Goodbye, Kilimanjaro
April 08, 2007 at 06:11 PM | categories: home | View Comments
Kilimanjaro died this morning at about 10:30. When I woke up she was vomiting up water, and then fresh blood. She couldn't stand up. I took her to the emergency clinic, where they diagnosed an intestinal tumor. Her appetite had been poor, and she'd lost about 30-50% of her former weight. On Tuesday, another vet had noticed the lump in her abdomen, but didn't see anything on the x-ray.
She seemed to recover interest in food whenever I had tuna sashimi to offer. She was always strong, and I had hoped it was something minor.
But it was serious. This morning at home, and In the emergency room, she was clearly in pain. It was time to say goodbye.
I seem to be saying goodbye a lot, lately.
What would I have done if I'd known it was cancer, on Tuesday? Or a month ago? Cancer treatment for a 14-year-old cat? Would I have been strong enough to give her up while she still seemed to be healthy and happy? I wish I could have spared her the last hour or two. But I didn't know, and I couldn't.
ButI could edit this all night, without getting it right. So I'll stop.
She seemed to recover interest in food whenever I had tuna sashimi to offer. She was always strong, and I had hoped it was something minor.
But it was serious. This morning at home, and In the emergency room, she was clearly in pain. It was time to say goodbye.
I seem to be saying goodbye a lot, lately.
What would I have done if I'd known it was cancer, on Tuesday? Or a month ago? Cancer treatment for a 14-year-old cat? Would I have been strong enough to give her up while she still seemed to be healthy and happy? I wish I could have spared her the last hour or two. But I didn't know, and I couldn't.
ButI could edit this all night, without getting it right. So I'll stop.