Hi folks! Welcome!
Not a very upbeat subject today, cancer, but it is a thing we need to understand as we age. I read somewhere that 90% of cancers occur in people over 70 years of age, and that is only a couple of years out for yours truly.
It is worse for my lovely cat, Alobar. He already has his cancer, an inoperable squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the pharynx. Trained as a pathologist, I have examined literally thousands of SCC. They will just eat you alive. He is fine right now on soft food and antibiotics to cut down infection, which seemed to help his swallowing a lot. This approach was recommended by a veterinarian that I trust, Doc Anderson of Carrboro Veterinary Clinic. Thanks Doc!
So I was feeling sad about this, but just by chance I came across a blog post that cheered me up. It had this old poem associated with a picture of a bunch of kids playing, which reminded me of all the times Alobar and I have played together.
“You’ve gotta dance like there’s nobody watching,
Love like you’ll never be hurt,
Sing like there’s nobody listening,
And live like it’s heaven on earth.”
Plus, I found this in Wikipedia:
(And speak from the heart to be heard.)”
-William W. Purkey
I like these sentiments, and I’ll love my cat for as long as I can and like I’ll never be hurt.
Thanks Chez Ollie.
PS It finally got him, and a couple of years later I’m still sad about losing Alobar (age 18 when he died). Some creatures just get under your skin – he didn’t put up with my BS, I think that’s what it was. Lovely cat!
I am so sorry. It is tough to watch a friend suffer.
Hi Catharine,
Yep! It is tough, but I always say to myself, better to have loved and lost than never loved at all, and I think about what a great life he has had. I have four people checking on him every day, and a great vet available if he runs into trouble, and I am hoping he’ll still be around when I get back from this race.
Thanks for understanding.
-k @FitOldDog
That’s tough. We lost our Jasper to kidney failure. The house seemed empty without him.
No editing.
Are you down to only one pet now? Why do you need a vet if you are one?
Lovely cats.
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So sorry to hear of this. I lost my favorite Buster a couple of months ago. He had a great life and I savored all my moments with him. It’s a blessing that we can help them along in their journey.
Better to have loved and lost then never loved at all. That helps me to feel better when I say that. Alobar was my friend for 18 years. That’s the deal. -kevin