Talked to the vet

[feuervogel]

It's the same vet who managed Isis' case when she was in with ketosis, so she's more emergency focused and couldn't give me too much detail on oncology.

They ran a PARR test, which is a PCR antibody test to look for cellular markers for lymphoma, because the cell samples from the splenic aspirates were slightly suspicious (as in, if you're worried about lymphoma, test further; if not, carry on). They took splenic aspirates because there was a bit of thickening in her intestinal wall, which could have been IBS or lymphoma.

They found B cell clones consistent with lymphoma. That's a bit of good news, because T cell (aka blastic) lymphoma is Bad News. It's probably small cell, but onc would be able to give us better details on that and whether we should pursue further testing.

In her favor as well is that it (as of right now, according to the ICU vet) seems to be early stage. If it were later stage, the splenic aspirates would have been more than "slightly suspicious." She's also happy, eating and not throwing up, so there's not a tumor blocking her gut.

However, as an eternal pessimist, I'm not letting my hopes get up too high until we talk to onc and see how treatment goes. I'm not paying for class yet (I have until 3/3), and I'm not ruling out the necessity of canceling our vacation.

We got an appointment at 11 am Monday. It should take 60-90 minutes of talking with the oncologist (note: bring extra kleenex), then Isis stays the rest of the day for further testing as needed. They said she should be able to come home between 4 and 6 pm.

I'm not going in to work today. I woke up shivering under my covers and in GI distress at 2 am, and it hasn't gotten any better. Been drinking tea and trying to eat frosted mini wheats, because I'm hungry, but when I swallow, I feel ill. I'll finish this tea and lie down some more.

Comments

[tammylee]

*HUGS YOU TIGHT*

[feuervogel]

*clings*

[tsubaki-ny.livejournal.com]

I am so sorry you're having to deal with all this. :-( I hope you get the best-case scenario.

[leora.livejournal.com]

That sounds a lot like Lao-Tzu's diagnosis (diabetes + small-cell intestinal lymphoma). I'm really glad you caught this early. It sucks horribly, but catching it early is definitely better. I really hope Isis does well. I did a bunch of reading online when Lao-Tzu was diagnosed. Apparently cats are far more prone to cancer than most species, but also react better to chemo than most species (such as dogs or humans). If this is the diagnosis, the real question will be how well does Isis, in specific, react to the chemo.

I really, really hope she does well. Lao-Tzu is currently in remission, and the diabetes went away at the same time he went into remission (leading him to come very close to a hypoglycemic episode before we stopped the insulin, so keep an eye out for that). He didn't seem to have any side effects from the chemo, so it didn't affect his quality of life.

I'm really sorry Isis is ill. It was so hard adjusting to Lao-Tzu's diagnosis and the only reason I'm not incredibly upset about it right now is that he's doing so well. But it's this horrible looming worry.

I'm glad you're doing your best to take care of yourself. I wish all the best to you and to Isis.

[feuervogel]

I found this article earlier. It's written at a fairly high level (journal style as opposed to patient education).

We have a glucometer, the same kind people use, and we check her sugar regularly.

[leora.livejournal.com]

Thank you. Neurotically researching seems to be one of my coping mechanisms.

I had known, but forgotten, you are testing Isis' blood glucose. So, yeah, you won't have a problem with her going hypoglycemic if the diabetes suddenly goes into remission (I have no idea what the odds of that are, but we came so close to a problem with Lao-Tzu I felt it worth mentioning. The vet was surprised he was conscious with his blood glucose so low. We had been watching for signs of hypoglycemia and the vet had been testing (but his numbers in the vet's office didn't tend to come out well because he is so stressed when he is there). But I'm just so glad he didn't seize).

I didn't get as much out of that article as someone with more background, but I could follow a fair bit of it. I like knowing what to expect, even when it's bad. I really hate the not knowing parts. Not that you ever fully know what will happen, but there are differences in degree.

[feuervogel]

Mine too ;) Avoidance is another, but it's less helpful. Depersonalization is much harder when it's your own family.

A lot of that article details the diagnostic process and chemo regimens, which you probably figured out. It's the most informative one I could find - a lot of sites are vague and non-specific, which isn't what I want. I don't want vague, fluffy stuff; I want concrete. Numbers, lists of factors that improve or worsen the prognosis, details. Not knowing is definitely the worst.

I'm glad Tzu didn't seize, too. And in A's twitter, he said Mina was being tested now, too? :(

[leora.livejournal.com]

Yes... we just got the results, but he went off to get lunch as he still has a work conference call he needs to be prepared for. It's really his news to share, but since he already mentioned part of it... The diagnosis is multiple myeloma. That wasn't even one of the things mentioned as likely when we were waiting for results. He hasn't discussed the treatment options with an oncologist yet.

I was really hoping for a different diagnosis (such as infection). I think I've decided to start an aggressive program of making Mina as happy as I can. It should work well with whatever treatment options the vets suggest. I figure that a good mood isn't as significant toward outcome as chemo or other such factors, but a good mood does help, even if it's only a little. So, let's give her all the help we can, and this way also she's getting as much happiness into her life as we can squeeze in.

Lao-Tzu is significantly exceeding expectations. He may well end up being an outlier (I so hope so). I really hope Mina can too.

*sighs* They are really good cats. At least for the most part. This really isn't the diagnosis I wanted.

[feuervogel]

I'm sorry to hear that :(

[faithful-summer.livejournal.com]

Freddy is on chemo for Lymphosarcoma... we opted for the Madison-Wisconsin protocol. It's the most expensive, but it was by far the best option for him since we caught it early on. He's on about his third month of treatment so far and is doing really well except for a little weight loss.

[feuervogel]

NC State wants to use chlorambucil (and possibly prednisone?). I'll find out more on Monday, I guess.

[faithful-summer.livejournal.com]

Yeah, ask about all the different recommendations. (I'm sure you will.)

Freddy has been on Pred, too, and we added an appetite stimulant since he was losing weight. It seems to be helping...

[feuervogel]

So early diagnosis is good?

I found the Wisconsin protocol online, and it looks really complicated and like it will involve a lot of vet visits over 6 months. Which ... kills our travel plans ded.

[angelamori.livejournal.com]

Gah... I hope things work out well... And conni, you've got to take care of yourself too.

*hugs*

[anacoluthon.livejournal.com]

I'm most happy to hear that Isis seems to be feeling and eating ok. That's great in the short term.
I hope Monday's meeting with the vet goes better than you expect.