Jumper's Last Day

Today was Jumper's last day. The catheter was taken out last night with the hope he would be able to pee after everything had been done. He did pee a little bit right after it was taken out, but then he couldn't anymore. He would try to pee, and cry out because he couldn't. We had to put him to sleep. I still don't understand how everything could seem to be fine up until a week ago and now he's gone. It is so sad.

We got to spend time with him before they did it. Mary and I held him and cried, and cried, and cried. Then he got down and walked around and investigated the room and came over for hugs and petting. At one point he lay down and tried to pee and growled really loud. He was trying so hard to pee and couldn't. He was very uncomfortable. We made the decision to go ahead and put him to sleep. There was nothing else that could be done. The vet people said he had fought bravely all week and they were very sorry it had to end this way. He hadn't eaten all week and was still laying in the litter box up until the last day. I think he knew how it would end all along and we prolonged it.

This fish greeted us at the vet's office. I think he was trying to tell us it would be ok. He looked like he was talking and smiling at us. We know we made the right decision for him, but it is still so hard. He is now back home, just not the way we were hoping. We see him everywhere. I know the pain will ease as time goes on, but Jumper will not be forgotten. We love you, Jumper!

Update on Jumper's Journey

The vet called today and said they are taking the catheter out tonight around 10pm, inside of in the morning. We will know shortly after that what his fate is. Either he will pee and can come home, or can't pee and will have to be put to sleep. If he gets to come home, it is the start to a new way of life. But at least he will be home. I'm praying since his bladder is all scraped out, he will be able to pee once the catheter comes out. Everything should be out of the way again for normal function. God can work miracles. After he comes home, the vet wants to do routine ultrasounds to keep up with how his bladder is doing, since she knows how tore up it looks right now. What an amazing miracle if she goes back to look at it, and she can't find anything wrong! That is what I am praying for. I know God may have other plans, so God's will be done. I put Jumper in His hands. Thanks for your prayers and concerns. I will post more after tonight.

5th Day of Jumper's Journey

Today is Jumper's 5th day being at the Vet hospital. We went to see him again yesterday. He still looks the same, but doesn't seem as interested in seeing us. He is determined to get the catheter out, the cone off his head, and the IV out of his leg. He lays in the kitty litter box. I think that may be his comfort. It holds him. He gets out of the box for me to pet him; then he crawls back in and lays down. He repeats this several times.

I talk with the vet, and we discuss his options at this point. They are putting off taking the catheter out until tomorrow. His tissue sample has been sent off to see if it is cancerous. It kind of seems pointless, though, because if he can't pee tomorrow, it's over. The results from this test won't come back until next week. He still won't eat anything. Hopefully, the extra day with the catheter, the IV, the steroids, and the other meds will help him heal more and he will be able to pee tomorrow.

If the results come back and it is cancerous, the vet said it isn't good. But at least I would have a few days with him at home. It seems that since she scraped his bladder out, he should be back where he was before this stuff came to a head, and should be able to pee. The question will be for how long. But, if he could just have the chance to come home, even if just for a little while.

If the results come back and it is not cancerous, he will be on special food and medication. He will have to be monitored to see how his bladder is functioning. Then, we will just have to wait and see.

Continued prayers are greatly appreciated as we get through today and tomorrow. I am very anxious to see what tomorrow brings. I'm trying to take it one thing at a time: pee first, that is most important; then eat; then I take him home.

4th Day of Jumper's Journey

Today is the 4th day Jumper has been at the vet's office. His surgery is scheduled for today. I am praying for him; I have everyone I know praying for him. We are hoping for the best; but not sure how it is going to turn out. I am a nervous wreck waiting to hear what the vet has done.

The vet finally calls after lunch. The news is not good, not good at all. While she was in the bladder scraping it out, she found scar tissue, blood clots and few crystals. She thought the bladder was full of crystals from the ultrasound; all this other stuff was blocked. She did the best she could, but she now thinks he may have a bladder tumor. She wants to send the tissue off to be tested so she knows what she is dealing with.

How much more will that add to the cost? What does it really matter in the long run? If you take the catheter out--and he still can't pee--does it matter if it is cancer or not? I can't afford to have anything else done. We are at our limit. He has been in the vet's office for 4 days now, he's had two catheters and IV's put in, one ultrasound, and one surgery. I feel like I am dooming him to death because I don't have the money to take care of him. If it is cancer, I can't afford to have chemo or whatever they give cats to get rid of it. And what if it comes back in a month, a year? We are right back where we started. If it isn't cancer, is the prognosis any better? You've cleaned out his bladder, but how long will it stay that way. The main question at this point: Can he pee when the catheter is taken out? It doesn't matter if it is cancer or not--if he can't pee on his own, that's it.

I am so upset. What I was hoping would be a successful surgery, has turned into a nightmare. I can't imagine what Jumper is thinking about what he has gone through. My daughter and I decide to go see him. The above picture is what we saw in his cage. My poor baby! However, the vet was shocked when I told her Jumper looked 100% better than he did when I brought him in on Monday! Minus the cone, the bandaged front let, the IV, the bandage around his middle, and his catheter! When we got there and they opened his cage, he had his head turned to the side of the cage. He wouldn't look at us. We started talking to him and petting him. He turned his head around, and I do believe if cats could smile, he had a huge one on his face!! His disposition completely turned around. He laid down, he rolled around, he tried standing and walking toward us, he was purring so loudly! The vet was amazed. He grabbed our hand to keep us petting him and touching him and talking to him. It was such a great experience. I do hope now he knows I didn't just dump him off, that he is there so they can help him. We stayed a long time, just talking and petting and touching. He loved every minute of it! When we left, I told him he had to start eating, and he had to pee when the catheter comes out. Just do that and everything would be fine. I prayed all the way home that everything will be fine.

I'm still praying this morning, waiting to see what will happen. The catheter and IV will come out tomorrow, on Saturday. If he can pee on his own, we will have to decide how to proceed. The vet will want to see him every 2 weeks to monitor his bladder by ultrasound. How expensive is that? He will have to be on special food and probably medication. If it is cancer, how long until it comes back? Is it aggressive and he'll only have a short time to live? What if he doesn't pee when the catheter comes out? I can't afford to have anything else done. Today is not going to be a good day! But I am so thankful I got to spend time with Jumper yesterday.

I will spend today praying more for my baby. I'm not sure what to pray for. I know I want him to be able to pee on his own tomorrow. That is the huge first step. If he can't, it's all over. I can't afford the surgery to make him a girl to make it easier for him. And that's not even guaranteed to work. If he does pee, can I afford an ultrasound every two weeks? The vet said she wanted to monitor the bladder since she now knows what it looks like. It is all inflamed and irritated and just a mess. I think this would be amazing: when she takes the catheter out, he pees. He gets to come home. We take him back for a checkup. She can't find anything wrong with him. That would be my miracle. But first, I have to get through today. This is Jumper's Journey. I will update again tomorrow when we find out what is going on. First test, pee on your own. And eat!

3rd Day of Jumper's Journey

Today is Wednesday and we are waiting to hear about Jumper. I am so excited. He may get to come home this evening! I get a call from the vet right after lunch time. There is an issue! He can't pee when the catheter comes out. He goes back to the litter box and lays down. The vet says he isn't trying to pee, he just lays down in the litter box. I told her that is what he was doing at the house. She wants to put the catheter back in and the IV, but while she is doing that, do an ultrasound of his bladder. I told her I would have to talk to my husband. How much more is this going to add to his bill? Can it be fixed once you do this or are we just prolonging what we know will happen? If he can't pee, he can't live. We decide to let the vet do the ultrasound to see what is going on.

She calls back later and says he has many crystals in his bladder. That is what is clogging him up. She feels if she can scrape his bladder, get all of that out of there, he will have a much better chance. The way it is now, you take the catheter out, he can't pee. I talk with my husband; the vet sounds very optimistic; we decide to let her do it. The surgery is scheduled for Thursday morning.

I am still so worried about Jumper. I haven't seen him all week. I know he thinks we deserted him. He is such a great kitty and the house is so different without him here. He would follow us around, grab our hand with his paw to make us pet him. There is none of the that. The other cats don't act like him. He runs through the house sounding like a horse. You think this huge thing is bounding down the stairs, and it's just him, running through the house. I miss him so much! I wish he were back home and this was all over.

2nd Day of Jumper's Journey

I am waiting to hear an update about Jumper from the vet. Finally, at the end of the day, I call them. I talk to someone in the office and they tell me Jumper isn't eating. The catheter is doing very well. His bladder has emptied and he's more comfortable. A little later in the evening, another person calls to update me. Jumper is resting, but still not eating. They act like it isn't a big deal right now. It is just a waiting game for us, not knowing what is going on, or how he's really doing. I worry he thinks I just dropped him off and left him. We are told how much all this is going to cost. How much are we willing to put into Jumper? If I had unlimited funds, I would say do all you can; just get my baby back home. But, unfortunately, I can't do that, so we had to set a limit we were willing to pay. When it gets to that point, we'll just have to stop--and just hope it's enough to get him better. We are told they will take the catheter out on Wednesday. That is the deciding factor. Can he pee on his own when the catheter comes out? If so, great. But this could come back as soon as the catheter is taken out, a day later, a week later. He may always have issues. Can we afford it? That is what is running through my mind. I love my cat so much; he is so great. But, how much is too much? Then I feel bad for thinking like this. I should do everything I can to make him better even if--in the end-- he doesn't make it. I just don't have unlimited funds. The vet is going to call me on Wednesday and let me know how it goes when they take the catheter out. I have thought about Jumper all day. I really hope he doesn't think I just dropped him off and forgot about him.

Jumper's Journey

This is Jumper's story. He has been diagnosed with urinary tract obstruction. It has been an interesting week for him. Follow his story.

Jumper is a Manx. He showed up at our house 2 1/2 years ago. Somebody had dropped him off and we took him in. He's always been kind of standoffish. He'll let you pet him, if he's in the mood. You can walk up to him and pick him up, if he's in the mood. He stays indoors and has his own way of doing things. We love him very much.

Last Monday, I got up and found him laying in the litter box. I had no idea what was wrong with him. When I got him out of the litter box, he was very limp. He'd just lay down. He's never limp! He squirms around or pushes against you or grabs your hand to pet him some more. I put in our bed and laid down with him. He didn't feel well but I couldn't tell what was wrong. I thought maybe he'd hurt his leg and that was why he couldn't stand. Later that day, he got up and walked very slowly through the house and went and laid down in the litter box. I called the vet's office, told them what I knew, and they told me to call emergency care.

I called them; they said bring him over. When we got there, they took him away immediately. After a while, the vet came to talk to us. Just like she thought, it was a urinary tract obstruction. Some cats' bodies make crystals which clog up the system and they can't pee. It is 100% fatal if not treated. They wanted to put a catheter in, run an IV, and see what happens. I was devastated. My poor kitty. He was fine and now he's having to stay in the hospital. They want to keep the catheter in for 48 hours. I went to say good-bye to Jumper and left not knowing what was to be in store for him.