Background- I am a crazy cat lady, or so my friends like to say. Perhaps they are right. I'd like to take a moment to introduce you to my best friend in the world, a 9 pound, 10-year-old domestic shorthair named puddin' joSeph (or, puddin' joSeph Feline DePalma-Harmer if you're about the specifics). This cat is more than "just a cat." He has moved through countless states with me, curled asleep under my arm when someone broke my heart, when the world got me down, or just because he wanted to be near me. Basically, you will never find anyone more loyal than puddin'. He loves everyone he meets, and even if it's not instant love, you'll find bringing a small treat will make you an instant member of the in crowd.
February 5, 2015, my life changed forever. So did puddin' joSeph's. That morning, I noticed his breath stunk and not like the usual cat food. I figured it was time for his yearly dental cleaning, so I set the appointment. After about 5 minutes in the vet's office, they took me aside and told me they wouldn't be able to clean his teeth, and they needed to refer us to a feline specialist in the area. The next morning, I rushed him over there, thinking he maybe needed a tooth pulled. That afternoon, our worlds fell apart. The specialist informed us there was a growth under puddin' joSeph's tongue, and they needed to send it out for a biopsy. They suspected cancer.
I prayed. I sobbed. I asked everyone I knew to get out their rosaries for my little man. A week later, the biopsy confirmed the worst. My sweet, loyal, loving cat was diagnosed with a malignant case of oral squamous cell carcinoma. The tumor was located directly between his tongue and lower jaw, making removal impossible. They gave him 1-3 months to live. My husband and I refused to believe it, and we spent the next day researching this type of cancer, what we could do, and so on. We came across a local veterinary oncology practice, that was rated one in the state of Texas. I remember thinking to myself, "hey, Texas is a big place! They must be great!". If anyone was going to tell me there was nothing to be done for my baby, it was going to be them.
God was on our side. We met with the oncology specialists, and after a quick exam of puddin' joSeph, they came back with an inaccurate biopsy report from the "feline specialists" we previously went to. It turns out puddin' joSeph's tumor was actually only located towards the rear side of his tongue, and it was able to be shaved down. There was no guarantee of making him cancer free, but they did tell us the surgery wouldn't be harmful to puddin' and it would buy him at least another 3-6 months before the tumor grew back and the cancer spread. It was a small price to pay to maintain his quality of life, and the happiness of our complete family.
Our cat underwent surgery the next morning. It was agony waiting for the surgeon to call and give us the full report. We weren't expecting much, but God was on our side again. We caught the tumor early, and that it was small enough to completely be removed from puddin' joSeph's mouth. I cried for hours, this time tears of sheer joy. Complete removal of the tumor moved puddin' to have at least 9 months pain free with us. There are still cancer cells in his mouth, but as of now, they are dormant. They are showing no signs of fusing together and creating another tumor. My main man is a fighter, and it is with prayer I can ask that these cells never come back together and puddin' lives a full, happy life.
That's where I am at with the beginning of this blog. I know and I accept that my time with my best friend is limited, but I carry the hope and the faith. The hope that a miracle will happen. The faith to get me through the time we have left. Regardless, they were very up front that a cat with this diagnosis will live a maximum of a 14-18 months, after all treatments, pending a miracle of those cells not growing back. Of course I pray for that miracle, but also pray that puddin' never suffers for even a moment.
As for me, I still have moments when I look at him and start sobbing. I have good days, and bad days. I am human. To make the absolute most of his time with me, I have created a bucket list of adventures, and we sure do hope you will follow them with us! :) What better way to celebrate puddin' joSeph's life than to share this bucket list journey with our family, friends, and anyone who's loved a pet of their own enough to care.
Until next time:
Love & Catnip !
