Still waiting and preparing

I was really hoping we’d have the biopsy results back by Friday so I didn’t spend the entire weekend wondering about them!  But oh well, it is what it is and I’m doing my best to be patient.  Hopefully, we’ll hear back tomorrow (Monday).  I’ve also made a list of questions to go over with the vet when she calls with the results.  So I guess on the plus side, it’s given me more time to work on that.

I’ve also been working on cleaning out our spare room for Kender to be in after her surgery.  Right now it’s a combo storage/play room, so I have my work cut out for me to make it safe and comfy for her to recover in.

Her poor little paw seems to get a little more swollen every day.  It must be so horribly uncomfortable for her.  I’m glad she has some pain meds (Buprenex) to help with the discomfort.  You can see in the pic below how huge it is compared to her other one.  I know amputation surgery is a very serious operation, but I’m glad it’s an option that will (after her recovery period) relieve her of this horrible discomfort and pain.  I’ve had a cut off baby sock over the leg to keep her from messing with the stitches from her biopsy.  Most of the time she only seems slightly annoyed when I change it out with a fresh one.  But last night, when changing it, she about took my hand off.

I was so freaked out about the thought of taking off her leg before.  And I’m sure that I’ll have a mini-freak out when I actually drop her off for the surgery.  But after hearing all of the positive outcomes here and seeing how much pain and discomfort she’s in now, I wish we could just get it over with already and start on the road to recovery!  Four more days to wait…

Comparison shot from 7/26/14

7 thoughts on “Still waiting and preparing”

  1. You have certainly made the right choice for Kender.

    Clearly she is in pain and her poor foot is so swollen.

    I’m sure she will do great as a tripawd kitty….and will be free from all the pain she is in.

    Hugs

    Linda and Tucker

  2. OWWWWWW…….OWWWWWEEEEEE……..That looks soooo sore!

    Yeah, amputation is painful, but so is this! I can understnd why you are sooo ready to get this painful paw off!

    Patienc…what’s.that???? When it comes to our furbabies it’s mighty hard to be patient!

    You are doing an excellent job of caring for Kenda. You think you have a bond now…it deelens beyond belief once you care for a tripawd and see how heroic they are!

    Sty connected to us and keep us posted on surgery, homecoing and recovery.

    Sending you hugs! And a reminder to B R E A T H E…..DEEP BREATHS!!

    Sally and Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle too!

  3. It sounds like you are well prepared and have made thoughtful decisions. My cat Mona had her front left leg amputated on June 13th and the decision was made on June 12th. She had a vaccine fibrosarcoma which grew from nothing to a golf ball size in one day and continued growing.

    She was the most relaxed, easiest patient they’ve ever had at the vet’s clinic. I put her brush in her box with her so she got lots of brushing which she loves. Was she so sweet and relaxed when I took her home? No, she was just determined to to what she wanted, when she wanted. I set up a nursery for her and what she like the most was a hiding place in the closet (I put a bath mat under a shelf).

    The main advise I have to give is to manage the pain. I realized after the fact that Mona was going bezerk when it was time for more medication. I needed to have given it sooner.

    Also if the vet wants to keep the cat overnight to monitor, let him/her. I went to visit Mona after the surgery and she seemed pretty stoned. The vet took her home to stay with his family and to monitor her. I was a bit jealous but he knew when it was safe for her to go home.

    Mona never needed a cone or onesie – she never bothered with the stitches but did scratch at the drain, which would get crusty and had to be cleaned. I used baby facecloths for cleaning her. Also be aware that there may be some bruising.

    She ran upstairs when she escaped within the first 24 hours and was very fast! And the she peed on the carpet. She didn’t like the new litter. She also escaped for 26 hours by bashing through a screen door on day 4. It was time for her pain medication and I suspect she was running from the pain. That was the most stressful day of all.

    It is now 5 weeks and she is doing great and seems very happy and she is as beautiful and loving as ever. She still goes back to her “nursery” for naps, perhaps it is a place of security. Let me know if I can offer more suggestions.

    Kerren & Mona

  4. Oh gosh I do know how you feel! The one thing I wish is that I had started Jill’s blog at the beginning of her osteosarcoma journey when it was weeks of waiting games for biopsy results and puzzles of what types of cancer she had! I know how hard it is to try to be patient!
    For now just keep on loving her and preparing! I promise once you get the results and have a plan in place you’ll feel like a weights been lifted!

  5. Ohhhh ouuuuch. Yeah when they snap like that you know they are in pain. It’s so tough to illustrate to people the whole idea of how amputation is a short term pain (from recovery), compared to the whole painful ordeal of walking around with disintegrating bone or a tumor in the leg. You’ve done it perfectly here. I’m just so very sorry you are even going through it in the first place.

    You are doing fabulously. Whatever we can do to help, just holler OK?

  6. I’m very grateful that Steve was not struggling with pain before her surgery – at least not that I know of. I do know that her leg was very much in her way before it was amputated, and that the risk of her getting it caught somewhere and ending up with a worse injury was incredibly high. At that point in Steve’s life, it wasn’t up to me to amputate since she wasn’t my cat; however, I can say that if it was up to me, there’s no way I would have left her with that mangled leg and the high risk of injury.

    I know it’s so hard for you to imagine Kender’s relief now, but they say that hindsight is 20/20. We are your hindsight! We’ve been through the war and seen the happy aftermath!

    And we are absolutely 100% here to answer any and all of your questions! 🙂

  7. It’s such a comfort knowing you are all out there and that you understand! Not only the journey through all of this, but even choosing to do it. I know most people in my life don’t understand “bothering” with all of this when euthanasia is an option. But I couldn’t morally allow myself to do that if there’s an option for her to continue living a fulfilling life. She’s seen me through so much in my life…now it’s my turn.

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