Thank you guys so much for all your posts! I've been wanting to post since yesterday but I worked from 9-5 and then got home to a dark house. Half the island lost power yesterday afternoon and for most of the evening due to a huge windstorm we had. Poor Barney was in the dark except for a nightlight that we have that is also battery operated so it can still stay on. Then we finally got the power back on and I could not connect to the internet. As it turned out, our local internet provider had lost power and so no one here could get online last night (unless they were with Telus, a bigger provider). I had to work all day again and just now got home.
I really appreciate what everyone has said and all of the PM's.

I was so down yesterday and kept wellling up with tears but I'm slowly absorbing the news. I think you guys are right, I have to look at it that he has had love and warmth and endless food and care since he was taken in and who knows if he ever had that. I wish I could know, maybe I will get a reading done for him. It sure would be amazing to know what he thinks and how he has lived.

I called the clinic back yesterday and asked the receptionist to ask Robin if she thought that it would be safe to bring Barney into the house, now that we know he has cancer and that it is likely the cause of the high white blood cell count instead of from FIP. I also asked about stopping the insulin.
The receptionist called back and she told me that Robin was 90% sure Barney didn't have FIP but she felt that he should not be brought into the house because my other cats could catch it if he does have it and it is fatal.
I'm disappointed but at the same time, my cats mean so much to me and I have to protect them. I would be devastated if I caused them all to become sick.

I will do all that I can to improve his day to day life though and will spend more time with him. Hopefully we will get some decent weather here soon so I can take him outside for a bit in the outdoor enclosure. I think he would enjoy that.
I also have a small tv that I will put in there but I'm going to pick up a used vcr to hook up to it because the tv can't get reception out there. I will play some videos that would be interesting for a cat, something with animals, birds and nature. I know that sounds silly but I want to make it kind of like a house in there for him and though he won't be able to hear it, maybe just having it going in the background will be comforting.

Robin also said that she felt it was important for me to keep going with the insulin. She said that if I stop after I've started, he will feel worse than before. And, this morning went pretty well so I think it will be okay. When I got home, I went into the shop and there he was hopping out of the litterbox and he hopped up onto the dog bed to see me. His blue collar was NOT on him! lol It was just laying there on the floor. I guess he found a way to get out of it. But it was neat to see him with a new kind of energy and I guess that must be from his glucose levels being more balanced.

When I first spoke with Robin yesterday, she said that she thought putting him on steroids might help make him more comfortable with regard to the ear tumor. I think that is another reason she wants him on the insulin because she thinks the steroids are going to throw his diabetes out of whack and the insulin might help with that a bit.
She also wants to put him back on another round of antibiotics so I'll pick those up on Monday.

The sample that was tested for cancer came from what Robin had first thought was an enlarged thyroid but as it turns out, it is a tumor. She thinks it may have spread to his salivary gland/s and that it is in his left ear and possibly his right and is likely responsible for the 'barnacles' on his nose. She said that the tests came back as a 'malignant epithileal (sp??) tumor' and that it could be Squamous Cell Carcinoma. It's so bizarre, before a year ago, I've never encountered this disease but not I'm way too familiar with it. But, perhaps it's a good thing that I've learned a bit about it and can hopefully try and help Barney. I don't expect that his cancer will be cured but I do think I can give him back some quality of life before his time comes with treatment with Transfer Factor that I already have here on hand, left over from Tiger. As you said Candace, why not try it?

I have a nagging feeling that steroids are not the way to go and I think I'd rather give him Metacam for pain and inflammation, antibiotics to help fight infection in his ears and on his nose and Transfer Factor to help boost his immune system and insulin to keep his glucose down. It would be such a gift if I could get him to gain some more weight and feel some more energy and get to 'enjoy' a bit of life. I think it will happen. Instead of wishing for lots of time, we'll just live in the moment.

Thank you all again for your wonderful posts. I love that Barney means something to others just as he does to me. I wish he could know how many people love him.