11/30 Gracie Latest Update :))))

Gracie’s Yesterday

Thank you all very much, our dear dear dear family, for keeping Gracie in your thoughts and prayers. Your miracle prayers are working, we know they are.

I took her insulin over early this morning and she looked like a different cat. She was alert, perky, bright-eyed. They gave her some lasix last night and her abdominal fluid was discernibly less. Her heart rate and BP are normal; her arrhythmia is gone. They administered atropine as a test last night and the results were that she either has severe vagus tone or its a heart issue. Vagus tone is when the lymphoma is affecting the vagus nerve causing transmission systemically to not work as well. They’ve been monitoring her ketones and they remain negative.

The oncologist she was to see today owns the clinic and she was already there when I got there at 7:15. She said the goal today is to do the echo and see what the heart looks like. If it is thickened and she has cardiomyopathy, it’s going to be very, very difficult to manage that, lymphoma, diabetes, cholangiohepatitis. She said if the lymphoma is causing it, she can fix that and get Gracie into remission. She actually said “we can make it go away”. We trust her. I never thought I’d say this but please pray for lymphoma.

She’s power eating so that’s great, too. They started out syringe feeding her but she was sucking the food out of the syringe so they put it on a plate and she went after it. They are hoping to release her to us today so she can be at home tonight as the echo results will probably not be back until tomorrow. They don’t have a cardiologist on staff so they have to send it out to one to read.

Thank you again.

Many vines to Chris Farley, Minka, Oren, Bron, Amy’s Dad, and Elise’s Mom.

XOXOXOXO...Marje, Mike, Gracie, and Tobey

 

Can I like this post multiple times!? WOOT!!

Go Gracie. And you've got it - praying for lymphoma. I love your oncology vet.

 

So very happy to read this update. Will pray the lymphoma is the cause of the heart issues.

 

Gracie, Cuz Michael here. Keeping fighting. I's glad you are feeling better today. I's sendin' you more of my special healing Meows & Purrs.
Sending more prayers! Marje ,Mike ,Tobey & Gracie
Feel better little one. All of LL is fighting with you.

 

EXCELLENT NEWS! Keep on truckin' Gracie. Ace that echo too. We are all rooting for you.

 

oh my...
alright....
praying for lymphoma......

 

HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY dance!! I am so relieved (can't imagine how YOU feel). C'mon Gracie, give 'em the one-two punch so you can go home.

Continued vines and hugs

 

LBG may be down, but she's not out!
Anne

Go, Gracie!
Liz

 

What's a syringe if not a very wide straw??

Very glad to hear she's eating and may come home today. Her oncologist sounds great, lots of vines and hope that it's the best case scenario! Keep fighting LBG!

 

Great news!!!! Like I said earlier she's a fighter!!!!

 

Great news! I saw it on FB and came over to check on an update. Seems strange, but YES! sending vines for lymphoma and snowflakes for feeling better!


Sorry, I had to take a little break from the Board at just this time!

 

This is an incredibly wonderful update.....those L&LL prayers are amazing! They're still coming by the truckload!!

 

This is such awesome news!!!!! You can do it, Gracie!!!!!

 

I am so happy you have some "pawsitive" news! It's a really good sign that she's eating so well!
Continued healing vines and wishes that it is the lymphoma causing these problems!

 

So happy to hear Gracie's eating, alert, and perky! She's such a little fighter!
More prayers, vines, and positive thoughts being sent!!!

 

Wonderful news that she has pulled through, prayers for lymphoma. Keep on fighting little LBG! for you and Mike, to help you through the next stage.

 

Oh wow. Like Wendy, I want to like your update over and over again!
I feel like we're all holding hands in a great, big circle, with LBG in the middle. Continuing to send love, vines, snowflakes her way. Keep fighting , Little Brave Girl!

 

Fantastic update on Princess Gracie!! Will keep prayers coming. *hugs*

 

Prayers & positive thoughts for Gracie!!!

 

What a wonderful way to start my day. I've been eager and scared to get online, but so glad I finally did!

L&L vines and prayers are very powerful. I've long believed that. Now they're laser focused, so they will prevail!

Just loaded up an entire bullet train with carloads of vines and prayers. It's flying to Tucson now.

 

Great update and improvement on Gracie. More vines and prayers continuing.

 

I'm thinking it's the lymphoma because it makes sense. I've seen this happen from lymphoma but never knew why. I just have to ask, isn't there a cardiologist who could see her /read it nearby? Hugs, vines, prayers for all of you !

 

My heart is so full of hope, I don't even know how to express it. Hugs to Marje and Mike, and belly scritches to little brudder, Tobes.

 

This is a wonderful update. I'm going to keep sending healing vines and snowflakes your way.

 

you go girl. Show them whose boss!!!! Wish I had your staff of doctors.

 

I'm so glad Gracie is doing better. Sending more prayers and hugs.

 

That is good news - hope she keeps on the path to getting better!

 

At the vet for a while with her. She looks great and is eating well. Her BG is 95 on the AT at +6.5. Waiting for the vets to come in as echo is done.

But....she's breathing with her mouth slightly open. If she moves very much, like using the LB, it is much more pronounced. They have her in an oxygen cage now .

 

Go Gracie! You can lick this!!
Praying for Lymphoma. Praying for good breathing.

We are very glad Gracie is eating well because then she'll stay strong.

Hugs and scritches, thinking positively!

Ella & Rusty

 

Sending breathe easy vines for LBG. More for you. Thanks for the update.

I guess the new dose is kicking in.

 

She looks great, green BG, and is eating well....all huge steps. Easy breathing vines are on the way!

 

I am sure she feels better just having you with her!
Sending lots of lung vines for the LBG. Is the breathing issue due to the heart, having to breathe more because the heart is not pumping effectively? We'll send heaps of heart vines too, just in case. Paws crossed for echo results.

 

So glad to see an update. Keep fighting, Gracie! Your rooting section is ginormous!!

 

What Ella said. I keep looking for updates. I've loved Gracie from afar, for so long.

 

Feel better, GracieGirl. And breathe easy. ❤️

 

(((Marje))) Bron wanted me to post here to say she is thinking of you and praying for Gracie, as we all are. So glad you are with her.

 

Come on, sweet Gracie! Sending breathing vines to you!

 

It must be great to see her doing well. Her number is great. Hopefully the breathing gets easier for her. Seeing each other is the best medicine. Heart healthy vines sent your way.

 

I was so scared to log on this morning, so happy to hear that the lil stinker went green on them last night and has perked up so much overnight. Keep up the good work Gracie. The flying kangaroos are on their way fully loaded with more vines.

Psst Gracie, I sneaked some xxx gum leaf likor into one of dem pouches for you, you drink up it be da bestest health tonic eva - Vyktor

 

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keep fighting, Gracie!

They can give Lasix more often if it helps her. I used to give it to Sammy up to three times a day for his heart. It was a miracle drug for him. There did come a time when it didn't work anymore and that is when I had to let him go, but when it was working his QOL was just fine.

 

so glad to hear she's a little better today. You've obviously got an awesome team set up for her. That's everything.

Continuing to cheer her on from the northwest!

 

Thank you all so much! An update in a moment but first I just need to tag @Jill & Alex (GA) and @Libby and Lucy for some dosing advice.

I’ve updated her SS with all the numbers from last night and today. As you can see, the 0.75u dose is working great for her and I was there when she got to 95 on the AT which, from my past meter comparisons, would have put her in high 50s/low 60s on my Micro compared to MY AT but this was the vet’s...so not sure. They didn’t want the Micro as they don’t have any clue what those numbers really equate to without running the AT as well. At the 95 today, I gave her two small licks of karo (just my fingertip) because we only had 4% and my home cooked 0% carb food there. That was enough to bring her up. Mike thinks we should reduce her dose tonight to 0.5u to make it easy on the vets and keep her safe in case things get crazy there and they don’t check her exactly when they should (she’s going to be there at least tonight). I was thinking more of shaving the dose by 0.1-0.2u although she’s likely to be active on them tonight no matter what. They are going to reduce the pred by half again in the morning and she’s been on a/b since Friday noon and is still on it. The fluids are clearing out thanks to the lasix (and thank you, Libby, for the info on the lasix). I don’t want her to be high and I also don’t want to be dose hopping because if she was home, I’d leave the dose but Mike is correct about the concerns with her being in the hospital although they’ve been doing pretty good watching her BG.

The great news is the oncologist is thinking, in line with her original analysis of the lymphoma based on all the biopsies, that the lymphoma is very early stage and is minor and is NOT causing any of this. She thinks Gracie is not doing well with the steroids as she started downhill from the time she started getting them and she should have been improving. The echo showed that Gracie has a leaky valve (not unusual in cats) but the steroid pushed her over the edge and the right side of her heart could not handle the volume so it backed up and it caused fluids to diffuse from her blood vessels in her abdomen into her gut. That’s why the lasix is working....if the fluids had been due to the lymphoma, it wouldn’t have worked. The vets believe that with some heart meds (likely an ace-inhibitor), that her heart will return to normal as she does not have cardiomyopathy (YAY!!!!!!). The meds will, hopefully, increase the efficiency of her heart but they want to monitor it because those drugs are used for high BP and hers is normal. So they just have to figure out how to get her back on the balance beam and hope that once they do, she can come off the heart meds but she cannot have steroids so she will have to find other chemo protocols to address the lymphoma and she is confidant she can do that.

So...not out of the woods but much better and she is out of the oxygen cage and breathing well. I’m leaving in about 30-40 mins to go back and need to draw a dose if you are around.

I knew your prayers would work. And although it’s not lymphoma caused, it probably has a better outcome because they think they can fix both issues. At least to give her a great QOL for some time.

 

WOOHOO! What great news! I can't find a smiley big enough!
Liz, Anne and Tillie

 

Marje that is all wonderful news! Still sending all kinds of breathing vines and healing vines to Gracie and lots of hugs to you!

 

YAY for good news!! Come on Gracie girl!!

 

Yes those steroids can cause trouble but also be so good for certain things.

So glad everything is getting better. Will Gracie team make house calls or email consults?

Sounds like Gracie will home in no time. Maybe a sedate welcome home party is in order.

 

just saw this. I'm having trouble with spreadsheets at the moment (I'm in a hotel using my iPad and it's not behaving) but will try again. Without seeing any numbers, I think I would err on the conservative side while she's at the vet, even if she's being monitored. You probably don't really want them to have to resort to karo. Mike is right that you never know if they will have an emergency come in and have something else to deal with for a little while.

 

Seeing those smiles in the subject line brought happy tears to my eyes. Still sending oodles of vines and positive thoughts to GracieGirl. And endless hugs to you, Marje.

 

Thank God! PrayEra continue.

 

just seeing this now...

I agree with Mike and Libby. I'd dose conservatively to keep her safe tonight... back to 0.5 unit Lev.
Worry about tomorrow... tomorrow.

 

Thanks @Jill & Alex (GA) and @Libby and Lucy. Pulling up dose and heading out.

 

So glad for this news!!!

 

Such good news!!!

 

Phew...what an emotional rollercoaster, and what a difference a day can make! I was wondering if maybe some of this was med-related since it seemed to come about after starting up with all the changes. What a great staff you have working for her!! Our prayers continue for her as well as you, Mike, and Tobey!!

 

such good news....



gonna be another rough night for you tho'....
more hugs....
more prayers....
more
and more
and more

 

I couldn't be happier for all of you. This is such a good update. I'm still sending prayers for a good night tonight for Gracie and continued improvement.

 

Good news! Sending more prayers.

 

We are so happy to read this report. Gracie, keep on keepin' on!! More vines on the way.



Ella & Rusty

 

That is such wonderful news!!! Sending more vines that tomorrow will be an ever better day!

 

Give her and from all of us.

 

Yay for no cardiomyopothy. All encouraging news. More prayers and hugs.

 

Yay!!! Love the much more positive prognosis. Sounds like Gracie's got a great team helping her through this.

Will keep the get better and get home soon vines coming your way.

 

I am so happy hear the good news!
Sending endless healing vines for Gracie.
Big hugs to you, Marje & Mike

 

That is such wonderful news!! Big smiles over here from all of us!! So glad you have great doctors that you can trust- and feel supported by!!
YAY!! So happy for you all

 

woot woot woot!! more good news, SO glad for no cardiomyopathy!! Continued vines, hugs and prayers to both of you!!!

 

We are all doing the happy dance here! I told you L&L Land vines and prayers are very powerful!!!!

I hope you and Mike will get some sleep tonight. We'll be keeping the prayers and vines coming.

Good job, Gracie! Keep fighting, sweetheart!

 

I'm so relieved for you.

 

Thank you all for your continued support and prayers.

When I went back for her evening shot, she was in the oxygen cage again and gave me a big s’up mama!!! glad to see you. She ate like a real champ again. She looks really good...alert. She doesn’t like the oxygen cage as much as her fancy condo across the room but she just needs a little support until the heart meds kick in. They gave them tonight and will be monitoring her BP and her BG very closely. She was very chatty ....if I closed the cage to fix her food or throw something in the trash, she “meeped” up a storm.

They didn’t want her to hide in a carrier so I took her shoe box last night and put her baby blankets in it. They propped the lid against the side of the cage and made a tent for her with a pink blanket. They said they will look over there to check her and she’ll pop her little sweet face out of the blankie and “meep” at them. Gosh I miss her so much and can’t
wait until she is home but they want to be sure she is stable and heart looking better first. I know this is best for her.

So...tonight my plan is to go to bed at 9 and sleep in tomorrow. I took tomorrow’s dose (reduced the dose tonight to 0.5u) and left it for them to give her at 7 am and I’m going to catch up on some zzzzzs as I am just exhausted. Mike is, too. He’s been helping out so much and also spending time with Tobey because he’s kinda stressed with his baby sister spending the nights away from home.

Much love from us and our deepest sympathy in Sammy’s crossing.

 

Will they let you take Tobey for a visit?

 

*whew* what an amazing change since last night's update. I'm just thrilled that she's turned around and is meeping up a storm! ;-)



rest well tonight, marje!

 

Wow! Hoping for healing rest for all of you tonight. You go Gracie!

 

Rest well knowing that she is in good hands and will be home tomorrow!

 

I felt the same as Josie, sooooooo happy to see the Happy Face smiles on your condo title! Thank God you have such a great team for Gracie, so glad the lasix worked, the fluid in her abdomen and chest had my heart beating out of my chest last night...And glad she will be tapered off pred, I know it helps so many, but it did scary things to my dad as well.

Sending more truckloads of prayers and vines and hugs. I hope you all are sound asleep as I type this, and may tomorrow be as encouraging as today was. Hugs to Mike and Tobey too, poor little guy!

 

Get some well needed rest so you are fresh for Gracie's homecoming!

 

I am so relieved to read your news, what a brilliant team you have in place, Gracie couldn't be getting better care. Keep on "meeping up a storm" little one and hope you come home soon.

 

Sweet dreams sweet Tobey and sweet beans.

 

She's got that Gracie spunk goin' again! What a good sign that is. I feel so much better after reading your update. We are still bombarding Heaven and the cosmos with vines and prayers and positive thoughts.

Rest well tonight, and give Tobey some extra cuddles. Your baby girl is in good hands.

 

Awesome news! Come on Gracie, you can do it girl!

Wishing Gracie strength, wellness, and continued improvement; comfort and peace of mind for the beans; medication that is swift and effective; and for the veterinary team to be blessed with the knowledge and skill to obtain the best result possible for Gracie.

 

So glad to hear she is doing a whole lot better. I hope you and Mike were able to get some sleep. Sending Hugs to Tobey.

 

Just catching up on posts from the last few days and I am soooo happy to hear that Gracie is doing better. Sending more vines that today will be an even better day for her and that she will be able to come home soon and snuggle with her brother.

 

What a good report on Gracie. Continuing healing vines and prayers for Gracie. Hugs and scritches to Tobey from Katie and me.
Ditto on hoping she's home soon.

 

What a roller coaster ride this has been! So glad to hear that Gracie is doing better and yay for minor lymphoma! (so strange to say is right!) So many extra vines coming your way from us. I hope you get Gracie home soon, too. Rest up for the time being. You deserve it.

 

Any news this morning on Gracie and Marje and Mike?