I've posted this already on r/cats... and I someone gave me a lovely response and some advice.. I hope it is ok that I am posting it here as well? I was hoping to find someone who maybe has a similar situation? Maybe also posting it here will increase that chance?
So I haven't posted on Reddit much. I mostly lurk and get nervous to post...but I'm looking for... I dono..advice? Maybe someone has gone through something similar...
My kitty, Tinsel, developed a lump on her lower back, near her legs. I originally thought I noticed it first in February...but now that I think back...maybe it was earlier. I can't be sure.
I had an appt. for her early March for check up and shots... which was canceled due to a snow storm. I was slow to reschedule...but when I thought maybe the lump seemed bigger I got an appt. for early April. Vet said we should remove it right away and the closest he could get me in was last Friday. So, I had it removed and tested. Vet called me Wednesday and It came back as aggressive soft tissue sarcoma , I'm pretty sure that's what he called it? Lots of info at once and I was a little shocked... I did kinda expect it...but still upsetting.
I guess this is highly likely to reoccur in the same location and from what I read it can happen in as little time as a month. He said he took out as much surrounding tissue as he can (the tumor was about the size of a walnut) and I can do radiation or chemo. He seemed to be leaning towards me not bothering as he mentioned its a lot of money and the closest place around where I live is over an hour away. He also said it can be hard on their body. I see him on the 17th to remove the stitches, maybe I can go over the options with him again in person.
I just feel terrible that I didn't react faster in February. It would have been smaller...and maybe better chances of getting more tissue out? I don't know...
I also got a dog around christmas (which is a whole other thing haha), and Tinsel hasn't reacted as well as my other cat has to the dog. So she spends a lot of time upstairs away from the dog. I still try to pay her as much attention as I can, but maybe if I had been with her more I would have noticed it sooner, I feel so guilty. I was also hopeful that she would grow to at least tolerate the dog eventually...and now I'm sad thinking that will never happen and she will spend her last days isolated. I do go up and see her...and the dog is crated at night and in a room to herself during the day...so Tinsel has the house during those times...but that isn't when we are home.
I also feel bad if I don't do the radiation because I feel like I need to give her the best chance possible... and I might have given her this by getting her vaccinated...I feel I owe my pets to take care of them the best I can, and I'm being selfish if I don't.
So... I think I'm looking for if anyone has had a cat have this before...and how fast it came back. If they had a second tumor removed? Although I'm sure every situation is different.
I read a story online somewhere where the tumor reoccurred within a month, they removed that one and the cat has lived another 5 years, no tumor. I also read a story where the tumor came back after 9 months and they put the cat down. Kills me...just having to wait and see...and well...do I remove a tumor the second time? If that will even be possible..
It's hard because she is super healthy otherwise, active, playful, cuddly...her blood work came back all great and she is only 8. To think of putting her down... it just seems too soon.
Tldr; My cat had a lump removed...turns out it is aggressive soft tissue sarcoma and highly likely to regrow. I don't know what to do. Feeling so guilty and looking for similar stories or comfort? And how people dealt with it.
[link] [comments]
from Pets https://www.reddit.com/r/Pets/comments/bn1xnv/lump_removed_from_my_cat_turns_out_its_soft/
No comments:
Post a Comment