Tails up

A week ago I left the door to what is now known as Cherubino's Room open for a bit before a feeding, while he was in the puke safety zone. I heard some crunching coming from the room. I went in, ready to shoo Theo away only to find Cheru munching away at his dry food! I was so happy I actually cried.

We had to board the Ru while we were in Tahoe. I felt guilty about that, but there was no way we could have someone come by three times per day, plus the possibility of letting any puke fester (although his puking was winding down, it seemed like a particularly stinky risk). At the hospital, he allegedly did very well, not throwing up and eating on his own a bit.

Since I picked him up Monday he has continued to flourish. I've got him almost up to 90 cc of food per feeding and I've caught him eating on his own a few times. He hasn't thrown up once since he's been back and -- the details those of you with scatalogical inclinations are just dying to know -- he's been peeing and pooping, too. He's looking and acting a lot more like Cheru and a lot less like a sick sad kitty. His eyes are brighter and he's grooming again. When I came in for his afternoon feeding he was giving himself a pedicure.

The PEG tube feedings have gotten easier with experience. I now seem to administer the food at the right speed and without making a mess. The feedings do take a while -- about 15 minutes, plus the time of loading up the syringes -- which is complicated by having a baby. I can plop Yelena in her crib for a few minutes while giving Cheru his medicine a half-hour before feedings, but I have to figure out what to do with her for the morning and, if Eli is not home early, afternoon feedings. So far I've been putting her in the exersaucer, but she's technically outgrown it and I probably ought to stop. I'd bring her into the room to play while I feed, but she's going through a particularly screechy phase right now and cats aren't too into high pitched/high decibel sounds as it is, let alone a convalescing cat. A surgeon friend of mine is going to hook me up with additional syringes, so at least I can load up a bunch at night while Yelena slumbers.

Dealing with this has been trying, emotionally and financially. Through all of this we thought we were doing the right thing, but there's always the nagging feeling that we were going to extreme measures, even though this is the prescribed treatment for hepatic lipidosis and has a 70% success rate. If at any point Cheru had gotten mean and surly, we probably wouldn't have gone through with it. Looking into his beautiful blue eyes and knowing that he'd be dead right now if we didn't put in the PEG tube reassures me that we definitely did the right thing. He has a visit with the oncologist on Monday to check him out and get him back on chemo, only a different scheme, probably without the prednisone.