Jill's Journey

Two years ago today I got the most dreadful phone call of my life.  The lump I found in Jill’s leg was indeed a metastasis and her leg would to be amputated.  I was lost.  Wandering around like a lost soul, looking for answers.  Googling away.  Nothing on google was helping.  Google “Cat” and “Osteosarcoma” and you come up with a whole lot of unhelpful information.  Then I stumbled upon tripawds.com.  Well, I thought, this looks like a dog website, but what the heck, they all look like nice people, maybe they can help.  And help you all did.

My post, December 3, 2012:

New here – Kitty with cancer 🙁

“I found this forum while googling many things in search for some answers.  I guess right now I just need some support….

My 8-year-old Kitty Jill was diagnosed with a very rare tumor on her toe in June (on her right hind leg).  Her toe was amputated and pathology came back that it was osteosarcoma, but the margins were clean, and the rest of her leg looked great, lung xrays perfect.  Her vet and oncologist agreed that she needed no further treatment.

Now, 6 months later, I find a lump behind her thigh (same leg).  I brought her to the vet last week who did an xray (xray looked great, bones all clean) and needle aspirate and it came back bad news, it is some kind of sarcoma.  Since a biopsy was not yet performed, we dont know what it is.  The vet believes since it is the same leg it is a metasis (forgive my mispellings please , however there is no way to know unless we do a biopsy.  The vet consulted Jill’s original oncologist who thinks we should, at this time, amputate her leg.  The vet wants to talk to one more oncologist at the lab where the pathology was done, but it looks like this will be the suggested route we take.  We will of course of have to x ray her lungs again to make sure they are clear first.

I am scared to death really.  I dont want to take this poor babys leg off if it is only going to give her 6 more months.  Does anyone have any advice/help?”

Ah how silly I sounded!  But what a mess I was.  And you all came to my rescue.  Just a few short hours later I had so many responses and felt SO MUCH better.  The amount of support we have received since that post – my gratitude simply cannot be put into words.  It’s IMPOSSIBLE to explain how much this community means to me.  How much it really saved me.  How much it saved Jill.  I went from a fearful Mama to an empowered one full of knowledge about our situation.  Thank you Rene, Jim, Jerry and Wyatt.  You will never ever ever know what you have done for us and for so many others.

With gratitude forever and always,

Erica & Jill