[Sca-cooks] Cork update

[Robin Carroll-Mann]

When I called my vet on Tuesday to report Cork's increasing
weakness, she rescheduled the ultrasound.  It was done today,
and confirmed the vet's suspicions.  She has a cancer.  There are
8 distinct masses.  I've been given a referral to a veterinary
oncologist.  My vet couldn't give me an exact diagnosis, but she
says it could be lymphoma, which is the commonest feline cancer.
 I'll have to discuss the rest with the specialist.

I've looked it up on the web.  There's no cure, but chemotherapy
can bring about a remission.  The average is 6 months, though
some cats have had remissions of several years.

My heart has been very heavy today, but much of the anxiety is
gone.  Now I have some idea of what we're facing.

I made the mistake last night of telling my grandmother about
Cork's illness, and my worries.  My grandmother sometimes has a
gift for tactlessness.  She said, in a way that was perhaps
supposed to be philosophical, "These things happen.  What can
you do?"  She's never been an animal lover, and doesn't
understand.  I had been hoping for sympathy, and some
acknowledgement of my pain.

Right now our priority is to get Cork to eat.  The vet says to feed
her whatever she likes and will keep down.  I tried some baby food
tonight, but she didn't do more than taste it.  I don't know if she
disliked the flavor, or just wasn't hungry.

I'll post more news when I have some.  Thanks again to everyone
for your support and counsel.


Robin Carroll-Mann
rcmann4 at earthlink.net
"Mostly Harmless" -- Douglas Adams