Please help save Sydney's life!

[kittykatharine]

Sydney is doing well. She is still eating really well which is very surprising. We haven't really had too many issues with vomiting, although she will do it once every few days. I have her on a anti-nausea medicine, so that seems to be working pretty well. Sydney has to go in this Friday for blood tests. I called and asked if it was possible they could take her blood without sedating her, and it was a big no. I know that she gets really mean, but I could do it no problem and just bring the sample in. I was trained how to take blood in people, so I don't understand the huge leap in faith for an animal. Sydney would let me do it, I just think they are worried about liabilities. Well, Sydney only has three more chemo administrations left (WooHoo!). She has the Vincristine next week, then we skip a month (she will get on take home pill two weeks into that month), and then she will get another administration of Vinctistine and the last (and most powerful) the Doxorubicin. After the Doxorubicin, she has another restaging (where they do an ultrasound, some blood test, and a ECG). Although I was wondering, what is the point of the restaging? She is not able to have any more Doxorubicin after her last time, because of the cardiotoxicity, and that is the most powerful drug for her type of cancer. I mean, I feel the restaging is just going to be a $500+ price tag for the vet telling me her approximation of time left. I had to drop down to half time at school, live with my parents, discontinue my old cell phone, and a bunch of other sacrifices to pay for her treatment (and I would definitely do it again in a heart beat) - I just wonder what is the purpose of the restaging, it seems to be a really expensive opinion on longevity. If it was a treatment, I would give it to them in a second, but it is not. What do you think?



movie of Sydney!
http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f3...t=MVI_2045.flv

[Emeraldgreen]

I'm so glad she is doing well. I'm not familiar with chemo and re-staging but if it is as you say, just a test to see how long she has and there is no further treatment available anyway, I would ask if you could skip it. 500.00 is alot of money and you've already spent so much. She of course is worth every penny!!

[kittykatharine]

movie of Sydney - I thought she looked cute as ever! She has come so far since she had that large bump in her head...

http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f3...t=MVI_2013.flv


I love her so much!

[jennielynn1970]

Candace... she posted this today

movie of Sydney - I thought she looked cute as ever! She has come so far since she had that large bump in her head...

http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f3...t=MVI_2013.flv


I love her so much!

[Catty1]

I watched the video...short, but SOOO sweet! Sydney has the most amazing face and spirit - you can just see her friskiness?

"Sick? Who? Not ME! I'm just being a cat!"

[jennielynn1970]

She is so adorable! I love that face!

Smooches to you sweetie!!!!

[Moesha]

I love that face too! I'm so glad you found us here at PT so you could share Sydney and her amazing story with us. No matter what the outcome, I will always remember your dear Sydney. Those first pictures with the lump on her head pushing on her eye to this latest one is just amazing!! Give her a big hug for me please!

[Medusa]

She is so adorable! I love that face!

Smooches to you sweetie!!!!

My thought exactly! I could just eat her up!

[Catty1]

Another thought.

How soon does the restaging have to be done after the last treatment? Can you have a bit of time to save up? Will she take a payment plan for that relatively small amount?

Maybe you didn't mean it to sound fatalistic, 'seeing how much time Sydney has left' - but I think the restaging is to see how much more cancer has vanished...maybe it all has. Remember her first checkup where two tumours had GONE, and that was quite a few treatments and weeks ago.

It's like in humans....you don't say it's cured til a certain amount of time goes by without a recurrence.

But cancer all gone is a definite possibility!

How is our girl doing?

{{{{hugs}}}}

[kittykatharine]

I am going to have to talk to the vet about the re-staging and when it is to occur. My chemo protocol sheet says it is done the last week of the treatment, but I may need to push it a bit. It is just, I feel the re-staging equipment is just going to give me an answer that has little to no certainty. The more accurate tests (such as bone, kidney, and spleen aspirations) that Sydney had done in Auburn would give a more definitive answer to if the cancer is gone, but I can not afford that trip or the cost again. Besides, I have to get a referral to be seen, and those are hard to come by. Once I get more info from the vet I will let you know. I mean the re-staging is just a really expensive ultrasound - which quite frankly is not that great of a tool unless you have a very distinctive mass (which I am guessing she does not).

Otherwise, Sydney has been doing great! She is eating normally, running around being playful, and she is extremely lovable. If you didnt know better you would say nothing was wrong (except for her pretty shave job ). Her blood tests were fantastic on Friday, and everything seemed to be in the normal range. It looks hopeful for now. I will keep everyone updated.

[Catty1]

Can Sydney have a CT scan done? (Sadly, they are not called CAT scans anymore...progress! ) If the restaging won't give you definite answers - well, what's the point, sort of?

Is anything available through your school?

Glad she is doing so well!

[jennielynn1970]

Awe... she looks great!!! Such a cutie!

Hugs to Sydney!!

[Catty1]

KK - do you by chance have a recent pic of our sweetheart?

[kittykatharine]

Can Sydney have a CT scan done? (Sadly, they are not called CAT scans anymore...progress! ) If the restaging won't give you definite answers - well, what's the point, sort of?

Is anything available through your school?

Glad she is doing so well!

Unfortunately, my school does not have any veterinarian medicine program, so they are of no help. I know my vet does not have CT scan capabilities either. Maybe there is another vet in the area that has this equipment, and my vet can just refer me to them for the test. If not, Auburn is the closest vet school and they are three and a half hours away. It is very hard for me to determine what is best. I will talk it over with my vet, hopefully this will help with the decision making.


Here is a recent photo of Sydney: