Where to go from here

I really appreciate the comments and caring about my girl.

We were planning on celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary. For years, we said we’d go to Alaska. When Trinity was diagnosed with struvite crystals and her and her brother can’t eat the same food we felt like the extra hassle was too much to ask of someone so we backed it back up to a week in Alabama/New Orleans/Texas.

I am unable to forget that sound or seeing her pass out and thinking she had passed. I don’t even want to be gone a week even though they would be checked on twice a day by someone I totally trust. I am having a hard time leaving the house for fear of something happening and her being in pain with no one to help her. Not to mention the test so far cost about half of what we budgeted to celebrating our anniversary, so the money just isn’t really there for both.

All bets were on a heart issue. Not knowing if they really have any Ragdoll in them didn’t stop the vets from checking her for cardiomyopathy. Her heart looked good on the ultrasound even thought the first EKG right after it happened showed VCP. It could still be heart and 2 of the 3 vets who we’ve been talking to say to give a baby aspirin every third day just in case it is because it won’t hurt anything if it’s not her heart.

Educated guesses are she could have an abdominal mass that threw a clot to her brain. Part of her abdomen showed on the x-ray and she just had her bladder ultra sounded in August 2014. It could be her brain. It could be some super rare adrenal gland cancer. It could be her heart rhythm or it could be a one time thing that will never happen again- which is what we hope. I have no idea if it’s ever happened before because she’s acting normal now. Even though she didn’t shake or go stiff it could’ve been a seizure. Between myself, my husband and 3 vets we are split as to wait and watch to see if it ever happens again or put her through more test. In reading I saw that some cats faint when their neck is under pressure. Tyler and Trinity always stuff themselves in the bed together near my computer, but he neck was against the soft roll of the bed. They also both have bad dreams and sometimes wake up hissing. Not sure that could cause a cat to pass out and an irregular heartbeat.

More test means putting her through things she doesn’t like. She doesn’t like leaving the house and frankly doesn’t care to be around other people. She also has a reaction to being shaved which they’d need to do for an abdominal ultrasound and she’d have to be on meds to not freak out while her hair grows back out. I know weird, but it’s a fact.

They’ll be 8 next month. If it is her heart rhythm we can’t afford nor would I put her through the test at an animal hospital or getting a pacemaker. If it’s a stomach mass and could be controlled by meds I’d do that but I’m not sure I’d put her through surgeries for that. I don’t want her last days/months/years filled with that just to delay the inevitable. I was so glad to go pick her up and I think she was even happier to be home. If she passes young because she throws a clot at least she was comfortable at home.

I thought I was doing better but as I was typing she let out a big normal meow. Not a pain one like she did before, just a meow and my stomach flopped. She’s bounced back to normal way quicker than me. If I hadn’t seen it I’d have no idea it happened. I have no idea if it’s happened before as there seems to no lasting effect. My cats are my kids, my furbabies and are loved greatly as part of the family.