celebrate by giving her favorite canned food. Thanks for the prayers!

We're all with you, KK. We're rooting for you and Sydney with all our hearts. {{{hugs}}}

[Medusa]

I've not had to go through cancer treatments w/any of my Fur Posse, thank goodness, so I can't say that I know what you're going through except that when our beloved furkids are sick we all worry in the same manner. It's tough enough going to school and trying to keep up w/life in general. Add a kitty w/cancer to the mix and you've got some major stress, Katherine. The fears that are racing through your mind are understandable. Probably the best stress reliever is a good heart-to-heart w/your vet. Tell him/her your fears and try not to let the 'no guarantee' clause frighten you. As we all know, life offers no guarantees but you can offer one to Sydney and that's to be strong and do your absolute best for her, which is what you've been doing all along. You're doing a fantastic job. My prayers for you and Sydney have never stopped. Keep the faythe.

[jennielynn1970]

Oh Sydney! Don't scare meowmie and us so much doing such acrobatics!!!

Big hugs to you, Katherine, and to sweet Sydney!

[Medusa]

Yikes, that would've scared me! I'm sure glad Sydney is ok, sweet girl. She sure does seem to be a lioness.

[Moesha]

I'm sending big hugs to Sydney and a kiss on her nose!

[Catty1]

Sydney! *kiss*

Eating all that kitten food...having a second kittenhood with your loving meowmie around?

Remember your second kittenhood does not include jumping up on counters!

She is doing so well. Great news!

One treatment down, five to go.

KK - how are the finances holding up? Did you get to put cans in the school caf or at that other consignment store? Let us know!

[kittykatharine]

Sydney! *kiss*

Eating all that kitten food...having a second kittenhood with your loving meowmie around?

Remember your second kittenhood does not include jumping up on counters!

She is doing so well. Great news!

One treatment down, five to go.

KK - how are the finances holding up? Did you get to put cans in the school caf or at that other consignment store? Let us know!

Finances have been better , Although I put cans around my school work, and a few stores by my house - they only totaled about $18. Everyone is hurting so badly because of the economy - that there is nothing really left to give. I was able to talk a professor into giving me some more of his unused books and I was able to make $150 off of that. My sweet parents have been trying to help me whenever they can, despite struggling as well. I luckily was able to save some money over that month she didn't go in. I have enough for this treatment and the next, and I am going to keep trying to do what I can. The whole U.S. is hurting in the money department, it is just so hard because we are all being paid less than we need to live - and that excludes the medical emergencies. I am doing what I can to get by, and when Sydney improves it makes all the sacrifices I have made worth it. I would never have done it differently. Thank you so much asking, you have been so wonderful this entire expereince

[Catty1]

KK - a sports centre here was raising money to help build a badly needed other one, and a worker there came up with the idea of collecting 1 million pennies!

Now, if you do the math - say you need $1,000 - you would need 100,000 pennies. (Anyone feel free to correct my math).

If you ask for pennies in the cans - I bet more people would part with them. Just stick a label on them saying "Goal - 100,000 pennies". It's a neat psychological trick that worked GREAT here.

(Ask your bank to donate easy-to-use penny rollers!)