Well, this is a post I thought I would never write. To say that my heart broke after receiving this news is an understatement. We were so excited to bring Sketchie home from the vet last week. As you may recall, he had exploratory surgery in an effort to determine his health issues (see this post for more info). I was convinced that he had IBD. To be honest, I was second-guessing our decision to proceed with the surgery. Would it even help him? Was it worth it to put him through all of this? I felt so unsure and conflicted.
Eric picked him up from the vet last week and I stayed back to finish up some work. He was gone a really long time which I thought was unusual. When I heard the door open I yelled, “Sketchieeee!!” like I always do in a high-pitched voice whenever I see him after being out. I ran down the stairs to greet them both and stopped in my tracks when I saw the look on Eric’s face. I knew something was terribly wrong.
After seeing Eric fight back tears I could only get out “what’s wrong?” in a choked up voice.
“Sketchie has lymphoma.”
I just collapsed into Eric’s arms. Completely lost it. The whole day was like one long nightmare. I wasn’t prepared for any of this. Even though the vet mentioned lymphoma might be a possibility, I thought “not Sketchie”. Eric explained that it’s small cell lymphoma (in his intestines) which apparently has a decent chance of responding to the treatment. I kept reading things online that treatment could help them live a few years (a few years?, I’d wail) and then I had to just stop reading about it. It was too much to process.
To make matters worse, Sketchie was still in a fair amount of pain, totally not himself and unsettled. Seeing the 15+ staples in his shaved belly was hard. It was a really difficult few days, but we gave him so much love and attention to try to help him feel better. His eyes looked so sad, obviously not knowing what the heck happened to his body. I’m so grateful though that the surgery went well without any complications.
So here we are a week and a half later still grappling with the news and trying to figure out what course of treatment we’re going to take. If anything, I’m so grateful that we were able to get the exploratory surgery to determine the root cause of his digestive issues and low B12. And that we caught it early. Knowledge is power!
I just want to thank you for thinking of Sketchie over the past couple weeks. Many of you left lovely comments and tweets and it really means a lot to me. I’d love to hear from those of you who might have had a similar experience with your pet and what treatment options you used. Right now, we’re open to exploring our options while keeping in mind his quality of life, above all.
The good news is that Sketchie is recovering well from his surgery! He’s a trooper! After 4-5 days, he seemed much more like himself. His appetite is back which is reassuring because he lost a lot of weight over the past 6 months. The spark in his eyes is back. Today he gets his staples out which I’m nervous about, so I hope it goes well and he’s not too traumatized by going back there so soon.
He’s still a young cat (7 years), so I’m hoping he will respond well to treatment. I know this one is not going down without a fight.
Now go on and hug your pets for me, will you?
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Updates:
In lighter news, I wanted to thank you for your incredible comments on my Cookbook Launch & Sneak Peek Post this week. I was on cloud nine all week seeing your tweets, Facebook messages, and comments come in. It really helped cheer me up and take my mind off things.
Newsletter:
I sent out the second cookbook newsletter yesterday, so be sure to check your spam box because they have a tendency to end up there. If you still haven’t received any newsletters yet, please add “[email protected]” to your email contact list to ensure that you get future newsletters. That should do the trick! If you’d like to read the 2nd newsletter in the meantime, you can do so on my book page (it’s linked near the bottom of the page).
New OSG Virtual Cookbook Blog Tour Reviews:
Check out these new reviews and don’t forget to enter the giveaways!
Dreena @ Plant Powered Kitchen (review, recipe, giveaway)
Kate @ Cookie + Kate (review, recipe)
Kaila @ Healthy Helper Blog (review, recipe, giveaway)
Kiersten @ Oh My Veggies! (review, recipe, giveaway)
Kathy @ Healthy Happy Life (review, recipe)
Cadry @ Cadry’s Kitchen (review, recipe, giveaway)
Abby @ The Frosted Vegan (review, recipe, giveaway)
Nicole @ A Dash of Compassion (review, recipe, giveaway)
Livvy @ 86 Lemons (review, recipe, giveaway)
Ashley @ {Never} home maker (review, recipe, giveaway)
Emily @ Daily Garnish (review, recipe, giveaway)
Sarah @ The Sweet Life (review, recipe, giveaway)
Jess @ Get Sconed (review, interview)
Canada AM:
Lastly, I had two fun TV appearances this week. The first one was Tuesday morning on Canada AM. I somehow managed to get through LIVE TV without passing out. hah. You can find the link to watch the video at the bottom of my book page. Thanks to my friend Karly for the screenshot above!
Steven and Chris:
The second appearance was a taping for the Steven and Chris show. It was also a total blast! We made my Empowered Noodle Bowl with Orange-Maple Miso Dressing. I don’t have an official air date yet, but I will let you know as soon as I find out. It should be within the next week or two. I hear that it’s syndicated on the Live Well Network in the US, so hopefully those of you in the US can watch it online as well.
[a couple behind the scenes photos from Steven and Chris. Thanks to Ange for the bottom photo!]
Thank you again for making this week one I won’t soon forget. Have a great weekend!
So sorry to hear about Sketchie – I recently went through something similar with my dog who is very much my baby. In his case it was a tumour and luckily we found it early and had it removed. Very scary, and it was just heartbreaking to see him with a cone on his head, lying in bed looking miserable, wondering why half of his side had been cut open. All you can do is love them and cherish every minute with them – they’re such a blessing :)
I’m so sorry to hear about Sketchie, that’s heartbreaking news.. I’m sending all the prayers and good wishes I can your way, hoping and praying he gets better soon!!
Switching to happier news – congratulations on being on Canada AM – and the Steven & Chris show (as a fellow Canadian I was so happy to read that – I love their show!) :)
Love to you, Ange [and Eric]!! Hoping Sketchie continues to heal! Hugs!! — And congrats on an amazing first week with your book. xoxo!
I’m so sorry about Sketchie–I know how much pets are family. Positive thoughts for a healthy and speedy recovery!
Angela, longtime reader, longtime cat lover here!
We had two cats diagnosed with cancer around the same time last year (plus one who’d recently died from an unknown heart condition) and it was devastating for us.
The sad story first: Cinnamon had trouble breathing which I thought was going to be a heart issue like his deceased brother Milky Way. An x-ray showed lung cancer and he was given days to live. We opted not to do surgery or chemo due to expense and the unlikelihood it would help weighed against how long and uncomfortable his recovery would be. We went in a few times over the next three weeks and had his lungs tapped to make it easier for him to breathe, but then the lungs started to fill with blood (instead of fluid) and that was no longer an option. A few days later, he stopped eating and became very lethargic and we ended up putting him down. Hardest decision of my life and I miss him (and his brother) dearly.
Now the happier story: Our deaf, chronically ill, former stray Tweak was diagnosed with splenic cancer after an ultrasound was done after feeling a mass in her abdomen. She was given weeks to live and we again opted not to do surgery or chemo for the same reasons listed above. 10 months later and she is our miracle cat and going strong! She gets up to 8 pills a day for her various illnesses, which gets expensive but we think she’s worth it. Plus, she really loves taking her pills! :-) For the cancer, she takes Pepcid of all things for gastric upset and an appetite stimulant and occasionally gets some fluid at the vet (or from her RN mom!) but on the whole is doing remarkably well!
In both situations we talked over the pros and cons of interventions versus palliative care and we went with our gut and did palliative care for both. It was most important for us for them to be comfortable, happy, and to stay in their normal routine as much as possible, which did not include surgery or chemo for us.
Wishing you and Eric all the best in your decisions and sorry for the lengthy post. <3 our fur babies!
Oh, and Tweak is on steroids. How could I forget that one, it’s been super helpful for managing her inflammation!
Oh, Angela. I am so sorry. I know you must be devastated. My little kitty Mulligan was diagnosed with intestinal lymphoma last summer. Because she was 16 and has high blood pressure (!) I chose not to treat the cancer, just the inflammation with an anti-inflammatory steroid medication. She has done fairly well, though the cancer has now spread to her brain, as evidenced by seizures. She will be 17 next week, so all we can do is love her and spoil her and make her as comfortable as can be. I lost my other kitty right before Christmas, and he may have also had it, but we treated it as IBD because he had a lot of other health issues. Anyway, Sketchie is young and strong and wi come through whatever treatment you decide is best for him. Give him lots of love! I’ll be thinking about you all.
God bless! I hope Sketchie is recovering well from having his stitches removed. xxx
Angela, I was so very sorry to read about Sketchie’s condition. Prayers and positive vibes going out to all three of you and especially for many happy & pain-free days for Sketchie. I know how awful it is when a beloved member of the family is sick.
Got your book this week and it is just beautiful. Can’t wait to make each and every recipe in it. Thanks for all your hard work. It really paid off! Best to you and Eric. Stay strong.
Get well Sketchie! Angela, I have a 12-year-old labrador retriever, and the thought of losing her frightens me. I will hug her for you! I do hope that Sketchie will respond to treatment. Pets are family! On other news, i tried you “On the mend spicy red lentil soup,” from your new cookbook. It’s glorious and got a glowing review from my omnivore husband. I will take a pic soon to post on Twitter. I wish I could just stay home the whole week and cook new recipes!
Oh you poor thing! Hope things are still looking more positive since you wrote this post and that Sketchie is staying strong! And like you say on a lighter now….but completely awesome, seriously amazing looking cookbook, I’m yet to see if I can get it shipped to Ireland but I want a copy so bad!!! The pictures that I’ve seen (with all the review posts!) are what really draws me in; your photography skills are outstanding!!!
I’m so sorry to hear about Sketchie. Sending prayers and positive thoughts to you all! I’ve been through similar illness with my babies and alll I can say is be strong and stay positive! They can read us better than you think!!!
Take care
Patti
Oh no, poor Sketchie! Much love and hugs to you and your furry little loveball. I will give my cat a huge hug now, and take him to the vet asap. I don’t take him often enough for check-ups.
I”m so, so sorry to hear about Sketchie. I can’t give any advise except to say that I have been in your position enough times to know how hard it is. Hugs, love, and prayers to your family. <3
My heart goes out to you. Let me share this with you, check out The Gentle Barn, an organization that rescues sick and mistreated farm animals in my area (southern California). I know they use a lot of alternative practitioners in addition to vets to treat their animals and get great results.( I visit the place and follow them on fb.) Maybe they can share some info with you, refer someone they worked with, etc. You never know where help migh come from.
I am so so sorry to hear about your kitty :( Pets are such important members of our families. Wishing you all the best.
So sorry to hear this, it really hits home. My beloved dog of 13 years was diagnosed with lymphoma a month ago. He is on chemo and responding positively, but the prognosis is 12-18 months in the best case. Sending you lots of love and congratulations on your beautiful book! I just received it and can’t wait to start recipe testing!
Hi Angela,
So sorry to hear about Sketchie. I found some information about a cat overcoming high grade lymphoma using natural treatments in case you are interested. Best wishes to your family during this time and a speedy recovery for him.
http://www.naturalcatcareblog.com/2013/06/from-incurable-to-cancer-free-in-one-year-how-nate-the-cat-survived-high-grade-lymphoma/
I’m definitely giving my dog a big hug for you. I hope Sketchie responds to treatment well. He’ll be in our thoughts. <3
Hi there – I got the same diagnosis for my cat almost 2 years ago. She is now 13. She has the large cell which is less treatable. I was devastated. I put her though a course of chemo, approx 8 treatments, but she was losing weight so I stopped it. The oncologist and my regular vet thought she’d be gone within the month. That was July 2012. She has completely defied expectations. She put some of the weight back on and has been her silly self ever since. She still plays, runs to the door to see me and looks really healthy. If people weren’t told she has cancer, they’d never know.
I have kept her on Prednisolone for the entire time and I think that has been a huge help.
Don’t give up hope. The key is to keep her eating. The vet can give you appetite stimulants which helps. Also, try every kind of food to keep her interested. Olive changes her mind sometimes so I keep some variety on hand. I pretty much give her whatever she wants to eat.
If you want more info don’t hesitate to send me an email.
Poor Sketchie! I’ll be sending him (and you and Eric) lots of positive vibes and healing energy!