I met with Bugaboo's Oncologist yesterday. She prescribes radiation, 4xweek for 4 weeks. The estimate is just shy of 5k it would also require ~4 hours of time away from work or additional funds for her to ride a shuttle. I'm devastated. I was going in to this expecting to pay approximately 2k and I think I could handle that, but 5k just for the radiation? Friends question if I should commit to a debt that I could quite possibly still be paying on after Bugaboo has passed. I had nightmares all night of all these voices telling me it was ridiculous to consider paying so much for treatment of a 10 year old cat. I've been doing a lot of crying as well. I need to make a decision soon because if I'm going through with radiation they suggest I get it scheduled to start next week. I just struggle with knowing that Bugaboo could die from fibrosarcoma that was my fault and that I had the option to help her at a significant inconvenience to me but didn't. I am so torn.
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The doctor is supposed to call me today with the results of Bug's blood and urine work. I have a list of questions to ask her about other alternatives (less radiation treatments, but still doing some), survival rates with out radiation, and what I should do if I opt not to have the radiation to monitor her progress. I'm fine sometimes, and then if I start researching stuff I just start sobbing. I'm just going to spend the day at home cuddling Boo and I'll talk to the doctor when she calls.
In other news Bug's incision scabs have all come off and you can see a healthy and not horrible scar in it's place. She's such a tough furbaby. She's still a bit miffed at me for the trip and appointment yesterday though. She's been hiding a lot today.
Update: I take that back, not only is she hiding but she'll hardly let me hold her. When I pick her up and carry her anywhere she starts poofing up and shaking like she's upset. I don't know how she'd handle four days of travel or even worse being put on a shuttle with strangers.
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While on the phone with my mother I got a voicemail saying that Bugaboo's blood/urine tests show all is well. There was concern due to a higher than normal creatinin level on her pre-op blood work which could be due to renal disfunction which is not uncommon with older cats.
I left a voicemail for the Dr with my additional questions so hopefully I'll hear back later today.
My mind keeps straying to getting a second cat if I choose not to radiate Bug.
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So I just got off the one with Bugaboo's Dr. She said she'd rate treatment options as follows:
1. Radiation $5200
2. An additional extremly aggressive surgery (bone, muscle, and lots of tissue removed. Bugaboo would have scar running down almost her entire back) ~$2000-2500. Still gives a chance of full remission
3. Chemotherapy $? Less effective and would still require multiple treatments but they could be done at Adobe
4. No additional treatment. The cancer will reoccur at some point. Check ups every three months.
So now I've got more to think about. The surgery is more inline with what I was expecting to pay and would only have Bugaboo in the hospital for a day or two and then done for the most part. The only catch is that I'd need to have the money on hand to pay for the surgery at the time of it.
