| NarunapyCalry |
12-01-2009 05:05 AM |
Quote:
...of lymphoma. The treatment was just too stressful on the poor thing; we've now got her on weekly subcutaneous injections of steroids and she seems happier.
However, she is getting palpable, hard lymph nodes in more than one area, and is losing weight despite, for her, a good appetite. She pretty clearly doesn't have a lot of time left, but isn't suffering at all right now.
Despite years in of the country's best medical schools, and subsequent years in one of the country's top pediatric hosptials, I don't really know how to talk to my loved ones about death. I can talk to patients and families, but my own loved ones? Christ. I had the same experience earlier this year with my dad; I heard from his doctor just what he had, I knew it was Capital B Bad, but I didn't really know how to break that to my parents. Luckily, he went quickly. I can only hope that the cat follows suit, passing quietly in her sleep.
So how do you folks talk about the coming death of a loved one with your other loved ones?
And those of you who have euthanized a pet, how did you decide the time was right? (I know this one will come down to me, and she'll be far too upset to decide.)
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3 years ago, one of our family's two cats died (he was 15). It was cancer as well, he just stopped eating and in general became too weak and lethargic. He clearly wasn't enjoying life, we couldn't tell if he was in pain but he was looking way too thin and just...ready. My mom and dad took him to the vet to get his opinion, and he agreed that it was time.
So my mom held him in her arms (he was very much her cat, always cuddling with her) and the vet gave him the shot. He was looking at my mom and his eyes slowly closed, just like in a movie cliche. My mom bawled the rest of the night but she was always insistent she was glad she was there and holding him as he died and knowing he wasn't in any pain at the time.
Our other cat is now 18, but two years ago her liver (? or kidneys, I'm no biologist) failed. The vet gave her a month or two, but she just passed the two year mark of the diagnosis. She gets a subcutaneous injection every two days like clockwork, but other than that she's just a normal cat. It's pretty amazing.
Despite this, her time is approaching. My parents are wrestling with the same decision. Right now, a couple times a month she'll seize. She'll just move to the center of the room, knowingly. She'll then look like she looses balance and falls on her side and seizes violently for a good 30 seconds until she stops. She's then completely out of it for a few minutes, then wanders off to sleep or cuddle.
My parents have agreed if it happens a couple times a week they'll have the conversation with the vet. For now, they still enjoy her company. As she's gotten close to death she's become very, very needy in terms of attention. She'll constantly be underfoot and wanting to snuggle, and it's hard to say no. |
