Miss Bugaboo

Update!

2009-07-21T21:35:27Z

Got an odd reminder about Bugaboo's webpage and that I hadn't updated it in quite some time.

Bugaboo is now 4 years remission and 15 years old. Her health isn't top notch anymore, but she's a senior cat. She hasn't had any complications from her surgery or treatments over the years. She remains on the thin side and people always comment on how pronounced her spine is in the radiation area, but that's been the case since the surgery. Her white patch is lightly peppered with grey hair where her coloration has returned, but the marking still causes a stir every time she goes in to the vet. She hasn't had a single vaccination or injection since the treatment. She still gets Innova Evo as do my two other cats including, Gui, who I adopted during Boo's radiation treatments and gets a brief mention here. Boo's still incredibly cuddly and even spunky at times. I still don't regret any of my decisions in seeing her through the full recommend treatment despite the fiancial strain at the time.

You can find pictures of Bugaboo and the other kitty kids here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/katgolightly/sets/72157594388548296/

Check in

2008-03-05T20:16:03Z

I forget to update on Bugaboo. It's now been just over 2 years since she finished radiation treatments, and this spring she'll be 14 years old. We are "out of the woods" according to most statistics at this point. Most recurrances occur in less than 2 years. After that it seems like chances go down although that's antecdotal. Bugaboo is still my little cuddle bug. She is still playful, sweet, and very affectionate. She does seem a little thinner than before everything occured and she occasionally suffers from minor arthritis but she's earned it at her age. Her white patch hasn't really faded much over the years, but it's simply cosmetic.

]]> If you want to read the whole story, I suggest you start at the beginning...
http://www.missbugaboo.com/2005/09/what_is_vaccine_associated_sar.html

Bugaboo's Doctors

2007-03-14T16:15:56Z

General Veterinary Dr. Racheal Boltz
Adobe Animal Hospital
Los Altos, CA

Holistic Veterinary Dr. Sara Skiwski
The Western Dragon
San Jose, CA

Veterinary Oncologist Dr. Linda Fineman
Pacific Veterinary Specialists
Capitola, CA

Veterinary Surgeon Specialist Dr. Michael Dearmin
Pacific Veterinary Specialists
Capitola, CA

Veterinary Oncologist/Radiologist [Attending unknown]
Veterinary Tumor Institute
Santa Cruz, CA

Actual costs

2007-03-14T16:14:45Z

The Bugaboo Cancer Fund was set up to help offset the costs for Bugaboo's treatment in the effort to put her Fibrosarcoma in to full remission.

]]> Expenses to date since Sept 13th:

Tissue ressection, xrays, preop blood, biopsy, meds, dental $500.50
Second tissue ressection, biopsy, meds $352.35
Consultation with Dr. Sara $156.65
Consultation with Dr. Fineman, blood/urine screen $233.66
Radiation - Week 1 $558.00
Radiation - Week 2 $500.00
Radiation - Week 3 $500.00
Radiation - Week 4 $500.00
Radiation - Week 5 $250.00
Radiation - loan $2,308.00
3 month post radiation check up $35.00
TOTAL TO DATE (FEB 15 2006) $5,894.16

Feb 3, 2006

2007-02-03T17:06:59Z

I forget to update here, which is a really good thing! Bugaboo is still in full remission. Some of her white fur from radiation seems to be blending in to the rest of her fur a little bit but it may be that she's getting old enough to start showing a little grey. She's still active for a nearly 12 year old that went through all of this. It's 15 months since she finished radiation treatments.

Nov 15, 2006

2006-11-15T17:06:29Z

Today is exactly one year since Bugaboo finished radiation. She's still in remission and doing great. Here is to another great year!

June 1, 2006

2006-06-01T16:05:36Z

I almost forgot about Bugaboo's six month radiation anniversary. Things have returned to "normal" around here. Gui has grown quickly and is now just over 8 months old and living up to his feral birth. Bugaboo defends herself just fine and manages to give him kisses when he stops running around long enough. So far there have been no signs of reoccurance with Bugaboo, but I still check her out daily for any new lumps. She's still my loving fuzzy bean :)

Feb 20, 2005

2006-02-20T17:04:59Z

Bugaboo at three months post radiation treatment and a close up of her radiation and incision area

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Feb 15, 2006

2006-02-15T17:04:19Z

Bugaboo had her 3 month check up today and the doctor said everything looked great. I need to keep checking her daily for reoccurance but other than that she doesn't need to come in for a year. Here is to hoping that she stays in remission for the next year at least!

Nov 15, 2005

2005-11-15T17:03:41Z

Bugaboo's ACTUAL last day of radiation treatment. The staff at VTI gave her a little radiation graduation scarf

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Nov 14, 2005

2005-11-14T17:02:19Z

Bugaboo's not quite last day of radiation treatment

]]> Well we are down to the last radiation treatment. I actually thought it was today but was corrected that it is tomorrow. Bugaboo is showing some mild skin irritation at the radiation site which we are treating with aloe spray. Other than that she is good. She's gotten a little better about the car trips but still doesn't like them much. She doesn't hate her carrier like she used to though. I'm eager to see how she does with the treatments over and a return to "normal" life for all of us. It's definitely worn me out at points. Like all of us I'm hoping for a long remission. Well at least long enough for me to finish paying off the remaining debt from this round.

Gui is growing like a weed. He now weighs about 2lbs. He is really fiesty and not much of a cuddle bug but he is healthy and responding as well as I can hope to training.

It's like a weird fitting end to my daily excursions to Santa Cruz. The second time I was in the coffee shop there were weird writers discussing outlandish story lines. Today it's a group of christian men discussing (although is it really a discussion when there's no counter points of any sort?) the bible.

Nov 11, 2005

2005-11-11T17:01:28Z

Only one more radiation treatment left! Then I still need to pay off the remaining 2k in the next 3 months but that will seem easy compared to coping over $500 a week like now.

Nov 04, 2005

2005-11-04T17:00:36Z

Bugaboo is lethargic still. I think she's getting fed up with this radiation thing. Only one more week though thankfully.

Oct 31, 2005

2005-10-31T16:59:36Z

It feels like the rest of my life is totally chaotic right now although it really shouldn't be. Things are kind of busy at work and I'm not in the office for several hours each day. My laptop ate dirt so now I'm trying to get it back up and running so I can be more productive during Bugaboo's treatments. My days go something along the lines of:

Get up at 6:30am
Feed Gui
Bath Gui
Shower, get dressed
Pack up Bugaboo
Drive to Santa Cruz
Work from coffee shop on broken laptop
Drive back from Santa Cruz
Drop off Bugaboo and feed her
Go to work
Work til 6pm
Go home
Feed Gui
Bath Gui (he stands in his food)
Exercise Gui
Give Boo attention
Try to pick up house/laundry/cat toys/towels
Have dinner
Watch a movie
Go to sleep at 9 or 10pm
REPEAT

Only two more weeks of radiation thank goodness. I've taken 3 days off I think since she started. I feel like I have a cold coming on. It might just be exhaustion/stress though. I don't know. I just need a break I think. My life revolves around the cats at the moment.

Oct 24, 2005

2005-10-24T15:58:25Z

I'm awake, sleepy. I can't seem to get my sleep schedule in tune with Boo's treatment yet. I need to leave by 8am, her session starts at 9am. It's still dark out!

----
Bugaboo seems to be slowly warming up. She still cries when I put her in her carrier, but she actually nuzzled me a bit in the car. When I got to the hospital and was waiting for them to come get her she was all kinds of curious so I opened the carrier door and I was petting her. A little girl came in with her mother and was excited to see a kitty so I let her pet Boo. Boo didn't even flinch despite the little girl squealing and stuff. She even nuzzled the little girl's hand. Normally Boo is pretty shy with strangers.