It's been over a year since Weasel was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. On our last visit to the emergency clinic in April, we discovered he now has a liver tumour to battle as well.
Let me tell you, you wouldn't know this cat was ill. Yes, I should be very nervous about his prospects but at the moment, I'm not. He hasn't been ill since I can remember, his weight is great and he looks great. In fact, he's too lively at times and can drive me bonkers, opening and closing the door for him incessantly to go outside - I can't even write this posting uninterrupted haha.
This post is intended to provide you with information on treating both types of tumours, since I don't have anything to report in terms of Weasel falling ill. I'm going to list what we currently have him on.
Any type of cancer:
- 1 tbsp of Essiac tea
- drops of Life Gold (the number depends on your pet's weight)
Pancreatic Cancer and Liver Cancer (I can't recall at this point what targeted what one as he's been taking them for the past year with new additions added in April):
- Hyland's Cell Salts: #1 (Calc Fluor), #2 (Calc Phos), #3 (Calc Sulph), #4 (Ferrum Phos), #6 (Kali Phos), #7 (Kali Sulph), #9 (Natrum Mur), #10 (Natrum Phos), #11 (Natrum sulph), #12 (Silicea)
Although it's a bit of a blur as to what addresses what type of ailment - pancreatic or liver; with cell salts, you can't cause wrongdoing by taking them, as it simply restores a system imbalance. You can read more on each one at: http://schuessler-cell-salts.com/
- CAS Options cut into quarter size pieces. This will help all forms of cancer and can be ground up into the food. It has an appealing flavour.
- Only available from the vet: Heel Mix 3 and Guna Mix 2
- Digestion support - HMF powder (good bacteria) - 1 scoop per meal
For Liver tumour:
- 1/2 capsule once a day of Livaplex
- Cytozyme-LV - 1 tablet a day
- Liquid Hepato (mine is chicken flavour but you can get bacon too)
The above items are tasty and easy to grind or mix up into the food. They strengthen liver functionality and resistance.
If you can manage it (I can't get him to take this), provide your kitty (or pooch), Milk Thistle. It's quite effective for treating liver tumours.
It may seem like a lot to do, but it's well worth it. We've been successful in shrinking the pancreatic tumour, and hope that we have the same success with the liver tumour, now that we've started treating it as well. It's inevitable that Weasel won't live forever, and I'm aware of that; however, through these treatment regimes, I may be able to prevent a terrible and painful death from occurring. I highly recommend taking a similar course of action for your pet in need if you can financially afford to. It is a cost; however, the cost is considerably less than surgery and is spread out throughout the year(s) as opposed to one large sum to pay.
Weasel
Saturday, 24 May 2014
Wednesday, 9 April 2014
Angry at Traditional Vet
A day has passed since I took Weasel for his ultrasound and x-ray and now that the news and the events that unfolded have settled into my psyche, I'm angry.
The vet that I saw, was the same one that told me that Weasel had 3 months to live over a year ago. He pressured me into a $5000 surgery and lay quite a bit of guilt on me for not taking that course of action. Yesterday, he back peddled, stating that it wasn't necessarily pancreatic cancer and could be another malignant form of cancer that 'behaves' differently, which explains why we had another year with Weasel..ummmm no. It is behaving identically to pancreatic cancer which is why the liver was impacted. The other traditional vet I saw and Dr. Haghighat confirmed that it's pancreatic cancer without a doubt.
On top of that, he had the audacity to mention that due to the fact that I didn't have the surgery previously, it has spread which will cost more, as they have to remove both tumours. I didn't go there to pursue surgery and he knew that so mentioning it was pretty sad on his behalf.
What I saw, was a man with a god complex - pure and simple. He couldn't admit that we succeeded in achieving longevity of life through alternative methods, and in fact, it's highly likely, we would have lost Weasel had we done the surgery due to the stress it places on the body. The other traditional vet I saw a year ago stated that almost 100% of cats that undergo that surgery die 3 months later due to the severity of it.
This same vet told me at best I only have 1 year left with Weasel. Why on earth would I believe someone who completely screwed up in his last prognosis and why would he have the confidence to state that after seeing his previous error? Why can't these vets stop focusing on such negative outcomes that cannot be proven and instead support their customers, tell them, "you're doing a great job! Keep it up!" or simply remind them that yes, it's a terminal illness but there are cases out there that prove that quality of life is still achievable and even longevity. Positive thinking is our greatest ally when facing these situations. Bringing stress home is not only hard on the owner, but the pet senses it as well. What I witnessed was a process that drives revenue through scare tactics.
Yes, Weasel has another tumour; however, there's the fantastic fact that we shrunk a pancreatic tumour by 1 cm. That is amazing and it's those small victories that mean the world to me and perhaps to others as well.
I will continue to treat Weasel as best I can to address the new tumour and even if I only have one more year with him, that's a heck of a lot longer than what the traditional vets informed me.
By no means am I against traditional vets. I know that they believe in what they do and want the best for animals; however, they really need to educate themselves on alternative treatments to compliment what they practice, offering their clients the best outcomes possible.
The vet that I saw, was the same one that told me that Weasel had 3 months to live over a year ago. He pressured me into a $5000 surgery and lay quite a bit of guilt on me for not taking that course of action. Yesterday, he back peddled, stating that it wasn't necessarily pancreatic cancer and could be another malignant form of cancer that 'behaves' differently, which explains why we had another year with Weasel..ummmm no. It is behaving identically to pancreatic cancer which is why the liver was impacted. The other traditional vet I saw and Dr. Haghighat confirmed that it's pancreatic cancer without a doubt.
On top of that, he had the audacity to mention that due to the fact that I didn't have the surgery previously, it has spread which will cost more, as they have to remove both tumours. I didn't go there to pursue surgery and he knew that so mentioning it was pretty sad on his behalf.
What I saw, was a man with a god complex - pure and simple. He couldn't admit that we succeeded in achieving longevity of life through alternative methods, and in fact, it's highly likely, we would have lost Weasel had we done the surgery due to the stress it places on the body. The other traditional vet I saw a year ago stated that almost 100% of cats that undergo that surgery die 3 months later due to the severity of it.
This same vet told me at best I only have 1 year left with Weasel. Why on earth would I believe someone who completely screwed up in his last prognosis and why would he have the confidence to state that after seeing his previous error? Why can't these vets stop focusing on such negative outcomes that cannot be proven and instead support their customers, tell them, "you're doing a great job! Keep it up!" or simply remind them that yes, it's a terminal illness but there are cases out there that prove that quality of life is still achievable and even longevity. Positive thinking is our greatest ally when facing these situations. Bringing stress home is not only hard on the owner, but the pet senses it as well. What I witnessed was a process that drives revenue through scare tactics.
Yes, Weasel has another tumour; however, there's the fantastic fact that we shrunk a pancreatic tumour by 1 cm. That is amazing and it's those small victories that mean the world to me and perhaps to others as well.
I will continue to treat Weasel as best I can to address the new tumour and even if I only have one more year with him, that's a heck of a lot longer than what the traditional vets informed me.
By no means am I against traditional vets. I know that they believe in what they do and want the best for animals; however, they really need to educate themselves on alternative treatments to compliment what they practice, offering their clients the best outcomes possible.
Tuesday, 8 April 2014
Ultrasound and X-Ray Day
Today was the day that I took Weasel to the Emergency Vet Clinic to have an ultrasound as well as X-Ray done. His demeanour and health this past year (although there have been many 'down spells'), has more or less been great. After being informed that Weasel had only 3 months to live, and defying those odds, I really thought that I would have a glory moment today - showing the vets that miracles can happen.
Well, I have to say that my emotions have been thrown back to how I felt a year ago - again. Dr. Haghighat was very kind and warned me that what I will hear will scare me, as vets can make news seem terrifying. He told me to focus on the positive progress we've made and not to let today consume me. It's hard not to though.
The good news is that the pancreatic tumour has shrunk by 1 cm. The bad news is that a tumour has formed on his liver that is 6 cm. Based on the growth of this tumour, the vet predicted that Weasel has a year at best. The two tumours are not even connected. They float over each other as separate entities so it's not an extension of the original one. Once again, surgery would be far too hard on the cat and would require a gruelling and long recovery time with drugs for the rest of his life. I personally think that inflicting that kind of torment on an animal will kill them faster. My goal is to give him as much quality of life as I possibly can and lots of love.
I thought I had mentally prepared myself for whatever comes next..thankful for the year I had but I can see that when the day comes, it could be a horrific ordeal as the vet warned me that the tumour can burst, causing internal bleeding, so Weasel would go down quickly and painfully as well. Seeing someone you love die in such a horrible manner is more than I can comprehend.
On a plus note, the regimes I have been following - which have been focused on the pancreas, seem to be effective; however, we haven't isolated the cancer growth so inevitably, more tumours will emerge. The challenge is administering more and more stuff that targets each area. Milk Thistle for instance is great for liver cancer but Weasel refuses to touch it, and disguising pills in a pill pocket is a dead end street. So even though there are protocols out there that would help, I'm doubtful I can give it to my kitty who is so difficult.
Well, I have to say that my emotions have been thrown back to how I felt a year ago - again. Dr. Haghighat was very kind and warned me that what I will hear will scare me, as vets can make news seem terrifying. He told me to focus on the positive progress we've made and not to let today consume me. It's hard not to though.
The good news is that the pancreatic tumour has shrunk by 1 cm. The bad news is that a tumour has formed on his liver that is 6 cm. Based on the growth of this tumour, the vet predicted that Weasel has a year at best. The two tumours are not even connected. They float over each other as separate entities so it's not an extension of the original one. Once again, surgery would be far too hard on the cat and would require a gruelling and long recovery time with drugs for the rest of his life. I personally think that inflicting that kind of torment on an animal will kill them faster. My goal is to give him as much quality of life as I possibly can and lots of love.
I thought I had mentally prepared myself for whatever comes next..thankful for the year I had but I can see that when the day comes, it could be a horrific ordeal as the vet warned me that the tumour can burst, causing internal bleeding, so Weasel would go down quickly and painfully as well. Seeing someone you love die in such a horrible manner is more than I can comprehend.
On a plus note, the regimes I have been following - which have been focused on the pancreas, seem to be effective; however, we haven't isolated the cancer growth so inevitably, more tumours will emerge. The challenge is administering more and more stuff that targets each area. Milk Thistle for instance is great for liver cancer but Weasel refuses to touch it, and disguising pills in a pill pocket is a dead end street. So even though there are protocols out there that would help, I'm doubtful I can give it to my kitty who is so difficult.
Saturday, 22 February 2014
One Year Today
It's rather remarkable. If someone told me on Feb. 22, 2013 that Weasel would be alive 1 year later, I would have thought they were hallucinating. Not only is he alive, but he's doing extremely well. In fact, he really isn't showing any signs of wear and tear whatsoever. I knock on wood as I write this though. He has had many down spells over the course of a year but has successfully come through each time. It's been a while since we had the last one and hopefully it stays that way.
Dr. Haghighat and I had originally planned on having his ultrasound done around this time, on the anniversary of the first diagnosis; however due to time conflicts and an upcoming month of work I have to attend to - unable to leave during the day to take Weasel to the ultrasound, it has been scheduled for early April. I have mixed feelings about this since I currently live with the mindset that we have the cancer barricaded from all sides - unable to spread. It would be truly heartbreaking to learn that it has slowly grown, re-opening the nagging fears of 'when is his last day'; however, I think the research that can come of this is beneficial to others, to the medical industry and to Dr. Haghighat who has been treating him for many months now.
I haven't changed any treatment regimes per say. We did add the CAS Options chewable tablets - cut up into quarters since these tablets are made for dogs interestingly enough. This has been attributed to controlling tumour growth. You can read people's personal reviews on this 'miracle mushroom' product on Amazon. Many have found it to be extremely rewarding results wise. I think that on its own, it's not sufficient but with everything else we're providing Weasel with, cancer has a very slim chance of winning this fight - at least that's how I like to think :).
Truth be told, my biggest challenge at the moment is finding a caretaker to come and feed both of my cats if I take a trip to visit my Uncle next summer (I'm assuming he'll still be well by then - Weasel, not my Uncle, but yes my Uncle as well :). With Weasel's finicky nature, his strange habits and taking hours at times to finish a meal, it's not as though we can hire the local 'pet service' people that do house calls, unless they're willing to hang around for oh - 4 hours or so in total for feedings, then come by at night to put Naltrexone on his ear. If they were willing to do this, the fees would be astronomical no doubt.
I hope that all of you who are facing this same ordeal have found equally positive outcomes. If so, please feel free to provide your responses on how you and your kitty are doing and what treatment regimes you've followed to date. This type of information benefits all.
Dr. Haghighat and I had originally planned on having his ultrasound done around this time, on the anniversary of the first diagnosis; however due to time conflicts and an upcoming month of work I have to attend to - unable to leave during the day to take Weasel to the ultrasound, it has been scheduled for early April. I have mixed feelings about this since I currently live with the mindset that we have the cancer barricaded from all sides - unable to spread. It would be truly heartbreaking to learn that it has slowly grown, re-opening the nagging fears of 'when is his last day'; however, I think the research that can come of this is beneficial to others, to the medical industry and to Dr. Haghighat who has been treating him for many months now.
I haven't changed any treatment regimes per say. We did add the CAS Options chewable tablets - cut up into quarters since these tablets are made for dogs interestingly enough. This has been attributed to controlling tumour growth. You can read people's personal reviews on this 'miracle mushroom' product on Amazon. Many have found it to be extremely rewarding results wise. I think that on its own, it's not sufficient but with everything else we're providing Weasel with, cancer has a very slim chance of winning this fight - at least that's how I like to think :).
Truth be told, my biggest challenge at the moment is finding a caretaker to come and feed both of my cats if I take a trip to visit my Uncle next summer (I'm assuming he'll still be well by then - Weasel, not my Uncle, but yes my Uncle as well :). With Weasel's finicky nature, his strange habits and taking hours at times to finish a meal, it's not as though we can hire the local 'pet service' people that do house calls, unless they're willing to hang around for oh - 4 hours or so in total for feedings, then come by at night to put Naltrexone on his ear. If they were willing to do this, the fees would be astronomical no doubt.
I hope that all of you who are facing this same ordeal have found equally positive outcomes. If so, please feel free to provide your responses on how you and your kitty are doing and what treatment regimes you've followed to date. This type of information benefits all.
Wednesday, 1 January 2014
Running Around Again!
I didn't have a chance to post an update due to the holidays; however, Weasel is more or less back to his old ways again. When we had that scare prior to Christmas, I was able to get an appointment to see Dr. Haghighat and he administered shots that included Vitamin B, an inflammatory aid and something to increase his appetite. Normally I keep tabs on what's taking place so that I can report on it afterward but during this visit I was a bit shaken up with Weasel's decline and was in the mode of 'just work your magic on him!'. He also received a herbal based injection as well but I'm not sure what the 'ingredients' were. All of this is a repeat of what he received on previous visits that seems to get us back on track, and thankfully worked for us once again. What I did pick up that was new for this visit were these large round 'pills' described as 'CAS Options Canine 120 chewable' - according to the receipt. Dr. Haghighat explained their purpose but I was a bit out of sorts so I can't recall their intent unfortunately. Although they are produced for dogs, they serve an equally beneficial purpose for cats and are a desirable product since they have a mushroom taste which cats are fond of. Weasel now receives a quarter of these pills in each meal per day, grounded up and mixed into his food.
I am pleased to see Weasel running around, sitting on my lap and purring quite contentedly; however, he does breath heavily these days which Dr. Haghighat noticed as well. No one has an explanation for it but it does concern me. He has gained 3 lbs since we first started seeing the holistic vet which is great. Aside from these 'vomit' incidents, he's otherwise not showing signs of pancreatic cancer and visually looks better than he has in a few years, with a nice full fur coat and a plump little belly.
Around the mid to end point of January, we will likely take him for his ultrasound which will contribute toward the report that Dr. Haghighat is producing for the veterinarian journals. I'm really hoping that the outcome of this doesn't depress me as I naively feel on most days that Weasel will be around for quite some time. It's when he has those days of severe sickness that I'm thrown back into a 'reality check' that our time together is truly precious.
I am pleased to see Weasel running around, sitting on my lap and purring quite contentedly; however, he does breath heavily these days which Dr. Haghighat noticed as well. No one has an explanation for it but it does concern me. He has gained 3 lbs since we first started seeing the holistic vet which is great. Aside from these 'vomit' incidents, he's otherwise not showing signs of pancreatic cancer and visually looks better than he has in a few years, with a nice full fur coat and a plump little belly.
Around the mid to end point of January, we will likely take him for his ultrasound which will contribute toward the report that Dr. Haghighat is producing for the veterinarian journals. I'm really hoping that the outcome of this doesn't depress me as I naively feel on most days that Weasel will be around for quite some time. It's when he has those days of severe sickness that I'm thrown back into a 'reality check' that our time together is truly precious.
Monday, 23 December 2013
A Decline Two Days Before Christmas
It's been such a long time since anything dramatic occurred, I naively assumed we may be controlling this terrible ailment. That we somehow defied all medical laws...however, Weasel has fallen quite ill. The past week or so, he's been sleeping a lot, not behaving frantic to go in and out all day - showing his usual signs of high energy. I didn't particularly notice it as strange since the weather is cold and he got to sleep on my lap for most of the day while I worked on the computer. Two days ago I started to get concerned as he wasn't himself. He wasn't interested in sitting on anyone's lap. He seemed depressed..then yesterday he was quite ill while outside, and vomited in several places across our back deck. He's been sitting on his little mat since and isn't interested in eating. This morning he made an attempt to come say hello when I woke up, but walked very slowly toward me, then returned to his mat.
It's quite possible he's going through one of these phases we've encountered on a few occasions, which means that he'll become his 'old' self in a few days; however, it will start to become a more frequent occurrence if the cancer is progressing, until we face a time where he doesn't improve after a few days... There is truly no way to prepare for these things. It tears you up on the inside, but I'm trying my best and as such, was exploring what the final stages appear as in the hopes that by recognizing it, I'm 'mildly prepared'. Vomiting is one of them and naturally loss of appetite. The animal can also go into a state of shock and behave in a manner where they're confused. This is often due to massive dehydration. They show signs of lethargy as well . Blood tests can show anemia and low blood sugar. Jaundice can also occur, but not always. We've been battling his anemia but I'm not sure if it has been successful without getting another blood test. I truly wish he would take the Yunnan Baiyao as it would control the mild bleeding from an ulcer that causes the anemia.
I'm hoping to get an appointment today to see Dr. Haghighat, as we saw positive results from Weasel's visit last time. Unfortunately this close to the holidays it's likely the clinic will be fully booked. The timing overall is very unfortunate as I also have family obligations to consider and will be away for 5 days, likely unhappy and worrying the entire time about my poor baby. My husband was going to join me for two days but can't do so any longer, as someone needs to be home. In the past, our automatic feeders and plenty of water was perfect but it's too risky to rely on him eating on his own now.
I'll update this blog if we see progress or a further decline.
It's quite possible he's going through one of these phases we've encountered on a few occasions, which means that he'll become his 'old' self in a few days; however, it will start to become a more frequent occurrence if the cancer is progressing, until we face a time where he doesn't improve after a few days... There is truly no way to prepare for these things. It tears you up on the inside, but I'm trying my best and as such, was exploring what the final stages appear as in the hopes that by recognizing it, I'm 'mildly prepared'. Vomiting is one of them and naturally loss of appetite. The animal can also go into a state of shock and behave in a manner where they're confused. This is often due to massive dehydration. They show signs of lethargy as well . Blood tests can show anemia and low blood sugar. Jaundice can also occur, but not always. We've been battling his anemia but I'm not sure if it has been successful without getting another blood test. I truly wish he would take the Yunnan Baiyao as it would control the mild bleeding from an ulcer that causes the anemia.
I'm hoping to get an appointment today to see Dr. Haghighat, as we saw positive results from Weasel's visit last time. Unfortunately this close to the holidays it's likely the clinic will be fully booked. The timing overall is very unfortunate as I also have family obligations to consider and will be away for 5 days, likely unhappy and worrying the entire time about my poor baby. My husband was going to join me for two days but can't do so any longer, as someone needs to be home. In the past, our automatic feeders and plenty of water was perfect but it's too risky to rely on him eating on his own now.
I'll update this blog if we see progress or a further decline.
Sunday, 8 December 2013
Wishing All Kitties Health and Wellness Entering Into The Holidays!
I'm very happy to announce that Weasel is still doing incredibly well. In fact, his fur is wonderfully thick. His ridiculous ruffle around his neck is back so he has a clown appearance once again (something we haven't seen in years) and he's nice and round - a little plump in fact, which is great to see.
I don't have any new news to report which is great! The remedies we use have not differed from previous posts. Weasel also still gets cooked chicken liver occasionally to address the fact that he was anemic a couple of months ago, which I believe is under control now.
The holistic vet is interested to do another ultrasound in January to mark the 'year' since diagnosis. Although we discovered it in February, Weasel likely had the tumour for quite some time prior to that. My issue with this is that it's incredibly cold outside right now and I don't particularly like shaving his belly to do the ultrasound which will leave him chilly haha. I'm very relieved that that's my largest issue with him at this stage.
I thought you might get a chuckle out of the Christmas Card below that I created for the Holistic Vet, which shows Weasel in the background sound asleep while his brother poses for the camera (I used their formal names). And don't worry, I put the hats on afterward in Photoshop.
I will also send this card virtually out to all of you, wishing not only for a wonderful holiday season, but great health for your fur babies, and newfound happiness when hopefully seeing positive results to your actions.
I don't have any new news to report which is great! The remedies we use have not differed from previous posts. Weasel also still gets cooked chicken liver occasionally to address the fact that he was anemic a couple of months ago, which I believe is under control now.
The holistic vet is interested to do another ultrasound in January to mark the 'year' since diagnosis. Although we discovered it in February, Weasel likely had the tumour for quite some time prior to that. My issue with this is that it's incredibly cold outside right now and I don't particularly like shaving his belly to do the ultrasound which will leave him chilly haha. I'm very relieved that that's my largest issue with him at this stage.
I thought you might get a chuckle out of the Christmas Card below that I created for the Holistic Vet, which shows Weasel in the background sound asleep while his brother poses for the camera (I used their formal names). And don't worry, I put the hats on afterward in Photoshop.
I will also send this card virtually out to all of you, wishing not only for a wonderful holiday season, but great health for your fur babies, and newfound happiness when hopefully seeing positive results to your actions.
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