Monday, August 29, 2011

My Cat's Tumor

I want to post this blog entry because when my cat got her tumor, I searched all over the internet for someone with a similar situation and couldn't find anything. I want this to be here for people to find if they need it.

07.07.11
We noticed a small bump on my cat's lip in early July. It was worrisome and we didn't know what it was. I posted some pictures on the internet in hopes that someone would know something about it.

07.13.11
I got no response and the bump grew a bit. We continued to worry, and finally took her to the vet. The vet said that she had not seen anything like this and she suggested we have it removed and tested. The procedure was a bit expensive and we are fairly poor right now, so we decided to give it some time to see if it would go away.

It didn't go away, and on August 16th we took her in to have the growth surgically removed. The surgery went well. We had to drop her off and leave her all day. Thankfully the vet is very close to my apartment. They told us we could pick her up at 3:30 and we were there before that waiting for her. The procedure costed $371 total (in the U.S.). That included updating her shots. This is how it was broken down:


  • $44.85 for pre-surgical screen
  • $12.50 for outpatient hospitalization
  • $11.75 for acepromazine/atropine
  • $21.00 for valium/ketamine
  • $12.50 for (10) isoflurane gas anesthesia
  • $25 (5) mass excision
  • $9.00 prep/pack
  • $11.00 operating room disposables
  • $6.50 suture material 4-0 nylon
  • $105.20 histopath (1-2 tissues)
  • $55.00 laser - level 2
  • $29.95 FVRPC-C Annual (Distemper)
  • $26.75 Rabies (3 yr)
  • She also got her nails clipped for free, which was an $11.75 discount


08.16.11
08.16.11

She was still doped up from the anesthesia and pain meds. Her eyes were so glossy and she just wanted to sleep. Poor baby. She got stitches in the area where the growth was removed and we opted to not have a cone put on her. She probably needed one, but we couldn't do that to her. Plus she'd have to keep it on for two weeks.

08.19.2011

Her incision continued to heal and she slowly got her old attitude back. The first couple of days she was very groggy and slept a lot. She never lost her apetite, though, and would play for little increments of time here and there. We got a call from the surgeon two days after the surgery. He told us that the pathologist said it was a slow growth neural tissue tumor or a nerve sheath tumor. The surgeon questioned that finding, though. He said that when he removed it he thought it would be something else because of the fact that it sectioned itself off so nicely from the healthy tissue. Either way, he said he was really positive that he removed the whole thing. We asked what could happen if he missed some and he said at worst it grow back and could go deeper. If it returns and isn't addressed, it could screw up her jaw functionality by affecting the nerves.

08.22.11

The incision scabbed over and looked pretty gross for a couple of days! It did fall off (or she scratched it off).....and she lost a couple of stitches along the way as well.

8.29.11

On August 29th, I took her to have her stitches removed. She only had one left. She was a little feisty when the vet removed the stitches, and it took three of us to hold her still!

08.29.11
Now her stitches are gone and she is healing nicely. The vet thinks he removed the whole tumor, but if we ever see anything growing back, we have to take her back in immediately. Her attitude is back and she is acting completely normal. We are very happy with the results and, as long as the tumor doesn't return, she is going to be okay! :)

**EDIT (3/11/12): The tumor returned in December, and we got it removed again in January. Spirit is doing well again and we hope that is the last time we see that tumor. Here is the post about that: My Cat's Tumor Pt. 2

Friday, August 26, 2011

Recipe: Pasta Fresca (like Noodles & Co.)

Here is the recipe for Pasta Fresca like the Noodles & Co. dish!

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 1/2 cup pre-cooked farfalle pasta (I used mostaccioli)
1/4 cup cubed roma tomato
1 Tbsp diced red onion
2 dashes kosher salt & cracked pepper
1 oz baby fresh spinach
parmesan cheese

Fresca Sauce:
(I halved all of this because this makes a ton of sauce!)
1/4 cup fresh chopped garlic
2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup sweet white wine
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Combine all and set aside for later.

Sauté:
In a hot sauté pan, add olive oil, pre-cooked noodles, tomatoes, onions, salt & pepper. Sear noodles, stirring occasionally, until hot. Add spinach and fresca sauce. Toss to combine. Top with parmesan cheese.



Wisconsin Big Cat Rescue & Educational Center


Just a Note...

I just wanted to note that I have combined my two blogs and will from now on only be posting in this blog, cherylinspace. I will leave the other blog up, at least for awhile, so that people can update their bookmarks. I will eventually delete it. Thanks!

-Cheryl

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Laundry Day=fuzzy Hello Kitty shorts. My question is, why doesn't everyday=fuzzy Hello Kitty shorts?

Wedding Planning (3 weeks since engagement)

Hi, all! I just wanted to do a quick update as to what I have checked off my wedding planning checklist:


  • I booked a hall in my hometown for my ceremony and reception. I am having an extremely small ceremony so we decided it would be easiest to do it in the same place as the reception, which will be quite a bit bigger. My wedding date is September 22, 2012. Can't wait!
  • We have decided upon our wedding party and everyone has agreed to join us on our day. We also asked Ian's brother to be minister at our ceremony. I am sure he will do a beautiful job and we are looking forward to him doing this for us.
  • I have my colors that I want picked out and they are going to be very pretty.

    That's all I have done so far! We are working on figuring out what we want for a meal, who will be caterer, a DJ, and a photographer. I'd just like to get this few big things set up and knocked off my list right away so I know we are booked and set. I will update often with my progress. :D