Nov. 02, 2002 ~ Long night
(If you are a little squeamish, skip this one.)
Another rough night with Misha. And he'd been doing so well, too. No matter how tired we are, or how deeply asleep, I think mothers are always listening for the sounds of troubled children, human or otherwise. So it was the sound that woke me, that throwing-up sound we all know too well. I walked into the living room to find Misha lying on his side, sick, just laying in the mess. Returning with a wet rag, I said to him, "Honey, are you just going to lay there? Can't you stand up?" He couldn't right himself, but was able to stand once I picked him up. I washed his paws, chest and face, and he immediately started walking in small, tight circles, sniffing everything in sight. Then he moved over a bit, and walked either in circles or what looked like figure eights, and I knew he was having a diabetic crisis. Brain function is dependent upon glucose, and when the blood sugar level drops too low, strange things happen to any kind of a diabetic, feline or human. It's not unusual for people to think a person is drunk, or mentally retarded, when they are having a diabetic crisis. For this reason, some diabetics wear a medical-alert bracelet or necklace, to alert health care professionals of their condition.
Time is of the essence in these situations, and owners of diabetic cats must have the supplies instantly available, always in the same place, so they can act without thinking and not waste precious moments searching for what should be right there. We keep a bottle of Karo syrup in the refrigerator (to keep mold from forming) and a syringe (no needle) in the kitchen cabinet with his diabetic syringes (it has its own special sack). I had trouble getting the lid off the bottle, and by this time, Misha had collapsed on the floor, unable to stand. I was just about to wake Husband up to loosen the sticky lid, or else go to plan B, pancake syrup, when the lid broke loose. I drew up the thick, sticky liquid, pried open his mouth, and slowly gave it to him. We don't want him to choke or throw it back up. He kept it down and was feeling better within a couple of minutes. As time passed, he felt more and more like himself, but it's wise to sit with him for awhile when this happens. He was so, so happy, purring and rubbing his head against me, just the sweetest, friendliest boy. He wasn't at all upset. After about half an hour, he seemed better, and I lay down for awhile. Thirty minutes later, another dose of Karo, and he still seemed fine. In fact, he was purring when I walked into the kitchen. So, crisis averted, and all's well that ends well.
Sometimes I wonder why God seems to want this little cat to hang on, to stay alive. Without fail, every single time that Misha has had a hypoglycemic episode, I've been here. Most owners of diabetic felines just come home to find them dead. I've come home to find him having seizures, but was able to get him to the vet in time. That first time was awful, so frightening, but now that we all know what to do, it's not a problem. And Misha is... terminally ill. I considered not treating him last night. Letting him go. But it's such an easy fix, the corn syrup, and he's been feeling so good, before this happened, that I couldn't just ignore him. I love my cat, plain and simple. I don't want him to suffer, so there was a moment when I thought... "Wouldn't this be an easier, kinder way to go?" But I don't know that. And it's not in my nature to sit idly by while anyone is suffering.
My goodness, he was happy and friendly this morning. I'm just so grateful for every day with him. It was Christmas Eve when Susan diagnosed him, and she later said that she expected him to last anywhere from a month to a year at the most, with a month being more likely. So he has exceeded our expectations, and best of all, he seems to be feeling well. He enjoys eating treats, whatever we're having... especially meat. Ice cream is good, too. Not typical fare for a diabetic, but under the circumstances...
There will be no insulin shots today, maybe not for a few days. We'll just wait and watch his symptoms. And pet him a lot.
Such a sweet boy.
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