Thankful Thursday and Some Sad News About Lita

Hi everyone, it's the Mom today with a lot of news about Lita. 

We are joining Brian's Thankful Thursday blog hop today because we are very thankful that Lita is still with us, and we are so incredibly thankful for everyone who has supported us in any way throughout this whole horrible situation.  Thank you.  We love you!

Back in October, Lita started having lots of asthma attacks/coughing spells whereas after we moved into our new place, she was doing really well.  Initially, I thought it was just her asthma flaring up.  It's not unusual for Lita's asthma to flare after she visits the vet, as vet visits are so incredibly stressful for her.  However, none of the usual asthma med changes that usually help her helped. 

After about a month, I wondered if she could have pneumonia again.  Putting her on amoxicillin cleared her symptoms nearly right away, but it also made her very, very sick to the point where she was refusing to eat anything at all.  So we took her off that antibiotic after only a few days and put her on clindamycin followed by zenequin.  Each was a 10-day course, and while they didn't seem to improve her symptoms, she certainly didn't get worse on either of them.

I had taken Lita to the vet before she started the zenequin.  This vet said that it looked like Lita had cancer in her lungs and that it had metastasized from elsewhere in her body. 

After her 10-day course on zenequin, I took Lita to her very first vet for a second opinion.  Surprisingly, she remembered Lita after 10 years!!  She also said that it looked like cancer in Lita's lungs, based off her x-rays. 

A third vet has chimed in, though he is not local and has not seen Lita.  He has seen her x-rays and her medical history.  He thinks it looks more like chronic pneumonia in Lita's lungs.

At this point, it may not even matter, unfortunately.  I feel the vets here have given up on Lita, and I feel really lost.  I've been referred to Internal Medicine for further testing, but Lita is honestly too sick to withstand a bronchial wash or a guided ultrasound from what I understand.  I would love it if some vet could give me some direction on how to make it easier for Lita to breathe, though, in her time left with us. 

Lita is still hanging in, still fighting to be here.  She is eating very little, though.  She did have a little kibble tonight, which was good.  She and Carmine had been off kibble, but if she will eat it, I am going to give her all the kibble she wants.  I have been trying to feed her a/d, various canned foods, chicken, turkey, baby food......anything she might eat, I give a try. 

Much of the time, she seems repulsed by food.  It's very sad to see.  She always loved eating.  It's those times where she'll eat a little that fill me with joy.  Even if she is just eating a little to humor me, I'm glad she does. 

Lita has little energy and spends most of her time on my bed.  She coughs quite a bit and has periods where her breathing is rather fast.  She still enjoys being pet and near her people, though.  She really loves laying on my cat pajamas, and she still sleeps with me every night.

It has been incredibly difficult sitting with this information for the past 6 weeks or so.  Lita was the first kitty I ever had as an adult.  She was a gift from my dad.  She was my only friend when I moved to Colorado to go to graduate school at the age of 22.  She and I have been through so much.  I simply cannot imagine my life without her, and thinking about it absolutely breaks my heart.  There have been many, many tears here lately. 

I worry a great deal about how Carmine is going to take her loss.  He attaches to his kitty friends as much as he does his humans.  He loves Lita very much and has lived with her his entire life.  They've been together for more than 12 years.  He likes taking care of his kitty friends.  I almost worry more about how he will take all of this than how I will take it all. 

YOU CAN HELP LITA

On top of all of this, I am (hopefully) temporarily out of writing work.  I am applying to writing sites and gigs and hope to find some good leads in the New Year, but for now, I am without the little bit of extra income writing provides.  

Our dear friends over at Brian's Home have set up a fundraiser to help Lita.  All funds raised will go to making Lita as comfortable as possible until she is ready to go and to covering her in-home euthanasia/end-of-life expenses.  

Because going to the vet stresses her out so much, I am planning on having a vet come here to help Lita to the Rainbow Bridge when it's time.  

You can donate HERE.  No amount is too small.  I understand that not everyone is in a position to donate.  If you can't donate, could you please share the fundraiser for us?  

We love and appreciate you all.  Thank you for taking this journey with us.