Life of the Lintee Bean

I lost Jellybean today.  Jellybean was my firecracker, with lots of “tortie-tude”. The spark of  that firecracker has sadly gone out.

Jellybean in their window enclosure

I’m glad she seemed fine until a few days ago.  She was doing all her usual things – enjoying her food, playing in the outdoor window enclosure, and planning world domination (starting with our house). I noticed a change Friday.  Nothing much, but she ate less than usual.

Saturday she was definitely different.  Though we had a weekend guest, she wasn’t her usual dramatic diva self, demanding attention and pets and lap time. She was withdrawn, hanging out upstairs in her little “house bed” her “Auntie Trina” gave them.

Sunday morning I took her to the emergency vet.  I wasn’t upset, just a little nervous.  I thought maybe she was having an attack of pancreatitis or triaditis.  The vet agreed, and gave her some cerenia (an anti-nausea medication) and sent us home with sub-q fluids (Normosol R) and injectable famotadine.

I was hoping  the fluids alone would perk her right up.  Unfortunately, she seemed to get worse instead of better.  Tuesday morning I took her to my vet as soon as they were open.  She’d just been there a month before for a full senior exam, but Dr. Kate figured we’d repeat x-rays just in case.  In fact, she thought she felt some sort of mass when she palpitated her abdomen.

The x-rays looked dramatically different than a month ago.  Dr. Kate now suspected a mass on her liver.  Cancer.  I’ve recently lost both Louie and Studley to cancer.  I hate cancer.  Our hope was maybe we’d caught it so fast it could be removed surgically.  Dr. Kate referred us to a specialist, and off we went for an ultrasound.

The ultrasound didn’t give us good news.  It gave us awful news.  There were masses all over Jellybean’s liver, and possibly in her intestines.  There was fluid built up in the abdomen, and it was bloody.

I made the only decision there was to make.  I drove my sweet princess back to our regular vet and had them set her free.

Safe journey, my beloved girl.  I love you forever.

Jellybean - bed fit for a princess