It's official: Chunky has small-cell lymphoma. I’ll be the first to say that I never expected to find myself dealing with an oncologist or a cancer diagnosis for one of my babies, but here I am.
It’s taken a while to process, but I think I’m finally at a place of acceptance. This couldn't be prevented, and it can’t really be cured. It helps that Chunky is acting normal. You wouldn’t even know he has cancer, except for when I have to give him his medicine. Even then, if I didn’t wrap him into a little burrito, he’d fight me with his little paws.
When the oncologist confirmed that Chunky had small-cell lymphoma, I had an idea of what it was already, but she was helpful in explaining that lymphoma is the most common cancer that cats can be diagnosed with. There are actually two kinds of lymphoma that cats can get: small-cell lymphoma, and large-cell lymphoma. Out of the two, it was better for Chunky to get small-cell lymphoma, mostly because it has a higher response rate to chemotherapy compared to large-cell lymphoma. This means a longer survival time for Chunky, and the oncologist is optimistic that Chunky will live for at least another couple of years. He might even go into remission.
Even if he went into remission, though, he will need to take chemotherapy medication and steroids for the rest of his life. The good thing is that he isn’t experiencing any side-effects from the medication so far. If he were, he’d be vomiting more, eating less, and overall just not feeling himself. Ironically, the meds decreased his chronic vomiting and increased his appetite. I guess I should be grateful for that, since there’s less vomit for me to worry about. Not to mention he gained a half-pound since he started his medication. It doesn’t seem like much, but for a cat that was under five pounds, a half-pound is a big deal.
There is a risk of him getting diabetes because of the medication, which is why Chunky needs to go in frequently for bloodwork. Right now it’s monthly, and assuming his blood work continues to come back normal, they’ll draw blood every other month. I’m not sure what the plan will be if he does eventually develop diabetes, so let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.
There is one downside to the positive effects the meds have on him–the increase in appetite has led to constant meowing in the mornings when he doesn’t get the wet food that he wants. The thing is, I have no idea what it is that he wants. He’s not only picky, he gets tired of certain flavors and brands, so it's a revolving door of wet food. He’s a free-feeder when it comes to his kibble, so he isn’t being starved, but you wouldn't know that with how vocal he is when he is unhappy with the wet food he is given.
This has certainly been an interesting year when it comes to my pets. Expensive, too, but that's a post for another time.
And if you’re wondering what the CHN tag stands for, it’s for Chunky and Cas Health News. It's a tweak from the title of my last post. I have a feeling that my plan to write about them from time to time has shifted and that you’ll read about them a lot more frequently. Bear with me as I navigate my new normal with my senior furbabies.
I'll leave this pic here for you all to enjoy of Chunky taking a nap on me instead of the nice comfy pet bed I bought for him.
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