Saxton Cardiologist appt
Well, here we are, like it or not! Saxton’s cardiologist appt did not go as we had all HOPED. We received devasting news! Saxton’s heart is literally broken. He has an unclassified form of heart disease, meaning it does not fall under the usual three heart disease groups in cats. He has a little of each kind, and it is in ADVANCED stages! 💔
Cat’s Masters of disguise is Understated!
We are devastated, shocked, heartbroken, and again questioning How & WHY, and YES, ANGER too!
We thought we were cat smart hoomans, meaning we watch for anything and everything in our boys. Unfortunately, we ARE NOT cat-smart enough! The boys don’t miss wellness exams and go to the vets when there is an issue. We watch for the slightest of changes in them! I will never understand how this is so advanced, and we did not see ANYTHING until May when I took Saxton for his routine 6-month exam! Saxton had a few bouts of an upset belly. Nothing to suggest a heart issue. To say cats are masters of disguise is severely understated.
Dr. R was hopeful for Saxton to have an early disease because we had not heard this gallop until May. He had his dental in December and did excellently. I have no clue what to think anymore. We all need or want answers when things go wrong! The what, why’s & hows etc. Yes, we don’t always get those! It’s a way of coping or not, I guess.
Drug Cocktail
I want to share the cocktail we used to safely get Saxton to the cardiologist, 100 mg gabapentin the night before his appt, 200 mg gabapentin, and cerenia 3 hours before his app. Saxton was calm & yes, a bit whacked but alert too. He got to and from his appt safely with this mix.
The appt
The cardiologist came in and saw Saxton with clinical eyes, no exam yet, and said some cats could have gallops and it’s hereditary, and sometimes we treat some times we don’t! All that changed when he did Saxton’s echo.
The cardiologist could not believe what he saw clinically and then the echo. He was devastated and said Saxton is ONE TOUGH COOKIE!! It was only a matter of time before Saxton showed us some very scary symptoms. Saxton was sent home with four meds to help his heart function better. (there is no cure) no fixing this is a bandaid. We PRAY can HELP! Saxton now takes a total of 5 meds. I will put the report here if you wish to read it. Beware, it is a poor prognosis!
I hope to work on (no promise) videos of us medicating Saxton. In hopes, it will help another soul one day by giving four pills and one liquid med how we manage all this and making it a pawsitive experience for Saxton.
Live in the Now
We are enjoying every minute, day, month, year, who knows, with the boys and as if we needed another reminder of how fragile life is?!?! Yet, we got another one, and we are saying prognosis smognosis! What we get is up to one, and we will cherish every moment until that day. I’m holding onto Saxton is one tough cookie!
Hereditary
To make this nightmare worse, this can be hereditary, and we had to run a probnp for Purrkins! To say I was spiraling is understated. Thank god Purrkins came back good, but yes, he still needs to see the cardiologist to be evaluated and make sure! Purrkins and Saxton both go on the 9th at 11:00.
Never Enough
We can try to do everything in our power to ensure our furmily get the care they need, we feed the best diet we can afford, have an excellent vet team, and yes, it is not enough! The boys got crappy genes! We know we have done our best and will continue to do our best! We know with all of our beings that Saxton and Purrkins would have never celebrated their 12 th birthdays if we had not brought them home on Oct 10, 2009! Does that help us today? Sort of and sort of not? Never enough! Never enough time!
One thing we NEVER thought of when we got the boys was them aging and growing older together and things going wrong at once. Yes, it is not easy in any manner. Knowing all we do now, Mark and I would not change a thing. We would still bring these two beautiful souls home! They have blessed us every single day! They have taught us so much love, so many lessons, and will continue to do so.
As Mark has said, we will celebrate their lives now and in the future. They are here now. We will not be sad now and will do our best to stay in this moment. (easy NO WAY)
The day the lord calls these two borrowed angels home…we will NEVER EVER be the same. The pain will be unmeasurable, and so has the love we have all shared! 💝💝💝 These boys are the children we never had and loved as our children!
Cherish Every Day
As always, cherish every day with your furmily members, hooman family, and make the most of every day because the reality is we never know when any of our time is up.
Have no regrets, love with all your heart, and do your best!!!
The rest is out of our hands.
Thank you for understanding my delay in getting this typed out! Thank you for all the love and support! Please send more pawsitivity, good jujus, and prayers for BOTH the boy’s cardiologist appt. I also have an appt with Dr. Matt this Friday to get his input on Saxton’s report. I will update you when I am able.
Love, hugs, purrs, and sandpaper kisses from all of us!
💔💔💔
OH Holly.. When it rains it pours. You said all of this so eloquently. All we can to is love them and give them every day until it’s their time to go to the Bridge. Like you said it’s never long enough.
love on these boys like you already do.
One day at a time. It’s always so weird how stoic our babies can be. I am sending all my love hugs and lots of healing ju ju for Saxton and Purrkins
oxoxoxo
Michelle, Jazz, Chief, Sasha and Angels Sassy, Bosch, baby Simba and Sweet Snickers.
It took such courage to put this all into words Holly. Please, never ever ever blame yourselves for not catching this sooner OK? Promise us!
This is a crappy situation with some excellent reminders about the fragility of life. I hate that you guys are going through this, but so proud of how you are seeing the situation. When you feel down, refer back to this post because I couldn’t have said it better than you.
Many many hugs coming your way, along with that prayer train! xoxo
Trying to find the words to respond… really tough to do right now. You guys are the best pawrents a feline could ask for. Very unfair curveball, I am so sorry. All of your love has given your boys the best life, and as Sally always says… “there is no time stamp on either of their bottoms”.. is so very true. As you have said, live your lives to the fullest as you always do with the boys. I know is easier said than done… I am doing that myself right now and it’s one day at a time. Continuing to keep all of you in my thoughts and prayers. Sending tons of hugs and pawsitive juju your way 💘
I’m so sorry to hear this news Holly, what a kick in the gut! Of course you guys are great pet parents, and could not have expected this was going on. They are both very lucky cats to have found you and be cherished by you. Take care, one day at a time….hugs!
Thank you, Michelle, Jackie, Rene, Paula, for all the love, thoughts, prayers, and support! Gut punch, Yes, more like pulling my guts out. Curveball, yes, we have had too many!
It took all I had and more to put this in type & I had to take some time to get back here to respond. It is hard to stay in the moment otherwise.
I should have put the cardiologist’s explanation in my post.
“As I am sure you know, cats are often tricky to pick up on certain diseases when they are asymptomatic. It is not uncommon that the first time we see certain cats is at the onset of congestive heart failure. My suspicion is that he has had the disease for some time (likely years) and more recently developed complications from his disease. The asymptomatic phase in many cats can be quite long.”
There was nothing to pick up until there was! He, the cardiologist, suspects years. No certainty, but yes, certain of where we are.
I think the probnp (they have one for dogs too!) should be done yearly at the very least before any sedation is planned (my opinion). It is not included in CBC. It has to be added & it is not cheap! How did Saxton do well with his dentals?!?! Why is this not asked if we wish to add this test in!?! How does the Gallup just come up in 6 months?! None of these questions help this situation; it is what it is now & YES, it SUCKS!
Jackie, one day at a time is all we can do. One second of a time, for that matter, that’s where I am tick-tocking. Please know the prayer train is fueled and ongoing🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🫂🫂🫂
Thank you, everyone, for the love, thoughts, prayers, and support. We APPRECIATE YOU ALL!
Love and (((((( HUGS))))))
💔💔💔💝💝💝
My dearest boyss, Miss Holly and Mr Mark,
We were shocked and saddened by Sexy Saxton’s news. His poor little heart, it’s hard to think of it being so broken! He is one tough boy for sure! And a true Master of Disguise, no doubt! But because you know your boys so well AND BECAUSE YOU ARE CAT SMART HOOMANS, you are able to get on top of this nasty disease and manage your Sexy Joe through, hopefully for many, many, many more years to come!!! 🙏 🐈⬛ 💪🏻 🙏
You have done and continue to do an exceptional job of managing Saxton’s medicines, it is a LOT to deal with and I think most of us Hoomans would throw our hands up in the air and say “it’s too much, the cats won’t be able to take all these pills!”, but you have found a way to make it work my friend. We commend you highly for your dedication and fortitude! You go to the ends of the earth for your furmily and it shows!!! 🫂
Prognosis Smognosis is right my Peeps! Every minute will turn into a day, which will in turn take you through years of happy moments with your boys! We will all be on that journey with you, loving on your boys and holding your hands when needed.
My prayers are still going strong my friends, Sexy Saxton IS ONE TOUGH COOKIE! He shows you this every day and I know he and Mr Purrrkins both, thank you and Mark, from the bottom of their beautiful hearts, for bringing them into your lives and loving them like no other hoomans could!!!
These pictures are worth a thousand loving words, but my Gongases, that picture of the boys as kittens!!!! holy crap that’s frigging adorable! Mr P’s ears were soooooo big and rose beautiful knowing eyes!!! And Sexy Slinky Saxton Joe… such a loooooong fellow! Sooooo sleek and Sexy! Aunty Petra sooooooo Ruvs you guys!!!
We MUST cherish every day Miss Holly, it’s what we have been shown to do 🙏 It’s All the Little Things that count and that includes our special moments together. None of us know when our time will come to bid farewell to our loved ones, but we MUST ensure that we have no regrets or lost moments either with our fur babies, our Family or our dearest friends! 🫂 YOU ARE LOVING WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND YOU ARE DOING YOUR VERY BEST!!!
Life itself isn’t really IN OUR HANDS my friend, we are just asked to do the very best we can and love as much as we are able, ‘cause the HANDS that hold US are so much more than that right! 🙏 🤝💪🏻
Sending you a ton of love, hugs and strength my friend. Tuesday is going to be a tough day all around 🫂 But you know that our prayers are strong and we will continue to add fuel to that train! 💪🏻 ⛽️ 🙏 🚂
Petra, Paul, Chief Chester & Tender Ted.
Super Duper Stu sends special Dragonfly Kisses and massive HedgeHugs!!!
💗💗💗🫂🫂🫂💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💫✨🦔🦔🦔✨💫💗💗💗
Thanks, Miss Petra, for the beautiful, heartfelt, helpful comment. It means a lot to mark and me. You bet we will go to the end of the earth for our furmily, family & peeps! I would not have it any other way. It is LOVE!
We are cherishing every minute, day, month, and year, years whatever we are gifted with. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Exactly not in our hands; they are in the power of one almighty who can do all!
The prayer train has been and continues to be fueled for us all this week; my friend !😮💨😮💨😮💨 Lots of 4-4-8 for us all! Lots of 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🤝🤝🤝
Super Duper Stu still stopping by and sends me dragonfly kisses, as only Stu can do🎁.
Massive hedgehugs, loads of love, and fueled prayers for this week.
🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻⛽️⛽️⛽️🚂🚂🚂
Thank you all again.
🫂🫂🫂🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻💝💝💝🤝🤝🤝