SarahsRedmon
Lairian
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2017
- Messages
- 59
- Points
- 74
Oh Redmon Rue, Roodie Patoodie, Sir Redmon, The Rudester, my best friend, my soul mate.
**may be triggering to some**
It started 14 years ago, I saw a Craigslist ad for my boy. They wanted $150 for him. His previous family needed to rehome him. They were a young couple with a bunch of kids and caring for him was too much. He was 2 years old and I jumped on it.
He was my first pet and I was living in my first apartment by myself. I was infatuated with him from the beginning. Such an interesting looking fellow, such a big personality, so expressive for someone that couldn’t speak.
We spent my entire 20s together, solidifying our bond. In my 30s I was able to care for him and love him on another level. He was my everything. Every decision I made for years and years revolved around what was in Redmons best interest.
The problems started back in May. I woke up one morning to Redmon vocalizing and straining in the box. He was straining so hard he vomited on himself. This or anything remotely close to this had never happened before. I packed him up at 5:30am and rushed him to the er. They felt his bladder, it was small so unlikely a urinary blockage. They did a rectal exam, felt some stool in the colon but it was normal consistency. They suspected constipation. Prescribed meds and I went home. Later that day, he still wasn’t right. The vet I work for was out of town at the time so I took him to a feline only vet. She took an X-ray of him, saying there’s stool in the colon but not so much it should be causing a problem. They gave him an enema. That seemed to help.
I watched him closely the next few days, following him to the box, giving his meds exactly as prescribed. The following Monday, Reggie went into heart failure and I was crushed when I had to put him to sleep. I poured all my grief from loosing Reggie into caring for Redmon. He still wasn’t right, I took him into work with me the day after Reggie passed. We took more X-rays. His doctor became concerned about an internal mass. We did an ultrasound sound on him… and there is was. A mass just below his colon pushing on the colon making him feel like he had to poop, free fluid in the abdomen, lesions on his liver, angry kidneys, and inflamed mesenteric lymph nodes. His doctor was able to get a sample of the free fluid in his abdomen. We sent it to the lab and took him home that night.
Two days later the results came back neoplasia.. cancer. My boy had cancer. The doctor said intestinal adenocarcinoma that was showing signs of metastasis. I had a consult with an animal oncologist that night. She gave it to me straight it was bad… real bad. We were looking at weeks. Chemotherapy alone wouldn’t touch this. He would need surgery to remove the affected part of his colon and then chemotherapy to attack the other masses. He was 15, I couldn’t do that to him. She said we could try a drug called palladia but it would be a Hail Mary as there is no research on palladia and cats with this type of cancer. But palladia cuts off the blood supply to the tumors, shrinking them. She said if it was going to work, we would see results quickly. I started him on it that night.
It worked, he began passing stool normally. Eating like a champ. I knew he had cancer and wanted to make the most of whatever time we had. We made a bucket list. We chased geese at the park, he had a pup cup, went on all kinds of car rides, discovered a love of string cheese, celebrated his 16th birthday, he met grandpa (my dad) for the first time.. dad could tell right away Redmon was quite a guy, and cuddled so so much. We had 6 extra months together. 6 months that are so special to me.
I came home from work last Thursday and he was sleeping. He got up to use his box and he was in there longer than I felt he should be. I got up to go check and there he was straining in the box. Multiple trips in and out of the box not producing anything. I was shocked I knew this was coming but I didn’t think it would be then! I called his doctor she walked me through what treatments and meds to give. He had an ok night, stayed at the foot of the bed in the loaf position but didn’t get up to use the box. The next morning, Friday, I sat on the floor and had my coffee and he was on the edge of the bed and we rubbed foreheads and kissed just spending time together. I got up to get in the shower and when I turned the water off I heard him in the box. My heart sank, I opened the bathroom door and it was the same behavior as the night before. Multiple trips to the box not producing anything.
I packed him up to come to work with me. The whole car ride I told him everything is going to be fine, no matter what happens today I will be with you every step of the way. I already knew he wasn’t coming home, he knew he wasn’t coming home. I got to the clinic started his treatments. I went to take a rectal temp and saw blood coming from his penis and I started to cry. We shot an X-ray of his whole body. The cancer had spread to his chest. We did an ultrasound the cancer was everywhere. His bladder lining was thick, inflamed, irregularly shaped, with sediment in it. We were able to get a urine sample and there was so much bloody sediment in it. His doctor said it was over, the cancer had spread to his bladder and his chest. Said she could do a procedure to open the urethra so urine could pass and I could control symptoms a little longer with medications. But I couldn’t do that to him. I love him so much I could not let him suffer. That was a decision I made when I first got his diagnosis. I will keep going as long as he is enjoying life, but my cat will not suffer.
We put him to sleep shortly after. He was tired, he was ready. I held him the entire time, telling him how special he was, he was the best cat. He was brave, he wasn’t scared. He just drifted off. It was the passing I wanted for my boy.
I miss him dearly, I will always hold him close. I realize not even death could break our bond. I am proud of myself that I didn’t
allow him to suffer. I made the difficult decision from a place of love and did not keep him alive for selfish reasons. I’ve been oddly ok since he passed, I have no regrets. I did right by my boy and I can stand with the decisions I made. I still feel his presence, he’s still my cat.
I love you my boy, be free. You’ll be the first one I come and find on the other side.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
**may be triggering to some**
It started 14 years ago, I saw a Craigslist ad for my boy. They wanted $150 for him. His previous family needed to rehome him. They were a young couple with a bunch of kids and caring for him was too much. He was 2 years old and I jumped on it.
He was my first pet and I was living in my first apartment by myself. I was infatuated with him from the beginning. Such an interesting looking fellow, such a big personality, so expressive for someone that couldn’t speak.
We spent my entire 20s together, solidifying our bond. In my 30s I was able to care for him and love him on another level. He was my everything. Every decision I made for years and years revolved around what was in Redmons best interest.
The problems started back in May. I woke up one morning to Redmon vocalizing and straining in the box. He was straining so hard he vomited on himself. This or anything remotely close to this had never happened before. I packed him up at 5:30am and rushed him to the er. They felt his bladder, it was small so unlikely a urinary blockage. They did a rectal exam, felt some stool in the colon but it was normal consistency. They suspected constipation. Prescribed meds and I went home. Later that day, he still wasn’t right. The vet I work for was out of town at the time so I took him to a feline only vet. She took an X-ray of him, saying there’s stool in the colon but not so much it should be causing a problem. They gave him an enema. That seemed to help.
I watched him closely the next few days, following him to the box, giving his meds exactly as prescribed. The following Monday, Reggie went into heart failure and I was crushed when I had to put him to sleep. I poured all my grief from loosing Reggie into caring for Redmon. He still wasn’t right, I took him into work with me the day after Reggie passed. We took more X-rays. His doctor became concerned about an internal mass. We did an ultrasound sound on him… and there is was. A mass just below his colon pushing on the colon making him feel like he had to poop, free fluid in the abdomen, lesions on his liver, angry kidneys, and inflamed mesenteric lymph nodes. His doctor was able to get a sample of the free fluid in his abdomen. We sent it to the lab and took him home that night.
Two days later the results came back neoplasia.. cancer. My boy had cancer. The doctor said intestinal adenocarcinoma that was showing signs of metastasis. I had a consult with an animal oncologist that night. She gave it to me straight it was bad… real bad. We were looking at weeks. Chemotherapy alone wouldn’t touch this. He would need surgery to remove the affected part of his colon and then chemotherapy to attack the other masses. He was 15, I couldn’t do that to him. She said we could try a drug called palladia but it would be a Hail Mary as there is no research on palladia and cats with this type of cancer. But palladia cuts off the blood supply to the tumors, shrinking them. She said if it was going to work, we would see results quickly. I started him on it that night.
It worked, he began passing stool normally. Eating like a champ. I knew he had cancer and wanted to make the most of whatever time we had. We made a bucket list. We chased geese at the park, he had a pup cup, went on all kinds of car rides, discovered a love of string cheese, celebrated his 16th birthday, he met grandpa (my dad) for the first time.. dad could tell right away Redmon was quite a guy, and cuddled so so much. We had 6 extra months together. 6 months that are so special to me.
I came home from work last Thursday and he was sleeping. He got up to use his box and he was in there longer than I felt he should be. I got up to go check and there he was straining in the box. Multiple trips in and out of the box not producing anything. I was shocked I knew this was coming but I didn’t think it would be then! I called his doctor she walked me through what treatments and meds to give. He had an ok night, stayed at the foot of the bed in the loaf position but didn’t get up to use the box. The next morning, Friday, I sat on the floor and had my coffee and he was on the edge of the bed and we rubbed foreheads and kissed just spending time together. I got up to get in the shower and when I turned the water off I heard him in the box. My heart sank, I opened the bathroom door and it was the same behavior as the night before. Multiple trips to the box not producing anything.
I packed him up to come to work with me. The whole car ride I told him everything is going to be fine, no matter what happens today I will be with you every step of the way. I already knew he wasn’t coming home, he knew he wasn’t coming home. I got to the clinic started his treatments. I went to take a rectal temp and saw blood coming from his penis and I started to cry. We shot an X-ray of his whole body. The cancer had spread to his chest. We did an ultrasound the cancer was everywhere. His bladder lining was thick, inflamed, irregularly shaped, with sediment in it. We were able to get a urine sample and there was so much bloody sediment in it. His doctor said it was over, the cancer had spread to his bladder and his chest. Said she could do a procedure to open the urethra so urine could pass and I could control symptoms a little longer with medications. But I couldn’t do that to him. I love him so much I could not let him suffer. That was a decision I made when I first got his diagnosis. I will keep going as long as he is enjoying life, but my cat will not suffer.
We put him to sleep shortly after. He was tired, he was ready. I held him the entire time, telling him how special he was, he was the best cat. He was brave, he wasn’t scared. He just drifted off. It was the passing I wanted for my boy.
I miss him dearly, I will always hold him close. I realize not even death could break our bond. I am proud of myself that I didn’t
allow him to suffer. I made the difficult decision from a place of love and did not keep him alive for selfish reasons. I’ve been oddly ok since he passed, I have no regrets. I did right by my boy and I can stand with the decisions I made. I still feel his presence, he’s still my cat.
I love you my boy, be free. You’ll be the first one I come and find on the other side.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
