Woodstock's Story

June 4th - Now it is June, and today Woodstock gets his 9th chemotherapy treatment. Here is his picture for June--quite a little stunner! (No, he doesn't have a black eye! Just a shadow on his cute little face.)

I have added IP6+Inositol to his regimen. I also make some homemade food: cooked ground turkey or chicken (my cats don't seem to like my cooked lamb), and sometimes added tuna; Anitra's Vitamin mixture, calcium, ginseng, clam juice, crushed Petgold Vita Tabs for cats, rice, canola oil and corn. I freeze individual containers and add the IP6 as I serve the food. I have also starting giving Petguard Venison and Rice dinner--low in protein, and the cats like it better than Eukanuba or Hill's kidney diets. In a pinch, I just give him grocery store cat food, which, of course, he likes best. I also try to give him some Laphappy with FOS in an oral syringe with his Pet Tinic.

June 30th - Woodstock, sunbathing (with sunscreen, on an enclosed porch!) This happy, joy-filled little man is why we're doing the chemo. He knocks me OUT!

July 16th - Woodstock and I just got back from his 15th chemo treatment. That means he has had 5 'rounds' of the COP protocol. His blood work is all within the normal range, and his kidney function is pretty normal. Dr. Clark said he is doing better than she would have expected, given the seriousness of kidney lymphoma.

We'll have another 'round' of 5 treatments, then an ultrasound of his kidneys to make sure they're OK. If they are, then we'll continue the same protocol but every other week.

Woodstock enjoys everything about life, except getting in his carrier to go to the vet. He used to love car trips. Recently, I have begun giving him Bach Rescue Remedy to sooth him for the trip. This week, Dr. Clark suggested he get out more and go more places. So on the way home, we stopped at Starbucks for iced latte and a cookie. Later in the week, I'm going to buy him a new harness so he can go in places easier--if some of you remember, this was my original plan for him to be my companion. So probably a couple of times a week, you can find Wood and I having coffee at our local coffee shop. Too bad we're not in England--we could share a brew at our local pub.

July 30th - Woodstock had his 17th chemo treatment today. He has gained another 2 ounces!--he is definitely not happy about getting in his carrier anymore, but he got a nice new outfit--a forest green harness and leash. He just finished a week of Clavamox for a urinary tract infection. Here he is with his doctor, Dr. Christine Clark, and his very favorite veterinary technician, Tina.

August 13th - Woodstock lost 5 ounces since last week and has a 'raging cystitis'--urine is full of crystals. He has special food to eat for the next week--Hill's SD--he can't eat anything else (and he sure doesn't like this!)--and 2 antibiotics--Baytril pill in the am and Amoxidrops in the pm. Then next week he'll have blood work and methotrexate. The week following he'll have ultrasound and kidney biopsy in the hopes of moving the chemo to every other week.

Cassidy (see preceding page) wasn't feeling well--she threw up her lunch and couldn't poop. So I took her in too. Vet says she threw up because she was constipated, but she finally pooped. Her colon and tummy are fine. This is probably caused by stress (Woodstock). Dr. Clark said my stomach and colon problems are probably caused by stress too!

So far Wood is not crazy about the Hill's SD, canned or dry, but I am determined. Of course, he is taking his medicine like a man! A man with a need to cuddle! I've been giving him water by syringe in his mouth, which seems to help so far.

August 27th - I just got home from the vet with Woodstock. He finished his 5th month of weekly chemo last week.

This week was critical for testing and seeing if he can move to chemo every other week.

Results: His blood work is normal; Dr. Clark consulted with the oncologist at U PA who said Woodstock would only need a biopsy if his ultrasound didn't look good. His ultrasound showed 2 healthy kidneys with none of the findings described in the ultrasound from U PA. (from U PA on April 7--right kidney: large, irregular, hyperechoic [poorly reflecting tissues] with hypoechoic subcapsular rim; left kidney: very large, irregular, protruding ovoid mass-like structures in cranial and caudal pole of kidney, similar or worse subcapsular infiltrate.)

We are ecstatic--so this is Wood's first week w/o chemo in 5 months! I told Dr. Clark last week that I was concerned that going to maintenance chemo meant that the lymphosarcoma would return and that he'd only have a short time to live--she checked with the U PA oncologist who said that his moving to maintenance doesn't put any time limit on his life.

We're moving to every other week--he still may have a bit of urinary tract infection, so I'm watching him. You can't believe the happiness in my heart right now and how grateful I am to the Universe for this happy little guy. And I am also grateful for the love and blessings from all of the compassionate loving souls--all of us in love with our kitties who are still here on earth or who have gone ahead.

September 10th - Last week, Woodstock had his Elspar, and this week was a chemo-free week. But lo-and-behold, Woodstock developed another urinary track infection--no pee pee. So, Dr. Clark called in a prescription for him--10 days of Augmentin (yikes, $50!). I also had ordered, believe it or not, Animals' Apawthecary Tinkle Tonic. So after 2 days of both, he's doing fine again. Of course, I gave him extra fluids by mouth for the first couple of days. I also ordered a number of other varieties of food online, one of which, Triumph Beef 'n Tuna is low magnesium. Ash or magnesium is thought to be harmful to the urinary tracts of male cats. However, according to the Cornell Vet School:

The most common mineral associated with urethral obstructions in cats is struvite. Previously, the ash content--and more recently, the magnesium content--of the diet was thought to be a primary cause of struvite formation in the urine. However, researchers have found that urine pH is a more important contributing factor; urine that is acidic provides a less favorable environment for the formation of struvite uroliths and crystals. It also was discovered that cats who are fed multiple small meals throughout the day, or who are allowed to eat their food free-choice, routinely tend to produce a more acidic urine--again less favorable for struvite formation--than cats fed only one or two large meals per day.

The above news is especially good for Woodstock, because he eats 3 meals a day, plus extra snacks whenever he wants. He has "Woodstock's place" on the counter--a placemat and pillow where he comes to get his medicines or when he wants a snack, to be brushed, or just attention. He can also safely supervise the kitchen.