Four Month Ampuversary and Done with Chemo!!
It’s been four months since Jill’s amputation! Crazy! She is doing simply amazing on three legs and I never thought I’d utter those words!
She also completed her chemotherapy treatments this week! WAHOO! To recap: Jill had 2 rounds of Carboplatin, 2 rounds of Doxorubicin (alternating those every three weeks). We had to postpone the chemo twice after the Carbo doses because of low white blood cells and neutrophils, but other than that shes had no side effects besides losing almost all of her whiskers, see here:
“Don’t I look cute with just 5 whiskies left???”
So now the plan is, we will see the regular vet in one month for a CBC, chemistry and maybe an x-ray (that’s up to me). If everything looks good, we will start metronomic cytoxan. In two months, it’s back to the oncologist for another CBC, chemistry and x-ray.
I am a little hesitant about the cytoxan. Jill’s case, as many of you know, is somewhat rare. In most kitties with osteosarcoma, amputation alone is recommended. However, since Jilly had a met develop 6 months after her toe with the primary tumor was amputated, IV chemo was recommended after leg amputation. So, after hearing about metronomics on tripawds, I brought it up with her onco and we’ve decided to give it a try. However, there is NO research on metronomic cytoxan in kitties. I know I can always stop if she doesn’t handle it well, I would just like to have SOME information about it. Oh well….I guess Jill is a pioneer 😉
So, Jill’s Journey Part 1 and 2 is complete! It’s onto Part 3 we go!!!! Here are some pics from Month 4!
Checking out the sites of the city in the cab ride home from Chemo
Sleepy sleepy girl after chemo
More sleepies
Just leaning on Mom’s elbow….my sweet girl
April 13, 2013 @ 11:46 am
Awwww Erica, I do believe you have the sweetest cat in the world! She. Is, indeed, a pioneer and quite an inspiration! She is the envy of the cat world even with her challenges! There are a lot of cats out there saying,”Yeah, I’d give p a cat leg to live like a queen!”
🙂 🙂
I try and take care of a feral cat colony as best I can—but I’m afraid it just includes spaying/neutering and food. Live in rural area and just infuriates me to come home and find yet another “discard” some irresponsible uncaring human dumped off. Usually it’s a pregnant female that I won’t be able to catch and she’ll show up with at the feeding station with completely wild six week old kittens….who I may..or may not…be able to get fixed in time!!
Sorry Jill, didn’t mean to get carried away…..Just want you to know I’m so glad you get to experience love, care and the security of a home that your mom marked sure you have! I wish that for all.
You are doing such a great job…..BOTH of you!!
Rest up (I think you’ve mastered resting!) and study up for your next test!!
So happy for you! Sally and Happy Hannah
April 13, 2013 @ 12:42 pm
Congratulations! I just cant say enough how happy we are for you (and your mommy and brother too!). We are sending you all of our well wishes, always!
April 13, 2013 @ 2:12 pm
Great job Jill. Keep kicking butt. We are watching and you are always a pioneer.
Michelle & Sassy
April 13, 2013 @ 8:13 pm
Woooohoooooo! Yay for you Jill! You and your Momma did it, you made it through the worst and now it’s time to parrrrrrty! Can we pawty with you?
I don’t blame you for being nervous about the cytoxan Erica, I would probably be too. But after everything you’ve been through, I know you can handle it if it were to cause a side effect. I doubt it will.
Thanks to your bravery and willingness to be a pioneer, somewhere down the line another cat and their human who is facing osteosarcoma will find so much comfort by reading along with the brave steps you have taken. THANK YOU for your courage!
Three paws up to Jill, may she have a long, long, hoppy healthy life ahead!
July 26, 2014 @ 2:36 pm
Thanks so much Erica and Jill for documenting all of your chemo sessions! 🙂 It’s so helpful! Vinny is meeting with his oncologist next week to discuss the next treatment steps and possibly have his first session, so I’ve been trying to read up lots about it. It seems like kitties fare pretty well. Vinny is a champ just like Jill, so I am confident he will do as well as she did.
One scary thing was losing her whiskers! 🙁 I checked out earlier pictures and more recent pictures, but it’s a little hard to tell – did her whiskers grow back the same as her pre-chemo days?
Vinny’s whiskers are really long, thick and pronounced. I feel like he would feel differently without them. I wonder if it affects their balance or anything else when they lose them. I will ask the oncologist all about this and everything else when I see her next week, but do you have any insight?
Thanks! 🙂
Vinny, and his human, KJ <3
July 26, 2014 @ 11:20 pm
So Jill never had great whiskers to begin with and a lot of her whiskers are black so it’s hard to see in pics!
Some grew back just as they were and some I can tell are definitely thinner. But the onco did tell me some cats don’t even lose their whiskers and some grow back great. So it might just depend in the cat!
Let me know if you have any questions at all about chemo in kitties and let me know how the onco visit goes! Jill did really great on IV chemo. As you probably read her white blood cells took a hit a few times but I never would have known if they didn’t do bloodwork. Good luck at the onco!
July 27, 2014 @ 2:19 pm
Thanks so much! 🙂
Bottom line is I guess, just like humans, they will all react a little bit differently and have different side effects.
Will just have to wait and see! 🙂