Kenzie's (mostly good) TED visit. (Long)

A year ago, I noticed that the small area in Kenzie's left eye, where a
small patch of the green iris had been slowly turning brown, had
increased significantly.

I wound up taking Kenzie to a vet who specializes in veterinary
ophthalmology.

I was told at the time that Kenzie had a slow growing melanoma in her
eye :-(

I was told that this type of cancer is very slow to metastasize, and
other tumors were generally only found after death from another cause.

I was told that this condition almost never kills a cat, but must be
monitored carefully, and that at some point, Kenzie would likely lose
her beautiful eye.

Well, it's been a year since I first took Kenzie to see the expensive
eye specialist, and it was time to have her eye looked at.

The 'eye vet' as I call her, is very, very nice.

Is it me, or do a lot of people think that women seem to be nicer vets?
I certainly came to this conclusion...

Anyway, the veterinary ophthalmologist said Kenzie's eye is completely
unchanged from a year ago!

Even her glaucoma (pressure inside the eye ball)numbers were a little
better than a year ago, indicating that nothing has changed.

Good news!

Still, the Eye TED warned me again about the removal of Kenzie's eye, at
some point.

While this is very upsetting to think about, it could save her life, and
significantly prolong it. The Eye TED explained everything in great
detail, although with my medical background, I know quite a lot about
this sort of thing. Still, it's a sign of a good vet when they take a
significant amount of time to be sure I know exactly what is going on,
and all my questions are answered.

As an indoor only kitty, Kenzie could get by just fine with one eye,
although thinking about her losing one of her big beautiful green eyes
is very, very upsetting.

I have a picture of Kenzie I took during the first summer I got her,
when she was about three years old, back in 1999.

I can see just a tiny speck a the bottom of the pupil, where the
melanoma had already started, way back then.

I'm hoping that since so much time has gone by, and the melanoma has
grown so very slowly, that Kenzie will not lose her eye (or her life...)
to the melanoma.

Mostly, I just want to have Kenzie for as long as possible: she is my
only kitty, and she means the whole world to me.

She is an exceptionally sweet kitty, who acts more like a d*g in the way
she seems to behave: She really does seem to want to please me, and has
never, ever gotten into any mischief of any kind.

In all my years of having cats, and reading about other cats, I've never
come across a kitty like Kenzie. She just doesn't have any bad habits of
any kind. She does't even do many of the thing that you think of as
normal for a cat!

For example: this morning I slept very late; I was up very late last
night. I was sleeping long past the time to feed Kenzie, and she must
have been very hungry. She tends not to sleep with me in the summer, so
I had closed my bedroom door. But she managed to open it, and jumped up
on the bed, and lay down next to me.

She meowed once, very softly, to see if I was awake, then just settled
to wait for me. I slowly woke up, to see her watching me.

Poor hungry kitty! I should have given her some food when I went to bed,
as I should have known my little angel would be very hungry by the time
I got up, but I didn't.

My regular TED has been telling me for several years that Kenzie should
lose some weight. She has weighed 13 pounds since I got her, but over
the last year, I have gotten her weight down to 10.4 lbs, which TED says
is very good.

Unfortunately, Kenzie doesn't get much exercise, and so to decrease her
weight, I have had to gradually cut back, quite bit, on how much I feed
her. I'm sure she is hungry a lot of the time; she eats her measured
portion of food in about 1 minute, and then searches around the bowl for
any lost crumbs. But even with this, she doesn't (overly) beg for food,
nor complain that she doesn't get enough.

She's just a very, very good kitty. A very, very special kitty, to be
sure.

She is somewhere between 11 and 12 years old; I'm not sure, since I'm
her third human.

Kenzie has never, ever, been sick a single time her life with me, and
I'd just like to say I want that to continue, melanoma or no melanoma!

Is another 6 or 8 years too much to ask for?

I don't think so. A Very Special Kitty like Kenzie deserves very special
long life, don't you think?

Any and all purrs for this would be greatly appreciated!

~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Life without cats would be only marginally worth living."
-TC, and the unmercifully, relentlessly, sweet calico kitty, Kenzie.

How you behave towards cats here below determines your status in Heaven.
- Robert Heinlein

Life is very difficult. Once you understand that, life becomes easier.
-Buddha

Gandalf wrote:

I was told at the time that Kenzie had a slow growing melanoma in her
eye :-(

I was told that this type of cancer is very slow to metastasize, and
other tumors were generally only found after death from another cause.

I was told that this condition almost never kills a cat, but must be
monitored carefully, and that at some point, Kenzie would likely lose
her beautiful eye.

I wonder if it wouldn't be a good idea to have the eye removed now?
Since the melanoma hasn't metastasized, she would no longer be in any
danger from it if the melanoma were simply removed.

I know it is heartbreaking to have her eye removed, but she will
still be beautiful. Think of the lovely one-eyed kitties that other
people here have: Waffles and Miss Lily Whiskers, for two examples.
And since she's indoor-only, she wouldn't have any problems from losing
depth perception. (Although both Waffles and Lily go outside, don't
they?)

I would certainly rest easier if the melanoma were just *gone* from
my kitty altogether!

Purrs for Kenzie and for you, whatever you decide. I know it can't
be an easy set of choices.

Joyce

On 01 Sep 2007 23:04:16 GMT, wrote:

Gandalf wrote:

I was told at the time that Kenzie had a slow growing melanoma in her
eye :-(

I was told that this type of cancer is very slow to metastasize, and
other tumors were generally only found after death from another cause.

I was told that this condition almost never kills a cat, but must be
monitored carefully, and that at some point, Kenzie would likely lose
her beautiful eye.

I wonder if it wouldn't be a good idea to have the eye removed now?
Since the melanoma hasn't metastasized, she would no longer be in any
danger from it if the melanoma were simply removed.

I know it is heartbreaking to have her eye removed, but she will
still be beautiful. Think of the lovely one-eyed kitties that other
people here have: Waffles and Miss Lily Whiskers, for two examples.
And since she's indoor-only, she wouldn't have any problems from losing
depth perception. (Although both Waffles and Lily go outside, don't
they?)

I would certainly rest easier if the melanoma were just *gone* from
my kitty altogether!

Purrs for Kenzie and for you, whatever you decide. I know it can't
be an easy set of choices.

Joyce

I was trusting the vet in her recommendation that since nothing has
changed in a year, it isn't necessary to take action now.

You have certainly given me food for thought, unsettling as it is.

It may be a good idea, in the long run...

The 'EYE TED' said in all her years of practice, she has only seen one
cat die from this 'syndrome'. She does seem very, very knowledgeable
about this. And, I do get a 'good feeling' about her expertise, and,
just as important, her empathy for both Kenzie and for me.

I vividly remember when poor Miss Lily Whiskers had to have her eye
removed. She was in a very bad condition, so there was no choice.

Having worked for a vet, I've seen a number of one eyed cats. It always
makes me sad to see them, but of course, such a surgery is not done
without good cause.

The TED did say, specifically, words to the effect that she tries to
save a functioning eye, until it becomes a risk factor for the cat.

Of course, in dealing with any kind of cancer, the unexpected is almost
the norm...

Well, I certainly thank you for your good advice!

Always, the views of other people, who have a different perspective, are
most valuable. Thank you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Life without cats would be only marginally worth living."
-TC, and the unmercifully, relentlessly, sweet calico kitty, Kenzie.

How you behave towards cats here below determines your status in Heaven.
- Robert Heinlein

Life is very difficult. Once you understand that, life becomes easier.
-Buddha

It sounds to me as though you have a very good vet. I think you're right to
trust her.

Purrs for a long, happy life for Kenzie.

Joy

"Gandalf" wrote in message
...
On 01 Sep 2007 23:04:16 GMT, wrote:

Gandalf wrote:

I was told at the time that Kenzie had a slow growing melanoma in her
eye :-(

I was told that this type of cancer is very slow to metastasize, and
other tumors were generally only found after death from another cause.

I was told that this condition almost never kills a cat, but must be
monitored carefully, and that at some point, Kenzie would likely lose
her beautiful eye.

I wonder if it wouldn't be a good idea to have the eye removed now?
Since the melanoma hasn't metastasized, she would no longer be in any
danger from it if the melanoma were simply removed.

I know it is heartbreaking to have her eye removed, but she will
still be beautiful. Think of the lovely one-eyed kitties that other
people here have: Waffles and Miss Lily Whiskers, for two examples.
And since she's indoor-only, she wouldn't have any problems from losing
depth perception. (Although both Waffles and Lily go outside, don't
they?)

I would certainly rest easier if the melanoma were just *gone* from
my kitty altogether!

Purrs for Kenzie and for you, whatever you decide. I know it can't
be an easy set of choices.

Joyce

I was trusting the vet in her recommendation that since nothing has
changed in a year, it isn't necessary to take action now.

You have certainly given me food for thought, unsettling as it is.

It may be a good idea, in the long run...

The 'EYE TED' said in all her years of practice, she has only seen one
cat die from this 'syndrome'. She does seem very, very knowledgeable
about this. And, I do get a 'good feeling' about her expertise, and,
just as important, her empathy for both Kenzie and for me.

I vividly remember when poor Miss Lily Whiskers had to have her eye
removed. She was in a very bad condition, so there was no choice.

Having worked for a vet, I've seen a number of one eyed cats. It always
makes me sad to see them, but of course, such a surgery is not done
without good cause.

The TED did say, specifically, words to the effect that she tries to
save a functioning eye, until it becomes a risk factor for the cat.

Of course, in dealing with any kind of cancer, the unexpected is almost
the norm...

Well, I certainly thank you for your good advice!

Always, the views of other people, who have a different perspective, are
most valuable. Thank you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Life without cats would be only marginally worth living."
-TC, and the unmercifully, relentlessly, sweet calico kitty, Kenzie.

How you behave towards cats here below determines your status in Heaven.
- Robert Heinlein

Life is very difficult. Once you understand that, life becomes easier.
-Buddha

Gandalf wrote:

I was trusting the vet in her recommendation that since nothing has
changed in a year, it isn't necessary to take action now.

That's good to know. If you trust this vet, then maybe it's best
to just leave Kenzie's eye alone for the time being, and keep watch
over it.

The TED did say, specifically, words to the effect that she tries to
save a functioning eye, until it becomes a risk factor for the cat.

There's a lot to be said for a conservative approach, when it comes to
medicine. Do the minimal that is safe and effective. Cancer makes me
nervous, and I tend to think, "just get rid of it"! But I'm not a
medical expert, so I would certainly defer to your vet's opinion.

I know a woman who had cancer in one breast, and she decided to have
a double mastectomy, even though the other breast had no cancer. Every
woman in her family had breast cancer, so she figured it was only a
matter of time before the other breast developed it, too. It's a radical
thing to do, but in her case, I think it made sense.

I guess I didn't need to be so alarmist in Kenzie's case!

Well, I certainly thank you for your good advice!

I don't know if it's "good", LOL. It was just a thought. Something to
keep in mind if anything changes, but I guess you're already doing that.

Please keep us posted.

Joyce

On 02 Sep 2007 00:48:49 GMT, wrote:

Gandalf wrote:

I was trusting the vet in her recommendation that since nothing has
changed in a year, it isn't necessary to take action now.

That's good to know. If you trust this vet, then maybe it's best
to just leave Kenzie's eye alone for the time being, and keep watch
over it.

The TED did say, specifically, words to the effect that she tries to
save a functioning eye, until it becomes a risk factor for the cat.

There's a lot to be said for a conservative approach, when it comes to
medicine. Do the minimal that is safe and effective. Cancer makes me
nervous, and I tend to think, "just get rid of it"! But I'm not a
medical expert, so I would certainly defer to your vet's opinion.

I know a woman who had cancer in one breast, and she decided to have
a double mastectomy, even though the other breast had no cancer. Every
woman in her family had breast cancer, so she figured it was only a
matter of time before the other breast developed it, too. It's a radical
thing to do, but in her case, I think it made sense.

I guess I didn't need to be so alarmist in Kenzie's case!

Well, I certainly thank you for your good advice!

I don't know if it's "good", LOL. It was just a thought. Something to
keep in mind if anything changes, but I guess you're already doing that.

Please keep us posted.

Joyce

The eye vet did give instructions on what to check in Kenzie's eye. It's
simple, but must be done every month, without fail. Basically, I do it
every time her eye is constricted, now.

I read a NIH report on women who have a very bad family history of
breast cancer, getting double mastectomy. It was an older report, and
was not giving any advice for doctors or patients.

Now, there are several well documented genetic markers DNA testing)
which can be tested for, to help women make this horrible decision.

For Kenzie, I think that as soon as I see, or TED sees, any significant
change in her eye, my decision about removing it may become very urgent
for me. The surgery is safe, if radical, and disfiguring, but may
guarantee a significantly longer life for Kenzie.

And I know my sweet Kenzie will forgive me. (sooner or later...).

She really is unique.

But then, *every* cat and kitten is unique!

~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Life without cats would be only marginally worth living."
-TC, and the unmercifully, relentlessly, sweet calico kitty, Kenzie.

How you behave towards cats here below determines your status in Heaven.
- Robert Heinlein

Life is very difficult. Once you understand that, life becomes easier.
-Buddha

(Gandalf) wrote:
She's just a very, very good kitty. A very, very special kitty, to be
sure.

She *is* a very good and special kitty! And if she had the melanoma
almost all her life, and it's not growing, the future sounds good for
her. What a sweet little companion she is.

On Sat, 01 Sep 2007 21:17:48 -0400, Takayuki
wrote:

(Gandalf) wrote:
She's just a very, very good kitty. A very, very special kitty, to be
sure.

She *is* a very good and special kitty! And if she had the melanoma
almost all her life, and it's not growing, the future sounds good for
her. What a sweet little companion she is.

Well, is has grown quite a bit since I first got her, but so slowly that
I didn't really realize how much it had changed, for a long time. Seeing
her eyes every day, I just didn't see it.

Yes, Kenzie is a special kitty. Like Betty was :-(

I don't post much, as Kenzie gives me little to write about, but I try
to read as many posts as possible.

When I first got Kenzie, I still had my senior citizen kitty, Blizzard.

Sort of like Dot and Buster, they didn't get along.

Fortunately, they chose to mostly ignore each other, rather than
actively cause trouble for the both of them.

Kenzie is officially and ONLY CAT. She has told me.

Perhaps her only 'fault'.

She was on only cat when I adopted her, so I perhaps should have known,
or expected it. But you never know...

~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Life without cats would be only marginally worth living."
-TC, and the unmercifully, relentlessly, sweet calico kitty, Kenzie.

How you behave towards cats here below determines your status in Heaven.
- Robert Heinlein

Life is very difficult. Once you understand that, life becomes easier.
-Buddha

Gandalf wrote:

Is it me, or do a lot of people think that women seem to be nicer vets?
I certainly came to this conclusion...

Female vets don't have to hold back on baby-talking to their patients.
I've never met a male vet who would baby-talk to their patients, but
most female vets I have met do it.

Many purrs for Kenzie's eye to continue as it is, and the melanoma not
to grow. I know she means a lot to you, and she's such a good girl, she
doesn't deserve o lose an eye (not that any cat deserves that).

--
Marina, Miranda and Caliban. In loving memory of Frank and Nikki.

On Sep 1, 11:18 pm, Marina wrote:
Gandalf wrote:

Is it me, or do a lot of people think that women seem to be nicer vets?
I certainly came to this conclusion...

Female vets don't have to hold back on baby-talking to their patients.
I've never met a male vet who would baby-talk to their patients, but
most female vets I have met do it.

Many purrs for Kenzie's eye to continue as it is, and the melanoma not
to grow. I know she means a lot to you, and she's such a good girl, she
doesn't deserve o lose an eye (not that any cat deserves that).

--
Marina, Miranda and Caliban. In loving memory of Frank and Nikki.

hehe, Sam's oncology surgeon will baby talk Sam. I think he's
comfortable in his role as a man and proud of what he can do for his
patients and he'll nuzzle and sweet talk Sam and give him kisses. And
then do x-rays and not charge me a penny. I love our surgery vet
because he acts like he loves Sam.

Gandalf, I put a lot of importance in trusting your vet. It sounds
like you trust your vet. You could get a second opinion perhaps, but
in the end you'd probably want to go back to your first vet because
you like her and you trust her to do what is best for Kenzie

Purrs and gentle headbutts to both of you,
Julie, Hobbes, Sam, Barnabus and Lacey